“Why do you keep saying that?” Jay slurred. His eyes narrowed dangerously and Rone thought he was going to have to shove the table and pin Jay again.
“You bounce from woman to woman. You never let anyone close or anyone stick. Heather knows about my past now. She knows far more than you told her. She isn’t going anywhere. She accepts me for who I am. I suppose I should thank you for bringing it up. I had no idea how.”
Across the table, Jay’s face reddened, but surprisingly it didn’t seem to be from anger. He actually looked embarrassed. He squirmed in the booth and sent a sidelong glance at his empty pint glass, as though he wished it was full and he had something to distract himself with.
“Yeah.” His eyes finally swept up to Rone’s face. It wasn’t the reaction Rone expected, nor were Jay’s words. “I’m sorry for what I said. No matter what you’d done, you didn’t deserve for that to come out. I know that was a secret. It wasn’t my place to say what I did. I know we swore an oath of brotherhood to each other, and I wouldn’t have wanted to betray my worst enemy the way I betrayed you.”
“So… it’s okay that I’m seeing your sister.”
“It sure as hell isn’t.”
“But you’re going to let it slide? Heather doesn’t want to see us sacrifice our friendship over this. She’s been so worried. She thinks she hurt you and that’s eating her up inside. If you don’t want to see her get truly hurt, you should at least make peace with her. I do care if you want to call it quits and if you want to spend the rest of your life hating me. I don’t want that, but what I really care about is that Heather not get hurt. I swore to her that I would never hurt her and I want to keep my word. That’s why I’m here. It’s not just for the good times we had or the past or everything that we’ve done together. It’s not even for that damn oath that we made to be brothers. It’s for her. You want to hand out another beating? Ten? Twenty? A hundred? I’ll take them. You want to hate me? That’s fine. You want to never speak to me again or see my face? I can make that happen. Just please... don’t punish her. She doesn’t deserve that.”
Jay hung his head. His shoulders slumped when he sighed. “Heather always was a good sister. After that one time, she never tattled on me. She never ratted me out. She wasn’t uncool. She was always smart and nice. She wasn’t whiny or bratty. She never came into my room or broke my shit or did anything that would have made me mad. She was a pretty good sister, but better than that, she was always a friend. I’ve felt bad, all these years, that mom gives her such a hard time. I want to stand up for her and fix things between them, but I don’t really know how.”
“Time. Isn’t that supposed to fix everything?”
“Has time fixed your mother?”
“Nope. I’ve made my peace with that though so maybe I was the one who got fixed. My mom is a lost soul. The drugs and the alcohol and chasing the next high or the next guy who gives her that same feeling- that’s had control of her for a long time. If she’s not willing to get help, there isn’t much I can do. I’ve offered. She declined. If she did come round though, you can bet I would be willing to do what I could to help her get clean.”
Jay blinked. “Why? Why would you do that for her after everything? Some of those fuckers she used to date would get all screwed up or liquored up and beat the shit out of you or worse.”
“I know. Believe me, I haven’t forgotten. I’m not saying I’d be able to forgive her. She never protected me like a parent should, but because of her, I spent a lot of time at your house. Your family was my family. I’ve seen you as a brother for a long time. I always thought that was a blessing, that you were all there for me. I just- I couldn’t abandon her if she needed help. I would at least do that for her, even if I didn’t want to have a relationship. It’s hard to imagine it at this point.”
Jay picked up his empty pint glass and set it down hard on the table, a not so subtle signal to the waitress hovering around behind the bar that he’d like a refill. Rone was about to tell him he’d had enough, but he let it go. Jay could take care of himself.
“Just be sure you take a cab,” Rone said under his breath.
“Of course. I’m not that much of an asshole.”
“Just checking.”
“Fuck, Rone,” Jay sighed disgustedly. “You’re a better man that I am. I’ve known it for a long time. You had all the odds against you. I had everything given to me. At least, my mom kept me safe and worked hard to give me every advantage. We always had enough. We were always safe. I had my education paid for. I have a good job. I can get any woman I want. And still- all of it means nothing. Maybe you’re right. Maybe I’m fucked up.”
“You could choose not to be.” Rone reached out and clapped Jay on the shoulder as he stood up. “Believe me, therapy isn’t for pussies. It really helped me.”
“Rone?”
He stopped, standing right beside Jay, who was still sitting. “I don’t want you to be with Heather. I truly don’t, but as long as you are, treat her like a princess. If I hear that you broke her heart, I’ll break your damn jaw next time.”
Rone grinned. “Thanks man.” He walked away from the booth, away from the blonde waitress who came over to refill Jay’s pint, away from the pool tables and the scent of stale beer, low tuned TV’s and faded hopes. When he made it out to the parking lot, he took a deep breath of fresh air before he got in his truck.
His hand hovered above the ignition for just a minute before he put the key in and turned the truck over. He let it idle for even longer as he sat and stared out the windshield at absolutely nothing at all. Despite the fact that his ribs were aching like hell and his face still looked like he’d put his head through a garbage disposal, he felt pretty damn good. Life wasn’t perfect, but he was pretty damn sure that it was about as good as it could get at the moment. Jay might be angry with him for years, but he’d given his permission because he loved Heather and he wanted to do what was right of her and no matter how much of an asshole the guy could be, he was Rone’s brother.
Rone put his truck in gear and slowly left the parking lot and the bar behind. His smile turned into a grin a few blocks later. He was a big believer in time and what they said. It really did heal most things and everything it didn’t, weren’t really worth worrying about.
Chapter 16
Coming Home To Love
Heather
After a long day at work, it was nice to come home to the man she loved. They were so close after just a short time, it was hard to believe they’d spent so many years apart and the years before that, carefully avoiding being honest with each other. It was an even nicer surprise when Rone offered to drive them down to the pier so they could watch the sunset.
They sat on a wooden bench near the end watching couples stroll arm in arm, joggers come and go and below that, on the water, boats float in and out. Even those jogging at a brisk pace didn’t seem to be in a hurry. The atmosphere was so relaxed.
Heather melted into Rone’s side. Though he was only wearing his usual t-shirt and jeans, he looked like a prince to her. He smelled good too. The bruises were fading and his smile made up for the rest.
“Obviously you have something you’re dying to tell me.”
“You know me too well,” Rone admitted.
“I can see that your eyes are shining and you’re grinning like a fool. It’s a big change from this morning even, when we were both so reserved.”
“You’re very observant.”
“Is that why you love me?” She held her breath as their gazes locked. They hadn’t really used that word before. Love. Rone didn’t bat an eye.
“Yes. That’s why I love you.” His eyes dropped down to her chest. “Though it’s just one of the many reasons.”
Heather swatted him in the shoulder playfully. “Okay. Seriously though, why are you smiling like that? What secret do you have up your sleeve?”
“I talked to Jay.”
“What? And you’re… smiling?” Rone nodded and Heather’s hope
s soared.
“I went and talked to him before you got home last night. I went to his house but he wasn’t there so I tried the bar. He was pretty drunk. I think maybe the alcohol mellowed him out. He was actually feeling pretty sorry about what happened.”
“He should be!” Heather blew out a hard breath. “God, what he did was awful. I’ve wanted to go and talk to him since it happened, but I was afraid of what I would say. Maybe I would have been the one to dish out black eyes.”
“Which is exactly why I wouldn’t let you go over there.”
“Sometimes…” Heather’s sigh filled up the space between them. “Sometimes I want to cut my family off. My brother is an asshole and my mom doesn’t like me anyway.”
Rone took her hand and squeezed hard. “Don’t say that. Leanne tries her best. I really think she does. She just doesn’t know how to relate to you.”
“She pushes college applications on me every single time I talk to her. I stopped going home for holidays because I was just so tired of hearing about how horrible my tattoos were.”
Soft dark eyes swiveled to her face. “You’re perfect to me. You don’t have to go to school or stop getting tattoos. As for us, your mom and Jay might not like it, but they’ll come around. It will just take time. They’ll accept us one day and be happy for us. I’m not going to stop trying or stop loving either of them and I hope you won’t either.”
Heather’s nose burned with unshed tears. She blinked hard, clearing them away so they didn’t spill over. Her heart overflowed with love. Her chest felt so full that she thought it could burst. “Rone, you’re too good for me.”
“Hardly. Your family means the world to me. They were my family growing up too. You and Leanne and Jay were the only reason that I’m where I am now. I hope that this coming Christmas, we’ll be welcome at home.”
“I…”
“You need to try and make peace with your brother. I think he’ll be open to talking it out, at least in the future. Your mom- well, like I said, she loves you. You’re her only daughter. She probably has some stories of her own, if you want to hear them. Maybe all you need to do is ask. Or, if you want, I’ll ask for you.”
“Might as well. She always did like you better.”
Rone snorted. “I wouldn’t go that far. I think she was pretty damn mad at me a couple times. I got Jay into some real scrapes over the years.”
“And got him out of them more often than not. She knows that too.”
“Maybe I just need to get a few more tattoos of my own. Finish off my back, and she’ll like me less.”
Heather’s tears evaporated along with any lingering anger she held towards her brother. Even thoughts of her mother and her nagging ways didn’t bother her as much as it normally did.
“You know, Rone, you’re good for me. You’re good for us all. I don’t think everything happens for a reason. I hate the way you were raised. It breaks my heart, but I’m so glad that you were a part of my life growing up. I love that even though we’ve only really been together for a short time, we’ve spent so many years learning about each other. Even though neither of us was able to say that we loved the other, we knew it.”
“We’ve spent years perfecting it.”
“Perfecting it. I like that,” Heather laughed.
“So will you try and let them in? Just a little? Will you give them a chance the way you gave me a chance? They’re your family after all. The only one that you’re ever going to have, especially given the lack of family on my side.”
“That’s only assuming that I’m going to marry you one day.”
“You talked about fulfilling your fantasies. You can’t lie to me and tell me that you never imagined us one day married with at least five kids.”
“Five!”
“So you did imagine it then?”
Heather shifted on the bench. She leaned into Rone and wrapped her arms around his neck. She drew his face down to hers. Even with two discolored eyes, a split lip that was still healing and bruises marring his cheekbones and jawline, he was still the most beautiful man alive.
“I’m not going to say anything to incriminate myself. Five kids! I don’t know about marriage, but I certainly know about the five kids.”
“We have all the time in the world to talk about the future. Just kiss me now and…” he lowered his voice. “When we get back home we can finish our conversation about fantasies.”
To think, under that rough exterior, he had a heart that was kind and tender. It was hers. All hers. She melted against him and stared at the parted lips she was about to kiss. There was nothing else in the world she loved more than kissing him. Almost nothing… she closed her eyes and tilted her chin up. Her lips parted, waiting for the instant Rone’s touched hers and ignited the fire burning in her heart, her body, her soul. “Fantasies,” she whispered. “That sounds like a very good thing to talk about.”
Epilogue
Moving In
Rone
“What do you have in these boxes? Books? Cement blocks? Stones? Bodies?”
From across the room, Heather punched her brother in the arm. “Come on big fella. You’re the one with all the muscles here. You’re going to tell me that you can’t lift a couple small boxes?”
Jay groaned. He sent down the massive box and put a hand on his back, feigning strain. “I think I’m going to have to call into work. Tell them I’ve destroyed myself. If I have a lifetime of back problems ahead of me, I’m going to blame you.”
“Lift with your legs,” Rone cut in. “It’s funny, how you can help lift a whole engine and all those heavy car parts and move welders and cylinders around the shop, but when it comes to moving your sister’s things, all of a sudden you’re worried about your body.”
“Jay has the strength of an ox. I’ve seen him before.”
“Just about time for a beer, I hope.”
Heather rolled her eyes. “I don’t know if Rone has any.”
“Rone always has some in his fridge,” Jay protested. His good natured smile betrayed the fact that he wasn’t really as annoyed as he pretended to be. “I could use one. It’s hot as hell and I don’t care what you guys say, those boxes are full of lead.”
“Gold bars actually. We’re going into a new business now that we’ve decided to move in together.”
“I hope you cut me in then. Give me one hell of a share for moving all this crap.”
“It’s not crap,” Heather protested. “Those are just a few boxes of kitchen stuff and books.”
“I knew it was books!”
“Wait until we have to move that damn settee and that antique dresser. Those things are not light. They didn’t make furniture like they do now. They were serious before. Everything was actually all real wood.”
“I can definitely feel the strain in my back coming on. I hope that you’re at least going to pay for my massage after this.”
Heather moved her hands to her hips, but she never lost her beautiful smile. “You get a few beers and maybe a swim in the pool if you’re lucky.”
“Geez. Remind me to never sign up for moving you again. You should have hired movers in the first place.”
“I didn’t have that much stuff,” Heather said, smile faltering. “I thought it would be okay for you to help out. You said it was, that we could use your truck and all that.”
Jay gave his sister a good natured shove. She stumbled back a pace before she righted herself and squared her shoulders. She stepped forward, eyes blazing, ready to do battle.
“I’m just joking around. You of all people should know that,” Jay insisted.
“Ugh. Okay, I’ll get you a beer if you stop the complaining. Both of you.” Heather swept her gaze towards Rone. He couldn’t help but laugh and put out his hands in a gesture of defeat.
“Hey, I wasn’t really complaining, just giving Jay a heads up.”
“Here come the beers,” Heather ground out before she turned on her heel and headed towards the kitchen.
“I guess I’ll go out and get the rest of the boxes out of my truck and then we’ll start on yours, Rone. I’m not looking forward to it, let the record state.”
“Believe me, we know,” Heather responded dryly.
Jay excited out the front door and Rone walked over to stand beside Heather. She sipped at her beer daintily, prettily, like she did everything else. He leaned in and lowered his voice.
“I’m not sure if I’ve properly expressed how happy I am that you’re moving in.”
“You’ve only asked me to do it five times a day every day for the past six months.” Heather’s eyes twinkled when she looked up at him. “So I think I know. I was just waiting for the right time, for it all to come together. Now that I’m apprenticing officially, it seems like it’s right to make all the other changes too.”
“There’s no going back now. You’re stuck here with me.”
“I’m not going back. I’m never looking back. Forward only. That’s what I’ve tried to do my whole life and I’m sure as hell not going to stop now.”
“I have this wild thought that maybe we should buy your brother that massage after all, just to get him out of the house after everything’s unpacked. It’s hot out so maybe we can take a quick dip in the pool.”
A knowing glint passed over Heather’s eyes. “Let me guess, it would just be for a swim.”
“Maybe not. The fences are quite high. And this time there aren’t any rules.” The wild heat of anticipation flooded Rone’s chest. His groin stiffened, but hell, he was used to that. He couldn’t control it anymore now than he could six months ago when he and Heather got together. There probably would never be a time when she didn’t affect him.
Hot Ink: All 3 Tattoo Shop Romance Books + 2 Exclusive Bonus Stories Page 36