“Fuck no. Jesus Carmichael, would you just shut the hell up? You’re right, I need a beer.”
* * * *
Charlie didn’t like him. Flat out, there was something about Carmichael that he just didn’t like. He seemed like a know-it-all. He supposed they could have easily walked over to McCann’s but he didn’t want to walk with the man. He wanted to have his car and be able to make a fast getaway. He eyed the cellphone lying in his passenger seat. It had two new messages. When he looked, he saw that one was from Leif Johansen and another was from Sam Booth. He understood the one from Sam, but how in the hell had Leif gotten mixed up in this debacle?
He hit the steering wheel as he pulled into the parking spot at McCann’s. He knew he had to take his phone with him. He never knew when he would receive a work call, but he planned to ignore all the Brianna contingent. He saw that Zac had already grabbed a table when he got into the pub.
“Hey, Charlie,” Leo called out.
“Hi, Leo. Would you mind sending a couple of Hefeweizens over to the table?” Charlie asked as he jerked his head toward Zac.
“Sure thing.”
“How’s Jack?”
“They cleared him to fly, last week,” Leo said as he pulled down the glasses.
“What’s the word on Arnie?”
“Oh, he’s going down. It’s just a matter of time. He managed to find one of the most incompetent lawyers on the peninsula, and your surveillance tape has him shitting his pants.” Leo laughed.
“That’s great news.”
Charlie walked toward Zac who was watching the pool game in progress.
“You’re crazy, you know that, don’t you?” Charlie said as he sat down.
“Most likely. But I want to think through all of the options. This is too important not to carefully consider every angle.” Charlie felt every single one of the muscles in his neck and shoulders seize up. He pictured Brianna as he had left her seventy-two hours ago. God, she had been gorgeous, just so full of life, so…everything. She was absolutely everything. If he was honest with himself, and he prided himself in being honest with himself, he was more than halfway in love with her. He looked at the man sitting across from him, and saw his mirror. Poor bastard.
“You’re right, this is too important. She’s too important. I knew—” Charlie stopped. He needed to say this right. “Something was off. I knew it when I pulled her over that very first night. I planned to get to the bottom of it. I figured I still had seven more weeks.”
“Sam knows something, but he’s not saying.” That was news to Charlie. Olivia was in the dark. She sincerely believed that Charlie was responsible for Brianna wanting to leave. Olivia had been sure that she would be able to talk her sister into staying, but that he had screwed it up.
“How do you know Sam knows something? I thought you said he ripped you a new one?”
“Oh, he did. But only for accelerating her decision to leave, not for her ultimate decision to leave. That tells me that he knows something.” Carmichael was onto something. Yep, Sam knew something. Charlie had worked with him on an ugly child abuse case last year. He was a hell of a social worker, very perceptive. He wouldn’t be surprised that if Brianna were to talk to anyone in her family it would be Sam.
“So tell me why you came to this grand decision to offer Brianna a relationship with the two of us? I’d think that would scare her off in twice the time.”
“Charlie, I know how much she struggled with the fact that she really wanted both of us. And it wasn’t just physically wanting us, she cares about both of us.”
“Yeah, sure she does.” Charlie couldn’t really bring himself to believe that if she really cared about him, she would have jumped into bed with Zac.
“So basically you’re calling all the other women in this town, who are involved with two men, tarts?”
“God, no!”
“Well at least you’re not saying ‘fuck no’ anymore.”
“If Charlie’s not saying ‘fuck no’? Something must be wrong with him,” Leo Rafferty said as he set down two beers on the table. Charlie looked up at his friend who was grinning at him.
“Thanks.” Leo must have seen that something was wrong, because he clapped him on the shoulder as he left to go back to the bar.
“Zac, let me be really clear, I understand the ménage dynamic. I grew up here in Fate Harbor. Many of my friends had two dads. My mom and dad taught me that was perfectly acceptable. Gay, straight, ménage, I don’t give a shit as long as nobody gets hurt. I just want people to be happy and healthy. To tell you the truth, I’m hurt that Brianna went from my bed to yours, okay?”
“Look mate, I can see that. I really can. But I’m hurt that if she wasn’t going to leave town, she would most certainly have gone back to your bed, and that’s the truth of it.” Charlie felt a weight lift off his chest, and he could suddenly move his shoulders. He picked up his beer and took a sip.
“Well okay then.” Charlie didn’t even try to stop himself from grinning.
Charlie watched as Zac sipped his beer and pushed his coaster around. Now that he really looked at the man, he saw that he was as uncomfortable with the idea of sharing Brianna as he was. That actually made him feel a whole lot better.
Charlie finally asked, “Do you really think this has a shot of working? And if it does, what will it gain us?”
Zac continued to look down, as if all the answers in the world could be found in the coasters with the black and silver embossed McCann’s logo.
“I’m not sure, Charlie. I’m really not sure. But I have to try something. I can’t let her go. Especially when my gut tells me she’s in trouble.” Zac looked up at him. There was something compelling about the man. Maybe that was why Charlie had thought he was such an asshole at first.
Charlie could imagine the man as a doctor, as a healer, even if it was just with animals. That was partly what this was about. Partly. He was jealous. Luckily, this man was as far gone as he was.
He had to pull his head out of his ass. They didn’t have time for that kind of petty bullshit. God, the idea of Brianna just floating out there with no one, it killed him. What’s more, it made no sense. He had seen her at the wedding. She had been surrounded, and she had been in her element with her family. The idea of her willingly leaving left Charlie dumbfounded.
“Do you have any idea what’s going on with her, Zac?”
“I was going to ask you, because Sam isn’t talking.”
“Well, I’m not going to let her go, not without a fight. Olivia was right. She needs to stay here.” Charlie slammed down his beer glass. “She needs her family, and she needs us.” Fuck, his neck was beginning to tense up again. Zac grinned at him. “What are you grinning at, Carmichael?” Charlie demanded. He heard his voice, he knew he sounded belligerent, and he didn’t care. “I grew up with triads, they’re normal for me, how come you’re so accepting?”
“My best mate at University is in one. I’m Godfather to their daughter.” Zac’s eyes twinkled, and Charlie let out a laugh. “Of course, Rolf’s bi, so he, Brandon, and Sheila work it a little differently than we would, but live and let live. They’re happy and that’s what’s most important.”
“Leo, more beers,” Charlie shouted.
“Can you make mine a Guinness?” Zac asked when Leo looked up.
“Sure thing,” he called from across the room.
“So where is she? We know she isn’t with Sam and Chance, since Sam called me.” The man’s accent got really thick the madder or more frustrated he got. He wondered what he would sound like—
“What’s taking that beer so goddamn long?” Charlie shouted into his friend’s belly as he turned his head. Leo laughed as he put down the two beers and sat down next to Charlie.
“Who invited you to sit down, asshole? Do you have to sit so close?”
“Charlie, scoot over. My God, that redhead has you guys twisted up pretty damn bad, doesn’t she?” Leo’s teeth shone brightly against his short bro
wn beard.
“I’m not the one swearing or yelling,” Zac said mildly.
“You can see steam coming out of your ears from across the room. That is when you’re not brooding. Nor do you seem to be brooding over this big lug.” Zac pushed his beer away just as Charlie did his.
“Yeah, it’s Brianna. She’s missing, she intends to leave town tonight.”
“Then what the fuck are you two doing here?” Leo gaped at them.
“She doesn’t have any way to leave. I have her bike impounded, and Sam told her she can’t take his truck. She’s screwed without a vehicle,” Charlie said with no little satisfaction.
“Damn, Butch is going to take that real hard,” Leo said. “I know he and Betty have been dying to really spend some quality time with her. They raised her. Butch was in here a couple of nights ago with Chance and they were doing some reminiscing and her name came up a bunch. She sounded real special.”
“She is real special,” the two men said in stereo.
Leo held up his hands. “Hey guys, I didn’t say otherwise. Like I said from the beginning, that redhead has you both pretty twisted up.”
“It’s not her fault.” Charlie picked up his beer, and drank down half.
“I didn’t say it was her fault, big guy,” Leo said in a clearly placating tone of voice.
“Well good, because you shouldn’t.”
“If she were going to suddenly leave, do you think she would go visit with Butch and Betty?” Zac asked Leo.
“There isn’t a doubt in my mind.”
Zac picked up his wallet and handed Leo two twenties. “Keep the change.”
“Cool, I think I just got paid for information. I’m in the wrong line of business.” Charlie pulled one of the twenties out of Leo’s hands and gave it back to Zac.
“You fucking remember that you are only a pub owner. If you get into anything more dangerous like giving information, I will grind you into dust.” Leo’s face was suddenly devoid of laughter and charm.
“Are you accusing me of doing something illegal?”
“Jesus, are you out of your mind, Rafferty? What I am accusing you of is having some dangerous fucking hobbies. I don’t have a lot of real friends in this life, and you and your brother are two of them. I’ll be damned if I’ll stand around with a thumb up my ass and let you get hurt or worse because you think it’s fun and games.” Charlie watched as the younger man’s face went through another transformation. This time there was plenty of emotion, and it was directed at him. Leo was angry, but more than that, he had the look of Leif Johansen and Caleb Samuels, he looked like a very pissed trained warrior.
“Charlie, stay out of things that you don’t understand. You’re my friend. You’re Jack’s friend. I own a pub, he’s a seaplane pilot. What you see is what you get. You’re the one who seems to be about to fall victim to Fate Harbor’s water.” Charlie looked at Leo and saw determination, but also a plea. He was asking Charlie to leave things alone. That’s why the crack about the water.
“Fine. You’re right, you little shit. I knew I should have been drinking bottled water all of this time.” Charlie looked over at Zac, who had just raised his eyebrow. “According to many of the inhabitants, if you drink the water, you’re destined to become part of a triad.”
“I’ve seen you drink water out of the tap.” Zac nodded to Leo.
“Yep, Jack and I have never drunk bottled water, only good ole mountain spring water from around here. We intend to share when we find the right woman.”
“I’m fucking surrounded.” Charlie shook his head. “Get lost, Leo. Zac and I need to talk.” He watched as the other man sauntered back to the bar. Why had he never noticed just how well he moved, how he seemed to be so aware of his environment? Damn, Arnie is lucky twice over. First that he took Jack from behind, and second that Leo hadn’t been in the pub that night. Arnie would probably be dead otherwise.
Chapter 15
“We’ll support you whatever you decide, Brianna, you know that.” How often had she sat a dining room table with Butch by her side, and Betty sitting diagonally from her, holding her hands, reassuring her? She looked down at the ring on Betty’s finger. It was a small diamond with plain gold band. She remembered dreaming of those hands, when she had been little, and that ring when it got bad at her parent’s house. She would wish that she could go back and hold Betty’s hands, and eventually it would be so bad, somebody would come and get her and make her dreams come true, and she would be back at Butch and Betty’s house.
“But honey, we want you to stay. It’s really time for you to stop running. You’re really only running from yourself.” She looked at the man sitting beside her, his face filled with compassion.
“You know it is more than that.” She looked at him then over at Betty. Their love and understanding was finally too much so she looked down at their clasped hands. “I can’t put you through this. You didn’t go through this. You haven’t seen it up close and personal, but I have. I love you too much.”
“We love you too much to let you go through this alone.” Butch put his arm around her, forcing her head to lean against his shoulder. “You’re our daughter.”
“I’m his daughter, that’s my point.” She burrowed her face into his shirt. “Schizophrenia is an ugly disease, and it’s worse for the people who have to be around the person who has it. Trust me, I know.”
“Your dad didn’t manage his illness.”
“Honey, have you been to a doctor, have you been diagnosed?” Betty’s hands were so warm, so secure. She was surrounded by so much love and support.
“I don’t have to be, I know.” Brianna thought back to that day in Dallas five months ago.
“Are you hearing voices? Are you feeling out of touch with reality? Do you think people are out to get you? Do you think you have magical powers?” Betty asked every question in a quiet but firm tone and Brianna burst out laughing.
“Oh my God, Betty,” she said, still giggling. “How long have you been waiting to ask those questions?” She felt Butch’s shoulders shaking.
“Honey, she’s been reading books on this disease for years.”
“Brianna, we needed to know what you were dealing with when social services sent you back to live with your father. You were always so traumatized when you came back to us, so we needed to understand his disease and how it would progress as he went off his meds.” Betty held her gaze, willing Brianna to understand how important what she was saying.
“You did make it better, Betty. I always came back to your house a shivering mess. I didn’t know if up was down, or black was white. I didn’t believe in myself, because he would tell me…” Brianna couldn’t even say. She shook her head. She never talked about those times.
“We know, honey.” Butch stroked a hand down her arm, and she was grateful to be held by the man. “Then when that bitch of a social worker told you that you were going to be crazy like your father, after getting her fired, Betty got her hands on every case study to find out what the odds were that you were likely to develop your dad’s illness. She has never intended to let you deal with this on your own.” Brianna melted as she felt Butch kiss the top of her head.
“Answer my questions. Have you exhibited any of those symptoms?”
Brianna let out a long sigh. “No. But it’s coming, Betty. I don’t want to talk about it. I know it’s coming, and I’ve taken all the necessary precautions.”
“Fine. You know it’s coming, but if you aren’t exhibiting the symptoms yet, then you aren’t burdening anyone, so you can stay.”
Fluff, she was totally boxing her into a corner. “She’s got you, little girl, you might as well give up.” Butch chuckled.
“It’s more complicated than that, Betty.”
“You only call me Betty when you want to distance yourself, when I’m getting too close to the truth. Does it have anything to do with the reason you want to spend the night here, instead of at the apartment?” Betty looked at her with he
r clear blue eyes. Double fluff, seriously, nothing got by this woman.
Headlights flashed into the kitchen window and Betty laughed. “Well, speak of the devil. Or should I say devils.”
“So Charlie is here, is he?” Butch pushed back his chair.
“Oh, I doubt it’s just Charlie.”
“Woman, what do you mean by that?” Butch asked his wife as he headed toward the door. Then another pair of headlights shone through the kitchen window.
“I mean our little girl has a couple of admirers.” Butch paused on the threshold between the kitchen and the living room and looked at the two women seated at the dining room table. He grinned and shook his head.
“So it’s like that, is it?” Brianna rocked her head back and forth, trying to unkink her neck.
“Do you have to answer the door? Can’t we just pretend nobody’s home?”
“Charlie’s the sheriff. This could be official business.”
“Yeah, I’m officially screwed,” she muttered.
“Honey, weren’t you already officially screwed?” Betty whispered with an innocent expression on her face.
“Everybody’s a comedian.” But Brianna was giggling when a knock sounded at the front door. She looked around the kitchen for a place to hide.
“You’re going to have to suck it up. I’m not thinking they’re here because they’re mad.”
“Oh yes they are. Mom, you don’t know what I’ve done,” Brianna wailed as best she could considering she was whispering. She could hear Butch’s voice, and then the low rumble of Charlie, and then the smooth stroke of Zac’s voice. She cut her eyes over to Betty, who just held fast to her hands.
“No running.” Betty must have seen her eyes dart toward the hall. “No hiding, either. You’re a big girl, you can handle this.” She got up and came around the table, and pulled her up into her arms. “Brianna, you can handle anything.” Betty leaned up and kissed her cheek and it took everything Brianna had not to burst into tears. God she loved this woman. Landing in Butch and Betty’s house had been the best thing that had ever happened to her, and she was damned if she was going to saddle them with her problems.
Cherishing Brianna [Fate Harbor 5] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour) Page 13