by K. F. Breene
“So,” Sean said as a woman dressed in black walked into the room with an opened bottle of wine.
“Oh shit!” Cassie snapped her fingers.
“Language, Cass,” Sean said automatically, waiting for her to go on.
She ignored him, making Jace grin.
“I got you guys some wine. Some of it might not be good—I stopped being able to taste it. I forgot it, though.”
“That’s because your memory is full of cheese.” Krista took an offered glass.
“Made out of cheese, dummy. The holey kind. You should come over and pick it out, though, before Kate comes over. She’ll take as much as she can.”
“I heard you met the friends,” Sean asked Jace.
“I did,” Jace answered, taking a glass of wine. Cassie took hers next with a grimace. “They’re a fun bunch. Crazy.”
“Yes. Loyal, though. They warmed up to you, I take it?”
Jace couldn’t help a smile. “The evening started with the third degree, but yes, they went through the steps and then started picking on Ben. Or each other. Or me.”
“Be thankful. I had long periods of time when they wanted to physically cause me harm. Kate probably would’ve pushed me off a cliff if she’d had her way. It wasn’t pretty.” Sean grimaced down at Krista.
“You deserved it,” she responded. She patted his leg.
Sean turned his attention back to Jace. “And your brother is Peter, I hear.”
“Yes. He’s the youngest of four. I’m the oldest.” Jace took a sip of his wine.
“I like Peter. He’s a good guy. You didn’t know he was gay, though, huh? How’d that go?”
Jace threaded his fingers in Cassie’s. “For me, fine. I’m not going to lie and say it wasn’t a shock—it was. I’m still getting used to it. My family, though…aren’t taking it so well. My brothers will come around, and my mom subscribes to unconditional love, but my dad…”
“Think he’ll come around?” Krista asked.
“I’m not sure. I think he’ll pretend to if everyone else is on board, but I don’t think he’ll ever really change his mind.”
Sean nodded and took a sip of his wine, questions bubbling behind those intelligent eyes. Jace just waited. “What is it you do?” Sean asked.
“I run a business that restores old cars and motorcycles. We have three garages in Texas, and I’ll be opening one here.”
“In Texas? How will you oversee that from here?” Sean asked, still studying him.
“I get the shop up and running, hire in a staff, get everything in a flow, train in a manager, and move on. It works better when the big bad boss isn’t around.”
“You know what?” Cassie said, letting go of Jace’s hand. “Why don’t you guys go for a walk around the house? Sean, you can grill Jace, and Jace can get pissed and punch you in the mouth so I don’t have to bother.”
“Good idea—“ Krista started pushing at Sean. “Go. And hopefully we can all chat together when you get back.”
Sean met Jace’s gaze, silently asking if that was a good idea. Jace nodded and stood. Let’s get the show on the road.
“I’ll show you around the house.” Sean waited for Jace to step closer before starting toward the foyer, and then turning left toward the back of the house, entering a long hall.
“She punch you in the stomach yet?” Sean asked in a light tone. He was friendly and cordial, amiable and polite, perfectly mannered without being stuffy. He seemed like a pretty cool guy, actually.
This was the guy everyone was so worried about? It didn’t seem to fit. Jace expected an asshole.
“Yeah.” Jace chuckled. “Randomly, too.”
“She’s violent. I used to beat the piss out of her. You know, as kids. She’d instigate and then I’d wrestle with her. All in fun. She’s an athlete, though, so it was good sport.”
“She said you practically raised her.” Jace noticed some of the same style paintings along the wall that Cassie had in her house. “These done by Ben?” Jace pointed to one that made him want to stop and stare with his mouth open at the swirling design.
“Yes. I snatch up as many as I can. He hates selling them, but I think he’s getting used to it.” They continued down the hall. “These are the back bedrooms. Not all that exciting.”
Sean led them to the back of the house and stopped by a window overlooking the backyard. A grill was set up with a great patio overlooking a breathtaking ocean vista. “Yeah. We didn’t have a great time of it as kids. I looked after her—tried to keep her out of trouble. Wish I’d done the same for myself.”
Sean spared him a troubled glance and turned away down a hall. “Would you need to move back to Texas?”
“No. I would need to travel back and forth occasionally to check up on everything, but they would be quick trips, in most cases. I have extremely competent managers.”
Sean led them up a flight of stairs to the second story. “You like her, I can see that. But it’s only been a short time.”
“Yes. Hopefully it’s just the beginning.”
They turned into a room hardly used. There was a large TV with some sort of game console set up. There was a love seat and gaming chair with a stool, and some small tables. Across the room was a computer, equipped with joystick. It was carpeted and comfortable, painted a bright yellow, had shelves and plenty of storage area, but nothing was in it.
On a bare wall hung a painting, the only piece of décor. Bursts of vivid and bold colors dotted seemingly random spots, but soft colors connected them in such a neat and flowing way Jace had to step closer to look. Completely chaotic, the colors ran around the canvas at the speed of a bullet, entrapping the eye and yanking it along. The painting evoked a deep but profound sort of feeling, comfortable and exciting at the same time.
“Ben did this?” he asked in a hush.
“Yes.” Sean stepped up beside Jace and surveyed the work. “Look, Jace, I’m going to be frank—I think I owe that to you. To her. I’ve babied my sister since she was a kid. If she asked me to cut her meat for her, I still would. I’m overbearing and suffocating in how I deal with her, and she’s gotten used to that. I love my sister. She’s my lifeline. She is the best sort of person on this earth. I got really lucky to go through my childhood hell with her. And in a way, I was intensely lucky I had someone to look after. It focused me. But I’m a realist—not many guys are willing to put in the time, even though they’ll be rewarded ten-fold. I won’t stand by and let my sister get stepped on.”
“I’ve often been described as pushy and suffocating myself.” Jace couldn’t seem to tear his eyes away from the painting.
“She also isn’t stellar with money. She’s incredibly smart--she probably would be if she tried, but…again, I can be suffocating. She lets me handle it.” Sean laughed. “It’s probably also laziness on her part. Regardless, I manage a lot of her affairs, and I will be a custodian for her large trust fund, which she’ll get next year.”
Sean took a breath and said, “This is not going to come out well, but we’ve had problems in the past with…people trying to cash in on my sister. Hell, I’ve had my fair share of women going after me for my money. It’s why I never told Krista about it until after I was sure. Be that as it may, I’m supposed to pass the rights of my sister’s trust fund over when she gets married, but if I don’t think her spouse is in it for the right reasons, I’ll work around that. I’m confident I can, and I’m equally as confident she’ll let me. She trusts me with her life, and I will always uphold that trust to the best of my ability. It’s not out of badness, man, but I have to look after my sister. Hope you can respect that if things continue on.”
Jace glanced at the man next to him and couldn’t help feeling a budding respect. There weren’t many men that would go to the lengths this guy did to ensure his sibling had the happiest life possible. He also knew this conversation was less about warning him away, or sizing him up, as it was about Sean admitting his guilt in Cassie having a harder time findi
ng love. Sean seemed to feel he was somewhat responsible for her loneliness.
Jace turned back to the painting. The guy was just doing what was right. Jace would’ve done the same thing in Sean’s situation. Everyone had been anxiety-ridden for something completely logical.
“I have a small fortune, only getting bigger. My ex was in it for the money. I tried to deny that as long as I could, but… I know where you’re coming from.”
“As long as we’re clear,” Sean said quietly as he studied the painting alongside Jace.
Jace couldn’t resist. “And I could give you a run for your money with investments. I know a guy.”
Sean coughed out a laugh. “The stock market is my bitch.”
They both chuckled and shared a quiet moment. Finally Sean said, “So you’re in this for the long haul, huh? She’s caught your eye?”
“Yes. And yes. I don’t jump in very quickly in most situations, and even though I am now, it doesn’t feel like it. It doesn’t feel like we’re rushing anything. My family loves her, I love her friends—we fit. This fits.”
“That painting is called Love and Chaos. Ben got the idea after he had a dream about Cassie. He started watching her then. Noticing her. She’s insane most of the time. Limitless energy, all over the place—but she has an extremely deep and caring heart. She loves hard and chaotically, and Ben decided that any man strong enough, and steadfast enough, to return that love would be in for a wild ride. You’re the only person to step in front of it like this and stare. That includes some of her other…male friends. The only one.”
Sean turned to Jace with that focused look. “I am extremely protective. I wasn’t kidding—I will not allow any harm to come to those I love.”
“I’ll take care of her.”
They held gazes until Sean finally cracked a smile. Just like that, his demeanor melted into a relaxed stance. “Good luck, man, you’re going to need it. If you ever have a problem figuring her out, talk to Krista.”
Jace couldn’t help a laugh. Sean matched it as he held out his hand. Jace took it, accepting Sean’s approval.
No more brick walls. He had the girl.
Hell, that wasn’t so bad. Jace had been harder on Cassie when he thought she was with Peter.
“You can have that painting, by the way,” Sean added. “If you’re anything like me, you’ll want it as close as its subject.”
Chapter 29
Cassie could barely breathe as she waited. Krista sat next to her silently, awaiting the judgment. Sean had taken a walk with all her boyfriends throughout her life. Every one. The guys that she’d tried to hide from him, he’d randomly show up and assess them without her knowing it. He was her protective big brother ‘til the last, and while sometimes it infuriated her, she’d always liked that he cared that much.
This was the first time she was terrified. Literally terrified.
“He’s going to let that painting be the judge, I bet,” Krista said quietly.
“So, if Jace doesn’t like Ben’s painting, he’s not good enough for me?” Cassie scoffed, wringing her hands.
“He’s solid, Cass. Sean’s going to like him. And you know Ben’s paintings after he has one of those feelings—that painting is totally you. He did a great job with it.”
“Yes, he did, and I love it. We all love it, but it’s not really a love defining thing, you know? It’s just a painting.”
“He’ll probably love it.”
“This is stupid.” Cassie got up with a flurry of anxious movement and stalked toward the sliding glass door. She pushed aside the curtain and looked out at the lengthening shadows. “I don’t care, Krista. I honestly do not care what Sean thinks about this one. I love him. I’m ridiculously comfortable with him, I trust him implicitly—I see a family in him. A good dad, a good husband. Sean can suck goats—I’m going to stick with Jace regardless, and I’ll burn that stupid painting if it causes a problem.”
“Cass—“
Cassie spun around at Sean’s disapproving voice. He walked into the room with a put-upon expression, but his gaze held a relieved twinkle. His bearing had relaxed and his shoulders dropped a bit—he approved! He approved of her choice!
A rush of intense joy and butterflies flooded her ribcage as Jace walked in a moment later. He had a twinkle in his eye and a faint grin. He winked. “I hope you don’t burn that painting—it’s the best of Ben’s I’ve seen.”
Her breath gushed out. She couldn’t help the beaming smile, or the quick footsteps toward him so she could throw her arms around his shoulders. “Oh thank God—I really didn’t like the prospect of years of dealing with a disappointed Sean.”
“You guys are going to have to get a bigger place, though,” Krista said, smiling at Sean as he sat beside her. “With all of Cassie’s personalities, and Jace’s size, there’s no way you’re going to fit in her place.”
Cassie couldn’t even spare her friend the eye roll Krista deserved. Instead, she cuddled close to Jace on the couch, her fingers entwined with his, her family in the room, and her life so sublimely happy she almost couldn’t stand it.
Epilogue
Jace stepped out of his truck with his computer bag in hand. He’d just finished setting up the new facility to his growing business and wanted nothing more than a cold beer and his spot on the couch next to his beautiful wife and new baby boy.
It had been three years since he’d met the love of his life, and he had never been happier than he was that day. And the day before. And the one before that. Even the sleepless nights didn’t get him down—he finally had what he’d wanted since adulthood— a loving wife to partner in their growing family.
He grabbed the mail on his way into their house, a place too large for their needs, but down the street from Sean and Krista, where Cassie insisted on living. Jace hadn’t minded the somewhat remote location at all—he and Sean had turned into great friends, often hitting the golf course together when the wives wanted some time on their own, or hanging out when they got bored.
Jace flipped through the bills and paused on a purple, square letter. His mom’s return address was in the corner. It must be the invite for their yearly meet up.
As Jace had suspected, his dad had never properly resigned himself to Peter’s being gay, but he did keep silent about it, making sure Peter knew that he was welcomed at the house. The next year Peter hadn’t invited Marcus, but the year after, he had. They’d stayed in a hotel, and being that Marcus was probably the most relaxed and easygoing guy in the world, he’d been an instant favorite with all the women, and often joined in the reindeer games with the guys. In other words, gay or not, he fit, and only their dad continued to be tight lipped about it.
Jace walked in the house and put his keys in the bowl by the door. He’d proposed to Cassie six months after they’d gotten together and they’d had the wedding in that winery they both loved. And while they’d had their fights, like any married couple, they tried to never go to bed angry. His love for Cassie had only intensified, each new year making them more solid than the one before. He was so damn thankful for finding her, he didn’t really know how to express it, other than to say he loved her constantly.
“Hon?” he called, hitting the kitchen first to grab a beer before going into the living room.
He stopped dead with what he saw, his chest getting a warm feeling. Cassie lay on the couch, their baby son on her chest. The sun sprinkled in the windows as both mommy and baby slept, so beautiful and peaceful. Angelic.
A smile on his face, something moved deeply in his chest. He took a step closer and stared down at them, his fantasy having finally come true. He had everything he wanted, and he knew it would only get better from here.
The End
~*~*~*~
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Lost and Found:
On the tail-end of her ex-boyfriend crashing through a restraining order and putting her in the hospital, Krista realizes that the only way to effectively escape her past is to put distance between it. She gets her life back on track in San Francisco with a job that has limitless potential.
Unfortunately, to achieve her dreams, she must brave the star of the company; a charming and handsome salesman that isn’t used to the word no. Krista tries to run from him at every turn, but his pull continually sucks her back in; her hesitancy to trust the only thing saving her from being another notch on a bedpost.
Sean never has to try with women. He's the type of guy to jump in with both feet, get bored, and sprint right back out. But when a geeky new hire stumbles through the company, befuddling him with a keen intellect he doesn’t expect, he starts to lose his way. Before he knows it, all his efforts are concentrated around trying to capture the interest of the only woman to run when he tries to deliver a line. As she opens up, so does he, landing him in a terrain as disconcerting as it is invigorating.
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