“We’re just about to put a movie on. You joining us?” Payton invited politely.
“Sounds good. Zoe?”
“Um?” Zoe’s eyes found Derek’s.
I had no idea what the go was with those two, but whatever it was, it was intense. She looked to him for approval. Almost like a child would look to their parents for the okay to have another cookie.
Derek nodded. Barely.
“Sounds fun,” Zoe lied. It was written all over her face. She was doing what she thought she should.
The moment Connor scooped her up though, she squawked and wriggled until he slapped her ass, the sound echoing around the room. Everyone’s eyes were on them. Zoe buried her head in Connor’s shoulder, trying to hide from the stares. I tried to look away. I really did. I just couldn’t. Instead I did something even worse, I dug my phone from my back pocket and snapped a picture. It was one of those moments you hoped one day you’d experience. Someone sweeping you off your feet and making you smile.
Connor dropped into the other recliner, arranging Zoe on his lap like she weighed nothing at all.
“We ready now?”
Holly had this uncanny ability to know when things needed to be moved along. She’d nailed it again.
“Press play,” Mia piped up as she pulled a pink throw rug over her and Derek.
The movie started and I was still standing on my own like a loser. Everyone else had someone to snuggle up with and there I was, yet again standing on the side lines watching life happen to everyone around me. I was sick of it. I didn’t want to have to keep going to weddings and seeing everyone else get their happily ever after just to go back to an empty hotel room. I didn’t even have a cat. I couldn’t have one. I wasn’t there enough to be able to keep a pet alive. Now I was just starting to feel sorry for myself.
“Come on, Carly! Get in here. There’s plenty of room on the floor with Gage. I’m sure he won’t mind.”
I know Payton wasn’t trying to play matchmaker. She wouldn’t do that to me. At least the old Payton wouldn’t. Then again, I didn’t think she’d run off and get married without telling me either, so who knows what she would do.
“It’s fine,” Gage offered as he slid over.
Great! Looks like I was about to curl up on an air bed with the guy whose one, innocent kiss still had my knees trembling.
“Thanks,” I mumbled as I toed off my shoes.
There was no way I could unbutton these tight ass jeans now.
***
I didn’t need to open my eyes to know it was way too early to be awake. My whole body was telling me that. As my eyes cracked open, the sunlight that filtered through the open blinds blinded me. I was hot. Too hot. And I needed to pee so badly. It took a minute for me to wake up enough to figure out what the hell was going on. Trying to pull my arm out from under me, it stung when the blood flowed back to my deprived limb. A night of sleeping on your side could do that to you. When I meant to swing my legs over the edge, everything wobbled. Thankfully my headache was caused by sleep deprivation and not a hangover. In this heat I’d be throwing my guts up before I had a chance to crawl to the bathroom. Or the nearest garden bed.
Wobbling again, I fell backwards, rolling into the middle of the air mattress. They were bitches of a thing. No matter what happened when you were sharing one, you ended up lying on top of each other. It was physics or something. That’s why I’d been so hot. I’d spent the night being the little spoon to Gage’s big one. And I didn’t miss the fact that he definitely did have a ‘big one.’ I felt it more than once in my lower back when I’d wriggled about, trying to get comfy.
More determined to get up, not only gracefully, but as quietly as possible, I rolled away from him, not missing the moan he let out as I did and found my feet. After padding down the hall to the bathroom, I took care of business, and cleaned my teeth with my finger before heading back to the kitchen. I needed coffee and I needed it now.
“Morning.”
“Holy shit, Derek!” I hadn’t heard him come in. At his voice I’d jumped into the air, bashing my elbow on the corner of the bench. It really bloody hurt. “You scared the crap out me.”
“Sorry.”
“Want a coffee?” I offered as I tried to regain control of my runaway heartbeat.
“Sounds good.”
I popped another capsule in the machine and waited for his to finish. Sliding the cup across the bench, I took the stool next to him. For a long moment, we remained silent. The only noise in the house was the heavy, chainsaw snoring coming from the lounge room. I wasn’t sure who it was, Gage was safe though. Sleeping that close to him all night would not have been possible if he made that sort of noise.
“Have a good night?”
“Yeah, I did, actually. Thanks for inviting me. And, well…you know, letting me crash on your floor.”
He chuckled, glancing down at his shirt that I still wore. “Anytime, Carly. It was fun.”
“How’s Mia this morning?”
“Dying.”
I turned around and came face to face with the pixie herself. She looked like she described. Her eyes were red, her face deathly pale, and her hair, even though it was short and deliberately messy, somehow looked oily and unkempt.
“Coffee, sweetheart?” Derek was already moving towards the machine. I figured he’d done this dance before.
“In an IV, please,” she replied miserably.
While she waited for her own cup, Mia sipped on Derek’s, screwing her nose up with every taste.
“What’s wrong with it?” I asked. I felt guilty. If Derek was drinking a shitty cup just so I didn’t feel bad, then that was worse.
Derek must have sensed my distress. “Ignore her, Carly. Mia drinks hers with so much crap in it, you can barely taste the coffee.”
“Hey now!” Mia protested weakly.
“Matilda will be awake soon.”
“Shit! I forgot about her. I should go check on her.” Suddenly Mia was moving.
Derek picked her up and plonked her back on the stool. “Stay. Drink your coffee. I already checked in on her and she was still asleep. You’ve got time.”
“Not enough.”
“Oh, is someone hungover?” Payton teased as she breezed into the kitchen.
I wanted to punch her in the tit. No one should be this damn happy, Not before coffee. Certainly not on New Year’s Day.
“Bite me, Payton.” Mia was grumpy this morning.
“So, Payton, any chance you’re cooking those cinnamon scrolls today?” Derek asked hopefully.
“She’s a guest!” Beau exclaimed, joining the growing breakfast crew.
“But she’s cooking them anyway,” Payton declared, kissing Beau’s stubble-covered cheek quickly. She stepped around into the kitchen and immediately asserted herself.
Within minutes Payton was on a mission. There was flour and baking sheets everywhere. I’d watched her make these a million times, I think I was actually the guinea pig over the years, trying each recipe modification until she perfected it. And she did. Everyone was sitting there with the mugs of coffee, cradling them like they were the elixir of life, trying to second guess every step. Beau was the only one smart enough to keep his snarky comments to himself. I suspected that had more to do with the fact that it would be held against him.
“What’s all the noise? It’s not even eight,” Holly complained as she stumbled into the kitchen rubbing her eyes.
“Morning, Princess.” Beau smiled at her, tucking her back under his arm. It seemed like it was her spot. She fit so perfectly. Instinctively, without a word, she stepped into position and leaned against her brother. I wish Hayden and I shared something like that. That he actually cared about me. Showed me that I mattered. Even last night, Beau hadn’t batted an eyelid as he snuggled up on the lounge with his wife and his sister. Neither bitched about the other. Neither felt left out or rejected. It just worked for them.
Shrugging off the sadness that threatened to drown me
, I found my phone in my pocket. It had barely any charge left, but there was enough to send a simple message.
ClickChick7: Welcome to the New Year. Make any resolutions?
Somewhere a phone beeped as a message was received. No one made a move to answer it though. Checking it wasn’t mine, I slipped it back into my pocket.
“Look what I found!” Derek announced, coming back into the room with the world’s widest smile on his face, and the world’s most adorable girl wriggling in his arms.
Matilda was a gorgeous kid, inside and out. She was cute and got away with hell because of it. Well, that and the fact her father, or the sperm donor as Josie so delicately referred to him, hadn’t wanted anything to do with her. She hadn’t missed out on a thing though. Between Uncle Derek and Aunty Mia, Matilda had a whole army of people who loved her. Not to mention Nate. I’d seen him with her, and even though he might not be her biological father, he was her dad in every way that mattered. He picked her up and kissed her knees when she fell. He bought her ice cream and wiped it off her sticky fingers. He changed her nappies and cleaned her snotty nose. Nah, that kid would be okay.
“Mia! Mia! Mia!” she chanted as Derek got closer.
Matilda’s tiny, chubby arms stretched out. Obviously she wanted to be in Aunty Mia’s arms. Aunty Mia though, was still struggling to recover from her hangover. She wouldn’t let it beat her though. Instead she pushed away her empty mug, plastered on a fake smile, and stretched out her arms.
“Hey there, pretty girl.” She rained kisses down on Matilda while she squirmed. I watched as Mia made the biggest mistake she could. She let her undoubtedly tired eyes fall closed for a second, an opportunity Matilda didn’t miss.
“Wake up!” she squealed in a pitch so high I had to check to make sure my ears weren’t bleeding.
“What the fuck…”
At least that solved the problem of how we were going to wake the rest of the house.
Connor appeared looking entirely too well rested for someone who’d spent the night curled in an armchair with someone on his lap. It didn’t take long for Zoe to appear, looking worse than she did last night. Her bruises had deepened and the edges were turning that strange yellow colour.
“Is Payton baking?” Connor asked hopefully as he handed Zoe a cup of tea.
I was fascinated. How did he know Zoe drank tea and how she took it? I thought they were nothing more than casual acquaintances. Maybe they were. Maybe they just weren’t as casual as we’d been led to believe.
“Yes, she is. And here,” Payton announced, sliding a tray on the bench, “is the first batch.”
I heard a groan as the whole house started to smell like cinnamon. I didn’t know if it came from me or someone else. No one moved as Payton poured that thin white icing over them.
“Smells like we’re right on time!”
Josie and Nate strutted into the room looking like they were walking on air. There was no sign of a hangover or fatigue. The only giveaway of their early, kid free night, was the fact Josie was walking with a slight limp. That and the fact Nate couldn’t keep his grabby hands off her.
“Mum!” Matilda squealed, diving out of Mia’s arms towards her mother.
While we sat enjoying our breakfast and chatting, the topic of resolutions came up. I don’t know how, and I don’t know who brought it up, but suddenly everyone was wide awake debating the pros and cons of making commitments just because the date on the calendar dictated it. Gage argued adamantly, and quite thoroughly I’ll concede, that if someone really wanted to change their life, if they really wanted to make things different or accomplish their goals, they didn’t need the date to change to do it.
Gage was too smart for his own good. No matter what crazy, obscure suggestion someone threw his way, he always seemed to have a well thought out answer. Almost like he’d already seen the test and was just regurgitating the answers. It was as frustrating as hell. No matter what I said, I couldn’t win. I argued for forty-five minutes before I threw my hands up in defeat.
“Well, Derek and Mia. Thanks so much for everything. I had an amazing night, and I do apologise for overstaying my welcome, but I’m going to head off. I need a shower, and I’m dying to take these jeans off before they strangle me.”
Everyone laughed. Typical. I was usually the butt of jokes, you got used to it, really. At least this time they were laughing at my jeans—and my butt still looked fucking fabulous in them.
“Not at all, Carly. It was great to have you. You’re coming to our wedding, aren’t you?” Mia added.
Why was I not surprised that somehow we’d circled back to the upcoming wedding of the decade. “I…I…” How was I supposed to say, politely, that I wasn’t coming because I wasn’t invited?
“Of course she is,” Payton answered for me with a wink.
She knew I didn’t get an invite. I was there when she got hers. It didn’t worry me, I mean, I wasn’t upset or anything. Why should I be invited? I barely knew them. Well, obviously I knew them a lot better now, but when the invites went out, I had no idea.
“Great! Well, I’m sure we will see you before then, but take care.” Mia hugged me so tight I thought she was going to cut off my blood supply. For a tiny little thing she sure as shit was strong. I had to remember not to cross her in a dark alley.
“I suppose you want this back?” Josie asked, reluctantly handing me back my leather jacket.
“Thanks.”
Leaning forward, she took hold of my arm and whispered into my ear. “Hope you get as lucky with it as I did.”
Ew!
Like seriously…gross.
I’m not a prude, and I knew exactly what Nate had had in mind when he’d gone all caveman and tossed her over his shoulder and taken her home last night. Didn’t mean I wanted to hear all the dirty details, though.
“All right! I’m out. Talk to you later.”
I stepped out the front, pulled my jacket on, and saw my bike. My heart sped up at the sight. It still exhilarated and terrified me. What on earth convinced me that I was some sort of biker goddess, I’ll never know.
“Want me to follow you home?”
“Whoa! Shit, Connor, you asshat! You scared the crap out of me.”
“Sorry. Just wanted to make sure you were okay on that thing on your own.”
Damn it! I hadn’t thought about that. All I’d been thinking about was a hot shower to work the knots and kinks out of my tired muscles before collapsing into bed and falling asleep for a million years. Or maybe just a couple of hours. I’d play it by ear.
“Yep! I’ll be fine,” I lied.
I had no idea if I’d be fine. I hoped I would be. I just wasn’t betting on it.
“It’s all good. I’ll follow you.” Gage stepped outside, settling his glasses over his eyes. Damn, that boy looked good. Even better with the scruff on his chin.
“You don’t have to…”
“It’s fine. I’m taking Holly back and I need to talk to Dad, so no worries.”
Oh.
Okay.
It wasn’t about me. He was heading that way anyway. I felt the disappointment flit through my body, but I forced it down and plastered a smile on my face.
“Great! Sounds good. You ready to go?” I sounded way too excited to be taken seriously. And by the weird look Gage shot in my direction, he knew I was completely full of shit. Thankfully, like the gentleman I believed him to be, he said nothing.
Chapter Thirteen
Gage
The drive took ten minutes longer than it should have, and the whole time I felt like I was holding my breath. At one point, Carly had rounded the corner so slowly I knew I could walk faster, but even then the back wheel of the bike kicked out from under her on the loose gravel, causing her to wobble. Holly, who sat silently beside me, chewed her nails as we waited for disaster to strike. I couldn’t help but wonder how pissed she’d be if the keys to her precious bike got accidentally misplaced.
We made it, though.
In one piece.
Even though I planned to stop at the main house, I couldn’t. Instead, I followed her through the paddock to her place, waiting until she’d climbed off and shed the helmet before turning back.
“She shouldn’t be on that thing,” Holly declared as we climbed the steps to Dad’s place.
“I agree.”
“You should tell her then.”
“What? Why me?”
“Someone needs to. Why not you?”
“Um, how about because I don’t even know her?”
“You won’t get the chance to unless someone takes away those keys and keeps her from killing herself.”
Holly was annoying. I loved my sister. I really did. Sometimes though, sometimes she was way too smart for her own good. And a smart ass to boot. “What makes you think I want to?”
“Are you kidding me right now?”
“What?”
“Come on, Gage. Don’t play dumb, it doesn’t suit you. You forget I saw that kiss last night.” Holly winked at me. Bitch was trying to get under my skin and rile me up. What’s worse—it was working.
“Don’t be ridiculous. It was a New Year’s Eve kiss. It meant nothing. Fuck, you were the one who told me to do it.”
“Fine then,” Holly huffed, turning to face me with her hands on her hips and a cheeky grin tugging at her lips. “It was just a New Year’s kiss. A kiss I forced you into. Fine. I’ll wear that. But the night spent spooning her, that my dear big brother, that was all you.”
Fuck!
What the hell was I supposed to say to that? How did I deny it? I knew what happened. I’d woken up more than once through the night wrapped around Carly, breathing in her delicious scent, all the while trying to talk the out of control boner in my boxers to calm down. I’d counted more sheep than I’d like to admit, trying to forget about the soft, silky, skin under my fingertips.
Shaking my head, I tried to ignore Holly’s comments. That girl was too damn smart and observant for her own good. Stepping through the creaky screen door, I spied Dad leaning back in his recliner. Something didn’t feel right. I couldn’t put my finger on it, but something was just wrong. Forgetting Holly’s taunts and teasing, I moved towards where he sat. His eyes were closed and his breathing shallow.
Meet The McIntyres - The Complete Series Page 35