Break the Rules (The Flanagan Sisters Book 1)

by Claire Boston

  “That’ll be good. You won’t have to worry about any swell for your first couple of dives. You can focus on the breathing and gauges.”

  “What’s the most important thing to remember?” she asked, curious as to how difficult it would be.

  Jack was quiet while he considered it. “Always keep an eye on your depth and the amount of oxygen you have.”

  That didn’t sound so hard. Details were her specialty so she shouldn’t have a problem.

  “It’s hard not to get caught up in what you’re seeing – the whole new underwater cosmos – but you’ve got to be aware of your surroundings and your safety at all times.”

  Safety she could do. It was in her blood.

  “Where shall we go next?” Tanya asked.

  Bridget raised her eyebrows. There were two antique shops they had to visit every time they came to Brenham. Carly loved antiques and insisted Bridget tell her what they had in stock. Inevitably they ended up carting something home for her.

  Tanya grinned at her. “OK, antiques first, then wine.”

  The men swapped a pained look and Bridget explained. “I can’t come to Brenham without shopping for my sister, Carly. If she found out I came here today and didn’t call her, there would be hell to pay.” So she might be exaggerating a little. Carly never got upset over anything. She was the most level-headed person Bridget knew and had inherited none of the fiery temperament from her Salvadoran mother and Irish father. Bridget had no idea how she’d avoided it. Zita, Bridget and their mother were all known for their passionate natures.

  “We’ll be an hour, tops,” Tanya promised. “You guys can stay here and have another coffee if you want.”

  “I’m game,” Jack said. “There wasn’t much that was considered antique in Australia.”

  They finished their meal and wandered down the street. Ahead of her, Tanya and Hal held hands and pointed out things in shop windows. Beside her, Jack walked at a comfortable pace. The temptation to take his hand was strong so Bridget stuck her hands into her pockets and nodded to Tanya and Hal. “They’re so into each other, aren’t they?”

  “Yeah. It’s nice. I’ve never known my brother to be so smitten.”

  “Tanya either. She usually flits from guy to guy but they don’t catch her interest. I think I’m going to need to find a new roommate.”

  “Are you renting?” he asked.

  “Yeah. We’ve still got our place for six months.” Their lease would run out about the time Hal and Tanya were talking about traveling. Bridget didn’t think that was a coincidence.

  They arrived at the first antiques shop and Jack held the door open for her. “Thanks.” She cursed the flush that warmed her cheeks. She wasn’t used to such old-fashioned gallantry, especially not working on the plant.

  Getting out her cell phone, she video called her sister. “Guess where I am?”

  There was a big sigh. “Where?” Carly had dark circles under her eyes and a defeated slump to her shoulders. Bridget stopped smiling.

  “What’s up, Carolina?” Bridget asked in Spanish.

  “Nothing. Just work stuff.”

  Bridget frowned. If Carly didn’t want to talk, she wouldn’t, but Bridget would grill her on the drive to their mother’s tomorrow. “I’m in Brenham, at your favorite antiques store.”

  “Now that’s news to cheer me up,” Carly said, her voice more animated. She forced a smile. “I’d love a jewelry box. What have they got in stock?” She indicated that Bridget should turn the phone around so she could have a look.

  “Feast your eyes on these,” Bridget said, and proceeded to take her sister for a tour around the shop.

  “How about this?” Jack called, bringing over a beautiful, dark brown wooden box with intricate inlay. Bridget showed Carly.

  “That’s perfect!” she said. “Open it up.”

  Jack did as she asked and Carly said, “I’ll take it.” Then she asked, “Who are you?”

  “Oh, that’s my new boss, Jack.” Bridget flushed and held up the phone to introduce them. “He’s Tanya’s boyfriend’s brother.” She made the other introductions.

  “Nice to meet you,” Jack said.

  “Likewise.”

  Bridget turned the phone before they could start a conversation. Carly raised her eyebrows and mouthed “We’ll talk later.”

  Bridget nodded.

  By the time she was finished, Carly had bought the jewelry box and a gorgeous chaise lounge chair. Bridget didn’t know anything about antiques so the names meant nothing to her. She handed her phone over to the shop assistant who knew them both well by now and Carly arranged delivery of the chair and payment.

  “I’ll pick you up at ten,” she told her sister.

  “Don’t forget to bring my jewelry box.”

  Bridget hung up, taking the box from the shop assistant.

  “I take it this is a regular occurrence,” Jack said as they continued to the next antique shop.

  “Tanya and I come out here a couple of times a year, but the assistant remembers us.”

  “I can see why.”

  “That lounge wasn’t cheap,” Hal commented.

  “Carly’s rich,” Tanya explained. “Mega rich.”

  Bridget frowned. She didn’t like people talking about her sister’s wealth, because Carly hated it. She always said it was just luck that her software had taken off. She’d been in the right place at the right time. But she was selling herself short. She’d put hundreds of hours into her product, but Bridget didn’t make a fuss because it made Carly uncomfortable.

  “Lucky her,” Jack said. There was no envy in his tone.

  Bridget was pleased.

  They went into the next antiques store and browsed. There was nothing Carly wanted but Bridget spotted a couple of mother-of-pearl hair clips that were gorgeous. She stood at the display cabinet, looking at them. They weren’t too expensive, but really, when would she use them? She tied her hair up at work and she rarely went anywhere fancy. They were too pretty to be everyday wear.

  “Found something you like?” Jack asked, walking up and standing too close.

  She shifted a little away from him and shrugged. “Everything in here is lovely.”

  He glanced down at the cabinet and back to her. “Those clips would look pretty in your hair.”

  His tone was admiring and Bridget ruthlessly ignored the way her body reacted to it.

  “I usually wear my hair back. I’ve got no use for them.” She turned and walked away.

  When they came out, Hal asked, “So do we get our wine tasting now?”

  “Absolutely. We could all do with a drink,” Tanya said. They piled into Hal’s car and Tanya directed him to their favorite winery.

  “That’s a nice thing for you to do for your sister,” Jack said. “Why doesn’t she come out herself?”

  “Carly’s always working. She doesn’t take time out for herself.”

  “Must run in the family,” Jack said.

  Bridget didn’t say anything. Her dedication to work was due to her need to make sure everyone was safe. Carly’s dedication was on a whole different level. She didn’t know what motivated her sister to work so hard, especially now she was successful. They’d never discussed it. Too busy most of the time.

  She’d have to talk to Carly about it tomorrow.

  * * *

  They arrived at the winery and Jack followed the others in, admiring the way Bridget’s pants hugged her butt. Today was the first day he’d seen her completely relaxed since he’d started work. She’d had fun showing her sister the different antiques and her gaze had lingered on a couple of items, but her practical side had won out. What would it take to make her forget all practicality?

  He smiled as the tour guide poured them each a taste of the first white wine.

  “This one is quite tangy, and made from a blend of grapes. It goes well with chicken or seafood,” the guide explained.

  Jack lifted the glass. He was never sure what to do. He’d s
een people swirl it and sniff it, but he just wanted to taste it. He copied the guide who swirled and sniffed, commenting on the fragrance. It smelled like wine to him.

  Finally he tasted it. It was quite nice, fresh and tangy, but he was more of a beer person.

  The guide took them through the different wines, three white and three red, plus a sparkling wine. Jack stood back while Tanya and Bridget discussed which one they wanted to buy. Bridget was animated, her cheeks flushed, and he suspected she might already be on her way to tipsy.

  “We should get a case,” Bridget declared. “We deserve it.” She glanced at Jack and giggled.

  He raised an eyebrow. He never would have picked Bridget as a giggler. Perhaps she was more than a little tipsy.

  When they’d finally chosen and Hal had carried their wine to the car, they went to the café to have lunch. Both Tanya and Bridget ordered a glass of wine and Jack watched in fascination as Bridget became more and more relaxed.

  “The Texans play tonight,” Hal said. “First home game of the season. You want to watch?”

  He hadn’t seen a game since he’d arrived back in Houston and he’d forgotten when the season started. “Sure.”

  Bridget sat up straight. “Is that tonight? I lost track of dates.” She turned to Tanya. “Pizza night?”

  “Yeah. You guys want to come?”

  “You follow the NFL?” Hal asked, his face a picture of disbelief.

  Tanya looked down her nose at him. “You got a problem with that?”

  He grinned. “Not at all. You’re seriously my perfect woman.” He leaned over and kissed her.

  Jack turned to Bridget. “So how does a girl from El Salvador get caught up in football? I would have thought soccer was more your thing.”

  Bridget gestured to Tanya. “Blame her. In high school we had to watch every game. We couldn’t go out to parties until the game had finished. She got me hooked.”

  Jack grinned. “You into any other sports?”

  “Not really. I’ll watch the occasional game of basketball if I have time, but generally it’s the Texans or nothing.” She turned to him. “What about you?”

  “If it has a ball, I’ll watch it,” Jack admitted.

  “Were you an athlete at school?”

  “I dabbled in a few sports.”

  “What about college?”

  “Never went.” He took a sip of his beer, waiting for her reaction.

  Her eyes widened. “But you’re a manager. You must have qualifications.”

  He shook his head. “Learned on the job mostly. And took a few courses.”

  She frowned.

  Jack knew what she was thinking. He had no formal qualifications and yet he’d been given the job over her. He waited for her judgment, for her to say he wasn’t qualified to do the job.

  “I guess that’s the best way to learn,” she said finally. “A lot of the theory doesn’t make sense until you see the practical use. It was a real shock going to a plant straight out of college. We’d learned best practice in a best case scenario, and the real world isn’t like that.”

  He sat back and blinked. She seemed to genuinely mean what she said.

  “Theory’s all well and good until you have to get the guys in the plant to do it,” he said.

  She grinned, her eyes scrunching up and her mouth wide. “Amen to that. Some of the guys don’t like to be told what to do. Especially not by a girl.”

  “You don’t seem to have any problems with them.”

  “It took me months to win them over,” she said. “I had to earn their trust, show them I was listening to their concerns before they began to let me in. There’re still a few who will do the opposite just to spite me. They think they know best because they’ve worked on the plant for twenty years.”

  That kind of attitude was dangerous. He was about to say so when she said, “I’m beginning to get through to them.”

  He wanted to ask more but didn’t want to spoil the day talking about work. He’d follow it up next week. He’d ask the other managers what they thought the safety culture was like on site. But that was a thought for Monday.

  The food was served and silence set in while they ate. His steak was cooked to perfection and tasted delicious. They were sitting outside on the veranda overlooking the vineyards. There was a children’s playground to one side where children were playing while their parents enjoyed a quiet lunch.

  Jack took a deep breath in. Life had been full on since he’d arrived back in Texas. He’d had very little time to get over his jet lag before starting work, and every weekend had been taken up either reviewing work or looking for a house.

  He needed this, a relaxing getaway to forget about everything. Now his diving gear had arrived he’d find some dive spots, and his father had been hassling him to go out fishing. He’d have to make time.

  “I ate too much,” Bridget said, leaning back in her chair, closing her eyes, her hands on her stomach. “It was so good.”

  “Not up for dessert?” Jack asked.

  Her eyes flashed open. “Wash your mouth out with soap,” she said with a grin. “There’s always room for dessert.”

  He met her gaze and her smile faded, desire darkening her eyes. Her tongue ran over her lips and Jack had to suppress a groan. He knew it. Their attraction was mutual. He just needed to figure out a way to get her to trust him, to take the risk.

  “We should go for a walk,” Tanya declared. “They do tours. We can have dessert when we get back.”

  Bridget turned her attention to her best friend. “Good idea.”

  “I’ll pay,” Hal said and left the table before anyone could protest.

  “I’ll be back in a minute,” Jack said and followed his brother inside. He wanted to pay his share.

  “I’ve got this, Jack,” Hal said, handing over his credit card.

  “I can’t let you pay for me.” His brother didn’t earn as much and he was saving for his travel with Tanya.

  “Sure you can.” He took the receipt from the cashier.

  Jack knew better than to argue with him. “I’ll pay for dessert.”

  His brother nodded. “Come on, let’s not leave the ladies waiting.”

  When they went outside, Bridget and Tanya were nowhere to be seen. Jack frowned as he scanned the area. Maybe they’d gone to the bathroom.

  Then he heard the squeals.

  Turning toward the playground he saw Tanya and Bridget on the swing set, competing for which one could swing higher. He nudged Hal and pointed.

  He laughed. “She knows how to have fun.”

  Jack shook his head. Bridget kept surprising him today. He hadn’t seen any playful side of her in the couple of weeks he’d known her. He liked it.

  As he walked over, her laughter filled the air. It struck something inside him, made him yearn. He stood in front of the swing, but at a safe distance as she threw her head back and laughed.

  He wanted her.

  “Catch me!” Tanya cried and flung herself off the swing and into Hal’s arms. Hal stumbled back a couple of steps but managed to break her fall.

  Jack looked back at Bridget. Would she be as reckless?

  He held his arms wide daring her.

  Her grin was fast, mischievous, and before he could blink, she launched herself off the seat toward him.

  Chapter 8

  Jack caught Bridget, her soft body hard against his. He took a couple of steps back to cushion the blow, his heel catching on something, and he fell flat on his back, Bridget on top of him, her head bumping into his. Pain shot through him.

  “Ow.” She tried to get up but his arms automatically tightened around her. Her body fitted perfectly against his; every curve pressed in to him and he didn’t want to move. He ignored Tanya and Hal’s laughter and looked into her blue eyes. They widened, and glanced at his lips. He lifted his head to kiss her, needing to taste her, and she pushed away harder. Disappointed, he let her go. She climbed to her feet and brushed herself off, her face f
lushed.

  “Coordination’s not your strong suit,” she said, looking everywhere but at him.

  He stood up. “I tripped.” He glanced around, picked up the rock he must have tripped on, and moved it into the garden bed.

  “Any excuse,” Hal said, his arm around Tanya. “Let’s go for a walk.”

  “I’ve got to talk with my girl,” Tanya said, moving away from Hal. “You keep your brother company.”

  Jack wanted to talk with Bridget but he knew when to take a step back. He followed his brother, wishing he could hear the conversation behind him.

  * * *

  Tanya tucked her arm into Bridget’s. “What was that about?”

  She shook her head. “I was stupid. I shouldn’t have done it. I got – caught up, is all.”

  “I’m not talking about you jumping off the swing, I’m talking about you not kissing that man.”

  Bridget scowled. She could still feel Jack’s warmth on her skin, his muscled body pressed against hers, and remembered their one night together. It was not going to happen again. “He’s my boss.”

  “So what? He’s sexy and his interested. You’re allowed to have fun.”

  “What happens when it stops being fun?” Bridget demanded. “When he’s no longer interested? I still have to work with him. I can’t keep it a secret at work. I’m too transparent.” A work colleague had told her she could see her love for Lionel in her eyes every time she spoke to him. At the time Bridget hadn’t cared, she’d been too in love to think of the repercussions, but now she knew better.

  Not that she loved Jack. She barely knew him.

  “And what if he’s the one?” Tanya asked. “You can’t push him away.”

  “I don’t believe in soul mates,” Bridget said. “There’s not just one person for each of us.” At least she hoped not. She wanted to see her mother happy again. To have someone she loved.

  “Bridge, it doesn’t have to be all or nothing. The attraction’s obviously mutual. You can explore it outside of work hours.”

  She shook her head. She couldn’t. She needed to be one hundred percent focused at work and Jack was already too much of a distraction. She needed to keep him in his work colleague pigeonhole. It would be easier for everyone that way. “Come on. It’s time for dessert.”