by Harloe Rae
“Damn.”
“Meh, it’s better that way. There’s enough awkward tension without Brance stomping close by. I’m not sure how to act with Ollie. Everything is screwed up. Things should go back to basic, right? He’s just an adorable kiddo who loves candy and is a regular at my store.”
Her lips go flat. “He’s far more than that to you.”
I press my cheek into the grass. “I don’t wanna make things worse for him.”
“Cutting off your love will. Business as usual, Brae. Until further notice.”
I roll onto my side. “That’s my plan. It really sucks, but definitely could be worse.”
“Amen, sister. Save your day.”
I gather all the courage brewing in my belly. After a deep inhale, I let it all out. “How is he?”
Sadie rocks a palm back and forth. “I only have backwash knowledge. Prying isn’t really my style.”
I scoff and roll my eyes. “Since when?”
She nudges me. “You’re a different story. Always will be.”
This girl keeps me thriving. “Thanks, friend.”
“Welcome.” A sassy wink follows.
I pull up a clump of weeds. “Okay. Tell me about Brance, Dee. It was hard enough to ask the first time.”
Sadie wrinkles her nose. “Jordan says he’s being a tyrant. Fairly intolerable at work. Barking orders and expecting perfection. Apparently, one of the big bosses had words with him. That was a bucket of cold water and snapped him outta the fury. Since then, he’s mostly keeping to himself.” She grips my wrist. “But who knows how much of that is fabricated.”
My stomach sinks into a black pit. “That’s sad.”
“Is it? Brance is an asshole on a good day. I don’t see much of a difference. But Jordan seems pretty concerned.”
I frown at her. “How do you mean?”
“They’ve been friends for years. I guess this is a new low for Brance. Pretty hard to imagine him being worse.” She cringes.
“It is,” I murmur. The hole in my chest cracks wider.
Sadie averts her eyes, focusing on a pile of rocks. “Do you want to text him?”
I snatch one off the top and bobble it between my fingers. “Every other minute.”
“Why don’t you?”
“What’s the point?”
She shrugs. “You can patch things up.”
My laugh is bitter. “That’s not an option.”
Sadie hums and peeks over at me. “Are you a quitter?”
I narrow my gaze. “Hardly.”
She rolls her shoulders. “Then fight for the good. He was bordering on tender and almost sweet, right?”
“He had his moments,” I mutter.
“Mm-hmm.” She bobs her chin. “Don’t forget about that. You got a sugary piece of him no one else ever did.”
“He was so mean, Dee. I mean, shit. I get he was mad, but this was something else entirely. If I’m being reasonable—”
“Which you tend to be.”
I frown at her interruption. She winces and mouths an apology.
“There’s fault on my part. I did overreact. The toppling spiral was beyond reason. I should have been calmer. But it doesn’t matter.”
Sadie creases her forehead. “What? Why?”
I trace a heart in the dirt only to erase it. “Because we were just a fling. It’s over. We move on.”
“Uh, says who?”
“Brance. Me. Our ties are severed.”
“Really?” Sadie mumbles the word with a pound of disbelief.
I tilt my head toward her. “Why do you say that? Are you hiding something?”
“Not necessarily.”
“Spit it out, Dee.”
She reaches for my hand. “Okay, ready?”
I huff at this production. “Obviously.”
“He’s the one for you, Brae. No offense to Devon. I liked the dude well enough. But he never made you sparkle and shine. One look from Brance and you freaking glow. Like neon at a blacklight party.” She shimmies a bit for added effect.
As if on command, heat rises in my face. There’s fire in my blood just thinking about how he makes me soar. But that’s past tense now. I barely hold back my groan. “That was never what we were about.”
She flicks my elbow. “Don’t give me that, Brae.”
I rub at the sore spot. “It’s the truth.”
“According to?”
“Our laws and regulations.”
Her flat expression speaks volumes. “Life doesn’t come with a manual, girlfriend.”
“If anyone has proof of that, it’s me.” The blush dims, fading from my features.
Sadie holds up a hand. “I know, I know. But why go into something with such limitations? Breaking rules is part of the fun.”
I jab a finger at myself. “I will not be the one to fix this. At least not alone. I don’t believe he cares enough to try.”
She snorts. “Oh, my beautiful friend. How wrong you are.”
I raise a snarky brow. “We might have to agree to disagree.”
“Just don’t slam the door on him yet.”
“Fine,” I relent. “I won’t sign up for that dating app quite yet.”
“So spicy. I’m glad you haven’t lost the spark.”
I tap my lips. “Speaking of all things rosy, how’s it going with Jordan?”
Sadie flutters her lashes. “He’s fantastic. We’re two seconds away from being in love. I think it’s gonna happen.”
“Yeah? That’s super-duper, Dee. You deserve a good guy.”
“And he certainly is one. He makes me want to have all the babies. Whenever he watches Ollie, my ovaries sing a seductive tune. It’s the greatest aphrodisiac of all time.”
I giggle, picturing her swooning all over that man. “You’re too cute.”
“Just you wait. There’s more where that’s coming from. We’ve recently teamed up for a new project.”
“Oh?”
“Yep.” She checks her imaginary watch. “Jordan is actually rolling out phase one tomorrow.”
I squint at her. “What, dare I ask, does that involve?”
“Getting you and Brance together, duh. As in permanently. Wasn’t that clear?” She bops me on the nose.
A laugh shakes my entire frame. This girl is a nut. “Good luck with that, Dee.”
She brushes off her palms. “Oh, we won’t need it. There’s an expert matchmaker on our side. He’s very dedicated to the cause.”
At hearing that, my pitiful heart puffs out a cloud of hope. I almost believe it could happen. And just maybe it will.
Brance
Stakes
I stride toward the den without another word. The couch is calling my name. I drop onto the middle cushion and settle in deep. There’s nothing like falling into a familiar space after a stressful afternoon. I slouch lower, resting against the fluffy pillows. I close my eyes and attempt to calm the tornado tearing through me.
All is well until Ollie and Jordan follow suit, one on each side of me. I hoist my legs onto the coffee table with a grunt. I’m surrounded. Again. They played this same setup on the deck. Then I was boxed in by them while trying to relax on a kitchen stool. They didn’t ease up while I prepared dinner. And their seating arrangement during the meal was worse. I need some damn space.
They’re trying to drive me insane. This recent move proves their motives.
“Seriously?” My low grumble bangs around the otherwise silent room. I glare at them, no longer giving a shit about hurt feelings. They’ve effectively ground my patience into dust.
“What’s the matter, Daddy?” Ollie’s voice is so innocent. I almost believe he’s clueless, except for the sneaky grin lifting his cheeks.
“You two keep following me around. What’s your problem?” The question is directed at Jordan. My son is clever, but he’s not at the level of orchestrating a plan of this magnitude.
“Not sure what you mean. We’re just enjoying a quiet evening. Do you h
ave an issue? That pulsing vein in your temple is kinda scary.” He taps the side of my head.
I dodge away from his touch. “Are you fu-lipping joking?”
Ollie gasps. “Daddy! You almost swore. That’s naughty.”
I scrub my pounding forehead. “Yeah, sorry. I’m a tad on edge.”
Jordan claps me on the shoulder. “Know what the best cure is?”
“Knock it off. Not around my son.” I grind on my molars.
“He’ll find out eventually,” Jordan replies.
I glare at him. “He’s five. It better be at least fifteen years.”
That earns me a bark of loud laughter. “Because you waited until twenty. Hilarious.”
I elbow my friend in the ribs. Hard. “We’re done discussing this. I thought we were gonna watch a movie.”
“But we can’t talk with the television on.” Ollie pouts.
I wiggle his bottom lip. “That’s the entire point.”
“We haven’t discussed all the perks yet. Just hear us out.” Jordan wags his brow.
“I don’t think there is anything left to say. I’ve heard your arguments for Braelyn’s case. You just finished yapping about her when I left the kitchen. That was five minutes ago.” I hitch a thumb behind me in an effort to eliminate any confusion.
Jordan chuckles. “That was only the introduction. I can skip ahead to the good stuff if you’re getting antsy.”
“You’re wasting valuable breath.”
He studies the ceiling with far too much focus. His calculating stare slowly sinks to mine. “Am I? Are we? Think about it.”
“You’re being a dou-weirdo.”
Jordan snorts. “Nice save. Not.”
“I think you’ve been hanging around my child too much.”
He frowns. “Not as much lately. Your dates with a certain someone came to a premature halt. But that’s only temporary. We’ll be back on track soon enough.”
Ollie is watching us with wide eyes. I give him a strained smile and turn back to my so-called friend.
“Please don’t drag my son into this evil genius plot to get me hitched. He’s been through enough.”
Jordan smirks. “Who do you think planned all of this?”
I grunt and cross my arms. “You.”
He makes the sound of a buzzer. “Wrong. Ollie isn’t surrendering.”
My son nods along. “No white flag for me, Daddy. I’m stepping up my game.”
Where is he getting this shit? “Oh, really? How do you plan on doing that?”
“I tried being sad. That didn’t work. I’m going to be bossy now. You need to see Miss Braelyn again.”
I gape at my son. “Oliver James, that tone won’t get you far.”
He hunches his shoulders. “But Daddy, you aren’t listening.”
I’ve heard numerous different versions of that line over the last week. My resolve is an iron gate. There’s no breaking me down. My fiery stare bores into my friend’s profile. The fucker won’t look at me. “See what you’re teaching him?”
He peeks over, raising his hands. “Don’t blame me. Ollie told us his plan. We’re the assistants.”
“Us?” I grind the word out.
Jordan winces. “Forget I said that.”
“Not a chance. Who else is involved in this scheme?”
“Sadie.”
I’ll never admit to the foul drop in my gut. The beating organ in my chest offers up a weak thump. It’d be stupid for me to be disappointed. Braelyn is the one who called things off. I don’t expect any effort on her part. Not after the way she shredded our simple arrangement. But I find myself frowning. Nothing about this seems right.
My friend notices. “Were you hoping for someone else?”
I give a slow shake of my head. “Nah. Pretty easy to guess.”
Ollie pipes up beside me. “I wish Miss Braelyn was with us.”
Jordan gets a glare from me before I turn toward my son. I make sure my expression is neutral. “I know, buddy. She’s probably working. I’m sure she’s busy.”
He makes a frustrated sound. “No, she’s not. Miss Braelyn was leaving early today. Miss Kallie is there.”
I can always count on him for updates. “I’m sure you’ll see her soon.”
His eyes glitter. “Does that mean you’ll take me to Thicket tomorrow?”
“It’s Saturday.” I’m not sure what I hope to accomplish pointing out that indisputable fact.
Ollie claps. “Yeah, we can get extra candy because Braelyn is closed on Sunday.”
I gesture to the traitor on my other side. “Ask your uncle.”
They exchange a look. “I’m busy, bro. I have plans with Sadie. Not negotiable.”
I don’t bother masking my sneer. “How fu-reaking convenient.”
My son is a curse word hunter. He doesn’t miss this near slip any less than the last one. “Daddy, stop using bad language.”
I groan into my fist. “Sorry, buddy.”
“It’s okay. I know you’re sad.”
“Uh, sure.” That response seems easier than correcting him.
“And Daddy?” He taps my shoulder.
“Yeah, buddy?”
Ollie leans in close. “Miss Braelyn is sad. You need to fix it.”
I can hear my jaw snap. “Is that so?”
“Yep. You can make it all better.”
Any response I have won’t be good. What a fucking circus. Jordan is the face of gloating smugness. Yeah, he’s so damn proud.
An idea occurs to me. “Hey, Ollie? Would you mind getting the water bottle on my nightstand? I’m thirsty.”
He blinks at me. “But that’s all the way upstairs.”
I nod. “Right. But you love climbing the steps. Maybe you can grab a game on the way back down.”
That gets him moving. He’s off the couch and dashing toward the foyer before I finish talking. I whip my attention to Jordan.
“What the fuck are you trying to accomplish?”
He combs through his hair. “I just wanna see you happy.”
“What makes you think I’m not?”
“You can’t bullshit me, man. This surly-ass shit you’ve been spewing is getting old.”
I stare at a speck on the wall. “Too damn bad. That’s not gonna change.”
“Braelyn is one of the good ones, Stone. Done let her slip away.”
I fight the urge to give him the finger. “She left me.”
“You didn’t give her reason to stay. She’s protecting herself.”
I roll my eyes. “For no reason.”
“Says the asshole who’s been emotionally closed off for the better part of his life.”
“That’s different,” I mutter.
Jordan crosses an ankle over his knee. “How? You’ve both seen a lot of trauma, just in different forms. If anything, you could help each other. You were already well on the way. Things were going so smoothly for a change. Even you can’t deny that.”
And I can’t. Everything had a brighter shine when Braelyn was around. Returning to the dingy dullness has sucked sweaty balls. Not that I’d know. It just sounds fucking horrendous.
I brush off his advice. “She’s gone. I need to move on. In a month or two, we’ll all be fine again.”
He forces out a heavy exhale through flared nostrils. “That would be a huge mistake. For real, Brance. She belongs in your lives. I’m sure you’ve thought about it.”
I hate when the fucker is right. “You don’t know shit.”
“You’re a better person with her around.”
“Fuck you, asshole.”
“Thanks for proving my point.”
If this is how my evening is already panning out, I should just go to bed. “How are we still friends?”
He rubs his nose with a middle finger. “Would it kill you to be open-minded? How about considerate? For everyone’s sake? It’s not impossible to understand where she’s coming from. You know her story. Calling her that night wouldn’t have been
hard. Dead phone or not. Sparing a minute or two isn’t asking a lot. Solve this shit and get the girl. Braelyn is the only one willing to put up with your grumpy ass. You can’t give that up. A life of empty fucks is no way to live. Take it from me, man.” Jordan slaps me on the back, making his words stick.
Ollie zips into the room before I can argue. He’s panting from running at full speed. This kid can’t stand to miss any action. He passes me the bottle I asked for. I take a drink for show. Jordan laughs and grabs the cards from Ollie’s grip. He shuffles the deck.
“Should we play a game?”
My son thrusts his fist into the air. “Yes!”
“I’m not gonna like whatever you’re about to suggest.” I raise a brow in challenge.
Jordan smirks. “Dealer’s choice. Red means you take Ollie to Thicket. Flip a black and you can merely think about it.”
“I’m not agreeing to that.” As fucking if.
Ollie and Jordan slap palms. “Majority wins.”
It’s no surprise the queen of hearts lands face up on the table. Go fucking figure. Jordan and Ollie cheer as if the Blues won the World Series. That vacation Don suggested isn’t sounding too bad right about now. A secluded island by myself would really hit the spot. Most importantly, I’d be separated from these pestering Braelyn fans.
Ollie folds his little hands together. “Daddy, please?”
I’m a sucker for that plea. It’s a problem I’m very aware of. “Don’t I get a vote in any of this?”
“Nope.” The response comes from both of them, in unison. I’m beginning to think this was rehearsed.
I pinch my eyes shut. “Fine. I’ll think about it. Happy?”
Their matching grins tell me everything I need to know. I never stood a chance. But in the end, maybe I never wanted one.
Braelyn
Tasks
I pick up one my favorite mugs and cradle it. The cheery rainbow paint resonates deeper than usual today. Especially with my pint-size helper zipping in and out of aisles. Ollie arrived an hour ago and shows no signs of leaving. The distracting presence of his father doesn’t appear to be either. He’s a damn beacon on my stoop. Women will be flocking in hoards any minute. I have my broom ready just in case.