A Haught Date: Haught Brothers Book 1 (A Haught Brothers Novel)

by Leela Lou Dahlin

  She sat down on the chair facing his desk. “What did he say?”

  “He said that Mom wanted to have another child and that for whatever reason she was not here to take care of that child. He said, ‘it’s not that child’s fault your mother is gone, just like it’s not that child's fault you got in an accident after you heard what happened to your mother and you went riding off on your bike.’”

  He put his head in his hands, and she could tell he was telling him what his grandpa said to him verbatim. “‘You have to take extra special care with Camden and give him the love your mother gave you. That’s what she would have wanted. Just like your father who wasn’t strong enough to be in this life when your mother wasn’t would want you all to be strong for each other.’”

  “I went to the birthday party with a new train of thought, but Camden wasn’t there, and he ran away every year until we stopped giving him parties. I never knew he didn’t want them because of what a stupid fifteen-year-old flapped off and said without thought.” She didn’t know what to say to him.

  “I’ve seen a change in him since you two have been together and I’d hoped that this birthday party was the beginning of something new for him.”

  Now with the rage gone and only the sadness for a family scarred by a tragedy like the scar on Alec’s face remained. She felt deflated.

  “I wish I was the healing balm for Camden, but I don’t think so. He was able to leave me alone when I asked with no problem, and when I told him I threw him the party… let’s just say it wasn’t encouraging.”

  “You never know how things are going to work out, and I don’t even try to speak for my brothers. I can say I wouldn’t give up on him that quickly. He may have been able to leave you alone, but I don’t think that was without a problem. I’ve had more complaints about Camden than we’ve had the whole time we’ve been working together, and he’s not the happy go lucky guy he’s always been.”

  “I’m sorry I attacked you without knowing your side. I know you’ve experienced loss too, and I apologize for any –”

  “Don’t worry about it. It’s good to see someone stand up for Camden someone willing to look past that pretty mug and try to find the person inside.”

  “Well, I’m going to get out of your way and go clean up.”

  “Don’t bother with that. You’ve had a hard night just go on home and get a good night’s rest. It’s the Fourth of July tomorrow. I’m sure you have plans.”

  “Thanks, Alec. I planned to stay home alone this year, maybe talk to my family, but no big plans.”

  “Well, have a fun and be safe. When you leave, make sure you take True with you.”

  “I think she’s going to help Beau and the others with the restaurant.”

  “I would appreciate it if you could get her to leave with you.”

  “Alright, I’ll try my best.”

  Walking out to the bar, she found True waiting for her.

  “Hey True, ready to go?”

  “What did Alec say to you in there?” Her smooth caramel colored skin now had a red undertone she didn’t usually have. She looked like she was ready to burst.

  “It’s a long story. How about you and I grab a bottle of wine and talk about it?”

  “He asked you to get me out of here didn’t he?”

  “As a matter of fact… he did. What’s up with that?”

  “That man makes me so mad.”

  “I thought you were in love with Beau.” True had a full body laugh that made people look around to see who was having that much fun.

  “Did you really?”

  “Yes. I really did.”

  “I told you Beau was my best friend.”

  “I know what you told me, but you two are always together and Beau is such a charmer. I don’t know I just thought you had the hots for that particular Haught.”

  “Alec has always been the Haught for me, but that’s another story. I want to hear about what’s going on. This night has been crazy with tension and drama, but no one knows what’s up.”

  It was so good having True for a friend. “I think I like your suggestion. Let’s get a bottle and take it back to your house, then we can drink and talk and call off in the morning.”

  “That sounds like a great plan.”

  “Hold on these drinks are going to be on The Haught Spot. I’ll find Alec and find our libations for the evening. I’ll meet you at your house.”

  “True?”

  “Yes?”

  “Don’t hurt him.”

  “Hmmp…pray for him.”

  ***

  Drinking with True was an experience in and of itself. It’s a good thing she was her boss. Who else would have given her the day off to recover from the hangover and another day to recover from the heartbreak?

  She’d been a great listener, and she shared a bit of her history with the Haught brothers, but now that she was home the finality of everything sunk in.

  She’d tried to get back into good graces with Camden, and now the situation was even worse than it had been when she started.

  On the up side, she’d had several texts, emails and voicemails from Rosalyn fearing that the events of last night would look negatively for her. She thought that would work she really did and still held out hope for them both.

  Gemmi texted her back. Everything is great. Thanks for thinking of me, because she didn’t want to talk about it and if everything was not great, it wasn’t horrible. She was just going to have to get used to this new normal. Funny that a man she didn’t even know a month ago would be so important to her.

  She sat down on her favorite comfy couch with a cup of tea and was happy she and Camden took their shenanigans over to his house. She would never be able to handle all the memories they created in each room of that house.

  The knock on the door made her jump and spill the hot tea all over her shirt. She’d had more unannounced visitors in the last couple days than she’d had the whole time she lived here. Walking to the door she hoped it was True. Sitting on her couch, getting lonely, thinking too much and it’d only been a few hours.

  She ran to the door and threw it open happy not to sit in this house with only herself for company. “I knew you’d be back.”

  “You did? Well, that’s more than I knew. Can I come in?” She froze in the doorway at the sound of his voice. This day was coming, that she knew, but she thought she’d have more time.

  “I thought you were True.” She backed up and waved him in. “Come on in.”

  She walked over to the dining room table that was near the family room because she didn’t want to sit that close to him. She didn’t know if he wanted to tell her off in a private place, have a discussion about boundaries or give her a hug. He looked puzzled and off centered. He could be getting ready to say anything.

  “I heard you told my brother off,” he said, staring at her, but giving away nothing of what he was feeling.

  “I hope I didn’t cause any more problems between you. I was going to say something to him at another time, but at the party, right after we talked in the courtyard, he tapped me on the shoulder to thank me for throwing this party for you. Unfortunately, I unleashed all the pent-up frustration out on him. Not that he didn’t deserve all that and more it probably wasn’t the right time, and it definitely wasn’t the right place. I should probably offer him another apology.”

  Camden shook his head. “Alec was impressed, and he isn’t impressed by much. He thought it took a lot of guts to stand up to him and tell him he was wrong because he was.”

  She wanted him to know what she thought about Alec and what he’d said. “He didn’t even know you’d heard that. He was honestly shocked when I told him what I knew about you not celebrating your birthday.”

  “I’ve never told them. I didn’t want them to remember I was the reason why our family was not traditional.”

  “When I first met you, and you told me you had a lot of good deeds to do. You weren’t kidding, were you? You really
thought you had to try to make that up?” She placed her hand on his just hoping the small touch would be helpful to him as she comforted herself.

  “The world lost a wonderful woman when she died.”

  “I know it did, but you lost something too. You can’t spend your whole life making up for something you had no control over.”

  “I know it’s hard for you to understand, but it always felt like my fault. As a kid, I would wonder why I was here and my parents weren’t. There are pictures of my brothers and our parents and they look happy. They decided to have another child, and it totally blew it for everyone.”

  “That was their decision to have another child. I know it’s hard to hear, and it’s a shame about what happened to all of your family, but I don’t think your mother would blame you or want for her child to carry the burden of her passing.”

  “Logically, I know that, but there’s that little boy inside that says differently.” He stood up and walked over to where she was sitting. “I’ve never really opened myself up to a relationship. I love women, but I’ve never loved a woman until you.”

  “Camden.” She was pulled out of her seat and into a hug. She knew she missed him but being in his arms was like coming home.

  “When True first asked me to help a friend and told me a bit about your situation I wanted to help. I love to help, but when I saw you sitting there looking like everything I never knew I wanted wrapped up in one vulnerable unhappy package I was interested. You didn’t want me because of my looks and made me work harder than I ever had to find favor from you. When we had the mix up, and I had to come to your family’s house for dinner, watching what had to be one of the worst untruth tellers ever try to pull one over on their family, I was hooked.”

  “Why would a woman trying to lie to her family be so appealing?” She walked them over to the couch.

  “It made me put my life in a new perspective. I’m known as the happy go lucky brother and sometimes I am, but most of the time I’m just trying to make amends, and I get so tired.”

  “You woke me, and I feel rejuvenated when I’m around you.”

  “That’s good to hear.”

  “Let’s start again.”

  “Start what again?”

  “The whole dating thing.”

  “Really?”

  He got up and stood by the couch. “Is this seat taken?”

  She smiled up at him and was stunned. Could he really want to try a real relationship with her?

  “You’re doing a lot of thinking about the answer to this question. I just wanted to know if this seat was taken, Gemmi.” His voice was soothing attempting to put her at ease just like the first time. He kneeled by the couch. “It’s not too late. If you want to change your mind, just tell me the seat is taken, and I’ll walk away. This is about you.”

  “If you’re serious, you may definitely have a seat. I don’t know if I’ll be able to let you go again.”

  He sat down next to her and pulled her into his arms. “You won’t have to.”

  Epilogue

  Serving up cake as fast as the patrons could grab a plate for the Fourth of July slash Happy Haught Birthday Party was the last big task of the evening. This year had been a whirlwind, but it was the most fun she’d ever had in her life. She could spend a few days a week with her mother, visit with Rosalyn, and she split her time between working with True and at the Haught Spot with her boyfriend, Camden.

  “Come on, Gemmi, you’re being summoned,” Rosalyn said with a great big grin on her face. She would be smiling too if she wasn’t elbow high in icing.

  She walked up to the platform as everyone separated to make way for her. Camden was on the stage with his brothers.

  “I just wanted to make my birthday complete. Last year this beautiful woman threw me a wonderful birthday party, and the next day agreed to date me seriously. I am grateful for the second chance, as well as all she has brought into my life. Love, laughter, happiness. The ability to see me for who I am and call me out for all my crap.” The room was filled with friends and family who all giggled and yelled out encouragement.

  She was so happy to hear what he had to say. It felt like they were the only two people in the room.

  “This year I’m asking for something else,” he continued and then looked at her expectantly.

  “What?” She wanted to give him what he wished for, so he could be as happy as he made her.

  “Permanence.” She looked to her left and found her parents, Rosalyn and True as well as her whole family.

  When she turned back to Camden, she found him on his knee.

  “I love you so very much, Gemmi. Waking up with you, washing dishes with you, having you share your life with me, is wonderful. I want to do that every day of my life.”

  He brought out an unusual ring of a round diamond surrounded with sapphire teardrops that made it look like a flower.

  “I had this made for you. I wanted to get something that would remind you of how you got me to open up and share things with you I never had before and let you see the man I kept hidden.”

  “Oh, Camden.”

  “Will you marry me?”

  She pulled him up from his knees as she nodded her consent and kissed him in front of everyone in the party as the crowd went wild.

  He put the ring on, and she whispered in his ear. “Who knew what I was getting myself into when I tried to get a fake boyfriend?”

  He smirked, kissed her hand where he placed the ring and whispered back. “Now aren’t you glad you didn’t go with the gigolo?”

  She knew her days were going to be filled with Haughtness and she couldn’t wait to get started.

  Are you ready for the next Haught brother? Read this excerpt from Too Haught…

  Chapter 1

  What the entire fuck have I gotten myself into? Beau Haught walked into the dimly lit studio, trying to pull himself together. He’d been out of sorts lately, but that should be expected. Right? His baby brother’s wedding was in a few days, and his nerves were shot. He’d like to think it was because weddings in general made him slightly nauseated, and if anyone asked that is what he would say. How could they tell him he was wrong?

  Ouch. What the hell? He had somehow hit his toe on a huge trunk that he would have seen if the mood lighting wasn’t on the too-damn-dim setting. Looking down, he saw the real reason he’d been out of sorts, and why his big toe was throbbing. Karessables Lingerie and Intimate Attire. The trunk was filled with sexy, exclusive unmentionables that would make his heart race and mouth water…just like their curvy creator. Beau shook his head to clear his thoughts, because lately that woman had started occupying an ever-increasing space.

  He hobbled around the heavy container, trying to keep intact the pleasant, calm demeanor he usually displayed, and that’s when he saw a door open. That had to be the room True was using for the boudoir photos she was creating for the bride, the groom, and all of the people in the bridal party. If the flickering glow was anything to go by, the room had several candles lit.

  The sound of jangling keys and high heels clicking on tile flooring lead him to believe that he wasn’t alone, but the speed of the footsteps suggested someone was trying to leave quickly. Was True leaving? With all those candles lit? He tried to make it back to the door, but the maze-like obstacles and dim lighting made it difficult. By the time he got to the door, he could only watch as True jumped in her car and drove off. Beau tried the door, but it was locked, and he knew he needed a key to open it. He pulled out his cell, hoping this weird behavior would be explained with a simple phone call, but she had the nerve to not answer her phone.

  “Now what?” he murmured to the empty room. He’d come from the bachelor party early, by cab, because he’d been drinking and didn’t want to chance driving while even slightly intoxicated. Well, he was sober now, pissed off that he was missing one of the last few times to be with his brother before he married, and trying to figure out what the hell was happening in his life. Of cour
se, everyone he knew was busy tonight and for some reason his best friend seemed to want him to try out the bed in her boudoir set up. Well, if that wasn’t what she wanted Miss Jet-Pack was out of luck. Maybe she’d put some of those sleepy vanilla-lavender packets she’s Monroe. The woman behind the brand, Karessables. That was how he had described her after he rode her sweet pussy through the night and brought them both to fulfillment. They’d snuggled together, and he’d enjoyed just listening to her breathe. She was Karessable, and he’d told her so almost every day. The fact that she’d taken that endearment and made it a part of her very successful business made him smile, even though it hurt like all hell. He had no right feeling like he was a part of something that she created. Especially when he knew she hated him, and had every right to. Somehow that didn’t change the fact that he missed snuggling with her.

  Snuggling…that was a fucked-up word. He couldn’t even believe he’d been that guy. The one who wanted forever. The one who would have done anything for his woman. The one who did everything for his woman. He even let her get away from him so she could have the life she’d always dreamed of. No one knew how hard it had been to let her go or how much his sacrifice continued to cost him to this day. She was rich, famous and successful. That was the life she wanted, and that was the life he wasn’t going to get in the way of.

  He wondered if True had anything to snack on as he’d missed the food portion of the evening. It probably would only be wings and burgers, but right now that sounded like a little piece of heaven. Ordering some wings might be an option but unless he wanted to break the industrial-strength door to let the delivery person in, it wasn’t going to happen. Flicking on the lights by the door, he wondered why the hell he hadn’t done that in the first place. Damned Adios Motherfuckers. That was the drink his brothers and a few friends were having at the bar. Equal parts rum, gin, tequila, vodka, Blue Curacao a little bit of sweet and sour, and lemon lime soda, that drink could make even the most horrendous farewell a bit more palatable. The illumination of the room made him squint with its brightness, but his name was on a note taped under the switch. Ripping it off the wall, he tore it open.