He swallowed hard and tried to keep the frown off his face. Shit. She was right. No one would think he’d ever be with a Montgomery girl. Maya was like his sister, as was Meghan, the eldest girl. Meghan was even married to an asshole, but married just the same.
Miranda though…Miranda was his best friend’s little sister and had welcomed him into her family to boot.
There was no way he could ever think of her as more.
Or rather, he should stop thinking about her as possibly more.
“Anyway,” Wes continued, “we came over here to ask what’s up with Decker. He looked like he stepped in shit or something.”
Decker rolled his eyes. Wes really liked making things sound worse than they were. “I’m fine. Just a long day.” He rolled his shoulders, and the twins did the same. They’d hauled right by his side, and he knew they ached just as much.
“Tell me about it,” Storm grumbled. “I never want to look at another toilet again.”
“Charming,” Maya said dryly.
“So, have you found a new receptionist yet?” Decker asked Maya, changing the subject from toilets to the running joke of the family. The shop had been through four or five receptionists this year alone. They had fantastic artists and had even just promoted their apprentice, Callie, to full time. However, they couldn’t keep a receptionist to save their lives. The college kids always left for greener pastures, and the other ones thought it was fun to come in high around pointy needles. It might be legal to smoke, but that didn’t mean they wanted their staff lit up while working.
“You can’t have Tabby,” Wes put it. “She’s ours.” Tabby was the Montgomery Inc. receptionist and a goddess with organization. She and Wes were a team in OCD heaven.
Maya cursed under her breath. “I don’t want Tabby. She’d color code my ink in a weird way, and then I wouldn’t want to move anything around. And no, we haven’t found a receptionist. I don’t know what it is. This latest guy just wanted free ink. Free. I pay for my own tattoos, you know. I won’t let Austin do it for free because his work is worth my money. Wanting it free in our place just shows disrespect.”
Decker snorted. “At least you get the family discount.” Maya looked over her shoulder and discreetly flipped him off.
Decker frowned since she tried to hide it then smiled as Meghan’s kids, Cliff and Sasha, ran into the backyard, barreling toward their uncles on the other side of the yard. They’d be over here soon for sure to see the rest of them. He loved those damn kids.
“You get the discount too, brother mine,” Maya said. “But the discount isn’t all that much in the scheme of things. This idiot wanted it all for free. So he huffed away and found another shop most likely.” She shrugged. “Not as good a shop as ours, but whatever.”
“There’s no shop as good as yours.” He rubbed between his shoulder blades. “Speaking of, I need to make an appointment for the ink on my back.” Maya’s eyes brightened, and he cursed. “With Austin, hon. It’s his turn.” All of the Montgomerys took turns with the other siblings when it came to their ink. Both of them were talented, and picking one over the other was nearly impossible.
Besides, they both had nasty tempers if they didn’t get to be part of the siblings’ and parents’ art.
“Fine. I see how it is. You like him better.” She sniffed and wiped a non-existent tear at the edge of her eye. Not that she actually touched her makeup in the process, but the move worked for her.
Decker rolled his eyes then punched her softly in the shoulder. “Shut up. You just did work on my arm, and you get my leg next. It’s Austin’s turn now.”
She smiled, and he wasn’t sure if it was a good one or a you’ll be sorry one, but he rolled with it.
He looked over his shoulder to see Colleen in a conversation with one of Sierra’s girls so he let her be then looked at the empty beer bottle in his hand. “I’m going to get a refill. Any of you want something?”
They shook their heads, and he said his goodbyes before walking over to the cooler. Alex, another Montgomery—seriously, there were eight siblings and countless cousins so he was always walking over a Montgomery or two—stood by the cooler, a tumbler of amber liquid in his hand.
Decker looked over his shoulder at the crowd and frowned. “Where’s Jessica?” Jessica was Alex’s high school sweetheart and wife. When they’d first gotten married a few years ago, she’d always come to the family events, though she never exactly fit in. It wasn’t like she tried, either. The Montgomerys had tried on their part to welcome her into their midst, but for some reason, it never really took. Now, come to think of it, Decker hadn’t seen her at one of these events in awhile.
Alex snorted then took another drink. From the glassy look in his eyes, this wasn’t his first drink.
Well fuck. This wasn’t good.
“Like she’d come to one of these,” Alex drawled. He didn’t sound drunk, but Decker could never tell with Alex. The fact that he knew something was off at all was because of experience. He’d dealt with enough drunks and near-drunks to last a lifetime. “She’s off with her girls at the spa or something. She didn’t feel like celebrating Sierra and Austin’s engagement since she’s never actually met Sierra.”
Decker’s eyebrows lifted toward his hairline. “She hasn’t met Sierra yet? How is that possible?” Jessica was already a Montgomery, and it wasn’t like Sierra was new to the family. She already lived with Austin and was helping raise his son.
“It’s possible when you’re Jessica.” Alex took another drink and looked the other way.
Okay then. Conversation over.
Decker shifted from foot to foot. Alex had always been the one to joke and make people laugh. That wasn’t what Decker saw now, and it scared him a bit. The man in front of him looked angry…and drunk. Decker knew drunks. He’d lived with one off and on until he’d finally been able to break free.
He didn’t want to see it again.
“You want a water, Alex?” he asked calmly. Tiptoeing around it wouldn’t help, but coming right out and asking if the man he called his brother was an alcoholic wouldn’t either.
Alex gave him a small smile instead of getting angry, which surprised Decker. “I’m good.” The man didn’t leave to refill his drink, but that didn’t mean he wouldn’t do it once Decker was out of sight. He didn’t know what to do, but as long as Alex knew he was there, maybe that could help.
“Okay. Just…you know I’m here, right?” he asked softly.
Alex’s face closed up, and he lifted his chin. Damn. “I’m good,” he repeated.
Decker searched his face and couldn’t find a way past the barriers. He’d keep an eye on him though. This man was his brother, blood or no.
He got a soda instead of a beer, his stomach not quite ready for booze after that, and walked over to his best friend, Griffin. The man held the same look as the rest of the Montgomerys, dark hair and blue eyes, but with the same slender build as Wes, rather than the brick-house look of Austin or even Storm. Griffin was the easiest going of the family, the writer who spent most of his time in his own head, rather than in the real world. His mess of a house reflected that, but Decker loved him anyway. They were the same age, so they’d grown up like twins after a while. Decker might have more in common with Austin on some levels and work closely with Wes and Storm, but Griffin was the one he knew best.
“Glad to see you finally found your way over to me,” Griffin joked. He sat in one of the outdoor chairs and waved at the empty one. “Take a seat. I’m people watching.”
Decker laughed then did as he was told. “First, you could have come over to me. It wasn’t like I was blocking you. Second, this is your family. Why are you watching them?”
Griffin took a sip of his beer then shook his head. “You were with Colleen, and as I can’t stand that giggle of hers, I didn’t want to join in.”
“Giggle?” Decker asked, a little annoyed that Grif would judge his date. It wasn’t like he and Colleen were married, but still.
Pointing out something like that didn’t seem right.
“Giggle,” Griffin repeated. “You know it. Whenever she giggles, your shoulders tense, and you get that little twitch at the corner of your mouth.”
Huh, now that he mentioned it… Nope, not going to think about it. He still had the rest of the night and probably more nights with the woman. It wouldn’t do to nitpick and then zoom in on those quirks for too long. He wouldn’t be able to get over it.
“You noticed all that?” he asked, draining some of his soda.
“Yep. I told you. I people watch. In fact, I’m watching that asshole and my sister right now. I really want to beat the shit out of him, but I’m not sure she’d appreciate that. She doesn’t like when the rest of us threaten to maim or murder her husband.”
Decker frowned then looked over at Meghan and her husband, Richard. Meghan was three years older than him and had always struck him as warm, friendly, and not to be messed with. She was like the mother hen of the clan and stood up for herself.
But not now.
Now she had her shoulders slouched and her head down. Richard was snapping about something, and each time he spoke, Meghan turned in on herself just that much more. Nope. This wasn’t going to do.
Decker stood up, set his soda down, and then rolled his shoulders. “You ready?” he growled at Griffin, who had stood with him. Like there was any other way to react when he saw someone he cared about being beaten down emotionally.
“Yep. Let’s not beat the shit out of him since their kids are here, and it’s Austin and Sierra’s time, but yeah, I’m ready.”
They stalked toward the couple, and Richard puffed out his chest as he noticed them. The man had once had a decent build and hair on his head. Now it looked like he was balding a bit, but he brushed it in just the right way that you couldn’t tell unless you’d seen him before. He also had a little bit of a gut that came with lack of activity. Though he wore suits that shouted their worth, the effect was lost at the straining button on his stomach.
“What?” the bastard snapped.
Decker smiled, but it wasn’t a nice one. He put his arm around Meghan, who stiffened. He let that pass and kept his arm on her. The more people who cared about her, the better.
“Just wanted to say hi to my sister, that’s all,” he said smoothly.
Richard scoffed. “She’s not your sister. You’re just the trash. Get your hands off my wife.”
He didn’t even wince at the word trash. He’d heard worse and usually from people who should have meant more to him than this sack of shit.
“Richard,” Meghan admonished, her voice gaining strength. Atta girl. “Decker is family.”
Decker squeezed her shoulders, but she didn’t relax. Damn.
“She’s right about that,” Griffin said easily.
“Well then, wife, you’re not a Montgomery anymore,” Richard said, baring his teeth. “You’d do best to remember that. Go get the brats. We’re leaving. We said our hellos to the happy couple—they won’t be happy for long knowing the way that brute is—so it’s time to go.”
Why the fuck was Meghan still with this man? He treated her like shit and beat down on her emotionally. Decker didn’t think Richard touched her with his fists, but one could never tell. Decker should know.
Flashes of meaty fists and breath tainted with cheap booze filled his mind, and he shook it off.
“Once a Montgomery, always a Montgomery,” Griffin said from his side.
“Pretty much,” Decker said smoothly. “If you’re in a hurry, you can head out and we’ll get Meghan and the kids home when they’re ready to leave.”
“She’s my wife. Not yours.”
“Decker. Griffin. Let it go,” she whispered.
Decker shook his head. “Sorry, hon, Austin and Sierra’s party just started, and we haven’t done the toasts yet. You should stay. If Richard needs to go, he can go.” He looked into her eyes and prayed she understood he meant more than for that one night.
“Fine. Keep the brats here.”
“I need the boosters,” Meghan whispered.
“Then you should come with me,” Richard snapped.
Meghan glared. Good. There was still some fire in her. “I’m not risking my children’s lives because you want to leave early.”
“Our children, Meghan. You best remember that.” He smiled coolly, and Decker froze.
So that’s why she stayed. For the kids. That motherfucker.
“We got boosters in the house,” Griffin said. “Mom and Dad keep them in case they have the kids.” He didn’t mention that Decker had bought them when Richard had left Meghan alone with the kids and taken her car one time.
She didn’t need to remember that. On second thought, maybe she did.
“Fine.” Richard didn’t even say goodbye to Cliff and Sasha before stomping away. Meghan visibly relaxed when the man left.
“Meghan…” Decker started, but she held up a hand.
“No. Not here. I need to take care of my children.”
He nodded, knowing she was stronger than his own mother. At least he hoped. “I’m here if you need me.”
“Me too,” Griffin added. “We all are.”
She cupped both their cheeks and smiled sadly. “I know. I love you both. Now go and talk to Austin or Sierra or something. I need a moment.”
Decker nodded before leaving her alone with Griffin. His friend would take care of her until she pushed him away because she thought she was too strong to lean on someone. He wouldn’t let her situation grow to be what his past had been, but he also knew there was only so much a person could do without physically pulling them away.
That wouldn’t help anyone.
“That prick gone?” Austin growled when Decker reached him. Sierra punched her fiancé in the stomach, and he winced before wrapping his arm around her.
“Watch your mouth,” she whispered and looked over his shoulder.
Austin and Decker looked as well. Austin’s son, Leif, stood near, his attention on whatever Storm was saying and not on Austin’s words thankfully. Leif had come to the family after his mother had passed and Austin had found out he was a daddy. Strange as hell to think of it all, but Decker loved the boy like he’d been raised with them from birth. He fit right in.
“Yep. That prick is gone. I’m worried about her. Alex too.” He might as well let it all out. Austin was his big brother, and Sierra was going to be a new sister. They were family.
Sierra shook her head. “We all are. They know we’re here, and if there’s anything we can do, we’ll figure it out.”
Decker pulled her from Austin’s arms and gave her a tight hug before pressing his lips to hers in a hard kiss.
“Hey, get your mouth off my woman.”
Decker pulled back and smiled at a flushed Sierra. “But she’s such a pretty woman.” He tucked her into his side. “See? She fits just right.”
Austin growled then pulled a laughing Sierra to him. “No, she fits against my side. You’re an ass.”
Decker grinned. “A hot ass. And you know it.”
“You two are idiots, but I love you.” Sierra laughed at her words, but Austin growled. “I mean I love Decker in a brotherly sort of way. I love you in a sexy, sweaty way. Okay?”
Decker raised his hands in mock surrender. “I so do not need to think about that. I’m going to go see how Harry’s doing. Let me know when you want help with your toast or something.”
Austin nodded, but his eyes were all for Sierra.
Fuck, what would it be like to have a love like that? A person who was by your side no matter what.
Decker didn’t think he’d ever have that. Not with the way his mind and body wanted the one person he couldn’t have. In his experience, love didn’t last, and marriages were only shackles he knew some people could never be rid of.
Of course, that wasn’t quite true since the couple he’d just left seemed to be on the right path, but he wasn’t sure yet. Then of course, the cou
ple he was in front of had been together for over four decades and still looked like they were more in love every day.
But love hurt when one person was sick.
Harry Montgomery had always been larger than life. He was a big man with an even bigger heart. Yet the man in the chair in front of him didn’t look like that now. The extracorporeal radiation therapy—Decker had been reading up—that targeted Harry’s prostate cancer had taken a toll. The man looked so much smaller, weaker, and paler than Decker had ever seen.
The doctors told him they’d caught the cancer early and things were looking good, but the treatment looked like it hurt worse than the cancer. And now, in Decker’s eyes, Marie was forced by love, duty and circumstance to stand by her husband’s side as he grew weaker and weaker. How was that reward for love? How could that be worth it? The pain and loss that could come with growing close to someone didn’t make sense to him, and he wasn’t sure he deserved it in the first place.
“Come here, boy,” Harry growled out, a sparkle in his eye.
Thank God.
Decker crouched near him, his hands shaking. He didn’t know what to do. Did he hug him? It looked like, with just one hug, Decker would break the man he thought of as his father.
“How you feeling?” he asked. And damn if his voice hadn’t choked up.
Harry patted his arm as Marie came to Decker’s side, kneeling so she could hug him. He put his arm around her, inhaling that sweet Mom scent that had worked so well to calm him as a kid.
“I’m doing better,” Harry said softly. “It doesn’t look like it, but I’m not dying. Not yet.”
Decker felt like he’d been stabbed in the heart with those words. Jesus. He couldn’t lose Harry. He couldn’t.
“Hey, don’t look at me like that,” Harry said. “I told you all I’d be honest with you about my recovery. We caught it early. The radiation hurts like a bitch, but we’re pushing through. Now I wanted you to come over here because, one, you’re my son and I wanted to see you, and two, because you helped with that prick of a husband my daughter chose. I couldn’t get up to fix it, so thank you.” The slight helplessness in Harry’s eyes was too much.
Flame and Ink: An Anthology Page 7