Chapter Two
Ryan arrived at Jimmy’s early to meet with the party planner, but he was pleasantly surprised to see the owner, his brother-in-law J.T. McCall, behind the bar.
Nikki, J.T.’s wife, and his brother Ty had made Titan a small fortune over the years and helped them maintain their reputation as one of the most sought after record labels in the business.
“Hey,” Ryan said, shaking J.T.’s hand. “I didn’t expect the boss man to be here. The last few times I’ve been in, the manager said you only come in for a couple of hours around lunch time to check on things.”
“That’s true, but I knew this party was a big deal for you guys. I wanted to make sure you had everything you needed.” J.T. led Ryan toward a booth. “Have a seat. Let me get you a beer. Your party planner’s in the back hasslin’ my chef.”
Ryan laughed. “That sounds like her.” Courtney had planned dozens of events for them this year and he knew the evening would go off without a hitch as long as she was here to tend to the details. “Hope she’s not givin’ y’all too much trouble. I know she can be a bit tough to rein in at times.”
J.T. rolled his eyes. “Ya think? That little spitfire’s hell on heels.”
“That’s why we hired her. She’s the best.”
“I’ll have to take your word for it.”
Despite the fact J.T. had half a dozen wait staff wiping down tables, mopping the floors, prepping the stage, and re-stocking behind the bar, he didn’t ask any of them to interrupt their work to wait on him. He slipped in behind the bar, popped the tops on a couple of long necks, and brought them back to the booth he shared with Ryan.
“Thanks, man,” Ryan said, bringing the bottle to his lips. “How’s Nikki enjoyin’ her down time?” J.T.’s wife had decided to take a year off from the studio and touring to write songs for her new album.
“You know her, she’s a workaholic. Still, we’ve managed to get away a few times. She says goin’ to these remote little spots helps her to be more creative. Ty’s suggested we go to his beach house for a few weeks next month, so Nik’s pretty stoked about that.”
Ryan smiled. “That’s what I love about my big sister. She’s traveled around the world, yet kickin’ back with a good book and a cold beer is more fun to her than playin’ Times Square on New Year’s Eve.”
“I don’t know if I’d go that far. Music’s still her first love.”
“We both know that’s not true. You and my gorgeous niece are the loves of her life and you know it. How is Lauren these days?”
“She’s good. Workin’ on her degree and talkin’ about gettin’ into real estate when she graduates. She wants to renovate houses and hopefully sell ‘em at a profit.” He shrugged. “Whatever makes her happy is okay by us.”
“Hey, you missed all the excitement at Trey’s house on Christmas Eve. Where were y’all?”
“Nikki and Lauren talked me into goin’ skiin’ in Colorado.” J.T. chuckled. “Damn near broke my neck.”
“You had fun though?”
“Let’s just say it would’ve been worth it to break a bone or two just to see my two girls havin’ so much fun.”
Ryan had never been one to experience that warm and fuzzy feeling when his friends or family talked about their loved ones, but something about J.T.’s reference to his wife and daughter hit Ryan square in the chest. “You’re a lucky man, J.T.”
J.T. leaned back against the bench seat and smirked. “Never thought I’d see the day the hell raiser in the family would go all soft.”
“Look who’s talkin’.” Ryan smiled. “I’ve heard some stories about you. Sounds like you could’ve put me to shame back in the day.”
“I don’t know about that, but I had a hell of a good time.” J.T. brought the bottle to his lips and took a long pull before setting it down on the table. He leaned forward as though he was getting ready to confide a secret. “I’ve got a lot of great memories of the rodeo circuit. It felt good, damn good, to be the top dog, but I wouldn’t trade that life for the years I’ve had with Nik and Lauren for anything.”
“It must feel good, not to have any regrets.” Ryan thought about the fact that he may have let his one and only chance with Brianna slip through his fingers. If she and Clint connected tonight, it may be the beginning of the end for him.
“I didn’t say I don’t have any regrets. There isn’t a man alive who doesn’t. But I don’t let those bad decisions define me.”
Ryan looked at his brother-in-law a long time before he asked, “What made you decide to settle down with Nikki? I mean, how did you know she was the one?”
J.T. stared at his beer bottle a long time, peeling back the label as though he was found revealing the truth difficult. “I almost lost her. I didn’t think I was good enough to give her what she needed.”
Ryan saw a trace of bitterness in J.T.’s eyes that was so uncharacteristic, he had to ask, “Why would you think that?”
“I was just some washed up bull rider when we met, Ry. I was on my way out, and I didn’t know what the hell I was gonna do with the rest of my life. Your sister was this gorgeous young thang with a voice that I knew was gonna make her a superstar one day. Especially with your old man backin’ her career. I didn’t wanna be the dead weight bringin’ her down.”
Ryan was too young to recall much about that time, but he knew J.T. had made his sister happy for as long as he could remember. “I can’t believe you felt that way. You’ve always been this take charge guy. It’s tough to imagine you feelin’ as though you weren’t good enough for Nikki.”
“I hated feelin’ that way.” J.T. sighed. “When my brother Dave died, it made me realize something. You can’t sit back and wait for life to happen. You have to make things happen. I still wasn’t sure that I was good enough for your big sister, but I did know one thing.”
“What’s that?”
“I couldn’t imagine my life without her.”
Ryan thought about what his life would be like without Brianna. Unimaginable. They’d been best friends forever. She’d run to him to protect her when boys chased her on the playground at recess. Later, in high school, he’d been the one to threaten his buddies on the football team when they talked trash about her in the locker room. Was it possible he’d been in love with her way back then, and he’d been too afraid to admit it? He’d been hiding out in one meaningless relationship after another for years, trying to tell himself that he was too young to think about settling down, but with his thirtieth birthday on the horizon, he knew he couldn’t go on lying to himself forever.
“I know what you mean.” Ryan didn’t even realize he’d said the words aloud until J.T. raised an eyebrow.
“Now this I’ve got to hear. Which sexy little thang has finally brought you down, Ry?”
Ryan hadn’t confessed his feelings about Brianna to anyone, not even Evan, but he’d always had a good relationship with J.T. and he knew he could trust him. “It’s not what you’re thinkin’. We’re just friends.”
“That’s the way the best relationships start out, or so I’m told.”
He thought about that for a minute before he asked, “You really think so?”
“Isn’t that the way it was for Josh and Lexi?”
Ryan winced inwardly when he thought about what Josh would say when he found out that Ryan had set his sights on his baby girl. He’d always had a good relationship with Brianna’s father, but Josh knew as well as anyone in their inner circle that Ryan had earned his reputation as a player. How could he convince him that he would never hurt Brianna? If anything, he feared it may be the other way around. For the first time in his life, he thought he might be ready to take that leap of faith… if it wasn’t too late.
The burly bouncer posted at the entrance opened the door to admit someone.
Ryan glanced at his watch. It was too early for the guests… Oh wow.
“Jesus,” J.T. muttered. “Would you look at her!”
Ryan couldn’t stop himself
from looking at her. When he realized his jaw was slack, he quickly snapped his mouth shut. How had she transformed herself from the professional lawyer he saw at the office only a few hours ago into this… goddess?
He’d always thought Brianna was beautiful in a girl next door kind of way, but she’d never played it up like most of the women he knew. Her light dusting of make-up was usually an afterthought, and her nails were usually clipped short with only clear polish. Her only adornment was the designer attire she loved so much. How had he missed the sexy woman lurking beneath those layers, and if he’d missed that, what else was he missing?
“Well, I’ll be damned,” J.T. said, chuckling. “Looks like I just got my answer.”
Ryan practically growled when Clint turned Brianna toward him and slipped a finger under her chin, encouraging her to look him in the eye. He said something that made her smile and Ryan felt a sharp pain that seemed to reverberate through his body. She could fall in love with this guy. He tried to breathe through the panic as J.T. leaned forward and gripped his shoulder.
“If you want her, you gotta let her know. Before it’s too late.”
“What if it’s already too late?” Ryan didn’t want to believe that it was, but he couldn’t delude himself either. Brianna and her date obviously had chemistry, something she’d never had with her last boyfriend. “He looks like he’s really into her.”
J.T. laughed. “Can you blame him? Look at her. The woman’s gorgeous.”
Ryan glared at his brother-in-law. “You don’t think I noticed? I didn’t need you to point it out to me.”
As though they hadn’t even noticed anyone else was in the bar, the couple in question continued to whisper and smile at each other, as though they were just content to enjoy each other’s company.
“Seems you weren’t smart enough to figure it out years ago. You and Bri have known each other your whole lives. What’s changed? Why do you want her now?”
“I don’t know,” Ryan said honestly, turning away from the scene behind him when he couldn’t stand to watch it any longer. “It’s like it came out of nowhere, man. She was datin’ a buddy of mine a few years back, and I can’t describe it, but I kind of felt weird about it.” He brought the beer bottle to his lips and took a long pull before he said, “It wasn’t the first time she’d dated one of my buddies. Hell, we went to high school and college together. She’s dated lots of my friends over the years and I never thought twice about it. I mean, sure, I told them they’d better not hurt her, but it never bothered me to think about her… you know.” He gripped the beer bottle tighter as he thought about Brianna being intimate with another man.
“Havin’ sex with some other dude?”
Ryan scowled at J.T. “Yeah, that.”
“So, why didn’t you tell her when you figured out you had feelings for her?”
“I tried. I kissed her at a party and…” He still remembered that kiss like it had happened a hundred of times instead of just once. He could still feel her body against his, taste her lips, feel the slide of her tongue as she gave as good as she got.
“And?”
“She kissed me back. But when I told her I thought I may have feelings for her, she laughed it off and told me I needed to sober up.”
J.T. glanced over at Brianna with her date. “If I were you, I’d try talkin’ to her about it again. Soon.”
Ryan didn’t know what Brianna was doing with Clint, and he didn’t want to know. “What the hell am I supposed to say?” He raked his hands through his hair in frustration. “She thinks of me as a friend. Nothing more.” It hurt to admit, but he knew it was true.
“How do you know that?”
“She’s told me a hundred times. Maybe not in so many words, but she’s told me she doesn’t know what she’d do without me to talk to or lean on. Hell, I don’t want to lose that, man. If I do, if I lose her…”
“But think about how much more y’all could have if you were willin’ to take that risk.”
“Yeah, but what if I do put myself out there and she shoots me down?” It wasn’t his ego he was worried about this time; so much more was at stake. “I could lose her. I mean, she might think it would be awkward bein’ friends with me knowin’ how I feel about her. I’d rather have her in my life as my best friend than not have her in my life at all.”
J.T. sighed. “Listen, I hear ya. I’m not sayin’ it’s an easy call. There are no guarantees that she feels anything for you. Maybe you’re right, maybe she just thinks of you as another big brother, someone who looks out for her and tries to protect her.”
He wanted to be someone Bri could count on, and he’d proven to her that he would always have her back, but he definitely didn’t want her to think of him as a brother. He wanted to be her lover, her best friend, her everything. “I don’t know what the hell I’m gonna do.”
J.T. pointed over Ryan’s shoulder. “Whatever you do, you better make it quick. I’d say your time’s just about up.”
Ryan turned just in time to see Brianna and Clint share what he assumed was their first kiss. It was tender and sweet, and when she finally pulled away with a look of wonder in her eyes, it broke Ryan’s heart. Would he ever see that adoration in her eyes when she looked at him?
***
By the time the party was in full swing, Brianna felt happier and more relaxed than she had in years. Law school had taken its toll, and she hadn’t allowed herself to indulge in recreational fun in what seemed like forever.
Clint was speaking to the few members of the press Titan had invited to the party and she watched him from across the room. He wasn’t as polished or well-rehearsed as many of the celebrities she saw being interviewed on TV. He’d moved here from his parents’ ranch in Texas five years ago, hoping to make it in the country music business. According to him, he’d given himself five years to make his dream come true before he returned home with his hat in his hand, asking his family to make room for him on the ranch.
He’d played the bar circuit for four years before he found a manager willing to take a chance on him. His manager submitted his demo to Titan, he had a meeting with the Spencer brothers, and according to him, they changed his life with a few choice words.
Brianna liked him, and when she was with him, she felt something she hadn’t felt in a long, long time. Lust. She brought the champagne glass to her lips and watched him throw his head back laughing at something one of the reporters said. Lord have mercy, that man is sexy. She didn’t know how the evening would end, but she knew if he invited her back to his place for a nightcap, she wouldn’t refuse.
“Enjoying the party?” Ryan asked, coming up beside her.
“What was that?” Forcibly drawing her attention away from her hot cowboy, she saw the tight expression on Ryan’s face and blushed. If there was one thing he hated, it was being ignored. She giggled and nudged him in the ribs, hoping to lighten the mood. “Sorry, I guess I was a little distracted.”
“No kiddin’.” He brought a beer bottle to his lips and his eyes tracked Clint’s every move, almost as though he hoped to find fault with him. “You haven’t taken your eyes off him all night.”
She didn’t want people to think she had a case of hero worship, like so many of the other women who’d thrown themselves at her date all evening. “That’s not true.” Or was it? With the alcohol lowering her inhibitions, had she said or done something to embarrass herself?
“Tell it to someone who doesn’t know you as well as I do.”
Brianna was surprised by his sharp tone. Ryan was the fun, easy-going brother. He was the life of the party. It was Evan who was often accused of taking himself too seriously. “What’s your problem tonight?”
“I don’t have a problem.”
She knew he was lying from the way he kept clenching and unclenching his jaw as he stared at Clint. “Yes, you do. Now are you gonna tell me what it is or do I have to guess?”
He looked down at her and said, “I can’t believe you still haven�
��t got a clue.”
Trying not to be offended that he’d basically implied she was clueless, she said, “Are you gonna give me a hint?”
“Not this time.” He shoved his hand into his pocket and brought the beer bottle to his lips again.
Brianna looked at him a long time, and for the first time, she felt like she was seeing Ryan Spencer, the man that made women do a triple take when he walked down the street. At well over six feet, most underwear models would be envious of his body. She knew how honed it was because they’d often hit the streets to jog together when neither of them felt like being confined to a gym for their workout. But it wasn’t his physique that drew women in; it was those mischievous light blue eyes, such a contrast to his black hair and olive complexion. He always looked amused, as though he knew a joke the rest of the world didn’t. Except now. The flash of white teeth that seemed a constant was hidden behind a rare scowl.
“Come on, Ry,” she said, leaning her shoulder into his arm. “Don’t be like that. We’re here to have fun, right?”
He looked down at her and searched her face. “Are you havin’ fun?” His eyes settled on her mouth. “With him?”
Confused by the intense way he was looking at her, she felt compelled to break the eye contact, but couldn’t. “Yeah, sure. Aren’t you having fun with… what’s her name? The party planner?”
“She’s not my date.” He still didn’t take his eyes off her when he moved in front of her to block her sight of the man she’d been watching. The music slowed to a familiar country ballad and he offered his hand. “Would you like to dance?”
She tried to look around him to see if Clint was making his way toward them, but Ryan’s shoulders effectively blocked her view. “Sure, why not?” They’d danced together dozens of times over the years. Her date knew Ryan was one of her best friends; surely he wouldn’t mind.
Chapter Three
Ryan held Brianna in his arms as she laid her head on his shoulder, and he allowed himself to get caught up in the fantasy that she was his. He imagined she was there as his date, looking at him the way he’d caught her looking at Clint when she thought no one was looking. He’d been fortunate; pain and suffering hadn’t been a big part of his life, until now.
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