He glanced at my crestfallen face and cleared his throat.
“Anyway, I was thinking we could go to the Diner. Get burgers, fries, and shakes, just like we used to.”
Although I knew even spending twenty bucks on dinner for the two of us was probably a luxury we couldn’t afford, I also knew we both could use the treat. And it would be great to have a carefree night out with my brother.
“Okay, yeah, let me grab my shoes,” I said, making a mental pact with myself to come back to my homework once we returned.
The Diner was only a few blocks from our house, so we walked, just like we had every other time we went.
It was pretty busy, considering it was a Thursday night, which was usually a big party night at U of M. Maybe they were all filling up their bellies before they drank themselves into a stupor. Luckily, there was an available booth and we were able to snag it.
“Need a menu?” one of the regular servers, Rose, asked.
“No, Rose, that’s okay, we know what we want,” I told her with a smile.
“Two cheeseburgers all the way with fries and chocolate milkshakes,” Benny said, also smiling, which really warmed my heart.
“You got it,” Rose said, keeping her menus and going to tell the kitchen our order.
“How has it been being back at work?” I asked when we were alone.
Benny settled back against the booth and said, “Really good. The Ford needs work, but Johnny’s been listening to my ideas. It’s felt good to have grease under my fingernails again … which probably sounds funny.”
“No, I get it,” I assured him. “It’s nice to be busy doing something you enjoy.”
“Yeah,” he agreed with a nod.
“And Johnny? He’s been cool?” I asked, even though I was sure he had been.
“The best,” Benny replied. “Believe me, I know how lucky I am. Any other boss would have fired my ass.”
“He’s not just your boss, he’s your friend.”
“I know,” Benny said, his fingers tapping on the tabletop. “It may have taken me a while to figure it out … to remember … but I know the guys at the shop have my back.”
“And what about your classes?”
Benny sighed.
“They’re fine. I don’t know, it feels weird going back. Like I don’t belong there anymore.”
“What? Of course you do.”
He shrugged one shoulder and dropped a bomb on me.
“I’m thinking about not going back.”
My mouth dropped open and I may have sputtered before arguing, “But, you only have one year left … you can’t quit.”
“Come on, Em, I’m not you. I never really cared about school or did all that great. I was in it for the partying … the girls … the frat.”
“You can still enjoy college and be clean, Benny. You don’t want to waste all the time you’ve put in,” I said desperately.
I don’t know why college had always been so important to me. It had always seemed like our way out. Our opportunity to get good jobs and set ourselves up for success. I couldn’t even fathom not wanting to graduate.
“It just doesn’t feel the same anymore, Em. I feel so tired … so old.”
And as I took in his face, which was thinner and paler than it used to be, and the circles under his eyes, I knew he was telling the truth.
“But it’s going to get better, Benny, I promise. You’re on the right track, just give it a little more time.”
My brother chuckled and looked at me fondly.
“I don’t know how you always manage to be so optimistic, Em, after all we’ve been through.”
Before I could respond, I felt someone approach our table and looked up to see Ridge and Karrie.
“Hey, Emma, Crush, how’re you doing?” Ridge asked, an easy smile on his face.
“Hey, Ridge, Karrie,” I replied, then turned my attention to my brother to see how he was going to react.
He’d gone from being Ridge’s rival, to hating him, to being in his debt. To say their relationship was complicated would be an understatement.
When he lifted his chin in response, relief flooded me.
“Pretty good, how are you guys?” Benny replied.
“Great, just picking up food to take back to the family,” Ridge said, lifting his hands, which were holding two large bags of food.
“Best burgers around,” Benny said, his tone light.
“You got that right,” Ridge agreed. “Well, we’d better get these home before they get cold or Wes is bound to revolt. He gets grumpy over cold fries.”
“See you later,” I said, and Benny simply lifted his hand in a wave.
“Call me,” Karrie said, and I nodded, indicating I would as she waved and walked out with Ridge.
I turned my attention back to Benny and asked, “You good?”
“Yeah, I’m okay. In addition to realizing how much I owe you and Johnny, I understand the role Ridge played in my recovery. And even though it’s a strange feeling, I’m grateful to him and his brothers.”
I reached out and grabbed his hand in mine and said, “I’m so proud of you Benny.”
He looked embarrassed, then looked up and said, “Thank God … the food’s coming.”
Twelve
Brody
“To becoming homeowners,” Ridge said, raising his mug of beer.
“Well, not quite yet,” Wes replied, his glass also raised. “Is it bad luck to toast it before it’s actually final?”
Ridge raised one shoulder and said, “I don’t think so, and since it’s pretty much a done deal, I’m willing to risk it.”
I added my glass bottle to the mix before tapping it and grinning at the clinking sound it made.
“Crazy … I mean, I know we talked about it, and it should have become more real when Ridge and Karrie went to see the place, but now that we’ve actually put in an offer it seems surreal. We’re going to own a family vacation home … righteous.”
“I may have mentioned it to Millie,” Ridge said.
“Oh, good, cause I told Tasha,” Wes said with a grin.
“Guess I’d better give Dru a call then, or she’s gonna feel left out,” I said, discussing our older sisters.
We all pretty much met at the same time, although Dru and I technically met first when she hired Mick to find our dad. Funny how we’d each bonded with one sister over the others, although we were all pretty close, considering we’d only known each other for a couple years.
We were sitting on the back patio, having come out to have a drink and celebrate Ridge’s call to the realtor to put an offer on what would hopefully be our property.
“Where are the girls tonight?” I asked.
It was odd to see my brothers without their girlfriends. Or rather, Wes’s girlfriend and Ridge’s fiancée.
That was going to take some getting used to.
“Karrie’s out with her friend Mina. She and Trap have been having issues. They needed some best friend time,” Ridge said.
Trap was one of our Delta brothers.
“And Beatrice?” I asked Wes with a grin.
Trixie hated being called Beatrice, which was why I called her by her given name whenever possible.
“She’s inside writing.”
“What about you? How come you’re home alone on a Friday night? No lady friends at the moment?” Ridge asked.
I picked at the label on my bottle as I contemplated his question.
“Actually, there is someone who I’d like to be spending time with, but she’s been pretty outspoken about the fact she doesn’t want to go there with me,” I admitted.
“Who?” Ridge asked, as Wes guessed, “Emma.”
I pointed my beer at Wes and said, “Got it the first time.”
“Emma, really?” Ridge asked, causing my gaze to drift his way. “I don’t know, man, not only is she Crush’s sister, but she doesn’t really seem like your type, ya know?”
“Why do you say that?” I aske
d, surprised.
Ridge had never really had an opinion on my love, or sex, life before.
Ridge squirmed a little in his seat, which was suspicious, because my oldest brother never squirmed.
“What’s going on?” I asked, leaning forward and looking him directly in the eye.
He could never lie to us, which was why he let out a huff and said, “I made a bet with Karrie.”
“About what? Me?” I asked.
Ridge nodded.
“She thinks you and Emma will be an item by the end of the year and I said, no way.”
“What did you bet?” Wes asked.
“If I lose, I have to fly coach the next time we travel,” Ridge said, his tone dripping with distain.
Wes and I started laughing, knowing how much our brother appreciated the finer things in life. He was even worse that I was, and from what I’d been learning lately, I was pretty terrible.
“And, if you win?” I asked.
“I get to take her anywhere I want this summer and she can’t complain about how much I’m spending.”
“Well, I for one am hoping you lose,” I said ruefully. “The more I get to know Emma, the more I see how unique she is … not only is she the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen, but she’s smart as hell and has a genuinely kind heart. She’s a unicorn.”
“Yeah, I think if Brody has anything to do with it, you’re gonna be sitting in coach. Better hope it’s a short trip,” Wes joked.
Ridge sighed.
“We both agreed we could interfere to try and get the outcome we want, but now that I know Brody is seriously digging Emma, I won’t be able to try and sabotage it. I’d feel too bad.”
“You better not,” I told him with a sharp laugh. “It’s gonna be an uphill battle without your interference.”
“You guys have been spending a lot of time together. Is she warming up to you?” Wes asked.
“They have?”
Since I lived with Wes, he knew my comings and goings a lot more than Ridge did.
“Yeah … you know how I’ve been working on the Habitat for Humanity Build, going through the process of becoming a Big, and am just all around trying to do better as a person.” Ridge nodded, so I continued, “Well, that’s Emma’s wheelhouse. She’s majoring in Social Work and is an all-around great person, so when we bumped into each other outside the Habitat office, we got to talking and opened up to each other a bit. She’s really pretty remarkable. Anyway, to answer your question, I think, yeah, she is warming up to me, at least to the part of me that wants to be better. But she still looks at me as an entitled playboy too. I’m not sure if the good outweighs the bad in her eyes.”
“You’re really pretty remarkable, too, ya know. She’d be lucky to have you,” Ridge said, and I had to grin at him.
That was our big brother. He’d defend us to the end.
“Trixie and Karrie were talking about doing a game night tomorrow,” Wes said, making me groan. He just chuckled and said, “You should invite her.”
I looked at my brothers and nodded. “Okay, I will.”
Thirteen
Emma
“What are you up to tonight, want to grab a bite?”
I had just logged off the computer and was grabbing my bag when Johnny walked in.
“Oh, uh, thanks … but I have plans,” I replied.
“Going to help out at the soup kitchen?” he asked, following me out of the office.
Johnny had come with me many times to help out while we were dating.
“No, actually just hanging out with friends.”
“That’s great, Em. You should take more time for yourself, be a typical college student.”
Johnny had often complained I was too serious too soon. He said he was focused on the shop and stuff because he was older and he had to be, but he wished I would enjoy being young because the rest of my life would be about responsibilities.
“Okay, well, have a good night,” I said, not wanting him to follow me out and see Brody pick me up.
“I’ll walk you out,” he offered, ever the gentleman.
As luck would have it, as soon as we exited the bay, the shiny Tesla was pulling into the lot.
Johnny let out a low whistle.
“Think he’s lost?” he asked, knowing a Tesla had no place in his garage.
I felt my cheeks get pink as Brody hopped out of the car and crossed to meet us.
“Ready, Emma?” he asked with an easy grin, before turning to Johnny and holding out his hand. “Hey, man, I’m Brody.”
I felt Johnny’s eyes on my face but couldn’t meet them.
“Johnny,” he replied, shaking Brody’s hand.
“You work here with Emma?” Brody asked when it became obvious neither Johnny nor I were going to offer up any information.
“It’s my place,” Johnny said, and I could hear the pride in his voice.
“Oh, sorry, that’s very cool,” Brody said, his tone sincere.
“Ready?” I asked, wanting to end the awkward interaction.
Brody nodded and moved around the Tesla to open the door for me.
I managed a look at Johnny and said, “See you tomorrow.”
His expression gave nothing away, but he lifted his chin in acknowledgement.
I heard Brody say, “Nice to meet you, Johnny,” before he got in the car and we drove away.
“Everything okay?” Brody asked and I once again avoided a direct gaze.
I knew I shouldn’t be embarrassed. Not of Johnny or of Brody, and I wasn’t …at least, I didn’t think that was it. I was simply feeling confused when standing in between two very different men, both of whom were the only guys I’d ever felt a strong connection to.
How could I though, when they were complete opposites?
“Yeah, I’m good,” I said, even though it wasn’t exactly true.
I’d had second thoughts about attending a game night with Brody and his family, maybe I should have listened to them.
“Is Johnny your boyfriend?” Brody asked quietly.
I shifted in my seat and finally looked at him.
“No he’s not, although we used to date.”
Brody’s eyes were on the road, but he nodded as if processing the information.
“Why’d you stop?”
I sighed and said, “We wanted different things. He’s older, owns his own business, and is ready to settle down. And although I want those things eventually, I’m not ready now. Plus, I’m not in love with him and he deserves to be with someone who’s going to love and appreciate how wonderful he is.”
Brody nodded again and chewed on his lower lip.
“What are you thinking?” I asked.
His eyes flitted toward me before going back to the road.
“I know I joke around a lot and can come across as a bit of a player type, only interested in a good time and willing to do anything to get it. But that’s not me … at least, I haven’t been that guy in a long time. I know our thing is for me to pursue you and you to shoot me down but, and I’m being completely honest here, I really am interested in you.”
My heart fluttered as he blew out a breath and glanced at me again quickly.
“I heard what you said, about not being ready for anything serious, and I can totally respect that. All I’m asking is for you to consider giving us a shot. We’ve got chemistry, there’s no denying that, but I also really like you … a lot. I like what you stand for … I mean, the fact that you stand for anything is amazing to me. I haven’t met anyone else like you and I’d like the chance to get to know you better, and not just intimately.”
My belly fluttered when the word intimately left his lips. It was like I could see the letters bouncing off his full bottom lip and out into the open air … there for anyone to see or hear … and it did something to me.
Something to my heart, to my head, and to my gut.
I looked at him. Really looked at him through a new lense.
Yes, he’d always
been hot. With those smoldering eyes, pouty lips, and country club good looks. But now that I knew him, had seen his face light up when serving the little kids at the church and noticed the compassion in his eyes when he’d spoken about the woman they’d be building a home for, even the way he talked about his brothers, with obvious love and loyalty.
All of this new, unexpected information, made Brody almost devastatingly attractive. Inside and out.
“Will you at least think about it?” he asked, snapping me back into reality and out of the clouds.
I turned my gaze away, not wanting to let him see too much when I answered, “Yes, Brody, I’ll think about it.”
Fourteen
Brody
“Wes and Trixie are so good at game night,” Emma said with a laugh.
“You should see Wes play eighties trivia. He’s like a savant,” I joked.
“You’re just jealous,” my brother said as he joined us outside.
“Of what?” I asked. “Useless knowledge?”
“It’s not useless,” Wes argued, feigning hurt.
He settled in the chair across from mine.
We’d recently upgraded our patio furniture since we needed more seats for our ever-growing family. Our patio wasn’t huge, but there was enough room for a couple chairs, two loveseats, a couple end tables, and a fire pit in the middle.
Ridge’s limit was three games, so although Wes had tried to convince us to keep going, when Karrie had suggested moving the party outside for drinks and s’mores, we’d all quickly agreed.
I’d gotten the fire going while Trixie was gathering the ingredients. Karrie and Ridge had run home to get her wine.
“I’m excited about the Habitat for Humanity build next weekend,” Wes said as he leaned back in the chair. “I’ve never done anything like it before.”
“It’s really fun,” Emma said enthusiastically. “The staff is very helpful and so nice, and there’s nothing quite like the satisfaction you feel once you’ve completed a project.”
Frat House Confessions--Brody Page 5