Save the Date

by R. J. Groves

  Joey frowned and nodded. ‘Who did you think I was?’

  Tay pinched the bridge of his nose, closing his eyes. ‘I thought you were … your name’s Joey, I thought …’

  ‘Ahh,’ Joey said. Tay could practically see the cogs turning in Joey’s head, the pieces slotting into place. ‘It’s Trevor, actually. Andie’s the only one who calls me Joey. Something about our mother carrying me in one of those slings when I was a baby. Reminded her of a kangaroo pouch or something.’ He waved a hand dismissively. ‘You’ve heard about Joseph, then?’

  ‘Barely.’

  Trevor.

  Joey was Andie’s brother, which explained the interrogation. And the excitement. And—oh, God, he’d been a dick to him, thinking he was Andie’s ex.

  ‘Sorry about being a dick,’ he said, grimacing.

  Joey waved a hand towards him. ‘Forget it. You would have kicked my ass if I was that bastard, wouldn’t you?’

  He shrugged, his lips curving up a little. ‘I was considering it.’

  ‘I like that. Andie needs someone like you.’

  He felt his smile drop. ‘I don’t know about that.’ He wasn’t sure he was really the best person for her to be around. Especially with how he was feeling about her … And with his past.

  Joey scoffed. ‘You’re a good guy, Taylor Ballin. And you love her, don’t you?’

  His frown deepened. Love? Did he love Andie? No, he couldn’t … He wasn’t capable of love anymore. But her brother was asking. He opened his mouth to speak, hoping something logical and sensible would come out, but she stomped back into the room before he had a chance to speak. God, he hoped she hadn’t overheard them talking. He wasn’t sure he could deal with expectations.

  ‘Are you two over your pettiness yet?’ she said sulkily.

  ‘Yeah, we’re good,’ Joey said, returning back to normal as though nothing had happened. ‘I was thinking pizza for tea. You in?’

  ‘Always,’ Andie said, as though the answer was obvious.

  Joey looked back at Tay. ‘You in?’

  Tay swallowed, shifting his gaze between Andie and her brother, his insides feeling like they were being strangled. ‘I should get going,’ he said, finding his words. ‘I’ve got some work to do.’

  ‘It’s the weekend,’ Joey said. ‘Stay and catch up with us.’

  ‘Taylor owns a tech company, Joey,’ Andie said cautiously, eyeing him. ‘He probably does have work to do.’

  ‘You own it?’ Joey said. Tay nodded. ‘No rest for the weary. Well, another time, then.’

  He nodded again. ‘Another time.’

  Would there be another time? He glanced up at Andie. She looked almost … disappointed. Which is why he should leave. He couldn’t get too close, not until he’d worked out what this … thing … he was feeling was.

  Still …

  He wanted to stay with them. Wanted to get to know Andie’s brother—get to know her. Wanted to pick up where they left off with that almost-kiss. He wanted her, he knew that much.

  But was it love?

  Joey wouldn’t have mentioned it if he didn’t see something, right? Obviously, there was something. He felt something. He just didn’t quite know what that something was. It couldn’t be love. It wasn’t possible.

  Was it?

  Chapter 19

  ‘Pizza’s here.’

  Andie dropped the pizza box on the coffee table and sat down on the couch where Taylor had sat before. She took a deep breath. His scent was still lingering.

  Taylor had been in her house—on her couch. He’d talked to her brother, and he’d almost kissed her again.

  Taylor Ballin had almost kissed her.

  Her insides still melted when she thought of his lips so close to hers. Oh, she didn’t know what she wanted out of this. Not really. But she did know that she wanted him to kiss her again. She wanted to see if it was just as good as she’d remembered, or better. She wanted to see where that kiss was leading, and she didn’t want to refuse. She could barely stand him half the time. And the other half …

  Well … she might have to work out if that made up for it. And her coming to that decision relied on two things—seeing how good it was, and her brother’s honest opinion.

  She smiled as Joey practically jumped on the pizza. God, how she’d missed him. Her baby brother Joey, who she’d been so close to for so long and hadn’t seen in what seemed like forever. In all those dark days, it was Joey she wanted next to her. Joey, who hadn’t been able to be there. Of course she worried about him. He spent a lot of time out on the water, and when she hadn’t heard from him for weeks, she was almost to the point of frantic. Obviously, she’d had nothing to worry about.

  Joey bit into the droopy slice of pizza and moaned. ‘This is so good,’ he said through his mouthful.

  ‘Really?’ She picked up a droopy slice for herself. ‘I mean, this isn’t the best pizza in town, but they’re the closest.’

  Joey shook his head, shoving more of the pizza into his mouth until he was left with a third of his slice. She shook her head slowly, taking a bite herself. Poor Joey hadn’t changed one bit. Always inhaling food and never putting on weight. What she’d give for his metabolism.

  ‘You have to remember,’ he said, shoving the rest of his slice into his mouth, ‘it’s been months since I’ve even had pizza.’ He reached for the box and grabbed two slices. ‘Should have got another one.’

  She laughed. ‘Well, if I’d known you were going to inhale it, I might have. One pizza usually lasts me a few days.’

  He shook his head, shoving half of the next slice in his mouth. ‘I feel like I haven’t eaten in so long. Pass the garlic bread, would you?’

  She reached for the garlic bread and tossed it to him. He shoved the rest of the second slice into his mouth and fumbled around with the small loaf until he’d separated half of it.

  ‘I was worried about you, you know,’ she said, taking another bite into her first slice of pizza. ‘I haven’t heard from you in weeks.’

  He grimaced. ‘I know,’ he said apologetically. ‘I’m not sure you know how hard it is out there, Ands. Reception is shoddy at the best of times, and we were practically off the grid for the last few weeks. Besides’—he shoved half of his serve of garlic bread in his mouth—‘when I knew we were coming back, I couldn’t talk to you because I’d spill that I was coming to see you. I wanted it to be a surprise.’ He shrugged, readying the rest of his garlic bread to go in his mouth. ‘Clearly, I should have told you I was coming. Then I might not have walked in on you Frenching some guy.’

  Her jaw dropped. ‘We weren’t Frenching,’ she said, tossing a cushion at him. He defended himself with his elbow while simultaneously biting into his third slice of pizza. ‘We might have, if you hadn’t interrupted.’

  ‘Sorry to be a nuisance,’ he teased, his eyes dancing. ‘But, you know, a guy shouldn’t have to see his sister doing gross things.’

  ‘I’m sure you’ve done worse.’

  He tossed the cushion back. She defended herself less gracefully than he did. ‘Needless to say, the guy’s a stranger to me.’

  She shifted in her seat, the thought sobering. This was what she’d been waiting for. Waiting to bring the topic of Taylor Ballin up without sounding desperate. Truth is, waiting for the right moment had almost been torture. She couldn’t remember ever feeling like she needed to know Joey’s opinion as desperately as she did now.

  ‘Speaking of …’ she started.

  ‘You want to know what I think of him.’

  She nodded. She didn’t know when it happened, but somewhere in Joey’s adulthood, he’d matured. He was once a carefree, mischievous, adventurous boy. There was nothing mature about him. And now, sometimes she felt like he was more mature than she was. He seemed to at least see more than her. Especially when it came to guys.

  She waited for his response, her stomach churning. Finally, he shrugged. ‘Seems all right.’

  ‘All right?’ she repeated. If
there was anything she was expecting him to say, it wasn’t all right. What did it even mean? That he’s a nice enough guy but he doesn’t want her with him? That she should jump into it all guns blazing?

  He lifted a teasing eyebrow. ‘Yes, he’s all right. I mean, I didn’t really get to know him well, and for most of the conversation he thought I was Joseph.’

  She frowned. ‘Why would he think that?’ She thought back to what she’d mentioned about Joseph. Not much. She supposed she’d implied that he’d done something pretty bad—which he had. But why would he think she’d be excited to see him return?

  Joey shoved more pizza in his mouth. Andie had lost count of what slice he was up to. ‘He’s a guy. We generally jump to the worst-case scenario when it comes to girls.’

  She leaned back against the couch. ‘I think I’d kill Joseph if he ever came back.’

  He waved a finger at her. ‘Don’t do that. But I get your point.’

  ‘But I was excited to see you,’ she said, furrowing her brow. ‘Why would he think I’d be excited to see … him?’

  He shrugged again, his expression growing serious. ‘Worst-case scenario, Ands. Nothing quite like seeing the girl you like in another guy’s arms.’

  She bit into her lip, remembering back to when Joey had been eighteen. Fresh out of school, he’d gone to his high-school sweetheart to tell her he wanted to be something more. Only to find her at her place with another guy, both in little more than their underwear.

  He’d signed up to the navy the next day.

  She blinked back the memory. ‘We’ve both been pretty unlucky in love, haven’t we?’

  He scrunched his nose up. ‘They can’t handle all this anyway,’ he said, waving his arm around to emphasise his point. She laughed, feeling the moment lighten up a little. ‘You, however, seem to be doing better than me. You still haven’t told me much about him, by the way.’

  She shrugged, trying to seem indifferent. Really, inside, she was freaking out. ‘What’s there to say?’

  ‘How did you meet?’

  ‘His sister is a client of mine, who’s sort of become a friend. He came in with her when she chose her dress.’

  He frowned, looking at her suspiciously. ‘Why?’

  ‘He … he’s paying for her wedding,’ she said cautiously. ‘So he wants to be there for the expensive decisions.’ His eyebrow lifted. ‘Like I said, he owns a tech company.’

  His eyes went wide. ‘So, he’s another rich guy.’ He didn’t sound impressed, which she could understand. Joseph had had a lot of money. He’d been high up in his workplace and had been on many supposed business trips. Look how that turned out.

  ‘Well, he is,’ she said, sitting up straighter.

  ‘Andie,’ he started.

  She stretched a hand out towards him. ‘But he’s different, Joey.’

  ‘How?’

  ‘I—’ she stammered, dropping her hand to her lap. ‘I don’t know. I just … it’s a feeling, you know? Somehow, I just … I don’t think he’s keeping another family in Hong Kong.’

  ‘The Philippines, perhaps?’ he offered.

  ‘No,’ she said, tossing the pillow back at him. He caught it and tucked it behind him. ‘I mean, from what Libby’s told me, he’s a pretty guarded guy. I think … I think he’s been hurt, like we have. Or something similar.’

  ‘Who’s Libby?’

  ‘His sister.’

  ‘Your client?’ She nodded. He leaned forward, placing his hands together to form a pyramid with his fingers. ‘So, let me get this straight. Your client—his sister—has told you that he’s been through some stuff, but hasn’t said what he’s been through, and, therefore, you think he’s different?’

  She grimaced. ‘It’s not just what she said.’

  ‘Well, what else is there?’

  She bit into her lip. ‘The way he acts. Things I’ve noticed. Little snippets of the guy inside that I sometimes catch a glimpse of.’

  ‘Well, if that’s what you’ve decided—’

  ‘But that’s just it, Joey,’ she said, shuffling to the edge of her seat. ‘You’re a better judge of character than me. I don’t want to end up hurt again.’

  His face grew serious again. ‘I don’t think there’s a way of eliminating that risk, Ands.’

  ‘I know,’ she whispered. ‘But is it too soon to think about anything?’

  He shrugged. ‘I don’t think there’s a time limit. If it feels right, then maybe it just is.’

  ‘And the guy?’

  He pouted his lips to the side, studying her. ‘How much has happened between you two?’

  She frowned, her cheeks warming. ‘Not much,’ she muttered. ‘Not really. But if something does start to happen …’

  ‘You want to know what to do.’ She nodded. He sighed, rubbing his clean-shaven chin. Finally, he spread his arms out beside him. ‘He’s no Joseph. And he likes you. A lot. The guy looked like he was ready to knock my socks off until he realised I was your brother—who you haven’t talked about, by the way. That hurts.’

  She stuck her tongue out at him and wondered why she hadn’t mentioned her brother to Taylor. When she thought about it, the topic hadn’t come up. He’d never asked. They’d never talked about their families. And she only knew he had a sister because Libby was her client.

  ‘If he is … guarded … as you say,’ he continued, ‘he might be just as confused as you. And if that’s the case, I suggest you don’t push him. He’ll open up in his own time, I’m sure. He seems to care about your safety, and about you in general. He wants you looked after.’

  ‘I can look after myself.’

  His eyebrow lifted. ‘Do you want me to tell you what I think of him, or not?’

  She squinted, smiling, and nodded. He cleared his throat, reaching for another slice of pizza.

  ‘I didn’t have a chance to get to know him well, but first impressions say a lot. I like the guy. He’s decent enough. And if he’s the guy you want, then you should feel comfortable going down that path.’ He bit into his pizza and gave another shrug. ‘Of course, that all means nothing if he doesn’t sort his shit out and decide what he wants. Works both ways, you know?’

  She slouched back into the couch, folding her arms across her chest, and stared at the almost empty box of pizza. So, her brother thought he was all right. That meant something. At the least, it meant that there wasn’t anything major that was standing out. Nothing that was obvious only to her family and friends and not to her. Still …

  Taylor Ballin was an intriguing and mysterious man. One moment, he’d be teasing her and looking like he was having fun. The next, it was as if the shutters closed and he had the weight of the world on his shoulders. Maybe Joey was right. Maybe he was just as confused about it as she was. But what was a relief, at least, was that Joey didn’t put him in the same category as Joseph. And that she’d come to the realisation that he was different. Different to the kind of guy that she shouldn’t fall for.

  Perhaps he was still someone she shouldn’t fall for. Perhaps going down that path would only end in heartbreak and tears.

  Perhaps he’d be worth it.

  ‘When do you see him next?’ he asked, eyeing off the last piece of pizza in the box.

  She shoved the box towards him. ‘I don’t know.’ She squinted when his eyebrow lifted. ‘What?’

  He shrugged. ‘Just thinking.’

  Her eyes narrowed further. What, exactly, was he thinking about? And why did she feel like he was up to his old tricks?

  ‘Joey,’ she started, a warning in her tone.

  ‘Can’t a man think?’ he teased, polishing off the last of the pizza. ‘I could really go for a bowl of cereal, how about you?’

  She shook her head, rolling her eyes. Her Joey hadn’t changed one bit.

  Chapter 20

  Tay checked the name on the text she’d sent and glanced up at the sign above the door. He sighed. Well, this was the place. He straightened his jacket, watching a couple
of people enter the bar. He felt awkwardly overdressed. He tugged on his tie until it loosened and shoved it in his pocket, then unbuttoned the top buttons. He could breathe easier with the tie gone, but he still felt … twitchy? Nervous?

  Nervous … Hmm …

  That was something he never felt. Yet he couldn’t think of anything else to call it. He shrugged his jacket off, hooked it under his arm, and tugged on his shirt until it appeared loose without coming free completely. He took a deep breath and ran his hand through his hair, watching as another person went into the bar.

  Drinks.

  That’s all she’d asked for.

  A few drinks at this … interesting … bar. He’d never pegged her as the drinks-at-a-bar kind of woman. She was vastly different to the girls he’d seen at bars before. Then again, this was not the kind of bar that he frequented. Was it one that she frequented? Or did she simply not realise that it was an almost scary place to go when she asked him for drinks?

  He hoped it was the latter.

  He shook his free hand by his side to give him a boost and stepped inside. He half expected everyone to stop talking and stare at him like they did in those cowboy movies. He was relieved that no one even seemed to notice him. He scanned the room for his auburn-haired minx, only to find that there was someone who’d noticed him. And he couldn’t help but feel a little disappointed.

  Joey waved at him, and considering the place was packed and he’d have almost no hope of finding her quickly, he moved towards the bar.

  ‘Didn’t think you’d show up,’ Joey said, leaning against the bar.

  Tay let out a breath. Great. So it wasn’t just him and Andie. And what he’d thought were drinks with Andie were actually drinks with Andie and her brother. Which wouldn’t be so bad, if he’d been prepared for that. Still, Joey seemed like a good guy. Perhaps he’d impressed him in the interrogation.

  Impressed him?

  When did Tay ever aim to impress anyone? No. Tay didn’t set out to impress people. There must be another word to describe it.

  ‘Didn’t know you were going to be here.’ He wondered if Andie was even there.