“Okay,” he finally said. “What time should I pick you up?”
“Actually, I’ll just meet you there. I need to go really early, to set up and all that. No sense you choking in that bow tie any longer than necessary.”
She thought he’d laugh at that last line, but he didn’t. Not even a chuckle. She couldn’t help but feel bad for treating him that way. After all, the guy had taken care of her and put her to bed. But another part of her, the part that felt embarrassed and rejected, knew a clean break was exactly what she needed. She’d see him at the engagement party, but even there she’d be able to avoid him for the most part. She nearly laughed at the irony. She’d asked Brody to take her so she wouldn’t spend the entire night working, and now it was that same job that would save her from awkward moments with him. No doubt he’d be surprised by that as well, but he’d get over it. Brody Dixon was a big boy, one who could have anything and anyone he wanted. She’d made it clear she was his for the taking, and he’d taken a hard pass. His bruised ego or hurt feelings wouldn’t last long. Rebecca, on the other hand, knew deep down that a part of her would never be the same.
Brody hung up the phone.
Rebecca was pissed. Or hurt. Or maybe both. For sure she was embarrassed, that much was clear by the way she’d looked as she made a beeline for his front door. He’d wanted to stop her, to tell her she didn’t have anything to feel bad about. But instead, he’d stood there like a dumbass while she left. He’d started to dial the phone at least a dozen times, but each time he’d ended the call before it began, if for no other reason than he had no idea what to say.
It was obvious she’d been looking for a walk on the wild side, and six weeks ago, he would have jumped at the chance. But things were different now. He was different. And a drunken roll in the sack wasn’t what he wanted. Not with Rebecca. With her, for the first time in his life, Brody wanted more.
That didn’t mean his dick wasn’t still cursing him for doing the honorable thing. Christ, he’d wanted her. But not like that. Brody cared too much about Rebecca to risk hurting her, and he could never live with himself if all he became to her was a symbol of regret. Which was why instead of joining her in that king-size bed, he’d tucked her in alone, and after watching her sleep for far longer than he would ever admit, grabbed a pillow and headed to the couch.
There was something else holding him back as well. Cole. He had to clear the air with him first. It was the right thing to do. And while it would be a bit awkward in the beginning, if it was what Rebecca wanted, then her brother would just have to get over it.
Chapter Twenty
Of all the weeks for Cole to have an emergency in China. The guy had been gone since their evening at The Troll, and while Brody felt bad about whatever emergency had sent him jetting off in the middle of the night, he had an agenda of his own. One that had ground to a screeching halt while he waited to speak to his friend.
Brody knew he could have called him—an option which would have ensured Cole didn’t take a swing at him—but that felt like a cop-out. There were some conversations that had to be face-to-face, and telling your buddy that you have feelings for his sister was definitely one.
Instinctively, his thoughts went to Rebecca. They’d only exchanged a brief hello when he’d arrived at the engagement party and even that was awkward as hell. Not that he should have been surprised. It was the first time they’d seen each other since the night she’d spent in his bed. Alone. He’d wanted to talk to her about it right then and there, but within seconds of saying hello, a guy with a headset in his ear and the fear of God in his eyes had approached with some shrimp emergency that required her immediate attention. Just as well. A conversation that started with putting her mind at ease over that infamous night would have ended with him telling her how he felt, and as much as he wanted to do just that, there was still the matter of her brother.
Brody scanned the main room for Cole but came up empty. The place was packed with partygoers and looked nothing like he remembered. He’d only been to the Shedd Aquarium on one other occasion, and while most of that time had been spent in the area restricted to staff, even he knew the transformation of the venue was nothing short of extraordinary. Brody had been to plenty of black-tie events and formal banquets over the course of his career, but none of them looked like this. Rebecca had turned the place into a cross between an elegant home and a hip club.
He set off in search of his friends, making his way through the various exhibits, each featuring a different theme, food, and decor. The Caribbean reef area was his favorite, arranged with overstuffed velvet couches and plush rugs, all lit by the ambient glow of the floor-to-ceiling tank.
“Would you care for a cocktail, sir?” a waitress asked. She was carrying a tray of miniature martini glasses, each filled with a variety of fruity looking drinks matching the bright colors of the tropical fish.
“No thank you,” he said.
She flashed him a welcoming smile. “Let me know if there’s anything else you need.” Brody knew exactly what she was getting at, and while there’d been a time when he would have taken her number, or maybe even dragged her off to a dark corner, he had other plans for his night.
“Actually…”
She turned back, her blond ponytail swinging from the quick change in direction.
“Do you happen to know where the guests of honor are?” If he found Cassie, he’d probably find Olivia too. And wherever Olivia was, Cole was sure to be close by.
“Oh…” she said. Her disappointment was impossible to miss. Brody actually felt bad. He hadn’t meant to give her the wrong idea. “Um, I think they’re in the Oceanarium.”
Brody flashed her a warm smile he hoped conveyed appreciation and nothing else, then set off for the Oceanarium. When he walked through the doors, his heart sank. The place was a goddamn maze. The glass enclosure soared several stories high, with walkways that twisted and turned through an indoor forest. From the raised platform entrance, he could see all the way to the rear of the exhibit, where a breathtaking view of Lake Michigan made the dolphin tank look like nature’s version of an infinity pool. Lord only knew how many exhibits he’d have to pass before he made it there.
He grabbed a bottle of craft beer from a waiter who made a point to tell him the brew came from the Pacific Northwest, same as the sea lions barking up a storm in the tank ahead, then started his expedition. Turned out the entire place was set up that way, with each exhibit featuring a food and beverage native to the same area as the animals. He’d had quite an eclectic assortment of snacks by the time he reached the white-sided dolphins and beluga whales but had struck out in his attempt to locate Cole.
There was only one place left to check—the main hall. It wasn’t hard to find. All he had to do was follow the music. Stately columns flanked the entrance, but once inside, the room was anything but what he expected. Instead of endless tables where guests spent the bulk of the evening trapped with the same group of people, Rebecca had designed the room with mingling in mind. Food stations ranging from prime rib to Alaskan crab ran along the outer edge of the room, while high-top tables wrapped in cascades of sheer fabrics offered guests a place to congregate. In the dim lighting, the tables reminded him of the large, iridescent jellyfish he’d seen floating through one of the larger tanks. He’d bet the first coin toss of the season that had been intentional.
At the far end of the hall, a band played to a crowded dance floor. That was where he eventually found Cole, twirling his wife with an ease that made Brody wonder if Rebecca had dragged him to Miss Vicky’s studio too. In her flowing pink gown, Olivia looked like a fairy princess. Of course, the real princess—or at least she would be soon—was on the dance floor as well. She was wearing a white dress, which seemed fitting considering she was the bride-to-be. But as lovely as those two women were, they paled in comparison to the one he longed to see above all the rest.
When the song came to an end, Olivia and Cassie hightailed it to the corridor leading to the res
trooms, while Cole headed straight for the bar. Perfect, Brody thought. A little liquid relaxation for Cole and a little liquid courage for him.
“Put it on my tab,” Brody told the bartender as he walked up beside Cole.
Cole cut his eyes at him. “You’re awfully generous when it’s an open bar.” Brody knew he was teasing. A lot could be said about Brody Dixon, some of it less than flattering, but no one would ever accuse him of being cheap.
“Anything for you, my friend.” Brody clapped a hand on Cole’s shoulder. “In fact,’” he said to the bartender, “make it a double.”
The guy smiled as he handed Cole a hefty pour of amber liquid. “And for you, sir?”
“I’ll have the same,” Brody said. He had no idea what he’d just ordered, but knowing Cole, it was top-shelf.
“Two fingers of Blanton’s,” the bartender said as he set a squat crystal glass on the bar. Whoa, even better than he’d expected. Leave it to Hank to host a party that served a hard-to-find bourbon even most bars couldn’t stock. Then again, the guy did have his own country.
The two men turned away from the bar, standing side by side as they watched partygoers ebb and flow across the dance floor.
“How was Shanghai?” Brody asked. It was a chickenshit attempt to buy himself some time.
“Humid as fuck.” Cole took a drink of his bourbon. “But successful.”
Brody swirled his glass, then gulped a drink he would normally sip. It wasn’t that he was avoiding the topic of Rebecca, he just had no idea how to bring it up.
Fortunately for him, Cole did. Unfortunately for him, it was to reinforce his position that his sister was off-limits.
“I’m sorry if I came off as a dick the other night,” he said.
“No, I get it,” Brody said. And he did. If he had a sister, he would have posted at her door with a shotgun if that’s what it took to keep the assholes away. “But I promise you, it’s not what you’re thinking.” He turned to face his friend, who’d made a sizable dent in his bourbon, something Brody hoped would work to his advantage. Then again, if he beat around the bush too long, even a mellow buzz could take a bad turn. Still, he had to tread carefully.
“Rebecca is amazing,” he began. It was an oversimplification to be sure, but also the word that came to mind whenever he thought of her. “She’s smart and funny and even though at times it seems like her favorite hobby is busting my balls…”
Cole smiled, but the expression didn’t reach his eyes. Time to get real.
Brody took a deep breath. “I really like her, Cole.”
Cole paused with his drink in midair, regarding Brody over the rim of his glass before taking a long, slow pull. “I can understand why,” he said, then drained the remaining bourbon. “And…” He took his time, leaving Brody dangling in the wind as he set the empty glass on a passing waiter’s tray. “Even though I’ll deny I ever said this, I can even understand why my sister might have fallen for…what did TMZ call it? Ah yeah, ‘the Dixon Dimple.’” Cole chuckled, and for a moment, Brody thought they were making progress. But the lighthearted moment was quickly dashed by the furrow that formed between his brows.
“But my sister’s been through hell, and remission is a fucking gift. She’s finally put her life back in order. Last thing she needs is—”
“Wait, what?” Brody was sure he’d misheard him. “Did you say remission?”
Cole couldn’t hide his surprise. “She didn’t tell you?”
“No.”
He gave a tight nod. “Cancer. She fought it for two years. Only recently got a clean bill of health.”
That would explain the short hair, Brody thought.
“So just back off, man. Seriously.”
Brody was too stunned to form a coherent thought, let alone reply.
Olivia walked up. Her hand was resting on top of her now very visible baby bump. “I hate to say this, but I think I need to put my feet up.”
“This isn’t another attempt to spirit me away, so my sister can get blackout drunk, is it?” He cut his eyes at Brody.
“Don’t look at me,” he said. “I only did one shot with her.”
“I’m very well aware of the nymph responsible for that evening,” Cole said, shifting his gaze to his wife.
“How did you…” Olivia started to ask. It was something Brody wondered as well, along with exactly how much Cole knew about that night. Whatever he knew, it clearly didn’t include the assumption that Brody had slept with his sister. If it had, the conversation would have taken on a much different tone, one punctuated by more than a few expletives, if not a black eye.
Cole pulled his wife into his arms. “Oh, baby, when will you learn? I know everything.”
Olivia’s mouth popped open and her eyes grew wide, but her expression quickly gave way to a teasing grin. “Well, you better wipe that smug look off your face, or the only thing you’re going to know is what it’s like to sleep in the guest room.”
He dropped his lips to her ear. “You know it makes me horny when you talk like that.” Brody could have sworn he heard the guy growl. “Let’s go.”
“I want to say goodbye to Rebecca.”
Brody followed Olivia’s gaze as she searched the room, only to find Rebecca deep in conversation with the chef. He’d seen her when he first arrived, but the sight of her took his breath away all over again. He’d never seen her so “done up.” Her dark hair was styled in loose curls around her face, her eyes were smoky, and her lips were a flawless red. A perfect match to the fan-fucking-tastic red dress that hugged every curve. It was all he could do to tear his greedy eyes away.
“She’s busy,” Cole said, taking his wife by the hand.
“Will you tell her we said goodbye and that I will call her in the morning?” Olivia asked. Cole began tugging her toward the door. “And that it was a lovely evening.”
“Now,” Cole said. His voice was deep and commanding, and it stopped his wife in her tracks. Brody expected Olivia to shoot back with a sassy reply, but instead her face flushed and her teeth nipped her bottom lip. Yeah, forget going home. These two were never going to make it out of the limo.
Brody laughed and shook his head as his friends made a break for it. Marriage wasn’t something he ever really thought about—aside from knowing that one day he wanted a house full of kids—but when the time did come to settle down, he hoped his relationship with his wife would be like Cole and Olivia’s. They gave each other hell, loved each other fiercely, and couldn’t keep their hands off each other.
Speaking of wandering hands…
Brody’s eyes instinctively sought out the woman who’d occupied his near every thought for the last six days. Oh, who was he kidding? She’d been at the forefront of his mind since the day he’d met her. But something had changed since then. She was no longer the mystery woman who’d caught his interest. And she certainly wasn’t some chick he was hitting on at a party. To him, she wasn’t even Cole’s sister. She was simply Rebecca.
His Rebecca.
Finding out she’d been sick only made him more determined to tell her how he felt. Life was short—something people forgot far too often. The thought of losing her made him feel sick to his stomach. But it also made him want to cherish every moment with her, and to do that, he had to stop wasting even a single one. Cole would just have to deal with it. Hell, Brody would enlist Olivia’s help if need be, but no amount of well-intentioned, though misguided, brotherly love was going to keep him from the woman who’d stolen his heart.
Chapter Twenty-One
Rebecca had no idea what she’d been thinking when she agreed to Hank and Cassie’s stipulation that she bring a date to the party. Didn’t matter if the guests of honor were her friends, if she was planning the party, then she was on duty. Period. As expected, she hadn’t had a free moment to even go to the bathroom, much less chat up a date. She’d barely managed to tell Brody a quick hello when she saw him coming through the aquarium’s white marble entrance.
&nbs
p; The whole thing had been a bad idea from the start, for so many reasons. Not that Brody seemed to mind being neglected. There were plenty of folks lining up to keep him company. Speaking of Chicago’s new favorite son…
Rebecca scanned the room looking for him. She half expected to find him cornered by a bevy of beauties who, when they realized Henry was the only prince in attendance, would happily settle for sports royalty. But when she finally found him, he wasn’t surrounded by women flipping their hair and giggling at jokes they didn’t understand. Instead, he was holding court with a group of men, who despite being dressed in tuxedos, looked like a bunch of kids meeting their idol outside the locker room door. Honestly, Rebecca thought, what was it about professional athletes that reduced grown men to nine-year-olds?
The dudes-only club didn’t last long. Within minutes, a group of women joined them. But as she watched Brody surrounded by flirting females and awestruck fans, it wasn’t jealousy she felt but annoyance. Because he was so much more than a handsome face or a golden arm. And he was definitely more than a bank account. He was Brody James Dixon. He was kind and generous and funny and had a lust for life that was infectious. Rebecca had never met anyone like him, and it had nothing to do with his ability to throw touchdowns.
As if feeling her stare, he glanced up and, after excusing himself from the fans who had formed a circle around him, made his way toward Rebecca. She tried to look away, but it was no use. Brody had his gaze locked on hers, and the closer he came, the more she felt herself begin to dissolve under the heat of his stare.
“You look amazing,” he said. His eyes traveled over her like a touch, exploring every inch.
Instinctively, she looked down at her dress. She’d given in and let Olivia buy her the extravagant gown back when she’d hoped the night would go much differently. When Rebecca had stood in front of the three-way mirror in the ridiculous Oak Street boutique Olivia and Cassie had dragged her to, she’d envisioned a night spent in Brody’s arms, both in and out of the suffocating dress, which even she had to admit made her look pretty freaking great.
Save the Date (Wild Wedding Series Book 3) Page 20