Chapter 12
Chapter Twelve
brOOKS
Iam damn tempted to climb into my bed with her, strip us both naked, and fuck her until neither of us can breathe.
But she’s exhausted, and I have shit to do.
I press my lips to her forehead and walk out of the bedroom. I called my brothers this morning, and they’re going to meet me at Sage & Citrus in fifteen minutes. I don’t even feel guilty when I find the keys to the restaurant in her purse and lock up behind me before walking out to my truck.
Before leaving, I shoot Jules a text.
Me: Whenever you wake up, there are coffee pods in the kitchen and cream in the fridge. I’ll be at your restaurant all day today, pulling out the old floor.
With that done, I call Dani.
“Hey, you just caught me before I go in to volunteer in Birdie’s class. What’s up?”
Dani used to teach kindergarten, but after having the baby, she decided to take a few years off to be at home with the kids. She volunteers in Birdie’s class once a week, and Birdie loves it.
“I need your help,” I tell her.
“Of course, anything you need.”
I fucking love my family.
For the next ten minutes, I brief Dani on what I need her to help with, then I walk up to the front of the restaurant, unlock it, and enter.
Minutes later, my brothers all walk in after me.
“God, this is horrible.” Blake scowls. “We should probably all wear masks. I have some in the car.”
“Of course, you do.” Bridger shakes his head.
“Fuck you, I’m a doctor.” Blake flips Bridger off, then marches back out to get the masks.
“I brought saws,” Beckett announces. “A bunch of other tools, too.”
I don’t say a word until Blake comes back inside. Then I stand in front of my three younger brothers, cross my arms over my chest, and sigh.
“Uh-oh,” Beckett says. “He’s gonna blow.”
“I want to punch the fuck out of Bridger.”
Bridge just smiles, the fucker. “For what? Saving Juliet’s ass the other night? You’re welcome.”
“For not telling me. I should have been your first phone call.”
“Respectfully, that’s bullshit,” Blake says, shaking his head. “You’ve said for years that we should never mention her.”
“Keep her name out of your fucking mouth were your exact words, I believe,” Beckett adds.
“You’ll punch me if I talk about her, and you’ll punch me if I don’t,” Bridge says. “So which is it, Brooks?”
I drag my hands down my face and turn away from them. They’re right. Hell, Jules is right, too.
I can’t have it both ways.
I can’t expect to know anything if I won’t talk about her, and now I know that I can’t stay away from her.
“We talked last night.” I turn around to find them all staring at me in surprise. “A long talk. The kind that clears up a lot of shit.”
“Are you saying that you and Jules are back together?” Blake asks.
“She’s asleep in my bed right now because I refuse to let her stay upstairs.
We’re going to try to get to know each other again.
Start over.” I shrug, then glance around at the restaurant.
“I probably made some rash decisions when I was young and stupid, and she’s been through hell and back. It’s time to move the fuck on.”
“Amen.” Bridger pats me on the shoulder. “Now, let’s get this floor out of here. I called the city, and a dumpster will be dropped off for us later this morning.”
“Excellent. Let’s get started.”
It’s not an easy process. Real wood that’s been soaked and then dried and warped isn’t easy to manipulate. We’re all in masks, sawing, pulling, and hauling all morning.
Around lunchtime, Billie opens the door, but when she starts to step inside, Connor stops her. He steps around her, his brows pulled together in concern.
“What happened here?”
“Flood,” I tell him.
“Wait.” Billie holds up a hand and eyes her husband. “You know, it’s really hard to have a conversation with my brothers when you won’t let me near my brothers.”
“I won’t let you in here,” Connor counters. “That’s different entirely.”
“I’m pregnant, not a freaking invalid.” She shakes her head. “Anyway, Brooks, if you guys are helping Jules, does that mean that you two aren’t enemies anymore?”
I scowl at my baby sister. “We weren’t enemies.”
“Bullshit,” Bridger says, making it sound like a sneeze in his hand, and I reach over and clip the back of his head with my hand. “Ouch. Fucker.”
“We’re working on it,” I reply simply, and Billie hops up and down on the balls of her feet with excitement.
“Thank God. It was so hard not to be extra warm and fuzzy with her because I love her, Brooks. And I want her at book club meetings, and all of the things.”
“I felt guilty as fuck for eating in here,” Blake agrees. “And the food is awesome. My woman craves it every day, and if my pregnant fiancée wants to eat here, she’ll eat here. Still feel guilty for it, though.”
“I love you guys.” I sigh. “And I appreciate the loyalty. I don’t want you to feel any sort of way about being friends with her. I shouldn’t have expected that.”
“I mean, she did leave,” Beckett reminds me. “There’s history there. But, if you’re okay, then we’re okay.”
“Where is she now?” Connor asks.
“At my place, sleeping.”
Billie’s eyebrows climb into her hairline. “WHAT? Jesus, you work fast, big brother.”
“She’s exhausted.” My voice is as dry as sandpaper. “And her apartment is shit. I don’t want her living there.”
“Like while this is happening or ever?” Billie asks, that grin still firmly on her face. “Because I vote for ever. Who’s with me?”
The guys chuckle at our little sister. Connor reaches over to drag his finger down her cheek.
“You’re the sweetest thing, Bumble.”
“One day at a time,” I say, shaking my head. “First things first. This place needs a lot of repairs, and she’s on a budget.”
I don’t want her using a fucking dime of that asshole’s money. Not if I can help it.
“I’ll make some calls,” Connor says simply, pulling his phone out of his pocket. “Angel, you need to get out of here. I don’t want you breathing this in. I’m going to stay and help.”
“You’re going to stay?” That surprises me. Connor’s a billionaire. He doesn’t do demo day. He hires people for that. The man owns hundreds of hotels and resorts all over the world.
“Am I not welcome?” he asks, lifting an eyebrow.
“You’re welcome wherever we are.” I shrug a shoulder. “Be my guest. The more, the merrier.”
“I’m so happy,” Billie says as Connor backs her out of the doorway. “I just want them to be happy.”
“Freaking hormones make all the women in this family cry,” Beck mutters. “Between Dani just having a baby earlier this year, and now the rest of the girls being pregnant, it’s nothing but tears around here.”
“It’s not forever,” Blake reminds him. “Just a few more months.”
“Until someone else gets pregnant again,” Bridger says.
I can picture my wildfire pregnant with my baby. I’ve been able to picture that for years. Maybe we have a second chance for that. We’re not too old yet.
I don’t even know if she wants babies.
I don’t even know if she wants me.
“I have a crew on the way,” Connor says as he walks back inside. “They’ll remove everything that’s ruined and start replacing it with new materials. Does she want it to stay the same as it was, or does she want to take this opportunity to change anything up?”
I blink at him. “Connor, I can’t pay you—”
“Fuck that,” he says, shaking his head. “You’re my family. Jules is important to all of you, and we love this restaurant. So let’s get it back up and running and worry about the rest another time. Like never.”
Have I mentioned how much I love my family?
“We’ll have to ask her what she wants to do as far as materials go,” I reply. “I expect her to come in here this afternoon.”
“Good. We can get the rest of this emptied out. How’s the upstairs?”
“Worse than this, but we’ll need her permission to go up there. She was living up there, and her personal things are there.”
Connor nods, and Blake’s face transforms into a scowl.
“Wait. She doesn’t know that we’ve been in here all morning, ripping up her floor?”
“No, but it’s not like she’d stop me. This floor has to go.”
“Jesus, she could call the cops and have us arrested for trespassing.”
“She’s not going to do that.” I shake my head at my brother. “Don’t be stupid.”
Beckett’s eyes shift to the doorway and narrow. “Ask her yourself.”
I turn around to smile at my girl, but she’s scowling.
“What the hell is going on in here?”