by Murphy,Misti
***
All four of us Hadley men are standing around the pool table at Blazers. The club is crowded tonight, the warmer weather enticing people to get out and enjoy themselves. Tommy and Raze decided it would be a good idea to challenge Mace and I to a game. On the dance floor below us Claire, Gem, Chels, and Maxi are enjoying the thumping music.
It’s a night out purely to unwind before the final wedding has everyone running around in last-minute haste. It’ll be the last one in a long time. Decades possibly. Little Mia, who is currently curled up in her grandmother’s arms may be the next bride I have to watch walk down the aisle. Thank heaven for that.
People I don’t know jostle each other as they meander through the crowd. A few times I’ve been approached, mostly by women, wanting to know if I’m who they think I am. If I’m the famous Rush.
At one point we boys had to stop our friendly vying so I could do a few crowd pleasing tricks, but other than the girl who’s taken up sentry at one of the tables close by, we’ve been left alone. She keeps adjusting the strap of her top lower and lower as she makes eyes at me. I’m almost tempted to go over to her and tell her she hasn’t got a chance. That I’m here with someone. But I’m not.
I’m not with Maxi. She’s with me.
For another couple weeks.
Propping my stick against the half wall between us and the dance floor, I scan the crowd for our girls. Not Maxi, but my sister, my friend, Tommy’s soon to be wife.
I get where Tommy’s at. He didn’t get a chance to top the boxing profession. That was stolen from him by a hit and run, but he still managed to achieve his goals before he settled. Not that Gem’s settling, not for him.
“What’s up?” Razer rests his hip against the wall beside me. “Can’t wait to get out of here?”
“How’d you know?”
I find Claire first. She’s bouncing around with Chels, both of them lost in the music and the crowd. They’re singing at the tops of their lungs, no doubt, though I can’t hear them. “When did my little sister grow up so much?”
I mean I’ve been in her life, in all their lives, but each time I see her it seems her whole world has changed. Like maybe I’ve missed more than I should, but how was I supposed to achieve all I have and be around as much as they wanted?
“I’m not sure.” He smiles, this inner glow of contentment written all over his face. “But she’s amazing.”
“Sure is.” I’m so proud of her for being exactly who she wants to be, and making what she wants happen. Now that they’re back from their honeymoon, she and Raze are working their asses off on Bennington Ranch to get it ready for the troubled children and special needs kids that they plan to run camps for. My sister in action is a force to be reckoned with, much like our mother was when we were young.
I spot Gem, winding her way through the crowd to the steps leading up to us. Maxi’s not with her, or the others, so where the hell is she? A sweeping inspection of the room doesn’t reveal my little nun. Grabbing Gem’s arm as she gets close to us, I lean over the wall. “Where’s my girl?”
“Your girl?” She looks slightly confused before her face lights up, while the entire time Raze chuckles behind us.
“I didn’t mean it like that, and you know it.” I scowl at him. “She’s here because of me, so it’s my responsibility to make sure she’s having fun.”
“Sure.” His grin gets wider as he and Gem exchange glances.
“Whatever, dickhead. Just because all you idiots think everyone should be like you doesn’t mean it’s going to happen.” I jostle his shoulder. “I’ve got better things to do with my time than get my balls tied up in a knot over a girl.”
Jumping over the wall, I land on the step below Gem. “I’ll go find her.”
I am never going to live down that fucking gaffe. My girl, my little nun? Not as long as the world’s still turning. Not as long as this adrenaline fuelled blood runs through my veins.
But she’d be a great girl to have. If only I hadn’t met her now. If only I wanted to share my life with somebody. If only I had the time to spend on my own family, let alone someone else. Then perhaps I’d consider trying to want more than these few weeks we’ve been sharing.
Maybe.
Probably not. Except it’s Maxi, and I could see being stuck with her a little while longer.
Being tall has its advantages, like being able to wade through the crowd and still see around me. Not that it helps when she’s not in the main area of the club, and she hasn’t holed herself up in the bathroom or hallway that leads to them. Giving up, I head back to the others. She’s pulled a disappearing trick, right in front of my eyes, and I’m not impressed. This is Reverence, and nothing ever happens here, but that doesn’t mean it couldn’t.
And I’m responsible for her being here. This was my bright idea. To bring her into my life, my family. If I’d known I wouldn’t want to send her home, I never would have considered it.
Spotting an open door that looks like a back entrance, I veer toward it. Vanishing Maxi usually means she’s on her phone, and I don’t know why that wasn’t my first thought. She’ll be speaking to her mum, or cooing at Sarah. It still pisses me off that the kid’s father refused to even acknowledge her, that her mother couldn’t handle being a parent. I was old enough to understand what Raze went through when his parents abandoned him. Maybe not fully, but enough to get how hard it will be on Sarah when she learns the truth one day. Thank the stars she’s got Maxi.
Even if Maxi can’t see it yet. How much she’s like my own family makes me smile. She might think she doesn’t know what she’s doing, but she’s got a big heart.
I stop in the doorway. At some point, the back of Blazer’s was converted to a garden with long benches and tables. Lanterns hang from metal beams, and a half roof provides limited cover.
I expected to see her, standing in the corner, her back to the door while she spoke quietly into her cell. I wanted to drink in the view before I made my presence known.
Instead, some guy with dark floppy hair and a thick jawline is leaning close to her, his arm above her head on the wall, a friendly smile fixed on his face. “You sure you don’t want that drink?”
His moves are, well, they’re, smooth. I’ll give him that. She doesn’t step away so he leans a little closer, and she doesn’t even realize he’s playing with her. A nerve ticks under my eye. How could she see through me so easily, but this guy doesn’t get a critical assessment? And what the hell does she think she’s doing making friends with him? She’s here with me, not here to meet men.
“No thanks. I really am good.”
“Do you have a guy waiting for you inside or something?” He flashes straight white teeth like a shark, and that doesn’t freak her out, either.
But then I guess she’s not flying and the shark thing is only an issue when suspended over an ocean. I’m going to have to make friendly with him so he gets the fact she won’t be leaving my bed until the day she flies home. Not if I have anything to do with it.
Swaggering over to them, I toss my arm around her shoulder. “Did you get lost, little nun?”
“Really?” Her face flushes that color I like as she glowers at me. “You’re going to start calling me that in public?”
I ignore her question and offer my hand to her new friend. “I’m Rush, Maxi’s…” Shit! I’m not her anything, and she’s not my girl, my little nun, my… fuck. I tug her closer, let my actions show him where he stands. They don’t have to mean anything, but he doesn’t need to know that. Magic is all about convincing people that what they see is real. “Friend.”
“You’re that magician.” Realizing his game is up, he accepts my hand.
That’s the beauty of guys like him and I. A conquest doesn’t work out, you move on. Like I will in three short weeks. It’s a pity it’ll be over so soon. “Yep. I’m that guy.”
“Great.” Finishing his drink, he sets it down. “Hope you two enjoy the rest of your night.”
“That was, wow, did you really do that?” Maxi tugs away from me. Turning her back, she fiddles with her phone.
“Do what? He looked like he was bothering you.” Okay, no he didn’t. But him standing that close to her bothered me. Possibly more than it should have. I don’t know. What the hell is she doing to me?
“You didn’t realize you were behaving like a jerk? He was being friendly.”
“Friendly?” I’m not used to this edgy feeling that has me gritting my teeth in regards to her. It makes every muscle in my body tense up as I twirl her into my arms and whisper in her ear, “He wanted to stick his dick in you, little nun. Remember what I told you about Elvis? Remember that? I won’t play games with you. I’m always honest, and I can tell you that guy would have played the nice card right into those little panties you’re wearing. The ones I intend to take off you once we get home. If you want to play games with guys like him, you can do it once we’re done.”
“You know I don’t.” She rests her hands on my forearms, which for some reason has an immediate relaxing effect. “But we’re only having fun. I wouldn’t think you’d get so upset about some guy hitting on me. You told me you don’t do jealousy as well, remember?”
“True.” I slide my palm up between her shoulder blades. Except maybe with her I do. A little. Not enough to mean anything, only that I wanted her, I got her, and I’m not finished with her yet. “I’m trying to protect you from yourself, since you can’t seem to tell the difference between a nice guy and a guy playing nice.”
“Are you playing nice, Rush?” Those fingers of hers are wandering up my shirt, along the buttons to the V of my chest that’s open to her exploration. “Because I was starting to think you were actually just plain nice.”
“I’m nice enough to have fun with.” I wander my mouth from her ear along her jaw. “Remember that.” Yeah, remember this is only fun. You’re not trying to start something here that will detract from your career. No good can come from a serious distraction. No good can come from her wanting something more.
Letting her go, I scrub a hand through my hair. “Best get back to the others. Tell them we’re leaving.”
“Not enjoying yourself?” She keeps pace with me as we go back inside. “I thought with all your new friends you were making you would have been entertained.”
“I’d rather go home and be entertained by you.” I chuckle as her eyes widen. I’ll miss her easy embarrassment the most, I think. The idea that I’ll miss anything about her is a shocking thought that settles heavily over me. A realization I don’t want to deal with.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Maxi
We’re all crowded around Tommy’s kitchen again. This ritual of theirs is something I have to admit I enjoy more than I thought I would. Growing up, it had always been Adelaide, mum, and I vying for space as we poured cereal into bowls, and coffee into travel mugs. It was what we did, and what I assumed everyone did, other than probably sharing that space with a father figure.
This thing they do is so different from that, and now that I’m used to Rush’s crazy siblings and his parents, I can honestly say I will miss how they come together in a mass of jokes, teasing, and name-calling. And most of all, love. Every time they’re together I can feel the love and respect. Not just for each other, but for me. It washes over me, encompasses me with their easy acceptance that makes me feel like I belong here.
Although, it’s quieter this morning than it has been these past weeks. A few of them are nursing hangovers after last night’s fun. The wafting scent of bacon and strong, hot coffee makes my stomach gurgle as I slip into a seat at the table where Claire and Tommy are fighting over who gets to spoil Mia more.
It makes me smile how much they adore their niece, but at the same time I wish Sarah could have something like this. Despite not having this expansive network of love, I’m going to do my best to give her a great life. I just have to work out how. It’s a question that’s been rolling through my mind for a while. Only I can’t find the answer to what to do with my career. To what’s going to make me happy and provide her the best in life.
“You look like death, man.” Tommy smirks, his gaze over my head. “Didn’t think you drank that much. Age catching up to you?”
“Didn’t sleep,” Rush grumbles as he crosses the kitchen to pour coffee and say hello to Mona who’s taken over the cooking. “Long night.”
I hadn’t noticed him drink that much. We’d left Blazers after his weird possessive moment with the friendly guy. He hadn’t been able to keep still, or stand being there for more than a few minutes after that. Apparently his brain hadn’t stopped ticking even after we left. Even after we’d had sex. He must have gotten up while I was sleeping because I’d found him asleep in a deck chair near the pool this morning. And yeah, he looks worse for wear from whatever’s going on in his head.
“I heard some guy talking about how much of a dick you are.” Mace chuckles. “Said you came up and stole a girl out from under his nose. And you were a bit of a bastard about it.”
I jerk my head from Mace to Rush, who is looking at me with this weird expression on his face.
“Was he trying to steal your girl, brother?” Claire asks, a flicker of amusement in her voice. They all like to rile each other up so much.
Rush doesn’t say anything, but his Adam’s apple bobs and he’s still staring at me. A song I remember being popular on the radio starts in the back of my mind. I can practically see Rush playing the part of the singer in the music clip, and serenading me. The fantasy quickly becomes so vivid, I’m not entirely certain it’s all in my head.
Walking around the counter, Rush starts clicking his fingers. At the same time Claire spins out of her chair shaking a tambourine. Mace screams out, one, two, three… as he slides into position next to Rush, and Mona starts grooving next to the stove.
Suddenly, they’re all dancing, and Jet’s, ‘Are You Gonna Be My Girl’ is playing on the stereo. I’m pretty sure my eyes are bugging out of my head. This can’t be happening, and yet, Tommy jumps out of his seat and starts slamming away on bass, dark sunglasses shading his eyes. He’s really going to town on that thing. And my foot starts tapping to the beat. Because how can you not groove to such a catchy tune, even if the whole world has gone completely crazy right here in the Hadley kitchen?
Rush closes the distance between us, looking the definition of cool and hip as he does a dance shuffle, still clicking his fingers, then he launches into the words as he holds his hand out to me. “Why don’t you come with me?”
I may as well roll with it. Then he’s pulling me back across the kitchen in between Mace and Razer, who are totally committed to drum and guitar, while Chels, complete with microphone stand, starts singing back up. And Claire is nodding away to the beat as she whacks the tambourine against her hand.
Jumping up on the counter, Rush pulls me up beside him. Everyone is dancing, and this is crazy as he sings to me. I’m sure my face must be bright red, but somehow I know the moves and the music hits me bone-deep so that I have no choice but to tap my foot and sway my hips, and perhaps even join in the chorus a little.
And then he’s grasping my waist, lifting me up and swinging me all around while the guitar riff plays on. What the hell is happening? And why does this feel so damn perfect? Being with him? Being here with him? All the moments we’ve spent over the last few weeks? He spins me around and sings about black boots and jet black stares. Then he dips me, as the music comes to an end. His hand at the back of my head, the other gripping my hip, he leans over me. His heart is thumping under the hand I have on his chest as he lowers his mouth so close to mine, those violet eyes impossibly serious contrasting the wicked grin. “So what do you think? Do you think you want to be my girl?”
“Maxi? Where’d you go?”
I blink, startled to realize Rush is crouched right in front of me and Tommy and Claire are both
looking at me concerned. I played out an entire Jet song fantasy in my head where the one man who will never be available, and I swore I would never want, asked me to be his girl? Oh shit. “Fine. I’m fine.”
But I’m not fine. Stumbling up out of my chair, I try to ignore my racing pulse. Rush singing and dancing? Really? Screw you, imagination. Damn you, stupid brain. Most of all fuck you, heart. Did you betray me? You totally betrayed me. “I-I need to use the bathroom.”
“Wait a minute.” Rush tries to slow me down by going for my hand, but I slip past him and head for the bathroom.
Except I don’t stop there. I find the closest bedroom and fumble with the window until I get it open enough to climb out of it.
“What are you doing?” Standing in the middle of the yard, Tommy stares at me as I freeze mid-escape.
He was in the kitchen two seconds ago. Did he somehow know I was going to make a run for it? And why him, and not Rush? Although I’m relieved it isn’t Rush staring at me like I’m three window licks away from a ride on the short bus. Is there some kind of weird sixth sense thing going on here? “I thought I’d get some fresh air.”
“Do you always go through the window when you need air?” He raises an eyebrow, as his dog, Lucky nudges his hand, trying to convince him to take the stick she’s carrying in her mouth.
“Yeah. Of course.” I slip my other leg over the sill and jump to the ground. “Don’t you?”
“Not so much.” He chuckles and grips the stick until Lucky lets go, then he sends it flying across the yard. The dog screeches after it. Nodding in the direction of the door, he says, “I usually use that thing. Pretty sure most humans do.”
Okay, he’s got me there, but there’s no way I’m going to admit it. “I don’t know. I always thought the window was easier. Maybe it’s an Australian thing.”
It’s so not an Aussie thing. It’s a me thing. Apparently, I’m nuttier than Crunchy Nut Cornflakes.