by L. P. Dover
All the things Jax told me last night reminded me so much of my brother. Ryan never played games with people to screw them over, but he did put on a front to make people believe he was a hard-ass. They were more alike than either one cared to admit.
“It’s crazy how things turn out, isn’t it?”
He burst out laughing. “Got that right.” Before we could get to the door, a car door slammed behind us and I glanced over my shoulder; it was Ryan.
“Jaxon, wait.” He looked at my brother and then down at me.
“I’ll stand by the door to give you some privacy.”
I kissed his cheek. “Thank you.” Ryan had his back to me but then turned around with his gym bag in hand. “Hey,” I said.
Huffing, he slung the bag over his shoulder. “Hey, yourself.”
By the look in his emerald gaze, I knew he wasn’t mad at me anymore; he was worried. I could tell by the way his eyes crinkled on the sides. “I missed you. You’ve ignored my calls all week.”
“That’s because I didn’t know what to say. When I saw how happy Reed was this past week, I knew you two had to have gotten back together. You obviously aren’t going to listen to me about anything.”
“When did I ever?” That brought a smile to his face and we both laughed.
He shrugged. “Never, I guess.”
“Exactly. Now stop being mad at me and be happy. Jaxon’s a good guy if you’d just take the chance to get to know him.”
“Not yet, Bris. Until he can prove himself worthy of you, I’m happy hating him. It’s just the way it’s going to be.”
“Does that mean you’ll stop ignoring me? It’s Thanksgiving and I love you. Can you please call a truce?”
Sighing, he pulled me into his arms. “All right, truce. And I love you too. I just don’t want to see you get hurt again.”
I squeezed him hard and kissed his cheek. “I won’t. Now win us the game. I’m ready to eat some turkey.”
—
It was different being on the field, further back from the sidelines with all the players compared to being in the stands. The game was much more enjoyable that way. Plus, Jaxon was able to stand with me when he wasn’t needed. I got to watch him practice kicking in the net a few times. I’d never seen him so concentrated. I imagined he was like that when he painted as well.
Ryan threw passes left and right, all into the hands of the receivers. “He’s doing great today,” I said to Jaxon.
“Probably because you’re here. This is the best he’s done since being with our team.”
I nudged him in the side. “Makes it a lot less stressful for you, doesn’t it?”
He chuckled. “That it does, although I am determined to score a sixty-five-foot field goal one of these days. It’ll be the longest one on record.”
“I’m sure you will.”
Evan had scored a touchdown, so it was time for Jaxon to take the field. He winked at me and took off while I watched my brother run off the field, smiling from ear to ear. “What’d you think about that last pass?” he asked.
I gave him a thumbs-up. “Perfect. I forgot how fun it was to come to a game.”
“I knew you’d like it. Once Reed makes this kick the game’s practically over.”
He stood beside me as we watched Jaxon line up for the kick. His foot connected to the ball and it went sailing in the air, straight through the goalposts. The crowd went wild and he raced off the field back toward me. There were only twenty seconds left on the clock, and our team had Arizona beat by twenty-three points. As soon as the clock expired, Jaxon lifted me in his arms, crushing his lips against mine. I didn’t care who saw, not even when the cameras started flashing all around us.
“Uh-oh, does this mean we’re going to be in the news?” I giggled.
He kissed me again. “Yep. How does it feel?”
“Good. Now all the women out there will know you’re taken.”
He grabbed my hand and we walked together off the field. “As long as everyone knows you’re mine, I don’t care. Now let’s go eat some turkey.”
Since we had to run by my place to heat up the sweet potato casserole, we left pretty quickly, but I did manage to say goodbye to Ryan before he left for the airport. By the time we got to Derek’s house, the driveway was full of cars. When we got inside, I recognized the players, but there were other guests I didn’t know.
“Hey, you made it.” A beautiful woman around my age walked up and flung her arms around Jaxon’s shoulders. When she let him go, she beamed at me. “And you must be Bristol. Jaxon’s told me so much about you. I’m Hayden, Derek’s wife.” Then her eyes widened when she glanced down at my casserole. “Is that a sweet potato casserole?”
I handed it to her. “Yep. I wanted to contribute to the dinner.”
Moaning, she wrapped an arm around my shoulders. “I love you right now. This is one of my favorite dishes. Why don’t you stay with me while the men are in the living room reliving the game?”
I glanced up at Jaxon and he smiled. “Have fun.”
He waltzed off and grabbed a beer out of the tin bucket on the counter. There were two other women in the kitchen, who both smiled when I walked in; it just so happened they were twins. “Summer, Lara, this is Bristol Thomas, Jaxon’s girlfriend.” Hayden gestured to each as she introduced them, then looked at me. “And yes, they’re twins.” She laughed.
Summer was Evan’s wife, the one Jaxon had tried to steal away. She was gorgeous, so I could see why any man would want her. Luckily, her hair was slightly different from her sister’s, more golden, whereas Lara’s highlighted hair was a bright blond.
Lara extended a hand and laughed. “Well, I’ll be damned, I never thought the day would come when Jaxon settled down.” I shook her hand. She pointed toward the living room at a guy with tousled blond hair. He glanced back at me and waved. “That’s Luke, my fiancé.”
I waved at Luke and smiled at her. “It’s nice to meet you.”
Summer stepped forward and held out her hand. “I’m Summer, Evan’s wife. You probably met him earlier today.”
Nodding, I shook her hand. “I did. Jaxon told me all about you two.”
Her eyes widened in surprise. “That’s shocking.”
“I know, but he promised to be honest about everything. I didn’t want him keeping secrets from me. Besides, I was bound to find out anyway.”
“True,” she agreed. “I just know we’re all happy he’s seeing the error of his ways.”
“Which is good,” Hayden added.
Summer nodded. “Yes, it is.” A sound caught my attention and it took me a second to realize it was a baby crying. There was a monitor on the kitchen counter with a screen that showed the little one. Summer picked it up and waved. “Ladies, I’ll be right back. Don’t eat without me.”
Lara snorted. “Don’t worry, we will.”
Hayden nodded toward Summer before she disappeared down the hall. “She and Evan just had a daughter a few months ago. I swear, she’s the cutest thing.”
“And the sweetest,” Lara cut in. “I love babysitting that little munchkin. Hopefully, one day when she’s older and Luke and I have kids, they’ll take over the Carolina Tavern.”
I gasped. “You own the tavern?”
She beamed. “Sure do. Well, Summer and I do. It’s been one hell of an adventure.”
Hayden laughed incredulously. “Adventure doesn’t seem to cut it. We all have some pretty crazy stories to tell, but I’m sure we’ll have plenty of time to talk about them.”
Luke strolled up and was about to grab some beer from the bucket, but his phone rang and he rushed outside. “What does he do?” I asked Lara. “I don’t remember seeing him on the field.”
She snuck a cookie off the dessert tray and popped it into her mouth. After chewing it, she said, “He’s a motocross racer. He got hurt really badly not too long ago and I thought I’d lost him, but the dirt’s in his blood.” Luke walked back in and joined us in the kitchen. “And
when he retires, I’m going to put him to work at the tavern. Right?” she asked him.
He put his arm around her. “That’s right, babe. I don’t plan on doing that anytime soon, but if my sponsors don’t design me a better bike I might not have a choice.”
“What’s wrong with what you have?” I inquired, curious.
He shrugged. “It needs some improvements. I keep telling them what it needs, but the fuckers can’t get it right.”
I glanced over at Jax, who was busy talking to Evan. It was good seeing them getting along. “I might know of someone who can help you.”
Luke’s eyes brightened. “Who?”
I looked at him and then nodded toward Jaxon. “He graduated with a mechanical engineering degree. You should see his motorcycle designs. I know you race dirt bikes, but I bet he could build you what you need.”
“Well, holy shit,” he replied. “I had no clue. I’ll go talk to him about it.” He hurried off and slapped Jaxon on the back before taking the seat across from him. Jaxon had a talent and he needed to use it. I just hoped he didn’t get mad that I’d offered up his help. Judging by the grin on his face, he seemed to be doing just fine.
Hayden grabbed a bottle of wine and held it up. “Anyone want any?”
“Sure,” Lara and I said at the same time.
She poured two glasses and handed them to us. “Thanks,” I said. “Aren’t you going to have any?”
Lara popped another cookie in her mouth and waved at us before retreating to the living room with the guys. Grinning from ear to ear, Hayden shook her head. “Can’t. I’m pregnant. Just found out a couple of weeks ago.”
“Congratulations! That’s awesome.”
“Yeah, we’re pretty excited. Derek will make a great dad.” We both looked out at the guys who sat on the couch, laughing and carrying on. “He loves you,” she said, indicating Jaxon. “You should’ve seen him a few weeks ago when he knew he needed to tell you the truth. I’d never seen him that upset over a girl.”
“So he doesn’t bring all his girlfriends around you?” I asked, hoping to get a little more insight into Jaxon’s dating past.
She snorted. “Oh, goodness no. He’s never even had a girlfriend from what I can recall. You’re the first one.”
I liked that answer. “Nice.”
“He’s a good one, Bristol. He may have a bad rep, but that was all in the past. Ever since he started seeing you I’ve noticed a change in him. I really like it.”
Jaxon noticed me staring at him and winked. “I like it too.”
Chapter 21
Jaxon
“Are you sure you’re not mad at me for telling Luke?” Bristol asked.
Smiling, I helped her put on her coat. “No. I’m actually looking forward to helping him. Once I get the design for his new bike done, we’re going to take it to his sponsors and see what they say.” Since I wasn’t employed by them, they’d probably toss it aside, but it was worth a shot. I knew how to make a killer dirt bike.
Strolling back into the living room, we said our goodbyes before walking out the door. “Did you have fun tonight? I noticed you and the girls getting along good.”
Carrying her empty casserole dish, Bristol smiled up at me. “I had a blast. Hayden said that if I ever wanted to vent about you she’d be there to listen to me.”
I couldn’t help but chuckle. “Of course she’d say that.”
I opened the car door for her but instead of getting in, she set the dish inside and wrapped her arms around my neck. “So what all are you thankful for this Thanksgiving?”
“You.” Her body fit perfectly to mine, like she was made to be in my arms. I was thankful for many things, but she was the main one.
“What else?”
“My friends, my career.” I paused for a second and met her gaze. “And second chances. Without them, I wouldn’t have you and I wouldn’t have the people inside that house as my friends.”
“Good answer.”
“What about you?” I asked.
She pursed her lips in concentration. “Let’s see…I’m thankful for having a job I love, a wonderful family, and an overprotective brother.”
I lifted my brows. “Anything else?”
She snickered under her breath. “Nothing else comes to mind. Maybe you should remind me.”
Growling low, I pressed her into the car and sucked her lip between my teeth. She moaned and melted against me, just like I wanted. “I’ll show you all right. Just wait till we get to my house.” I was about to explode and there was no way I could handle driving her all the way back to her condo when I lived only five minutes from Derek.
We got in the car and headed to my house. Bristol was unlike any woman I’d ever been with. We’d had sex every single day and it was still not enough. There was an ache inside of me that craved her. I was addicted to not only her body, but her mind and heart. She was my one and only weakness.
We arrived at the house and I parked in the garage, the sexual tension higher now that we were closer to my bed. Hell, I didn’t know if we’d even make it there. We walked up to the door and Bristol stood behind me as I tried to unlock it. Her hand slid down into my pants, wrapping those delicate fingers around my cock.
“Fuck, Bristol.”
“What? Can you not get the door unlocked?” she teased.
The girl drove me in-fucking-sane. Sliding the key in, I turned it sharply and slammed the door open. Bristol shrieked when I grabbed her around the waist and hoisted her in the air, her back against the wall. I pushed into her hard and she sucked in a ragged breath. We made our way out of the kitchen, but that was as far as I could go.
“You just messed up now, love.”
She giggled and held on tight, but then her gaze focused on something over my shoulder and she froze, terror written across her face. “Oh my God, Jaxon, put me down.”
I set her down and jerked around. There were no lights on, but nothing could hide the ruin that used to be my living room. “Holy shit.” My first thought was keeping Bristol safe. If someone was in the house, I didn’t want her there. I handed her my keys and pushed her toward the door. “Get in my car and call the police. I need you out of here where you’re safe.”
“What? No!” she cried.
“Now!” I growled.
I was about to throw her over my shoulder and make her leave, but she huffed and rushed out the door to my car. Once she was safely away, I breathed a bit easier. My house was a mess and I prayed the person was still in there. Rage overwhelmed me and I was ready to kill. My living room was trashed, my furniture ripped open and in shreds. Broken glass was shattered across the floor, and my paintings that Bristol had custom frames made for were destroyed. The kitchen hadn’t been touched, but I dreaded seeing the other parts of the house.
Room after room, there was barely anything salvageable. My art room was splattered in paint, my canvases ripped apart. Someone was going to pay dearly for that. There wasn’t much anyone could steal that I couldn’t replace, but there was one thing I prayed wasn’t touched. By the time I got to my bedroom, I could hear the sirens blaring down the street. My door was shut and when I opened it, my worst fear had come to life.
“Fuck!” I shouted as the anger consumed me. Not only was my room in shambles, but the portfolio of my designs that I’d kept on my dresser was gone. It was years of hard work, vanished in the blink of an eye. Who the fuck would come into my house and steal only that?
The door burst open downstairs and I could hear the cops filing in. “Reed, you in here?”
It was Jason Avery, one of the best cops in town. He was a good friend of some of the guys on the team and a master at solving crimes. “Up here,” I called out.
He ran swiftly up the stairs and joined me in my room, lowering his gun when he saw me. Jason was my age, with the same dark hair and build. “Damn, Reed, who did you piss off now?”
Throwing my hands angrily in the air, I glanced around the room. “Don’t know, but I’d
sure like to find out.”
“So would I. I got my guys looking around the house. Why don’t we step outside so I can ask you some questions?”
Nodding, I followed him down the stairs. There was no way I could live in my house in the state it was in. When we got outside, Bristol jumped into my arms. “How bad is it?”
“Really bad, I’m afraid.” Tears were in her eyes, but I wiped them away. “It’ll be okay. I just hope we find the fucker fast.”
“Did it look like anything was stolen?” Jason asked. We walked over to his car so we could get away from his guys as they searched around my house.
My stomach clenched. “From what I could tell, the only thing taken was a portfolio of designs I had in my room.”
Bristol gasped and Jason glanced at us questioningly. “What kind of designs?”
I put my arm around Bristol and held her close. “Drawings of cars and motorcycles. I started them when I was in college.”
“Do you know why anyone would want to steal them?” he asked.
“No,” I said in all honesty. “It’s the last thing I’d suspect someone would want.”
Brows furrowed, Jason wrote down a few notes in his notepad. “Is there someone you’ve pissed off recently?”
The only people who came to mind were Ryan and maybe Blaine, but when I looked down at Bristol she shook her head. “No,” I lied. “I can’t think of anyone.” If either of them did it, I wanted to handle them myself.
Jason sighed and started toward the house. “If you think of anyone, just let me know. For now, I suggest you stay somewhere else while we investigate. We can handle it from here.”
As soon as he was out of earshot, I glared down at Bristol. “If your brother had anything to do with this, he’s dead.”
Eyes wild, she grabbed my shirt. “How could he? He’s on his way to Texas.”
“How do you know for sure?”
She let me go and ran a hand through her hair. “I don’t, but I know it’s not him. You have to trust me on this.”
Ryan didn’t seem the type to do something like that, but there was somebody out there who was. “What the hell am I going to do? All I want to do is kill someone right now.”