by Bria Quinlan
Andie, being the ever aware friend, jumped in to redirect. “Would you like something to drink?”
“That white wine looks great.”
We all made small talk while Irene glanced between us, her smile plastered on while she didn’t add much to the conversation herself. After awhile, we shifted to the dining table, the guys carrying in food from the warmer.
Once we were all settled, I tried to bring Irene back into the conversation. I remembered what it was like to be the new girl here.
“Irene, did you know Gavin and Pete just got back from South America?”
“Oh,” she turned to Gavin…finally. “Is that were you’ve been? I’d noticed you were gone for about a week.”
Gavin grinned, obviously thrilled she’d noticed he wasn’t around.
“We were in South America for about ten days. It was a great trip.”
“Wow, South America.” Irene looked suitably impressed and I felt myself relax.
Until she turned our way.
“Connor, you didn’t go?”
“Nope. I’m legally not able to do things like that right now.” The pink tinged his cheeks. It always embarrassed him to admit he wasn’t allowed to do stuff. Like a college kid home on break having a curfew. “Plus, Hails and I had some stuff going on that week.”
She looked at him confused about why having plans with his girlfriend would have anything to do with anything.
“One of the reasons I had them over was to tell them about the trip.” Gavin pulled the conversation back around to their trip.
Gavin told us how Pete was always late, so he’d make fake boarding passes for him so he’d be on time, but he’d forgotten to switch it out for the real one or the trip back. And chaos ensued! Gavin had us laughing so hard I had to put my wine down so I didn’t snort it out my nose.
Irene just smiled along like it was a story she’d heard a million times.
“So, you guys must hang out a lot, right?” She looked about hopefully, her gaze landing on Connor. “Like go on vacation together all the time.”
“Actually, we all have crazy work schedules.” Gavin answered even though she continued to look Connor’s way. I could tell he was trying not to lose patience. We had learned to be fair. People couldn’t help but look at the famous person in the room.
It might mean nothing.
“But, when you’re all home, you must go out a lot?” I could all but hear the right? RIGHT??? On the end of her question.
“Not really,” Connor lied through his teeth. “I mean, Hailey has her famous writer friends. And I have my famous athlete friends. So, there’s not really a lot of cross over.”
Andie looked at him like he was an idiot for saying such a stupid thing out loud, even as she knew why.
“Oh.” Irene looked a little disappointed. Like her trip to Disneyland was really just to the local carnival.
The guys jumped back in to telling Connor all the great stuff he missed on the trip. Making the dangerous stuff sound even more exciting than it probably was so he really hated his contract.
Irene barely jumped in now. Just kind of nodded along to everything the guys said.
Pete had just finished telling a story about Gavin ending up on his butt while trying to set up a hang glider at the edge of a new cliff when Irene finally jumped into the conversation again.
“It really is amazing how much alike you guys look.” She flashed at look from Gavin to Connor and gave Connor a smile I was all too familiar with from going out in public with him on a regular basis.
Next to me, he just wilted. I’m sure no one but me and Gavin noticed, but the energy just seeped right out of him. I slid my hand down to my lap then let it cross to rest on his thigh next to me. It took him all of a second to find it and wrap it in his own.
The look that passed between him and Gavin was heartbreaking.
Irene just kept going on, chatting about how Connor and Gavin must have so much in common and that it was crazy just how similar they were and how cute was it that Gavin moved here to be near his brother.
She was the only person unaware the date had already ended.
25
Once Hurricane Irene had exited the condo, we all kind of sat in stunned silence around the table.
“So,” Andie glanced around nodding as if we were all in agreement of something. “That happened.”
I snorted, because, what else could I do.
“On the upside,” Gavin stood and walked to the kitchen, “I waited until she had to head out to remember I bought dessert too.”
Gavin—a man after my own heart.
We sat around, not being very kind to Irene and enjoying an amazing chocolate cheesecake. Connor finally felt like he could jump into the conversation and asked a ton of questions, making pointed guy slap downs at their stories and the pictures they pulled up on Gavin’s tablet.
The rest of the night was great…but the weight of yet another woman using Gavin felt heavy to all of us.
I thought about hunting her down and using some of those power kicks Shawn had been teaching me. Or maybe Security Dan could run a background on her. I bet he had connections at the local police. We could have her pulled over. If she had a car. Maybe she took the train.
I could have her mugged!
“Whatever you’re thinking, stop,” Connor whispered, shaking his head.
“What? I wasn’t thinking anything.”
“Right, like you weren’t planning on having her kidnapped and extradited to a third world country.”
“Oh.” I kissed his cheek. “That’s a good one.”
Andie stood and backed away. “You two scare me and I have to work tomorrow, so we’re out of here.”
Andie and Pete said goodnight, Andie giving Gavin a long hug like that could fix the stupidity of his date. Pete giving the obligatory guy fist-bump and moving on.
I watched from where I loaded dishes into the dishwasher and Connor over-wrapped everything in plastic wrap.
When Gavin didn’t come back to the kitchen, I found him in the living room sprawled out on his couch, staring at a blank place on his wall.
I tossed myself down next to him, putting my feet up on the coffee table next to his.
After a moment, he stuttered out, “I’m a little…”
“What?” I asked, honestly not knowing where this was going.
“I don’t know.” He shrugged, looking just like Connor when Connor was looking about five years old. “Jealous?”
“That Connor has a girlfriend?” I was more than a little surprised by this idea.
Connor had dated some of the most beautiful and famous women on the East Coast…and farther. The fact that Gavin would be jealous now seemed completely out of proportion with men and their altar worship at the feet of Sports Illustrated swimsuit models.
“No.” He dragged the word out and I could see that he was already regretting bringing this up.
I pushed his beer toward him, wanting to give him a minute but still not wanting to let him off the hook on this one. I was Inquisitive Girl and I would not rest till all unanswered questions had been solved.
“I mean, Connor’s dated some gorgeous women,” I added, trying not to sound annoyed by it.
I must have failed miserably because Gavin gave me A Look. It made me wonder if he was picking up bad habits when he was at The Brew.
“It’s not that he’s dating or has a girlfriend or even that it’s you. I mean, you are a goddess.” He knocked his shoulder against mine and took a sip of beer. “But that’s not it.”
“So, am I supposed to guess what it is?” I was horrible at guessing. I’m that girl who congratulates people on their baby who aren’t pregnant or guesses someone is only thirty-nine when she’s thirty-one.
I should stay far, far away from guessing.
“I should make you guess. I need a good laugh tonight.” Gavin gave me a should-be-patented Ryan Family Look. “But, I’ll let you off the hook. It’s not any of tho
se it’s more…”
I waited this time. It dawned on me he wasn’t messing around. This wasn’t just a passing statement. Chalk it up to my super-powered author observation skills.
Yeah. Right.
“So, Connor and I have always been tight.”
“I know.” They were more than tight. Sometimes it felt like they were practically the same person. Connor got—well, anxious wasn’t the right word, but something when he and Gavin went too long without getting to hang out.
“But, that’s changed since he started dating you.” He rushed on when I went to jump in, feeling bad about being the Yoko Ono of the Ryan boys. “No! It’s good. It’s so good. He’s more himself again. Even I like him more now. But that leaves me kind of on the outside instead of right next to him.”
“Gavin, you’ll never be on the outside.” I thought about telling him the Gavin’s in South America panic attack story, but figured if he hadn’t mentioned getting married to Gavin, I wasn’t stepping on that landmine.
“I will. And that’s good. But, watching you guys tonight…” He shrugged again and I fought not to fill in the silence. “It was like watching people who had been together for years. You guys know each other. When one of you wants something the other already has it in hand. You laugh together at stuff no one else gets. Half the time you don’t even talk, you just give each other looks. And there’s that whole, this-reminds-me-of-that-time thing. I guess I was just used to being that way with my brother. But the best friend always gets shifted down a level when the soul mate shows up.”
Soul mate.
It felt like everything clicked into place in that moment.
Of course, there were things we didn’t know about each other. If we stayed interesting, active people, we’d always be sharing new stuff.
I was suddenly a ten-thousand-pound elephant lighter.
Reaching up, I gave Gavin a side hug and rested my head on his shoulder. “Thanks for that. But, you’ll always be there with us. And when you find the right girl, she will be too. Nothing will break up the Ryan Boys Unit.”
“See, that’s why I love you.” Gavin rested his head against the top of mine and we sat there just enjoying being in accord about one of the most complicated humans we’d ever know.
“Hey!” barked said complicated human from the doorway. “What is this?”
“I’m cuddling with your brother. Go away.”
Connor looked between the two of us and shrugged. “Fine. I’m going to get another beer. Who wants one?”
And with that, all was right in the world.
26
We headed down to the car, hoping the Bruins game was over so we didn’t disturb Mac. When we got there, he was reading something on his Kindle.
Connor waved him to stay in the car and opened the rear door for me.
“Mac,” he said, sliding in next to me. “It was one hell of a night. Tell me the Bruins won.”
“Two to one in the last forty-eight seconds.”
“Nice.”
If only I were a guy who lived and died by sports numbers.
“I take it the night was not quite as great as expected?” Mac backed out of the spot, heading us home.
I gave a play-by-play of Hurricane Irene while Connor glared out the window.
I know that it upset him more than he wanted to talk about. There was nothing greater he wanted than for his brother to be happy. And, if him being around got in the way of that, I wasn’t sure what would happen.
Mac made the appropriate noises of annoyance. He was fond of both Ryan boys and had probably seen his fair share of ladies using Gavin to sidle up to his famous brother.
It wasn’t an easy thing to watch.
At my condo, Mac pulled over and wished me a good night. I took his paper dishes so I could toss out the end of his cake and hopped out of the car while Connor leaned forward and they had a quick conversation.
Those two enjoyed each other’s company way too much. It was a trend I was seeing that I had to fix. To know Connor was to like him.
It was time my friends got to know Connor.
As we climbed the stairs, Connor slipped his hand in mine.
“I heard you and Gavin talking.”
I figured he had. It was hard to miss in his smallish condo. But I wasn’t going to bring it up if he wasn’t.
“I’m really glad you guys get along so well.” He squeezed my hand as we made the turn to the next floor.
“Me too.” I wanted to add that he was like having a brother, but I was afraid Connor might read too much into that. Stuff I wasn’t ready to say. Stuff I was afraid to bring up since he hadn’t mentioned his fear that he needed to marry me again. “Gavin’s too good for the girls he finds.”
It made me wonder exactly how he was finding one bad catch after another. Of course, Irene found him so she didn’t count. Then there was the girl in Connor’s building. She’d narrowed in on Gavin as soon as she’d seen him. They really did look too much alike.
“Maybe we should dye his hair and get him some cool glasses.” I pictured it in my head. “He’d look like Clark Kent. That would be pretty hot.”
Connor stopped and gave me such an exasperated look that I couldn’t help but snort.
“Really, Hails. My brother is off-limits.”
“Right. But, we need to find him his Lois Lane. That’s all I’m saying.” I leaned into him. Just being there, being in the middle of my hallway with him trying to fix his brother’s life—who probably wouldn’t want us fixing it—was happiness for me.
“That’s sweet.” Connor wrapped an arm around my shoulders and pointed me back toward my door. “As long as Lois is some other writer.”
“Yup! She’s craftier than I am. She’s also more willing to get into trouble. And she’ll take on the bad guys. And she knows how to sway people to her ideas.”
“So, basically, squeeze all you girls together.”
I thought about it, and it was. We were, collectively, Lois Lane. How much did we rock?
When we got to my apartment, I pushed the door open and waited for Connor to follow me. When I turned around he was still hovering at the doorway.
“Mac’s waiting downstairs for me.”
“Oh.” It had been a long time since he’d left me at the door. “Okay.”
Connor all but laughed at me. “Please, Hails. You love your solo time. And I know you’re kicking butt at your new project. And Nick and I are running a bunch of errands in the morning. So I’m going to head back to Gavin’s, annoy him, finish cleaning up and have a beer, and crash at my place.”
The tension I didn’t realize I’d gotten when he said he was leaving all slid out. Of course he should go hang with Gavin. Especially since he’d been gone and come back to Irene as his welcome home.
“Alrighty!” I went up on my toes to give him a kiss good night. “Have fun with Gavin. Don’t burn Irene in effigy or anything.”
“I wouldn’t do that…” He winked and kissed me on the forehead. “Not without you.”
And with that, my man sauntered out the door.
I watched him go, annoyed he could get away with a saunter, then crashed, a book and a cup of tea my companions for the night.
27
The next morning, I rolled over and glanced out my window at the sound of plows.
Snow! Yes! Snow is like fairy dust. I hate the cold, but love snow.
Okay, maybe not all snow, but the first day of snow. I loved that. When it’s clean and white and it paints over all the old yucky, dirty snow. It makes the dinge of the city in winter look like a winter wonderland instead of a freezing prison yard.
And so I knew what I had to do.
I had to go to The Brew for hot chocolate.
I layered up, then put on a fleece that fit under my wool pea coat. Add two scarves and some heavy-duty mittens and I was ready to go. I got to the lobby of the building and Security Dan leaned forward, a bit of a squint to his eyes.
“Hailey?
”
“Yup! I’m off for hot chocolate.” I glanced outside. No one was on the sidewalk. It was just going to be me. I loved how quiet it felt in town when the snow muffled noise and cowards stayed inside.
“Don’t you have some upstairs?” Security Dan glanced toward the snowy white fluffs filling the view from the window.
“Yes, but not Abby hot chocolate.” I pulled my hat down lower, tying the top of my fleece closed and double wrapping the scarf. I was off.
I crunched through the snow, only slightly annoyed at the corners that weren’t cleared for pedestrians. Climbing over the stacks of snow and hopping over the icy slush of the gutter, I crossed my final intersection. The Brew was midway down a side block, the two gas lanterns on either side of the doorway a beacon in the white fluff of a wall.
I pushed the door open and breathed in the scent of coffee and baked goods, knowing this was the best plan I’d had in a while.
“Take your shoes off.”
I glanced up at Abby, standing in the kitchen doorway, arms folded across her chest. “You’re not coming in here with those clunky, mud and snow covered things.”
I gave her a grin and acted like I was going to step off the doorway mat.
“Seriously. Don’t even think about it.”
“Abby, you can’t refuse to let people come in if they won’t take their shoes off.”
“Yes. Yes, I can.”
“No. You really can’t.” I shook my head at her. “I’m not even sure where you get the idea that you can. It’s just weird. Even for you.”
“I don’t go tromping into your home covered in yuck.”
“No. And I appreciate that.” I pulled my mittens off and started undoing all my layers. “And I promise not to go upstairs and jump up and down on your bed in these, but you can’t just refuse to let people in.”
She glared. This seemed like a breaking point for her.
“I’m prepared.” I reached in my bag and pulled out the Keds I’d brought with me. “But seriously, you can’t just tell people they can’t come in.”