Chapter 2
“Is she all right?” Grover asked in lieu of a greeting when Lucky climbed into his Jeep Grand Cherokee outside of Devyn’s apartment complex.
“She’s okay,” Lucky told him.
“She tell you what the fuck’s going on?” Grover asked.
“No.”
“Shit. Why not?”
Lucky turned to his friend. “I have a question for you.”
As Grover pulled out of the parking lot, he said, “Shoot.”
“How would you react if your sister told me something and asked me to keep it between the two of us?”
Lucky watched as Grover’s jaw hardened. “I wouldn’t fucking like it.”
“Yeah. And that’s what I told her when she asked,” Lucky said.
“I would never keep something as important as your sister’s well-being from you.
You’re one of the best friends I’ve ever had, and I have no desire to keep secrets from you.
I have no idea what’s going on, and she wouldn’t tell me, but it’s pretty obvious it has something to do with your brother.
I might be way off base here, but I’m thinking she doesn’t want to muddy the family waters. ”
Grover sighed. “Yeah, she’s been avoiding my parents’ calls for a while now. When Spencer asked for her number, I gave it to him in the hopes they could mend whatever was wrong. Guess that backfired, huh?”
“For the record, she said she wasn’t sick or in danger,” Lucky said.
“That makes me feel a little better. But because she was sick for so long, she doesn’t like anyone to make a fuss over her. She could have a broken arm and she’d claim that it was just a scratch.”
Lucky nodded. “I’m done fucking around,” he informed Grover.
“Good,” his friend said without hesitation. “I told you before, and I’ll say it again. If Devyn got together with you or Doc, I’d be beside myself with joy.”
“She’s not hooking up with Doc,” Lucky growled.
Grover laughed. “Right.” Then he got serious. “I already feel as if you’re my brother, but if you were my brother legally, I’d be fucking thrilled. And if you can figure out what’s going on with Devyn and make the light come back to her eyes, I’ll be forever in your debt.”
“I do feel as if I need to say this…” Lucky said.
“Yeah?”
“As of right now, I’m Devyn’s friend. And as such, I have no problem sharing stuff she tells me with you.
But if things between us get serious, that’s gonna stop.
Dev and I will decide together if there’s something she wants you to know or not, but I’m not going to be blabbing every single thing that goes on in our lives to you. ”
Grover was quiet for a moment. Then he said, “I can respect that. It’s hard for me to think of Devyn being anything other than my little sister who I need to protect, but she is an adult.”
Lucky nodded in relief. He didn’t mind passing on pertinent information about Devyn’s health and well-being to Grover right now, but it would seem too much like breaking a confidence if he shared too much, if they ever got to the point where they were a couple.
And he wanted that. To be taken into her confidence… and to be able to call Devyn his.
He’d wanted that almost since the moment he’d laid eyes on her.
The two men were quiet as Grover drove back toward Oz’s house. When they arrived, Grover pulled up next to Lucky’s GMC Sierra pickup truck. “Figured you wouldn’t be in the mood to go back in,” he said as he turned off his engine.
“I feel bad, but yeah, I need to think about what my next steps will be,” Lucky said. “If you talk to Spencer, or your parents, you might tell them to back off Devyn for a while. She needs space. I have the feeling she’s on the verge of bolting.”
“What do you mean?” Grover asked, looking concerned.
“She hasn’t unpacked. Not really,” Lucky said.
“Really?”
“Yeah. There are boxes all over her place.”
“But we helped her move in over a year ago.”
“We moved the boxes in, but didn’t stay to watch her unpack them.”
“Fuck.”
“If she gets any more pressure from Spencer about whatever it is he’s pressuring her to do, I have a feeling she’ll leave.”
Grover looked over at Lucky. “I’ve missed her.
I love all my siblings, but Devyn and I were really close growing up.
I hated when she got sick and spent every minute I could with her.
I didn’t even want to play with my friends; all I could think about was how sad I’d be if she died.
So I stuck by her side like glue. Even after she went into remission, we were still close.
We’re four years apart, but we might as well have been twins.
I’m thrilled she’s here. She’s grown into an amazing woman, and I love her so much. I don’t want her to leave.”
“I don’t either,” Lucky said. “And I’m going to do everything in my power to get her to stay. But if Spencer keeps calling her, she might decide to leave to spare you whatever’s happening.”
“Right. I’ll talk to him,” Grover said.
“Good.”
“Can I give you some advice?” Grover asked Lucky.
“Please do.”
“Get a pet. A dog, or cat, or goat. It doesn’t matter. Go to the shelter and pick out the sickest animal they’ve got. Then ask for Devyn’s advice as to how to keep the poor thing alive. She’ll be putty in your hands.”
“Not sure I want to manipulate her like that,” Lucky said, frowning.
“My sister loves animals. More than she loves people. She won’t be able to resist helping you nurse some creature back to life. It’ll give you an in.”
“It’s still manipulation,” Lucky protested.
“Tell me you haven’t wanted to get a dog,” Grover retorted.
Lucky sighed. That was the thing about best friends. They knew you better than you knew yourself. “You know I have. We always had animals around the house when I was growing up. But it’s not fair with how much we go on missions.”
“If Oz can leave his nephew and niece in Gillian’s capable hands when we head out, I think you can leave an animal or two with Gillian, Kinley, Aspen, or Riley. You know they’d love to help.”
Lucky did know that. And he had to admit that Grover’s idea had merit…though it still seemed a little underhanded.
As if reading his mind, Grover said, “Look, I love my sister. But she’s stubborn as hell.
Do what you have to do. Also, I appreciate more than I can say that you don’t want to keep shit from me, but if you need to promise to keep your mouth shut in order to get her to admit what’s wrong…
I’m okay with it. All I ask is that if her life is at stake, you don’t keep it from me. ”
“Deal,” Lucky said immediately. He didn’t want to keep anything from his friend, but if the subject came up with Dev again, he’d tell her about this conversation.
Something was bothering her, and he desperately wanted to know what it was.
Not to fix it for her, but to help her come up with a solution. Together.
“I wonder what the Humane Society’s hours are?” he mused quietly.
Grover laughed and slapped him on the shoulder.
“That’s the spirit. And for the record, there’s no way you’ll get away with a courthouse wedding.
My parents would have a heart attack. Mila and Angela were married in our family church back in Missouri, and that’s where they’ll want Devyn to marry the love of her life too. ”
“Jumpin’ the gun a bit, aren’t you?” Lucky asked as they both climbed out of the Jeep.
“I don’t think I am. The guy who ends up with my sister will be damn lucky…and you’re the luckiest asshole on the team. If anyone can make her fall in love, it’s you.”
“Thanks.” Grover’s confidence and approval meant the world to Lucky.
“She’s a handful, but she cares more than anyone I’ve ever met,” Grover said. “See you at PT tomorrow morning. Good thing we’ve got the rest of the day off afterward, so you can head to the Humane Society.”
Lucky shook his head as his friend laughed and wandered back toward Oz’s house and the party going on inside.
Grover had given him some good advice, and Lucky was more relieved than he could say that his friend was supportive of him starting something with Devyn.
It wouldn’t have stopped him regardless, but it made things a hell of a lot easier.
He wasn’t comfortable with keeping secrets from Grover, but he’d play that by ear.
If Grover did his part and had a talk with his brother, maybe Devyn would relax. Time would tell.
In the meantime, he’d do whatever it took to get Devyn to trust him, to see that he was a man who could be relied on. Who she could rely on.