by C. J. Thomas
I was glad he hadn’t grilled me about my visit with Dad’s PI. He hadn’t tried to convince me to call off my investigation into Sienna’s fiancé. Maybe he understood more about what I was struggling with than I gave him credit for. I appreciated the effort to get me to open up, even if I didn’t bite. It was unsettling that two of my brothers were planning to attend the same wedding I was actively trying to stop.
A blonde passed in front of me and I immediately shifted my thoughts to Sienna.
I couldn’t get her out of my head.
The way she felt when snuggled up against my body; the way she gently pressed her lips to mine. She had my head spinning as her seductive brown eyes searched for reassurance. Inside, my heart craved to see her again. I hated how she’d left without giving me a way to reach her. Even if I now understood her reasons, it didn’t make it any easier.
Soon I found myself staring at a couple holding hands, moving casually across the floor with tall cups of coffee in their free hands.
It seemed everywhere I looked there were couples kissing, snuggling, laughing. Never in my life had I seen so much love around me. Not that I looked for it, but women walking past reminded me of Sienna, and voices echoing off the floor sounded so familiar I swore they were hers.
I pulled my cell out of my pocket and checked the display for what felt like the hundredth time.
My chest expanded with hope of hearing back from the PI. It was a pipedream, having only been a couple hours since I passed off my request.
I tapped my toes and shuffled my feet.
The mystery of who Sienna was marrying was enough to keep me on edge. I couldn’t wait to find out. Though I’d told Noah what I planned to do once I received the information, I wasn’t sure what my plan looked like or how I was going to achieve my goal. There would have to be some sort of confrontation. A face to face meeting, making certain her fiancé knew that as long as I was around, his secret wasn’t safe.
A new group of recent arrivals began spilling out at the top of the escalators. Luggage wheels thumped against the ground as accents filled my ears with sounds of foreign languages. Airport greeters assisted the lost, and family waved to their loved ones.
Noah was still on his phone, his thumbs swiping over the screen, answering emails as I looked for Evan. Noah worked as hard as Nolan, and though I respected them both for what they did, I still wasn’t convinced that I was cut out for this lifestyle Dad had carved out for us.
My head tipped back when I caught sight of our cousin.
Hidden beneath his cowboy hat, the six-foot-two former college linebacker grinned the moment he saw me.
I hit Noah on the arm to get him to look up from his phone. “He’s here.”
Noah tucked his phone away, stepped forward, and gave Evan a huge hug. They patted each other on the back and exchanged greetings before Evan turned to me. I extended my arms and gave him the same tight hug Noah had just given.
“Noah didn’t mention you were part of the welcoming party.” His grin filled his face as he pulled back and looked me in the eye. “Look at you. You look good.” He nodded.
“You too.” My lips curved to my ears.
“What did you bring for luggage?” Noah angled toward the baggage carousels.
Evan held up his small shoulder bag and said, “This is it.”
Noah and I shared a surprised glance. I thought for sure he would have brought a bigger suitcase with clothes for every occasion. It was what both Noah and I would have done.
He laughed. “Traveling light, boys.”
We started walking. “You hungry?” I asked.
He patted his hard stomach with his large hand. “Had a big breakfast before my flight,” his eyes searched the restaurants above us on the second floor, “but could use something better than airport food.”
“I have a couple meetings scheduled for this afternoon,” Noah checked his watch for the time, “but we could do a quick lunch before?”
Evan’s brows drew together as he stopped to perk his ear.
When I realized what he’d heard, I felt my jaw lock.
As soon as the pre-recorded message from the mayor finished playing through the loud speakers above, Evan said, “What is this I hear, Cooper making a run for governor?”
Noah wagged his head toward the exit. “I’ll fill you in on the way.”
Evan flicked his eyes to me as our feet started moving.
I shrugged.
Noah told Evan about Cooper’s campaign, shared a little bit about his strategy and chances of winning. It didn’t take me long to tune them out. As soon as we stepped outside, I slid my dark sunglasses over my eyes.
“God, Trevor, it’s so good to see you.” Evan kept smiling and shaking his head. “It’s been too long.”
“That it has.” I grinned.
Then he leaned close to my ear and whispered, “I heard you were shot over there.”
My hand flattened on my leg, as if just being reminded of it sent a sudden jolt of pain to my brain. “It’s not a big deal.”
“Not a big deal?” His chin tucked into his neck. He pointed his finger at me and glanced to Noah. “This guy was wounded in action and it’s no big deal?” He laughed.
“Don’t get him started,” Noah said as he lifted his key fob to his car. The horn honked and lights flashed as I heard the doors unlock.
“Have you received your Purple Heart yet?” Evan was still staring at me with the same kind of amazement I knew I didn’t deserve.
“Just the future governor’s endorsement.” Noah snickered at my joke.
Evan’s dark brows formed a V. “You mean Cooper is capitalizing off of your injury?”
I lifted one brow.
Shaking his head, Evan said, “Sounds like something he would do.”
“He has all of our support. We’re in this together,” Noah chimed in when he opened his door.
“Right. Us Fosters are in it to win it.”
When Evan looked at me I said, “Shotgun.”
His forehead wrinkled as he looked at the small back seat. “What is this, some kind of joke?”
Even with him being an inch taller and several pounds larger than me, I opened the door and reached for his cowboy hat. “There, that should make the squeeze a little easier,” I said, handing him his hat.
Noah leaned his head over and said, “Just get in, we don’t have far.”
“I should have asked Charlotte to pick me up.” Evan ducked his head and pulled his broad shoulders in as he shimmied his way into the backseat.
I followed in after him, comfortably relaxing into the passenger seat. Rolling down the window, Noah backed out of the parking spot as I asked Evan, “Are you still bull riding?”
“God, it has been awhile.” He laughed. “I’m retired. Don’t your brothers tell you anything?”
“They tell me plenty,” I said over my left shoulder. “Just nothing important.”
Noah paid the attendant and sped toward the highway.
Evan filled me in on his transition from professional bull rider to wanting to acquire a piece of land he could use as both a bed and breakfast as well as a working cattle ranch. As I listened to him talk, I thought about his siblings—our other cousins—and how their family always made living the alternative career path look easy. There was his younger sister, Charlie the artist. His older sister, Nelly the philanthropist traveling the world. And his brother, Asher the musician.
Noah merged into the left lane when Evan said, “Driving a whip like this, you must be getting tons of tail.”
“Good luck getting him to say.” I shifted my eyes to my brother. “Noah doesn’t kiss and tell.”
There was a glimmer in Evan’s eye that made me believe he knew something that I didn’t. Shifting in my seat, I twisted around to get a closer look. He was staring at Noah’s gaze reflecting back in the rearview mirror. Noah shook his head and Evan said, “Becca has been talking about you non-stop.”
Noah’s foot pr
essed down on the accelerator harder. The engine roared as he zipped in and out of traffic. I knew Noah had a secret to tell.
“Becca, huh?” I looked at my brother.
“He didn’t tell you?” Evan flicked his crinkled eyes over to me.
“No, I don’t believe he did.”
“When he visited in the fall, your brother made quite the impression on Rebecca Sinclair.” Evan nodded. “I can only speak to what I saw, but I can tell you that it seemed like love at first sight.”
I stared at Noah. His head was down, his grip tight on the wheel. It was clear he didn’t want to add any details to the story, but now I was more curious than ever to learn more about the kind of women my brother dated. “What’s she like?”
Noah muttered, “It doesn’t matter.”
Evan’s head popped between the seats. “A brunette.”
“Age?”
“Twenty-two.” Evan smiled. “And hot.”
We hit traffic on our way into the city and Noah griped about the heat. “Maybe I should escape the city and come join you on the ranch.”
“Is a Becca a cowgirl?” I asked.
“She was wearing boots.” Evan wiggled his brows.
Noah was still mumbling on about the open skies, the stars, and how he was ready to escape the city.
Evan set his hand on Noah’s shoulder. “Did you two talk about running away together?”
My cell chirped with a message, and when I glanced at the screen my stomach clenched.
Noah must have felt my body stiffen because he turned to me and said, “What is it?”
“I got to get back to the shop.” I was still staring at the text with a pinched brow. “Something’s come up.”
“Oh, thank God. Then I can stretch my legs in the front seat.” Evan shifted his weight around in the back.
Noah didn’t argue and took the next exit. I was sure he was happy to have the conversation shift away from the girl he had made an impression on in California. My mind was too concerned with what I was reading to dig any further.
When we arrived, Noah said to Evan, “Trevor will have to show you the Mustang he’s been working on.”
“I’ll bring it by the office when I meet up with you two later,” I said, stepping out. Evan stretched his legs before taking my spot in the front. I leaned through the window and said, “I’ll see you two back at the office.”
Noah nodded. “Don’t drink too much.”
“Never.”
I watched them drive away and immediately checked the front door. I could have sworn I locked it when Noah and I left for the airport. Shaking the handle, it didn’t budge. The garage was sealed. There was no evidence of a break-in.
I dialed the shop owner down the street who had alerted me to the suspicious activity he had seen around my place. The line rang and I turned up the alley to find a thin figure walking my way. Their face was shadowed by the hood pulled over their head, and I stood with my feet planted wide.
The line rang.
The stranger kept walking my way.
Just as the line clicked over, Sienna pulled off her hood, revealing her extraordinary face to me.
I killed the call, lowered my phone away from my ear, and watched her beautiful long hair catch in the breeze. Without thinking, I met her halfway.
A small smile tugged at her gorgeous lips. She looked away, pushing her hair out of her eyes. Then she turned back and murmured, “I don’t know how to end this.”
18
Sienna
Trevor’s eyes raked over my body.
The breeze swirling through the alleyway kept catching my hair, pulling it over my eyes. I didn’t want to be seen. The media’s backlash would be swift. But I knew that I needed to see him. Come clean. Let him know exactly who I was.
Trevor shifted uncomfortably on his feet. After taking in my thin hoodie and tight blue jeans, he wasn’t sure where to look. “What are you doing here?” he finally asked.
I bit the edge of my lip, feeling the warmth in my chest expand.
I knew why I was here: I wanted to know who this man was who I couldn’t get out of my head. After the girls left, I needed to seek the answers to my many questions; needed to compare Trevor to Gary if only to further confirm what I already knew. Marrying Gary would be a mistake. There was something better waiting for me and it might just be the six-foot-one muscled man standing inches away from me now, looking coy.
“You don’t have to keep coming back.” Trevor closed his eyes, dropped his head, and held up his hand. “That’s not what I meant.”
I liked that he caught himself, that he wanted to be careful with his words. Then I realized that maybe I could have been clearer in my own delivery.
My hand lifted to my forehead. I rubbed my pulsing temples between my fingers, chuckling. “I didn’t mean I wanted to end it with you.”
The glimmer was back in his eyes. If it weren’t for that, I wouldn’t have had the slightest idea what was going on in his head.
“I’m sorry, this isn’t coming out right.” I giggled as heat bloomed over my cheeks.
Trevor deserved to understand where I was coming from. I didn’t want to hide anything from him. But I didn’t know where to start. Could I really tell him that I was supposed to be getting married?
Casting my gaze down to my feet, I shuffled my flats over the tiny stones on the pavement. My stomach roiled with fear. I was scared of what he would think of me if I revealed too many of my secrets too quickly. I didn’t want to lose him. There was still so much I needed to know. I couldn’t get over the hurdle of thinking he would look at me differently once he knew I was engaged but had come on to him yesterday.
“Trevor!” A tiny man approached, waving his arms through the air. “That is the one.” He pointed his finger at me. “Lurking around your garage. That is who I saw.”
I narrowed my gaze at the man accusing me of loitering. My heartrate spiked and I turned back to look at Trevor.
“It’s okay.” Trevor waved the tiny man off. “Forgot to mention I would be out. Sorry about that.”
The tiny man stopped, stared, and angled his body back to where he’d come from.
“I wanted to surprise him.” I smiled as my hand reached out to touch Trevor’s shoulder.
His muscle was a hard ball of steel between my fingers. A jolt of electricity zipped down my spine, and I pressed my thighs together to stifle the heat turning me on so suddenly.
Trevor’s eyes lowered to my hand.
My fingers fell to his elbow, needing to feel more of his massive arm, before pulling it back to my side. “I’m sorry. I should have called. I didn’t have your number.”
“He’s more paranoid than this neighborhood warrants. But he means well.” His eyes flickered up to mine.
My breath hitched.
Reaching his hand out, he took me by the fingers and led me into his garage. Memories of how we met came flooding back and my entire body flushed with unmatched desire. “I didn’t give you my number.” His voice was deep, seductive, and brought a tingle to my chest.
“I should have tried you at the office.” My brow furrowed. “I hope I didn’t pull you away from anything important.”
He moved casually to the wall and flipped the switch to an overhead fan hanging from the rafters. “No.”
I wanted to talk about last night. I didn’t like how we’d left things and was sure he was wondering about it, too. I watched him move effortlessly across his shop, removing his designer suit jacket that was a tailored fit. He rolled up his sleeves, revealing his thick forearms, and moved some tools around.
“I didn’t expect your neighbor to view me as suspicious.”
Trevor glanced over his shoulder. “He clearly doesn’t know who you are.”
I touched my throat as the suddenness of his comment left me feeling breathless. I was sure I was over thinking his comment. I hadn’t told him much about who I was, but that didn’t mean hadn’t already figured it out. It wasn’
t hard to do. “And who am I?” I asked.
He rubbed his hands together, turned, and strode over to me. Keeping his gaze locked with mine, his blues searched deep into my thoughts. I had the worst poker face in the entire world and I kept glancing away, hoping to disguise the secrets I was too afraid to share.
Closing the gap between us, he lifted his hand to my face and took a strand of my hair between his fingers. “You’re scared.”
I swallowed.
“And intelligent.”
My chest rose and fell in shallow breaths.
“A woman with incredible strength who is afraid to confront the evil that brought us together.”
I folded my arms over my chest, feeling my scalp prickle. I didn’t expect him to lay me out and dissect everything about me. Now I was wishing he would have said something simpler, like I know you’re the senator’s daughter. Yet, at the same time, I loved how much he did understand me.
He dropped my hair and turned away.
“Are you liking your first day at the new job?” I moved toward his Mustang.
He still had his back to me when he shrugged.
“What do they have you doing?” I skirted the walls, feeling the need to make conversation to get past the awkward thoughts of wanting to melt into his side and have him hold me like he had last night. It was all I needed. Nothing more.
“Paperwork.” He moved to the other side of the bench and picked up another tool. “Nothing glamorous.” Then he looked at me. “I need to get something from the back.”
I nodded and continued perusing the garage. I surprised myself when a smile spread at the smells of grease and gasoline. It was a simple reminder of the fate that brought us together. Now it was up to me to decide what I was going to do with it.
I found myself standing in front of a photo of Trevor with two other men. My jaw locked. I knew Trevor was military, but this brought it home. Trevor was dressed in battle gear, proudly holding a tight grip to his assault rifle. A sudden urge to run away bubbled up inside me as I feared he knew more about me than he was saying. Why didn’t he tell me he was a Marine? Did he know who I knew? Did they know each other?