Grayson
. . .
FOURTEEN
What the fuck was that? I thought everything was fine, more than fine.
But then, she spooked like a horse and fled.
I know I shouldn’t have let it get that far, dammit, but Maisie is addictive.
She’s my dream woman, plain and simple, and, in a moment of weakness, I thought what if.
What if I could just have one single taste of what life with this angel would be like if life were simple? What would our painting look like?
I know I can’t kiss her. It’s one hundred percent off limits, but I’m weak when it comes to her.
Apparently, my mouth is loose when I’m around her too.
No one besides Laine knows the entirety of our story, and, in a matter of minutes, she almost drew the whole thing out of me.
I left some parts out, sure, but I found myself wanting to share all the sides of me, if only so she knew she wasn’t alone in her struggles.
I would give almost anything to take that burden off her back like I have for Laine and her medical bills.
I would bear it all for her, and we’ve only just met.
How can I want a woman's pain to be mine so badly after just meeting her? It’s not like me. I don’t entertain women, ever. But trauma spots trauma, and I can tell she’s harboring more than she let on, just as I am.
At some point, I picked up the flower Maisie left behind, just so I could be close to her again.
I rub my thumb over the petal she rubbed thin, feeling the phantom caress of her skin.
I pluck the petal and slip it in my pocket before throwing the rest of it into the water, watching it float away until it disappears altogether.
It’s a shocking reminder that everything I touch can be taken away in a blink if I’m not careful. I cannot fall for this woman. I cannot let her in and risk her heart—or worse, her life. They would eat her alive if they found out I had another person I cared for.
I make a vow right here to do everything I can to make sure she doesn’t weasel her way into my heart, even if it means shutting her out.
Maisie Brooks can’t be mine.
I’m putting the last of my supplies away for the day in the tack room when I hear feet approaching. “Gray?” Ches calls from the barn door.
“Yo, in here,” I shout, hanging the horse lead on the wall.
He struts in, his typical swagger on display. “I see you got Maisie home safe last night.”
I clear my throat, my cheeks heating at the mere mention of her name. “Did you doubt me?”
“Honestly, man, I don’t know what to think anymore.”
My brows furrow. “What the fuck’s that supposed to mean, Ches?”
He looks at me nervously, like he wants to say something he knows will ruffle some feathers, but the fucker also hates conflict. He pushes ahead anyway, because when it comes to family, that’s one thing he doesn’t fuck around about.
“Well, you keep showing up beat to hell, and you charged in last night like a fucking man off to war. You haven’t been yourself recently.
I don’t know what kind of mess you’ve gotten yourself into, but I don’t want my baby cousin getting wrapped up in it too.
She’s been through enough to last a lifetime and then some. ”
I hate that he’s right, but Chesney's my brother, and he should know I would never let anything happen to Maisie on my watch. He should trust me.
He has a point, though. I was the one leaning in to kiss her on the dock like a teenage boy eager for his first kiss. I let her see my cards, and that could get her hurt. So no, I haven’t done everything I can to keep her safe, but it still rubs me wrong that he would question my loyalties.
I step up to him, my lips thinning. “You know damn well I would never let anything happen to her. So unless you have something else to ask me, this conversation is over.”
His chest deflates, worry showing through. “If you were in trouble, you would tell me, right? We’re family, you know? Your problems are my problems, no questions asked.”
My heart aches. The little boy who was beaten daily by his drugged out father wondering when someone would finally notice and help him would be shocked that he now has people who would lay their lives down for him.
That’s exactly why I can’t get him involved.
I can’t let my mistakes ruin his life too.
This is bigger than he knows, and I won’t let him fall victim. None of them.
This is my shit, and I need to lay in it.
My palm finds his chest, and I pat it twice, my signature I’m fine smile back on my face. “Of course, brother. Family sticks together. If I needed your help, I wouldn’t hesitate to ask.” It’s not really a lie. I don’t need his help, but I’m also not okay.
Thankfully, he buys my lie, and his bright smile returns. That’s Ches for you. “Good. Good. You had me worried there for a moment.”
I hate that I’m keeping things from him. If the roles were reversed, I’m sure he would do the same, though, so I don’t feel as bad. It’s for his own good. “All good here, Ches.”
The corner of his lip lifts, and I just know whatever is about to come out of his mouth will be trouble. “You sleep with someone’s wife or something? Hate to break it to you, but you look like absolute shit.”
“Oh, fuck off,” I reply, but there’s no heat behind my words. I lunge, tackling his ass into a barrel of hay. Dust plumes around us as we fight for dominance, laughing away the whole time.
This is how it’s supposed to be between us. My brother to the end, and the biggest pain in my ass, but in a I’m thankful I have someone who cares kind of way.
We fall off the barrel, and Chesney lands on his back while I come out on top of him and pin him to the floor.
“We aren’t as nimble as we used to be. That hurt like a bitch,” he groans. I roll off him, catching my breath, splayed out on the floor next to him.
“Maybe you aren’t, old man, but I’m still in my prime,” I reply, nudging his side.
He whines the whole way up to his knees. “You aren’t far behind me, buddy. At this rate, you’re gonna be falling apart way before me.” He dusts the hay off his jeans before extending his hand to help me up. “Wanna grab a beer?”
I’m about to take him up on his offer when my phone dings in my pocket.
Laine
Do you want to be the best uncle ever and watch your niece for the night? Work just called looking for extra hands, and lord knows I could use the money.
I reply yes before slipping my phone in my back pocket. “Rain check? Laine needs help with Nova tonight.”
Chesney’s face lights up at the mention of my sister and niece, per usual. “Oh,” he says casually, nibbling his lip. “What’s Laine up to tonight?”
I still haven’t been able to get a direct read on him and my sister. Is his interest purely protective, or is there more there I’m not seeing? I let it go for now and slap him on the back.
“She got called into work for the night, so uncle duty is on.” I stop in the doorframe and look over my shoulder. “That beer, though, I would love.”
Chesney tips his hat at me and shoos me from the barn. “Give Nova a squeeze for me,” he hollers.
Two close calls in one day. It’s time to step up your game, Grayson.