The Slade Brothers: A Complete Small Town Contemporary Romance Collection

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The Slade Brothers: A Complete Small Town Contemporary Romance Collection Page 16

by Alexis Winter


  “Sure thing.” She runs to the back to place my order and then gets started on my drink. “Were you planning something that got canceled?” she asks, looking up from the glass in her hand.

  I take a deep breath. “I got all the signatures Drake needed. He was supposed to take me out to celebrate, but something came up and he had to cancel,” I admit.

  She places my drink in front of me and presses her lips together in a tight line, like she’s holding something back.

  “What?” I ask, moving for my drink but not picking it up.

  “I’m not sure if I should tell you,” she says, refusing to look at me.

  “Tell me what?” I ask.

  “It’s just that, I don’t know if the two things are linked, and I’d hate to cause you to worry.”

  “Spill it, Steph,” I threaten.

  “Well, you know about Casey, right?” she asks, looking a little afraid.

  “Drake’s ex?” I ask and she nods. “What about her?”

  “She was in here today.”

  I tap my finger on the wooden bar. “She was in here? Today?” I ask, needing confirmation.

  She nods.

  “But she left town long ago.”

  “I know.”

  “She hasn’t been back since,” I say in a rush.

  “I know.” She nods her head.

  “What’s she doing back here?” I finally pick up my glass and take a long drink, needing it more than I thought I would. I know exactly what she’s doing back here. She’s back for him. She misses him. She realizes what a mistake it was to leave him. And now, he’s canceling our date to be with her. I just know it.

  “She didn’t say,” Stephanie says, looking a little sad on my behalf.

  “Do you think she’s back for Drake? That would explain why he canceled on me, wouldn’t it?” I ask, feeling crazy.

  She shrugs one shoulder. “I’m sorry, Celeste. I shouldn’t have told you. Now you’re all worried for nothing. I wish I had more info, I really do.”

  “No, it’s okay,” I say, picking up my drink and bringing it to my lips. Meanwhile, my mind is turning and twisting every which way. I wonder if he’s with her. I wonder if I should text him. No, of course I shouldn’t. He said he’d talk to me tomorrow. I need to give him space. I’m sure he’s just as confused about all of this as I am. Or maybe he’s not. Maybe he’s just happy to have her back and he’s not even thinking about me right now.

  In fact, why am I thinking about him right now? We’re not together. We’re nothing. That was the plan and that was what we agreed to. So if Drake is nothing to me, then why am I so upset by the knowledge that Casey is back in town? Somewhere deep inside, I know the answer to that, but I refuse to let myself go there. That wasn’t part of the deal. That wasn’t planned. It’s something that snuck up on me when I wasn’t paying attention. And if I’m feeling this way, then how is he feeling?

  “Here’s your salad,” Stephanie says, placing the plate in front of me. I hadn’t even noticed her walk away.

  “Thanks,” I mumble, picking up my fork and playing with a cherry tomato. I watch as it rolls around with each poke.

  “Seriously, Celeste, don’t worry about it. I really regret telling you.”

  I wave her off. “No. Casey being in town isn’t a big deal. I mean, if Drake wants her, then he’ll take her back, right?” I look up at her.

  She lifts a brow but doesn’t verbally answer.

  “And if he doesn’t, then he’ll disregard her. He’ll call me tomorrow and let me know either way, right?”

  She bites her lower lip.

  “I just wish I knew which way this was going to go. I’ve never been good with waiting. And honestly, breaking things off with him probably wouldn’t be a bad idea. I mean, I’m only going to be here for a little over five more months, and my work with him is technically done. Keeping this going will only hurt one of us in the process. Maybe both of us—and that’ll be determined tomorrow, I guess.” I’m ranting. I’m thinking out loud and I can’t shut up. The words are leaving my mouth faster than I can stop them.

  “Celeste, chill!” Stephanie shouts, stopping me.

  “Thank you,” I tell her as I finally stop babbling.

  “You need to calm down. Eat your dinner. Sip your drink and relax. Then go home. Watch a movie—something funny. Take a long, hot shower, put on your pajamas, and go to bed. Don’t think about it at all! Just rest and relax. You’ll know something soon enough.”

  I nod once. “You’re right,” I agree, stabbing at the tomato and popping it into my mouth.

  But I still can’t stop thinking about it, and it angers me. I sit and eat my salad, quietly stewing. How dare he drop me for her? Even if he doesn’t love me, I got the job completed. Because of me, he can build his expansion. I did that. Shouldn’t I get a reward? Get a reward for doing your job? Come on now, Celeste.

  I shake all thoughts from my head and push away my plate. “Thanks, Steph,” I say, dropping $20 on the bar and standing.

  She’s clear across the bar, but looks up when I say her name. She shoots me a sad smile. I ignore it all and head out to my car, needing someplace quiet. A place where I can think things through and fall apart if I feel the need. I drive back to my motel room and let myself inside. I strip out of my dress and toss it into the corner. I kick off my shoes, leaving me in my black lace bra-and-panty set. Instead of pulling on a pair of comfortable pajamas, I crawl into bed and bury myself under the covers. The phone in my hand is practically begging me to call him. You know, just to check in and make sure everything is okay. Don’t you dare, I tell myself. Give him time to think things through and deal.

  I turn on the TV and put on a stupid slapstick movie. I’m watching it and it’s funny, but I never laugh. I’m too out of it to laugh or enjoy anything until I talk to Drake and learn our fate.

  I wake in the morning still clutching my phone. I force myself to release it as I shake my hand back and forth. It’s cramped and hurting from sleeping in that position all night. I push myself up and head for the bathroom, needing to get ready for work. I take a quick shower, washing the curls from my hair and all the makeup from my face. When I get out, I pull my hair into a sleek bun and only add a little mascara and lip gloss. I pull on a pair of jeans, a tank top, and a sweater. I slip my feet into a pair of plain-looking flats. I don’t look business-ready, but I don’t exactly look like I’ve just walked in from off the street either.

  I gather my things and move toward the car to go to the office. I don’t stop for my usual coffee and muffin. I don’t think I could eat if you paid me to—not until I know. I’m on edge, needing answers to my questions.

  Debbie is already sitting at the front desk of the law office when I walk in.

  “Good morning,” she greets me.

  “Morning,” I say, passing her by and heading straight to my office. A part of me wants to give her the third degree, wanting to know all she knows about Casey coming into town. This is a small town, so I’m sure she’s heard the news of the runaway blonde who’s suddenly reappeared. I sit at my desk and turn my computer on for the day. As it starts up, I look up. There’s a mirror hanging on the wall across from me. I find my reflection and study it. Speaking of runaway blondes . . . is that why Drake chose me? Because I’m similar to her? We both have long blonde hair. We’re both pretty by social standards. I’m from the city and she wanted to live in the city. If my assumptions are correct, I know he’ll drop me to have her back if I’m nothing but her look-alike, her replacement. Why wouldn’t he drop me when he could have the original?

  I shake my head and let a long breath escape. I need to stop this. But there’s only one way to make it stop: the truth.

  I get up, grabbing my purse and phone.

  “Cancel this morning’s appointment,” I tell Debbie, heading for the door.

  She stands up quickly, mouth open like she’s going to say something, but I don’t stop or give her the chance. I exit the building a
nd climb behind the wheel. I don’t allow myself to think until I’m parked in front of the brewery. I look up at the big building. There are more people coming in and out of it than usual. Maybe Drake is already working with a team to build the expansion?

  I imagine myself walking into his office, ready to have this deep, meaningful conversation, only to discover every inch of the room filled with other people wanting something from him. I know if he’s this busy, then he won’t want to talk right now anyway, and I’m not going to grovel for his attention. If he wants Casey, then he’ll just have to break the news to me.

  I shift into reverse, leaving the brewery behind. The whole way back to town, I do nothing but curse myself for being so silly. We had a deal, I remind myself. We’re not together. We’re not exclusive. We’re friends and work partners who couldn’t keep their hands to themselves. We were both lonely and needed each other to pass the time. That’s it. That’s all I mean to him, and after I get my head screwed on right, that’s all he will be to me. I’ve been getting too attached these last few months. I try to think back on the last time I actually spent the night alone. I can’t remember; it’s been so long. There were even nights when we didn’t do anything at all other than enjoy each other’s company and fall asleep. Fuck. We’re in deeper than either of us meant to get.

  I walk back into the firm and slide behind my desk, determined to push everything from my head and focus on the work that needs to get done. I refuse to think of Drake, Casey, what they could be doing, or why he hasn’t called. Those are things that someone in love thinks about, and I’m not in love. I can’t be. It wasn’t part of the deal.

  Once I really get into my work, I forget about everything else. I work through lunch and well into the evening. It’s going on 7 p.m. when I finally look up and notice the time. I quickly save everything on my computer then start packing up my belongings. I see movement out of the corner of my eye and suck in a loud breath. My eyes land on Drake walking into my office.

  “God, you scared the crap out of me,” I tell him, letting my hand fall away from my heart.

  “Sorry. I tried calling you, but the phone went directly to voicemail.”

  I look down at the phone on my desk and pick it up, finding that it’s dead. Probably because I slept with it in my hand instead of charging it like I should have. “Oh, I didn’t notice that it had died. I’ve been buried in work.”

  “We need to talk,” he says, taking a step closer as he slides his hands into his pants pockets. His mouth is pressed into a thin line, worry lines surrounding his blue eyes.

  Anger swells in my chest, but I’m not sure if I’m upset with him for wanting to talk—break things off with me—or if I’m pissed at myself for falling for him when I knew he was off-limits. Either way, I don’t want to hear the breakup speech he shouldn’t have to give.

  “Save it, Drake,” I say, pulling on my coat. “There’s no need for the speech.” I grab my purse and briefcase, wanting to take some work home with me to keep me occupied for the night.

  “The speech?” he asks, seemingly confused.

  I flip the light off and step past him, heading for the door. He follows along behind me. “Yeah, the speech. We’re not together. We had a deal. I completely understand if you want to break things off. But luckily for you, there isn’t anything to break off, because we’re not together.” I open the door and flip off the light. As I hold the door open, he steps past me, but waits for me on the sidewalk outside.

  I close the door and lock it. Turning around, I nearly bump into his chest. His hands catch me by my biceps. Even after all these months, after having sex in every position possible, his touch still lights a fire in me that I’m going to have to learn how to control. Especially now that he’s getting back together with Casey.

  “What the hell are you talking about, Celeste?” he asks, his hot breath blowing across my face.

  Now I’m confused. “You called off our date,” I state flatly.

  He nods. “Yeah, because something came up that I want to talk to you about.”

  “Casey?” I ask with a high voice and probably even higher eyebrows.

  He shakes his head, brows drawn together. “Casey? What about Casey?”

  I let out a deep, annoyed breath. “Aren’t you breaking things off with me to get back together with Casey? Stephanie told me she’s back in town, and since you called off our date, I assumed it was because she found you.”

  His face goes slack: his mouth is hanging open, he’s speechless, and every worry line on his face has eased away. He’s shocked. He didn’t know that she was back in town—that’s obvious by his expression. But if he didn’t know, then why did he call off our date?

  Twelve

  Drake

  CASEY is in town? How is it that Celeste knew about this before I did? Either way, it doesn’t matter. “No, that’s not why I called off our date. I had no idea she was back in town.” I reach out and pull her against my chest. “God, I can’t imagine how you’ve been feeling—waiting for the ball to drop. I’m sorry. That wasn’t my intention,” I say, running my hands up and down her back.

  She sighs and shakes her head as she pulls away. Her eyes find mine. “It’s fine. I guess that’s what I get for jumping to conclusions and listening to town gossip. So, what’s up? What made you cancel?” Her hand moves up, latching onto my coat.

  “Uh, let’s go somewhere else and talk. Maybe have some dinner?”

  “Okay.” She looks at her watch. “I think the diner is already closed, but we can swing by the bar and grab a drink and a salad, or I guess a steak for you.” She offers up that drop-dead gorgeous smile of hers.

  “I’ll follow you.” I walk her over to her car and open the door for her. I watch as she slides into the seat and starts the engine. “I’m right behind you,” I say, closing her door and moving toward my truck.

  Moments later, we’re both parking outside the bar. The place isn’t very busy; only a few cars are parked up front. I open the door for her and she walks in ahead of me. I place my hand on her lower back and lead her over to a far table, so we can talk without anyone overhearing. We get comfortable in our seats and the bartender takes our orders. I order beer, steak, and a baked potato, and Celeste orders a fruity cocktail and a salad. When our drinks are placed in front of us and I know we won’t be bothered again for a while, I take her hand in mine.

  “Not too long ago, I received a letter. It was from a man claiming to be my half-brother. He provided me with proof that his mother and my father had a fling. I asked my father about it and he confirmed the affair, but then swore up and down that there was never a child.”

  “Oh, Drake,” she breathes out.

  I shake my head, not wanting her to worry for me. “This guy wants his rightful share of the family business, and honestly, if he’s family, I want him to have it. I want to get to know this brother I’ve never met. I want to bring him home. However, Harrison hasn’t been able to find any proof, and I can’t just hand over a chunk of my business to anyone who claims to be related. Yesterday, I had to cancel our date after I received another letter. My half-brother got his hands on some of my dad’s legal documents. In these documents, it states that the brewery will be divided evenly among his children. He highlighted it. He also sent a letter stating that he’s getting a lawyer and taking what’s his very soon. I figured that since he was getting a lawyer, I needed to inform mine immediately.”

  She nods and takes a sip of her drink. “Okay, but you’re not wanting to stop him from claiming his rightful inheritance, right?”

  “If there’s proof that he’s family, then I’ll welcome him in myself.”

  “Okay, so we’ll have to request a DNA test to confirm that he is, in fact, related. Then we can go from there.”

  “But Celeste, I want to ensure my family is protected. I don’t know this guy and he’s not exactly going about this the right way. If he is family, I want to make sure he gets his due, but not more. I don’t wan
t him having something up his sleeve to take what the rest of us have worked our whole lives for.”

  She rubs her hand over mine soothingly. “Okay, we’ll get everything figured out. I can’t believe you’ve taken this on all by yourself. This is big news! I mean, your father having an affair? A mystery brother?” Her eyes are doubling in size at the shock.

  I nod as I pick up my beer.

  “What do your brothers think of this?”

  Our food is placed in front of us and I grab my knife and fork. “Only Colton knows right now. I wanted to have something concrete before telling them. And this guy, my half-brother,” I roll my eyes, “hasn’t even shown himself yet. I don’t know his name, what he looks like, nothing. I mean, he could be any one of the assholes in this bar right now.”

  She glances around the bar. “That’s kind of weird when you think about it that way. I mean, what if he’s just trying to cause trouble for you and your family? He could’ve been here for years, just waiting to make his move.”

  I nod. “Yeah, and he picks now to show up? Right when I’m starting this massive expansion? It seems like he’s just looking for a payout.”

  She takes a small bite of her salad. “I wonder if he actually wants in on the goings-on of the company or if he’ll allow you guys to buy him out of his share. I mean, you have things in place so he can’t just sell it to anyone, right?”

  I shrug. “I don’t know. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen any of that paperwork, and it’s something I’ve never had to worry about before. I knew my brothers would never sell outside the family.”

  She points her fork at me. “I’ll look into it first thing in the morning.”

  “Thank you,” I say, placing my hand on hers.

  She offers up a smile. “It’s no problem.”

  We both get back to eating. She looks around the bar, taking everyone in, and I can’t do anything but look at her. Damn, she’s gorgeous. I don’t know how the hell I’ve managed to get her into my life, but I’m sure glad I did. But these thoughts only remind me of the fact that we only have five months left together. That shoots my good mood clear out of the water.

 

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