Chasing You (Thirsty Hearts Book 4)

by Jayne, Kris

  He frowned. “How are you?”

  “Good. Great actually.”

  Graham blew out a tense breath. “Really? Good news?”

  “Yes. At least, I hope you think so.” She paused and downed whatever cocktail she’d ordered before he arrived. “I’ve been wanting to talk to you.”

  “About what?”

  “Us. Or whatever ‘us’ there’s ever been.”

  She looked at him squarely now. Graham mentally braced himself for an emotional onslaught. Did she want to change their relationship from something casual to something more regular?

  In the nearly two years they’d known each other, this would be, maybe, the third meal they ever shared. The other two involved either pizza or Chinese delivery. He couldn’t remember. He thought that maybe once he’d fed her with chopsticks, but that might’ve been someone else.

  But he liked Sierra. He knew she was smart, and she had a quick sense of humor.

  “‘Us’ is a topic we’ve always avoided.”

  “I know, but now we need to have a conversation.”

  “I’d be open to that.”

  He shifted in his chair and reached across the table with flattened palms. She pulled her hands back.

  “No. Not like that. I met someone a couple of weeks ago. A really great guy. And this thing we do…I can’t do it anymore.”

  Graham nearly choked his own foolishness. “Oh. That’s wonderful, Sierra. I’m happy for you.”

  He wiped his sweaty palms on his knees.

  “You are? That’s a relief. I met him and—” She pulled her fists to her temples and exploded her hands, then continued.

  “He’s sweet and funny and dedicated. He has custody of his son. He’s five. I don’t know. I just know. You know? It’s crazy. You and I? Party girl.” Her voice rose, and she pointed to her chest and then swiveled her finger toward him. “Party guy. But it’s different now.”

  The thought rankled him.

  “It’s not a bad thing, Graham. You and I…I want something more now. I know you’re not that guy. I wouldn’t even try to put that on you.”

  “How do you know I’m not that guy?”

  Sierra chuckled and leaned over the table, dropping her voice. “Because the only time you call me is when you want a booty call. I’m not delusional enough to think that’s ever going to develop into a golden anniversary with grandkids and rocking chairs on the porch. Besides, you and I don’t have that kind of chemistry. We’re nothing alike. You’re corporate. You wear loafers and live in a fancy house in Westlake. I change my hair color every other week and have a neck tattoo. Honestly, outside of the bedroom, I’d make you crazy—in a bad way. And you —”

  She laughed again.

  “You think I’m square.”

  “Commercial real estate development? The few times you’ve talked about what you do, I have to be honest, my eyes started to glaze over. There’s nothing wrong with it, but that’s not what my guy does with his life. It’s terminally boring. No offense.”

  Graham stifled the offense he did feel. It wasn’t about Sierra. She was right. He couldn’t take her to a business dinner with her fishnet stockings and quarter-inch eyeliner. Not even in Austin. What bothered him was a lingering question. Whose guy was he?

  “It’s fine,” he sighed. “What’s your guy’s name?”

  “Larry.”

  Graham squeezed his lips together to keep from laughing.

  “Don’t get smug. It’s his name.”

  “How old is he?”

  “My age. He’s technically Larry Junior.”

  “Like the drummer for U2.”

  She grinned. “Exactly. Only he plays bass. For Solo Disorder. You heard of them?”

  Graham raised his brows in recognition even if he wasn’t sure if he’d heard of the band. A lot of the wacky Austin band names ran together.

  Sierra lifted her shoulders with such pride. She liked this bass player.

  “He makes you happy.”

  “He does. I don’t know exactly where it’s headed, but I’ll never know if I keep fooling around. When you have a chance at love, I think you have to grab it.” She blushed. “You probably think I’m a sap.”

  “I don’t. Not at all. I agree. You can’t let love pass you by.”

  His encouragement sent joy dancing across Sierra’s face, but depression sank in his chest. The women in his life—disparate group though it was—agreed on one thing: he was not a candidate for a happily ever after.

  “No, you can’t. One day, you’ll meet your perfect woman.” She tilted her head to the side. “Like a lawyer. Or a woman who…works in business.”

  “In business,” Graham chuckled. “That’s pretty generic.”

  “Well, I don’t know! A woman who is together and clean-cut and, you know, business-y.”

  “I don’t know that I’m looking for a woman that straight.”

  She wiggled her eyebrows. “Maybe you aren’t. Remember that one time…” Sierra fell apart laughing.

  Yes, Graham remembered. What had the other woman’s name been? Cara or Tara? Sara? Something kind of like Sierra. In fact, someone kind of like Sierra. Only Cara/Tara/Sara had been blonde. At least up top.

  Graham swiped his hand down his face. And he wondered why these women didn’t take him seriously. “I’m not into that scene anymore.”

  “Since when?”

  “I’m getting older and settling down a little bit.” He held up his forefinger and thumb, gapped to indicate his personal growth.

  “I wish you luck.”

  “Are we still having dinner?” Graham drummed his fingers on the table and glanced around the bar.

  “Yes. We can have dinner. We never have dinner. Dinner is friendly, and I hope we can be friends.”

  “Of course, we can.”

  “Good. I’m so in need of enchiladas. I’m dying.” She stuck her tongue out to the side and made a choking gesture with her hands.

  “We can’t have that. Poor Larry Junior might not recover,” Graham quipped.

  “No, I don’t think he would. It’s nice.”

  Graham mulled Sierra’s moon-faced love, trying not to look as shocked as he felt.

  They ordered dinner, and then his phone rang. Alexa. His shoulders tensed.

  “Take the call. I’m going to run to the bathroom.”

  He touched the green button and swiped to answer. “Alexa. Hi.”

  “Hey, Graham!”

  “You sound chipper. That’s good news.”

  “It is. Hold on…I’m going to step out into the hall.” Graham heard voices and the thunk of a door. “My dad is still a little goofy on pain meds, but he’s telling his terrible jokes and giving my mom a hard time. It’s a relief.”

  “Good for him. And your mom is doing okay?”

  “Yeah, she is. She’s being bossy, but that’s normal. My dad keeps trying to get people to bring him food from the outside. He’s not impressed with the Salisbury steak and Jell-O.”

  “Who would be?”

  “I know. It’s pretty disgusting. I promised him I’d bring him a sandwich.”

  “You’re a good daughter.”

  “I try.”

  A beat of silence constricted Graham’s chest. “I got your message. I was going to call you back earlier.”

  “It’s fine. I wanted to make sure I got a hold of you.”

  Why? Graham had his suspicions, but what would he do about it? “Thanks. I was a worried about you.”

  “I appreciate it. Everyone’s been so supportive.”

  Everyone. Graham coughed. Sierra hustled back toward the table.

  “Hey, Graham, you’ll never guess who I ran into… Sorry. You’re still on the phone.”

  Alexa’s voice clipped. “You’re out.”

  “I’m at dinner.”

  “With Shauna?”

  “Shauna? No. It’s my friend, Sierra.”

  “Sierra.”

  The tone in her voice made Graham feel like
he’d been caught with his hand in the cookie jar. “She’s filling me in on her new boyfriend, Larry.”

  “Oh. Larry, huh?”

  “Yes.”

  “Good…hold on. This is Adam calling me back. I need to go.”

  “Tell Adam I said hello.” Graham managed the words through clamped teeth.

  “Sure. Enjoy your dinner.”

  “I will.”

  After he hung up, Sierra gazed at him expectantly. “Who was that?”

  “A friend of mine. Her dad is a cop, and he was shot a couple of nights ago.”

  “Oh, my God! Is he alright?”

  “He is. That’s why she called. To give me an update.” Graham looked down at his phone and set it down.

  “Do I know her?”

  “Who?”

  “Your friend.”

  “No. I just met her a few weeks ago. Or, actually, over New Year’s, but we reconnected a few weeks ago.”

  “Is she single?”

  “No.” Resignation broke into his voice.

  “And you’re not happy about it,” Sierra sang in a know-it-all tone.

  “Not at all…I mean, I’m fine with it. We had a thing, but it’s over.”

  “Since when?”

  “Since she declared that I was a shitty candidate for monogamy or anything serious. Sound familiar?”

  Sierra’s shoulders sank with pity. “I’m sorry, Graham. I didn’t mean to make it sound like that.”

  He flipped his phone over and over, thumping on the table. “I’m struggling to grasp this theme of how hopeless I am as boyfriend material.”

  “I don’t think you’re hopeless. I never got the idea that it’s what you wanted. You’re charming. And fun. And light-hearted.”

  Sierra’s pity only made Graham feel more hopeless. He gripped the hair on the crown of his head and let it go. “Not serious.”

  “Not in your personal life. Or I didn’t think. Listen, what you are is up to you. If you want something deeper, you can have that. It’s easy for men. There’s no shortage of women looking to settle down.”

  But Alexa is taken. He resented himself for fixating. Maybe it was his way of continuing to avoid commitment. He couldn’t have her, so she was a convenient target. Except that’s not how he’d felt at her house the other day.

  When she was in pain, the desire to sweep it away overwhelmed him. He couldn’t bear her tears, her misery. He wanted to set her world right—even if that wasn’t his job.

  He wanted the job.

  Graham blinked, refocusing on Sierra. She leaned on her elbow and stared at him with her chin tilted into her upturned palm.

  “Have you told this woman that you want to start something real with her?”

  “Sort of. She said I wasn’t the guy to get serious with, and I asked her how she knew that. I told her to give me a shot. Who knows?”

  Sierra shook her head. “Oh, honey, that’s weak. If you want to change her mind, you’ve got to bring stronger game than that. Tell her how you feel about her.”

  “I don’t even know how I feel about her. I like her. A lot. That’s it.”

  “Why did you call me tonight?” She folded her arms across her chest.

  “What?”

  Sierra pinned him with her stare. “You heard me.”

  “Because…” Graham exhaled and found the courage to be honest. “Because I needed to get her out of my head. I went over to her place the other night after she heard about her dad, and she was a mess. It…killed me. I wanted to fix it, but that’s not my job. She flew off to Oklahoma, and she has a boyfriend.”

  Graham thought back to the last time he’d called Sierra. He’d also been in the throes of Alexa avoidance.

  Sierra smacked his hand. “You can’t let love pass you by. You said it yourself. You should at least give it a shot. If you’ve just reconnected with her, then this other guy can’t have been around for very long. Give her a dose of the Ryan charm. This other guy can’t match that, right?”

  “He’s British,” Graham grumbled.

  Sierra made a face. “Bad teeth and no fun.”

  “His teeth are fine. I’ve met him.”

  “So what? You have to at least try.”

  “I guess. You’re probably right. I can talk to her when she gets back in town.”

  Graham tried to rally the confidence that usually came so easy for him.

  “Do it.” Sierra flung across the table and smacked Graham’s hand. “Promise.”

  “Okay. Okay. When I thought about how this evening was going to end, I didn’t think it would be with you giving me a pep talk to go chase another woman. Now, bringing another woman to the party? Maybe.”

  “Lothario. We’re not doing that anymore. Remember?” Sierra shook her finger in his face. “You’re going to have to get your mind right if you’re going to convince this woman that you’re serious. What’s her name?”

  “Alexa.”

  “Ooh. Sexy.”

  “Yes. She is.”

  Sierra clapped her hands together. “I love it. We’re going to get you into a relationship. An actual relationship.”

  “We’ll see.”

  Chapter Thirty-One

  Much to his delight, they moved Alexa’s father home on Tuesday morning. He settled in on the couch, and at noon, he put in his request for a hearty barbecue lunch.

  Alexa wondered aloud whether that was the most healing food and was quickly shouted down.

  “If your daddy wants barbecue, then I’m getting him barbecue. A man should have what he wants in his own house.”

  Carlisle’s smug smile told Alexa not to argue.

  After lunch, Alexa helped her father to bed for a nap and returned to the center of the house: the kitchen table.

  Alexa’s phone clattered on the table again. “People are calling and calling.”

  “Go ahead and take it. Maybe it’s your Adam.”

  “He’s not mine, Mom.”

  “Well, why not? If you like him.” Her mother flicked her hand at her. “I don’t understand you girls these days.”

  “Mom, there’s nothing to understand…I…I’m going to take this upstairs.” She excused herself and climbed the stairs to her old room.

  “You sound quite tired,” Adam remarked after their greetings.

  “I am. It hit me all of a sudden.”

  “I’m flying back tomorrow morning, scheduled to change planes in Dallas, and I thought I might fly up to Oklahoma instead of back to Austin.”

  Alexa’s temples squeezed in pain. “You don’t have to do that.”

  “I know I don’t, but I thought I could help out, and I’d love to meet your parents.”

  Stress. That’s what Adam’s suggestion sounded like. She couldn’t deal with introducing him to her parents right now, and she felt sick having to tell him no.

  “Now isn’t a good time.”

  “I’d like to help.”

  “I know, but we’re still getting my dad settled and back into a routine. It’s not the best time for me to introduce you. He’s not at his best.”

  “I imagine not. I understand that. I don’t have any expectations. I want to be there for you and your family.”

  “You don’t know how my mother is. If she has guests, she’ll feel the need to be running around and making you comfortable—cooking and entertaining. She won’t be able to help herself. My dad’s the same way. It’s too much right now. In a few weeks, we can come back up.”

  “I’m sorry if I’m pushing. I’m still upset that I wasn’t there when you got the news. I hate that you had to deal with it by yourself.”

  “I dealt with it. And,” Alexa heaved a sigh and continued, “I wasn’t totally by myself. Right after I talked to my mother, Graham called about the benefit, and we talked. The next day, I got to Dallas, and Taryn was with me.”

  “Graham?”

  “I couldn’t get ahold of anyone else then, and he helped me out.”

  “How’s that?”

>   “He came over and kept me company while I packed.”

  “And you’re just now mentioning this.”

  Alexa could hear Adam’s snarl.

  “I didn’t think to mention it before, but you said that I was alone. I wanted to be honest.”

  “Unbelievable.”

  “I didn’t ask him to come over. He heard how upset I was. I could barely speak, so he just came over. He was being a good guy.”

  “He is not a good guy. He runs through women like a pint through a drunk.” Adam’s furious huffing kept the line from going silent. “Why would you encourage him when you know how he feels about you?”

  “Graham has a thousand girlfriends and isn’t sitting around moaning over me.”

  “I don’t want you seeing him anymore.”

  “Impossible. We’re doing this event for Poppy. Period.” His imperious demand sparked Alexa’s stubbornness.

  “Working on a charity event doesn’t need to involve seeing him socially or having him at your house.”

  “You’re overreacting.”

  “Am I? You’re my girlfriend, and you continue having a regular relationship with your ex-boyfriend—”

  “We went out, but Graham was never my boyfriend.”

  “You forget that I saw you together. The two of you were more than casually dating. And now, I hear that while I’m out of town, he’s at your house consoling you.”

  Hearing the facts laid out from Adam’s point of view softened her resistance. She got jealous over Trista, and she and Graham weren’t in an exclusive relationship.

  Why was she clinging to her “friendship” with Graham? The truth—and her own hypocrisy—sank in.

  “I get it. I should think about how it looks to have him at my house. I wasn’t considering your feelings.”

  “Thank you. And the benefit planning? I don’t like the time you spend alone with him. It’s not appropriate.”

  “I made a commitment to my friends, and I won’t back out. You’ll just have to trust that I’ll keep my contact with Graham…on topic. Okay? Let’s change the subject.”

  “Gladly. How is your father?”

  “Better. Tired. He’s glad to be home. It’ll do him good.”