What Might Have Been: Daniels Brother #4 (Daniels Brothers)

by Sherri Hayes

  “What do you mean by unfinished?”

  “Trent I don’t—”

  Their server walked up to the table with a plate of wings and placed it in front of them. “Can I get you anything else right now?”

  “I think we’re good.” The last thing Trent wanted was for Abby to find some reason not to continue. He needed to know what this unfinished business was with his brother. Trent needed to know if he had any type of a chance with her.

  Alone once more, Trent picked up a wing and motioned for her to do the same. She grabbed one and twirled it between her fingers before taking a bite.

  “I’m sorry if I’m being pushy. I don’t mean to be.”

  “It’s okay.” She looked sad and he didn’t want that.

  He wiped the sauce from his fingers and reached across the table to place his hand over hers. “You’ve known me for a long time.”

  She nodded, but the melancholy look didn’t leave her features. He needed to chase it away.

  “You know when I want something, I tend to go after it. Even if it’s not the smartest thing to do.”

  The side of Abby’s mouth tipped up a little. “Like that frog.”

  Trent chuckled. It had been years since he’d thought about that. They’d been about ten. He’d caught sight of a huge frog and decided he had to catch it and bring it home. It had taken him over two hours and he’d ended up covered in mud up to his waist, but he’d done it. “Exactly like that.”

  A full smile bloomed on her face. He loved seeing her happy. He always had.

  “I need to tell you something.” It was time to put his cards on the table.

  She swallowed. “Okay.”

  “Back in high school, I had a huge crush on you.”

  She glanced down, a blush staining her cheeks.

  “I didn’t act on it back then because . . . well, because I was young and stupid. And then Chris made his move and you seemed happy with him, so I stepped aside.”

  “Very noble of you,” she mumbled so low he almost didn’t hear her.

  He ignored it and continued on. “If you tell me you still have feelings for my brother or someone else, I’ll back off, but I still feel that same pull toward you now that I did back then. The difference is that I’m not a confused kid anymore.”

  There was no way she could mistake his meaning. He turned her hand over and began tracing circles on the inside of her wrist.

  Abby stared back at him for what felt like forever. “I don’t still have feelings for Chris. I haven’t for a long time.”

  A feeling of relief washed over Trent. “Good.”

  She pulled her hand back. He could have forced the issue, but decided to let her go.

  “Am I coming on too strong?” he asked.

  Abby shook her head. “It’s not that.”

  “Then why did you pull away? Do you not see me in that way? Am I still like a little brother in your eyes?”

  “I never saw you like that,” she said. “Not really. You were my best friend in high school.”

  He grinned and went back to eating his lunch. It was progress and he’d take it. While he still wanted to know what had happened between her and Chris, he was willing to let it go for now.

  “I still don’t know if you and I getting involved is a good idea.”

  He stopped mid bite. “Why?”

  “What happens when I move back to New York?” she asked.

  “Is that happening soon?” Given what he knew, Trent didn’t think it was.

  Abby took a drink before answering. “No. I think we’re going to be here a while. Max isn’t going to want to leave as long as his family needs him.”

  “So why are you worrying about something that could be in the distant future?”

  She ate in silence for several minutes. “I’ve always been a planner. You know that. It’s just how I am.”

  “Let’s make a deal, all right? No worrying about what the future may hold. No worrying about my brother or even my family. All I want is to spend time with you—get to know the woman you are today.”

  Abby raised a single eyebrow.

  “You doubt me?”

  Trent made sure to inject enough astonished disbelief into his voice that Abby laughed.

  “You don’t give up, do you?”

  “Nope. So you should just give in now and agree.” He flashed her a smile that in the past had served him well when it came to the opposite sex.

  “I’m not sure what I’m agreeing to.”

  “To spending time with me, of course.”

  He waggled his eyebrows back and forth, making her giggle.

  “Fine. We can spend some time together.”

  “Outside of work,” he clarified.

  Abby rolled her eyes. “Okay. We can spend time outside of work, if that will make you happy.”

  “It will. It does.”

  With that settled, they went back to eating their lunch. It was comfortable and he enjoyed the simplicity of it.

  It wasn’t until their server had cleared their plates that Trent brought up dinner at his parents’ again. “What about Sunday dinner? Will you come with me?”

  “Come with you, or with you?”

  He shrugged as if the distinction didn’t matter. As far as he was concerned, it didn’t. He just wanted her there.

  She leveled a pointed stare in his direction. “That doesn’t answer the question.”

  Trent slid out of the booth and offered her his hand. She took it but he didn’t miss the look she gave him either.

  Taking Abby home as his date would be a clear message to his family, including Chris, that he was serious about her. Then again, it would also get his parents’ hopes up. At one point in time, they were sure Abby would be an official member of the family. “Why don’t we play it by ear? I mean we haven’t even gone on a first date yet.”

  “A date?” She looked nervous again.

  Trent placed a hand on her lower back as they walked out into the parking lot. “Did you miss that whole conversation we had back at the restaurant? I want us to spend time together.”

  “Yes, but I didn’t realize you meant you wanted us to go out on a date.”

  He opened the passenger door and waited for her to get inside. “What did you think I meant?”

  “I don’t know.” She looked a bit lost.

  Trent reached for her hand again and brought it up to his lips. He waited until she met his gaze. She seemed so unsure of herself, which wasn’t like the Abby he used to know. “Go out with me on Friday night. Let me show you a good time?”

  “What if it doesn’t go well?” she asked.

  “Are you questioning my ability to show you a good time?”

  She grinned. “No.”

  “So is that a yes?” he asked as he rubbed his thumb along the inside of her wrist. Trent knew he was playing dirty, but he’d waited so long for his chance with her.

  Abby closed her eyes and nodded.

  His day might not have started under the best of circumstances, but his week was definitely looking up.

  Chapter 6

  Abby had no idea what she’d been thinking, agreeing to go on a date with Trent. The two of them getting close again wasn’t a good idea. Yet she hadn’t been able to say no. That, apparently, hadn’t changed either. Even as kids, he’d been able to talk her into doing things she wouldn’t normally do.

  She’d picked up her phone at least a dozen times since he’d dropped her off at her car on Monday, ready to tell him she’d changed her mind. But every time she started to dial the number, something would stop her. She had to be a glutton for punishment.

  So instead of calling him like she knew she should, Abby did her best to ignore the pending date on her calendar. She went about her day, taking care of things for Max and trying to get through the boxes of paperwork that never seemed to end.

  Her efforts at avoidance were going well until Thursday morning rolled around. She pulled up to the office, parked her car, and b
egan walking toward the building. A man was shoveling mulch into a wheelbarrow not far from the walkway. She didn’t think much of it until he turned to the side and she got a glimpse of his face. It was Trent.

  Abby thought maybe she’d be able to sneak by without him seeing her, but luck wasn’t on her side. He looked up right as she passed. Their gazes met and she seemed unable to move. His hair was in complete disarray from the work he was doing and his shirt was already clinging to his body from the heat of the day. It was one of the sexiest sights she’d ever seen.

  A slow smile lit up his face. He knew she was checking him out.

  Before she could do something to embarrass herself, Abby forced herself to look away and raced inside. Her face heated as she hurried toward the elevators. She could only imagine what was going through his head after she’d stood there ogling him.

  It was useless to try and deny that she was attracted to him. On some level, she’d always been. When they were younger, they’d had a special connection. If she was honest with herself, Abby knew that if Trent had asked her out back when they were teenagers, she would have said yes.

  But as he’d pointed out, he wasn’t a kid anymore and the feelings he was evoking within her were anything but childlike.

  Like the coward she was, Abby had lunch delivered in case Trent was still working out front. She sat in Max’s office, catching up on what was happening with his dad. Hearing that the doctors were suggesting the family talk to a hospice helped to cool her libido. Max might live six hundred miles away from his parents, but they were still close. It was one of the reasons it had hurt Max so much to find out about his dad’s illness. Now he had to face the reality that his father would most likely die in the not-too-distant future.

  What Max was dealing with made her problems seem small and insignificant. She almost felt guilty for fretting so much about Trent and his family when Max had so much on his plate.

  On her drive home that night, Abby decided to take a detour. With all the talk of family, she was missing her dad. He’d been gone for over ten years, but there were times when she could still feel him with her.

  Abby turned down the familiar street and followed it for several miles until she saw the blue and black sign of the shooting range her father used to take her to. She found a parking spot and went inside. The place felt familiar, even after all this time.

  She walked up to the counter, already scanning the guns in the case. Since she lived in New York City, she didn’t own a firearm anymore. Gun laws there were beyond strict and she’d had no desire to jump through all the hoops one had to go through in order to purchase a firearm, so she’d have to rent one.

  “How can I help you?” the man behind the counter asked.

  “I’d like to rent a 9mm and some range time.”

  “Sure.” He reached behind him, and then placed a form in front of her. “Fill this out, and I’ll need a valid driver’s license. You said a 9mm?”

  “Yes, please.” It used to be her favorite to shoot.

  The man nodded and left her to complete the paperwork.

  Twenty minutes later, Abby was standing in front of a paper target. The gun felt good in her hands as she clicked the magazine in place and racked the slide. She took aim and fired the first shot, then another. As the bullets hit the target, Abby felt some of the tension leave her body. This was exactly what she’d needed.

  Abby went home that evening feeling a lot more relaxed. Unfortunately, when she woke up the next morning all her anxiety had returned. It was Friday, which meant her date with Trent was only hours away.

  When she arrived at work that morning, she did her best to keep busy. Max was working on something with accounting, so at least she didn’t have to explain to him why she was so jittery.

  She was shutting down her computer at the end of the day when Max called her into his office. Abby grabbed her notebook in case he needed her to write something down, and made her way into his office.

  Max motioned for her to take a seat. “I wanted to talk to you.”

  “I gathered that.” She smirked as she lowered herself into the chair. Max intimidated a lot of people, but she knew him too well. He was a teddy bear under that tough exterior.

  He grinned. “We’ve been so busy this week, I feel like we haven’t talked about anything except for work and my family.”

  “Both of which are important.”

  “Yes, but I dragged you halfway across the country. Away from your life. And I’ve pretty much abandoned you.”

  “I’m a big girl, Max. I don’t need a babysitter.”

  “I know. I didn’t mean to suggest that.” He ran a hand through his hair in apparent frustration. “I just wanted to know how you’re adjusting. Are you getting settled into your apartment? Do you need anything?”

  “I’m fine. Really. You have enough to worry about.”

  He swallowed and she knew something was coming. “What about Daniels? I know you spent a lot of time with him on Monday. And I saw him working out front yesterday.”

  The last thing Abby wanted to do was talk to Max about Trent.

  Max sighed, pushed back from his desk, and stood. “We haven’t spent any time together outside of work since we’ve been here. What do you say we go grab a pizza and talk about anything other than work?”

  “I can’t. I have plans.”

  “What kind of plans?” he demanded.

  Abby stood and shot him a look.

  When he realized what he’d done, he tucked his head down sheepishly. “Sorry. I didn’t mean it to sound like that.”

  She knew he’d been under a lot of stress lately. “It’s okay. I forgive you.”

  Abby moved toward the door, and Max followed. He placed his hand on her arm before she could step out into the hallway. “Promise me you’ll be careful with Trent Daniels, okay?”

  Shock crossed her face. “How did y—”

  “If you had plans with anyone else, you would have told me.” His tone was one of resignation.

  Max’s parting comment stayed with her on her drive home. He was right. If it had been anyone but Trent, she would have told him. Max was her best friend. She told him everything.

  The problem was Max knew what had happened with Chris. He knew how much it had messed her up and he was afraid she’d get hurt again even though what had happened wasn’t Chris’ fault. That didn’t seem to matter to Max and he was transferring his irritation onto Trent. Abby understood. She was as nervous about whatever was going on with Trent as Max was. But making Trent pay for something he had no part in wasn’t fair either.

  After parking her car in front of her apartment, she pressed her hand to her stomach. It was flat now. The baby that had been inside still haunted her dreams when she least expected it.

  She took a cleansing breath and made her way inside. Dwelling on the past wouldn’t do her any good—especially tonight. She had to get ready for her date.

  Two hours later, there was a knock on her door. Abby crossed her small living room and went to answer it. She placed her hand on the knob and steadied herself. You can do this.

  Seeing him standing there in dark jeans and a short-sleeve button-down shirt, Abby almost forgot to breathe. He’d left the top two buttons open and she could see the movement of his throat as he swallowed. Was he nervous, too?

  “Wow. You look amazing, Abby.”

  She’d tried to keep it simple with a yellow sundress. It wasn’t anything special, but it was far removed from what she wore to work. Living and working in New York, she had to present herself as professional and confident at all times. Looking feminine wasn’t always an advantage. Tonight she looked like a woman. She wasn’t hiding behind layers of fabric. It was just her—take it or leave it.

  The look in Trent’s eyes said he liked what he saw, which gave her some confidence.

  “Thank you. You don’t look half bad yourself.”

  Trent took a step forward, his eyes dark and full of heat.

  She
felt a little lightheaded as he stared down at her. In that moment, everything else faded away. He parted his lips and her gaze was drawn to them.

  Trent leaned down and covered her mouth with his.

  His lips were so soft. They moved gently over hers, and before Abby could contemplate the consequences, she reached for him. It felt like a lifetime ago since she’d felt desire like this racing through her veins.

  Abby tangled her fingers in his hair, needing to get closer. He responded by wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her flush against his chest. She could feel his heat radiating through his clothing and hers.

  Trent rested his forehead against hers, his breathing labored. He hadn’t let her go and to be honest, she didn’t want him to. Being in his arms felt right.

  She looked into his eyes. They were even darker than before and full of emotion. It made her throat tighten and her chest clench. She knew that look. Even still, she couldn’t bring herself to back away.

  “I’ve wanted to do that since you came home after spending the summer away at camp,” Trent whispered.

  She remembered that day. “Why didn’t you?”

  He ran his hands up and down her back before resting them on her hips. It put some space between them and she wasn’t sure she liked that. He placed a single kiss on her lips, and then guided her over to his truck.

  Opening the passenger side door, he waited until she was situated inside before he answered her question. “I was young and scared.” He cupped the side of her face with his hand and she couldn’t help but lean into it. “I’m not a kid anymore . . . and I know what I want.”

  Abby was still trying to come to terms with what he’d said as he pulled out onto the highway. There’d been no need for him to finish his thought. The implication was clear. He was going to go after what he wanted, and what he wanted was her.

  ***

  Trent probably shouldn’t have kissed her. He knew that. It had been pure instinct. He saw her standing there all pretty and perfect, and he couldn’t resist.

  On his way to her apartment, he kept reminding himself that he needed to take things slow. Abby had been reluctant to agree to the date in the first place. He didn’t want to scare her off.