Refusing to Fall (Dennison Series Book 3)

by Ferraro, W

  She had just taken a bite of a tomato when an all-too-familiar voice came from the table in the back.

  “Colby! Don’t sit over there all by yourself. There is plenty of room over here.”

  Just about to offer up her polite refusal, another deep voice cut her off.

  “Come on. Plenty of room. You can even sit next to me; that way, Mason won’t paw all over you.”

  This comment had Colby smiling unintentionally.

  Knowing just like in the kitchen with Greg, she couldn’t win such a fight with the twins.

  Colby once again grabbed her too full plate, walked over to the large table, and took the offered chair between Casey and Jamie, across from a dramatically sulking Mason, who was flanked by Gage and Hunter.

  Feeling several sets of eyes on her as she sat, Colby became quite focused on cutting her oversized chicken. As she focused on slicing the knife through the juicy breast, a large hand plucked a ripe tomato wedge off her plate.

  Before she could raise her eyes to confirm what her mind told her, she heard two thumps followed by grumbled profanity.

  Colby watched as, with downcast eyebrows and brooding dark eyes, Mason massaged the back of his head.

  “At least try to show Colby that Mom didn’t raise a wild animal,” Gage accused.

  With devilish amusement, Mason smirked to his oldest brother before turning his attention to her across the table and saying cockily, “Oh, I don’t know. Colby, you want to see how wild I can be? I’ve never had any complaints.”

  This earned him another hit on the back of the head.

  With angry eyes, Mason turned back to his oldest brother and growled, “Hit me again, Sheriff, and I’ll bring you to the ground.”

  Colby dropped her utensils causing them to clank against the plate as her eyes widened at the obvious threat.

  The taller and bulkier Dennison, even in a sitting position, smiled like a Cheshire cat as he challenged, “I’d like to see you try, little brother.”

  Colby observed as the two men stared at each other, neither backing down as the other men at the table smiled and didn’t pay the two any mind.

  Jamie tapped her on the shoulder as he draped his arm over the back of her chair and said in a laughing voice, “Colby, this is just like any other dinner. Wouldn’t be a family dinner if there wasn’t at least one threat of violence. You might as well eat.”

  Colby just stared at the handsome blond.

  He couldn’t be serious.

  The conversation turned to this subject and that. Each man took a turn to ask Colby a question or her opinion on a topic, and before Colby knew it, half the chicken was gone along with the same amount of salad.

  Actually enjoying herself in such company, she momentarily forgot she was actually supposed to be working.

  The chime of the door didn’t register until Gage said aloud, “Come for a piece of pie or for me?” before a devilishly sexy grin spread across his face.

  Pie. Shit!

  Clumsily, Colby pushed up from the table bringing her plate with her as she turned to face the newcomers, missing the response.

  Two women stood just inside the door, one with strawberry blond hair, a gorgeous face, and a baby bump, who Colby had met before briefly at the restaurant. This was Delaney, Gage’s wife. The other was a petite powerhouse. Long brown wavy locks surrounding a porcelain face with bright blue eyes lined with thick black cat eye makeup. Her small body had the perfect amount of curves as well as a Barbie-envious chest and ass, even under her North Face jacket. Even though Colby didn’t know her personally, there was no denying this had to be the Dennison Princess, Bree.

  Her usual feeling of looks inferiority grew in the company of such beauties, but Colby hoped her smile wasn’t wonky as she greeted them.

  “Hi. What can I get you two?”

  Delaney looked at Colby with a beautiful smile in place, waved a hand in a ‘don’t worry’ fashion, and said happily, “Colby! How are you? Please, don’t rush your dinner for us.”

  “I’m fine, ma’am. I’m finished anyway.” Colby responded placing the plate on the counter to deal with later.

  There was a universal groan from behind Colby.

  The beautiful smile on the redhead fell away as her face suddenly overcame with worry.

  “I knew it! I look old! I told you I saw a gray hair the other day! You only ‘ma’am’ people who look old. I knew I saw crow’s feet when I looked in the mirror.”

  Gage launched himself at his wife, engulfing her in a comforting yet sensual embrace.

  Stricken with panic, Colby couldn’t help but stare.

  However, the other brunette came to the rescue. “Delaney, you know you don’t look a day over your thirty-two years. Come on, don’t let all those baby hormones turn you into a tear fest. You promised me laughs and a designated driver, not a hysterical pregnant woman.” Bree turned to Colby and with a wink said, “Don’t mind her, she’s a tad bit sensitive. I’m Bree, by the way.”

  Colby wanted to apologize for offending Delaney, but she found herself unable to find her voice. She was terrified she would say something wrong again.

  Pushing her husband away, Delaney said tearfully to no one in particular, “I’m sorry, just can’t help it.”

  “Well, try!” Bree sassed.

  “Hey!” Gage replied with authority to his sister all the while stroking his wife’s back.

  “Hey, nothing! You put her in this position; the rest of us shouldn’t have to suffer for it. The only reason we do is because we are crazy about her. You not so much.” Bree stepped in front of her much bigger eldest brother and retorted back just as hotly with hands firmly on hips.

  Colby had never seen anything like it. Just in Gage’s presence, she felt dwarfed let alone toe-to-toe with him.

  “All right, you two, that’s enough. Bree is right; I’m making everyone walk around on eggshells,” Delaney said, breaking the two apart.

  “But princess . . .” Gage began but was cut off by his wife.

  “You should walk around on eggshells; they shouldn’t,” Delaney said pointing at everyone, including Colby.

  Colby caught Bree’s victorious expression in which she happily threw at her brother, before walking over to the counter and taking a seat on the end stool. Colby decided she really liked the youngest of the town’s infamous first family.

  “Colby, let me make it up to you by buying you a drink?” Delaney said.

  “I’m sorry . . . what?” Colby knew she sounded like an idiot, but she was clearly out of her element when it came to dealing with female Dennison’s.

  Bree interpreted for her sister-in-law again. “She wants you to come along with us to Cervone’s for a drink so she can apologize all night and make you even more uncomfortable than you already are.”

  Was she kidding?

  “Um, thanks for the offer ma’ . . . uh, Delaney, but I’m here until close.”

  “Easily fixable! Hunter, do something about this!” Bree barked at the quiet table.

  Colby felt like she was going dizzy for all that was occurring.

  Bree Dennison obviously knew just how to get her way.

  “Hunter, no need,” Greg answered from the window before he looked at Colby and ordered, “Get out of here. You’ve been working too many hours, so you deserve to leave an hour or two early.”

  “No, Greg, really that isn’t necessary.”

  “Are you arguing with me, missy?” Greg folded his arms over his husky chest.

  Hunter came up to stand next to Colby and with a dimpled smile, nudged her easily. “Greg is right. Molly was saying the same thing earlier. I know if I call her, she will side with Greg.”

  “Yeah. Besides, Molly is meeting us at the tavern for our night out. You know, that is once my dumb brothers get home so their wives can leave,” Bree mumbled as she picked at her fingernails.

  “All right, Bree. We’re going,” Hunter answered, heading back to the table to retrieve his coat as the others s
tood and did the same.

  “Hey, who’s with the kids?” Gage asked.

  “Our niece, Jess, was nice enough to cover for her uncle until he came home,” his wife responded before kissing him sweetly.

  Bree hopped down from her perch and stepped next to Colby before asking, “So . . . you going to make this easy on yourself or hard? Because I do have handcuffs.”

  “Yeah! Handcuff her!”

  “Shut up, Mason,” everyone but Colby shouted.

  Colby had a feeling Bree’s threat wasn’t just empty words. Looking around the room, as everyone waited for her answer, she finally met Greg’s gaze and knew he would be of no help. Claiming defeat, she agreed and went to the back to retrieve her things.

  On her way back out to the dining room, she stopped next to Greg and stood up on tiptoes and kissed his rough cheek, expressing her thanks without words.

  “Get out of here, missy. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  Colby did as he said, not knowing what the next few hours of her life would bring.

  Slipping out the rear passenger door of Delaney’s crossover, Colby said, “I’ll just be a moment.”

  “Do you mind if we come up?” Delaney asked.

  Silently hoping that her place was neat enough for guests, Colby reluctantly agreed.

  When Colby slid her front door open, she signaled for Bree and Delaney to enter. Closing the door behind them, Colby excused herself to her alcove to change.

  Noticing that Delaney wore black pants with a casual burgundy top and Bree was wearing jeans and a black sweater, Colby opted for a pair of ripped jeans, a black pheasant blouse, and her black ankle boots. Quickly looking in the mirror on the wall outside her alcove bedroom, she ran her hands through her hair and retouched her eye makeup. When she was satisfied with her look, she turned to find Bree and Delaney scanning all the canvases that were around the apartment.

  Bree was looking through several that leaned against the wall, one in front of another, until they were ten deep while Delaney stared at the large one in the living room with the chaotic blue swipes.

  “Ready,” Colby said, pulling her coat back on.

  “This is beautiful!” Delaney said, only taking her eyes off the canvas a moment to connect with Colby’s. “Did you paint this?”

  “Yes.”

  “And these?” Bree asked from where her hands continued to pull canvas after canvas toward herself.

  “Yes.”

  “Colby, you are extremely talented!” Delaney said, joining Bree to look through the other paintings.

  “Thank you. I enjoy it.”

  “How much does something like this go for?” Bree asked, pulling an abstract flower painting that Colby had done the morning after she moved here.

  “What do you mean?”

  The other two women looked at her curiously, and Delaney answered, “How much do you charge for these?”

  Colby joined the two and answered honestly. “Oh, I don’t charge for them.”

  “Well, I could see why you wouldn’t want to part with them. They’re breathtaking.” Delaney said as she stared at a prism effect finished canvas in hues of vibrant color.

  “Oh, I meant I don’t sell them. I usually give them away.”

  Both women stared at her.

  “Are you insane?” Bree asked. “Why wouldn’t you sell them? I’m not much of an art person, but even I can tell you people must be willing to pay for these.”

  Colby began to feel more comfortable around Bree. She didn’t find her abrasive; in fact, she found her degree of honesty refreshing.

  “The only people who have offered to pay are Paige and a few of the hospice nurses where I donate most of my paintings.”

  “Well then, let me be your first customer. I don’t want to insult you, but I honestly don’t know how much to offer you. But I want this one,” Delaney said, holding the canvas against her baby belly as she stared at it.

  “Take it. Knowing my painting spoke to you is enough payment for me.”

  “Colby, we’ve got to have a talk. But to do so appropriately, I need a drink. So let’s go to the tavern and I’ll teach you how to grow a pair.”

  This unusual sentiment from Bree had both Colby and Delaney laughing amusingly.

  The three woman exited the apartment and headed back to their ride for the evening.

  Colby was suddenly very glad she allowed them to talk her into leaving work early and enjoying some time with new friends.

  Cervone’s Tavern was just like any other bar Colby had been to, but what the others didn’t have was the presence of one Bree Dennison.

  The quartet of women sat at a high pub table, which was covered in beer bottles, a few wine glasses, a handful of shot glasses, and one refilled water glass. The laughter that was coming from the table’s occupants ricocheted around the bar, causing many of the other patrons to take notice, but Colby was having too much fun to care.

  “So here I am, all five-foot-one of me; he clearly outweighs me by two hundred pounds, and he says, ‘Come on, sweet thing. Why don’t you come sit on old Steve’s face,’” Bree explains, as she takes another sip of her beer. “So then I say, ‘Steve, is it? I’ll tell you what; I’ll sit on your back when I cuff you instead.’”

  “You didn’t?” Molly asks, astounded at this hilarious story.

  “I most certainly did. I looked at him, and with the sweetest smile I could, I pulled him down by the chain that was around his neck, looked him right in the eye as I kicked him right in balls, and all three hundred plus pounds of him fell right over.”

  Molly and Delaney acted shocked that Bree would do such a thing while on duty as a New Hampshire State Trooper, but with all she had learned about Bree in this interesting and extremely fun night, Colby was not the least bit surprised.

  Colby was having a fantastic time. She truly liked each one of the women she was in company with. They were all beautiful, intelligent, and very welcoming. Even her boss, Molly—Colby saw a new side of her. If she weren’t in love with her already, then after tonight, she definitely would be. Molly was very funny and could tell a dirty joke like no one’s business.

  “Come on, let’s go get a refill,” Bree said to Colby, hopping down from her seat and waiting for Colby to join her.

  The two made their way to the bar, and only waited a moment before they had the bartender’s attention. Easily knowing Bree was the much better looking of the pair, Colby was surprised to feel the young bartender’s eyes on her. When he stepped away, Colby asked, “Do you know him?”

  “Only from here. I think his name is Brian, why?” Bree asked.

  “No reason,” Colby responded, looking around the bar and focusing on the group of men and women shooting darts across the way.

  “No reason, my ass . . . need some help getting some?” Bree whispered, shocking Colby that she was able to speak at such a low volume.

  “No!” Colby practically screamed, causing most of the people around her, including the bartender, to look at her.

  Knowing her face was bright red at this stage, both from embarrassment and from too much alcohol, she pulled a smirking Bree closer. “I was just wondering why he is staring at me when I’m next to you.”

  Bree looked at her with a confused face. An expression Colby couldn’t help but compare to another one of her siblings.

  “What?” Colby asked, not understanding what she had said that was so puzzling.

  Bree responded as if she was stating the obvious. “Have you not looked in the mirror?”

  Oh, God! Did she have something on her face? Or something on her blouse?

  Apparently, the look of horror on Colby’s face was enough for Bree to further her explanation. “Colby, you are gorgeous! He wouldn’t be a man if he didn’t stare at you. Surely, you must be used to it by now.”

  No way! She couldn’t be serious, could she? Come on, next to Delaney, Molly, and Bree, Colby might as well be wearing a bag over her face. Not that she thought of herself as g
rotesque, but she also knew she was far from a runway beauty, unlike the three other women she was with tonight.

  Neither woman chose to respond; they each accepted their kamikaze shot and chaser, a beer, before returning to the table. A table where Delaney and Molly were deep in conversation.

  “Hunter said he wasn’t surprised, but just the way he said it, I don’t believe him,” Molly stated.

  “I know, Gage did the same thing, yet he looked at the picture a minute too long. Like he had never seen such a thing,” Delaney answered, before picking up her glass and taking a long drink of water.

  Colby and Bree climbed up on their respective seats, and Bree asked what they were discussing. Molly pulled out a folded piece of newspaper from her bag and placed it in front of Bree.

  Colby looked at the picture, and her stomach clenched. Taking her shot and swigging it back, Colby hoped the haze of additional alcohol to her system would lessen the fist that was squeezing her insides. Even by only his profile, she couldn’t deny the devastatingly sexy man who was the center of the photograph. She would know those good looks, build, and stance anywhere.

  However, as her eyes took in the upper corner of the picture, another photograph inset caught her attention. In this one, Reed was with a beautiful woman in a jade green evening gown that looked like it was a second skin. In the picture, he had his hand at the small of her back and looked to be speaking seductively into her ear.

  She got a phantom feeling of how he spoke with his deep timbre into her ear before pulling on her lobe with his teeth. It was rather a signature move of his.

  The comprehension of what such a photograph meant not only caused Colby’s pain to increase tenfold, but it also caused her to feel incredibly stupid and naïve.

  Here she was, several days after their amazing sexual encounter. Without batting an eyelash, she had agreed to avoid Dustin in the hopes that any night now he would be back at her door for a repeat performance.

  The longer time went on, the more eager and hopeful she became that tonight would be the night.