Claire burst with love for her sister as Brig let out a surprised laugh. The two of them looked almost like twins with their dark hair and aqua-colored eyes, but Hazel was at least six inches taller than her. Claire had been jealous of her sister’s beautiful frame and height, but she loved her too much to not be thrilled that Hazel was absolutely perfect. Seeing her sister happy, successful, and loved was all Claire remembered wanting from life.
Suddenly, a memory washed over her. It was Hazel and Lowell’s wedding. Peyton had been there with her, attentive and sweet as ever. He’d proposed right after the ceremony. She’d tried to convince herself that she was in love, but as the memory played, it hit her that she only agreed to the engagement because she was losing her better half and didn’t want to be alone. She sucked in a breath.
Claire realized Brig and Hazel were studying her.
“I can’t imagine Claire ever being in anyone’s shadow,” Brig said.
Hazel winked. “Come on, let me feel cool for a minute.”
“She’s right,” Claire admitted. “I’ve always looked up to my little sis. Literally, because she’s an Amazon woman.” She squeezed Hazel’s hand and tears surfaced. Hazel was the most amazing person she knew. So many memories of being there for each other throughout the years. What would she do without her sister?
“I know, sis. It’s got to be hard being a dwarf, but at least you got that part in the Snow White musical.” Hazel wrinkled her nose. “Enough about how rocking I am. Tell me what happened this morning.”
Claire lifted her shoulders and turned to Brig. “I don’t remember any of it.”
“A car was coming at her in the intersection,” Brig said, studying his hands. “So I tackled her.”
“You stinking saved my sister’s life.” Hazel jumped to her feet and hurried to where Brig sat. She bent down and hugged him tight. “Okay, she can marry you.” She pulled back and beamed at him.
Brig shook his head, his brow furrowing. “The car wouldn’t have hit her. I reacted too quickly.”
Hazel pursed her lips and tilted her head to the side. “You reacted perfectly. You didn’t know the car would stop in time. You’re a hero and don’t tell me otherwise.” She held up a warning finger and gave him a look that dared him to argue with her. A few seconds passed, and nobody said anything. Hazel nodded. “That’s right. Nobody challenges me.” She sat next to Claire again.
Brig looked decidedly uncomfortable. “I need to check in with my security team,” he said, standing. “I’ll let you two have some time alone.” He looked to Claire. “Do you need anything?”
“No, thank you.”
He nodded to Hazel. “Nice to meet you.”
She grinned and winked. “You too.”
Brig walked out of the great room, and they heard him close a door that she assumed was his office.
“Wow.” Hazel whistled. “How stinking hot is he?”
“Pretty hot.” Claire agreed.
“Have you seriously been keeping him from me?” Hazel grabbed her hands.
Claire shrugged. “I don’t know, sis. He claims we aren’t dating. He did say we flirt a lot and whenever he asks me out I say no.”
“Huh?” Hazel’s forehead wrinkled. “I always thought you were the smart one.”
“Oh?” Claire laughed. “So you’re the sweet, fun, and … what was it? Adorable one, right? And I’m the smart one?”
Hazel nodded. “Everybody needs to have at least one talent, right?” She squeezed Claire’s hand. “You know I have to tease you because I’d be on the floor bawling if I stopped and thought too long. I almost lost you this morning! That dude is our hero, right?”
Claire nodded. “I think so. And he’s all humble about it.”
“Humility is so sexy.” She whistled. “Plus I love his gray hair and blue eyes. And his chest, ooh.” She fanned her face. “Did you notice his biceps?”
Claire laughed. “Okay, my memory is missing about three years, but I faintly remember you being head over heels in love with Lowell.”
“Oh yeah.” Hazel laughed. “I seriously am. He’s a stud and the best husband ever. But I can drool over your military hottie for a minute. You won’t rat me out, right?”
“Drool away, sis. You have a baby I can’t even remember!” She wanted to hold him. “That kills me.”
Hazel’s face softened. “Garrison. He’s so stinking cute and a total crazy train! You adore him. I promise. I’ll bring him by tomorrow.”
Claire felt a rush of tenderness as she smiled but also a sense of loss without those memories of adoring her nephew. “Thanks.”
“For sure. I just thought you might need to talk tonight without interruptions. He’s a wild little monkey. Crawling all over the place and putting everything in his mouth, including the plants and our shoes. So gross!” She grinned and it was obvious how much she enjoyed her baby. “So ask me questions.”
“I have so many.”
Hazel released her hand and reclined against the leather couch. “Fire away.”
Claire leaned in close. “I feel like I can trust these guys, especially Brig, but it’s disconcerting when I don’t even know them. Knox was a little intimidating.”
Hazel laughed. “He is, but you’re close friends with him and his wife.” She smiled brightly. “We both adore his little girl Shelby.”
Claire breathed out a sigh of relief, but then her stomach tightened at her next question. “Peyton?” she whispered.
Hazel’s mirth vanished. “So if you remember everything up until three years ago, you and Peyton would’ve been engaged.” She paused, worry etching her face. “You don’t remember him being killed?”
“No. For some reason, I remembered just a minute ago how we got engaged at your wedding.”
Hazel nodded.
“Did I …” She looked down and tried to smooth her wrinkled skirt. Hazel had brought her clothes, but she would shower and change after her sister left. She didn’t want to miss one second with her. “Did I get engaged just because I didn’t want to be left behind?”
Hazel reared back, but then a sad expression crossed her face. “You know you and I are tight, right?”
“Of course.”
“But you’ve never admitted that to me. I liked Peyton. Don’t get me wrong. He was a great guy, and he treated you fabulous, but it was almost like he didn’t feel worthy of you, wasn’t confident enough for you. Like he loved you so much it smothered you. You never once looked at him the way I just caught you looking at Brig.”
Warmth raced through Claire’s body as she thought of Brig and how he looked at her. There was definitely a strong connection between them, but he claimed they weren’t close at all. He also had an inherent confidence that she found ultra-appealing.
“Did you ever say anything to me about your reservations?”
“I tried.” Hazel clenched her hands together. “It was almost like you thought you had to get married because I was married and Peyton was the best option.”
Claire’s eyes widened. “That’s awful.”
“I know. I know, sis. And I’m sorry but we’ve never talked openly about this. Like I said, Peyton was a great guy, one of the best, but I just didn’t ever feel like he was the right fit for you.”
Claire wondered if that’s why she felt so distant from the pain of knowing he’d died.
“And you two had a big fight the night before he died. I know you felt a lot of guilt about that.”
Claire searched her memory. It came to her in a flash. Her neck tightened. She could remember the fight like it was last night. “He wanted me to commit to a wedding date, and I put him off again. He was more upset than I’ve ever seen him. He said he loved me more than life, but knew deep down that I didn’t feel the same.” Claire gasped as pain jabbed her gut. “I can’t remember his death, but I have this horrible feeling that it was my fault.” A tremble went through her as she clasped her hands in her lap.
Hazel nodded, which made Claire’s s
tomach drop. Her palms oozed sweat.
“It wasn’t your fault.” Hazel’s voice caught. “He was texting you an apology when he was at a stakeout. One of the guys they were supposed to be keeping an eye on snuck around and shot him in the back. His partner was able to shoot the guy, but Peyton died at the hospital a few hours later. You were there when he passed.”
Claire’s head pounded, and her stomach was full of acid.
“It wasn’t your fault,” Hazel said vehemently. She grabbed Claire in a hug and pulled her tight. “You have to believe that it wasn’t your fault.”
Tears rolled down Claire’s cheeks as the guilt came rushing back. She still couldn’t remember anything past their fight the night before, but she could remember the hollow pain. Of course, she’d blamed herself, and she was certain others blamed her as well.
“Peyton’s family?” she asked, pulling out of Hazel’s tight embrace. He’d had a great family—large, loud, and happy. She especially loved his mom, who had treated Claire like she was one of her own, giving Claire an example of how a mother’s love should feel.
“You don’t keep in contact with them.”
“They blame me too?”
“No, but you blamed yourself enough for everyone. It got really hard to see them. It was your choice, not theirs, to sever the ties.”
“His poor mom.” The tears kept coming. His mom had thought the sun rose and set on Peyton.
Hazel grabbed her hand again. “It was a tragic accident, but it wasn’t your fault! Please believe me. These past three years …” She shook her head. “You’ve been your feisty, funny self on the outside, but you’ve been hurting like mad on the inside. Please, sis. Let that pain go. Maybe this amnesia was so you could heal, so you could not remember how guilty you’ve felt.” She took in a breath, giving Claire an apologetic look. “Maybe I shouldn’t have told you the truth.”
Claire smiled sadly. “No, you should’ve.” She swallowed hard and asked, “Is this why I wouldn’t give Brig a chance?”
Hazel shrugged. “You’ve never told me about Brig, but you don’t date much. You’re married to your work, and your clients are your friends now.”
“Do I ignore you?”
“Naw. I’m too fun. You couldn’t live without me.” Just like that Hazel’s happy countenance resurfaced. “And you are the best auntie ever.”
Claire gave her a quick hug. “Oh, good. You’re my favorite, you know?”
“Of course. I’m everyone’s favorite.”
They talked for another hour, and Claire loved the connection to her hilarious sister, but the details of Peyton’s death lingered over everything. Was Hazel right? Was this accident her chance to let it all go and forgive herself? Had she turned down Brig because of the guilt or because of something else? She wished her memory would come back, but then if the past three years had been full of self-recrimination and being a workaholic to bury the sorrow, maybe she didn’t want those memories back.
Hazel put a hand over her chest and moaned. “I’d better get going. Garrison will be screaming to eat.”
Claire arched an eyebrow. “I thought that shirt was getting tighter.”
Hazel laughed and then grabbed her in a fierce hug. Claire hoped it wouldn’t hurt a nursing mother, but she loved every second of it.
“Thanks for coming,” Claire said.
“Of course. You couldn’t live without me. We both know that.” Hazel winked as she sprang to her feet and hurried to the door. “Oh, I brought your mail. I put everything that wasn’t junk in the pocket of your suitcase.”
“Thanks.” Claire followed her to the door. The office was next to the entryway and there were glass French doors. They both looked in and could see Brig with his back to them, facing a stand-up computer.
“Whew.” Hazel fanned herself. “Give that man a chance, please.”
“Please?”
“Do it for your sister. I want to drool over him at family parties and make Lowell insanely jealous.” Hazel laughed at herself and then flung open the front door. The mild evening air felt fresh and nice. “Love you, sis. See you tomorrow.”
“Love you.”
One more quick hug and Hazel was prancing to her car. She was adorable. A sudden memory washed over Claire. She and Hazel had been young teens and they were emptying the dishwasher like their mother had demanded. A plate slipped out of Hazel’s hand and shattered on the tile floor. Her mother had flown into the room, her eyes full of rage. Claire had stepped in front of Hazel and said, “I broke it.” Her mother had shoved her out of the way and Claire had fallen into the shards of the plate, cutting up her arm. Her mother grabbed dishes and started chucking them at Hazel. Hazel dodged, screaming. Claire pushed off of the floor, slicing her palm on a shard of the plate. She stood in front of her mother and begged her to calm down. Her mother had hit her with a few glasses. Then the anger finally seemed to ooze out. She’d grabbed a few more dishes, threw them on the floor where they shattered, and screamed at them to clean up the mess before leaving.
It was impossible to forget the memories of their horrific upbringing, yet Hazel had still turned out happy, beautiful, and well-adjusted. She was a breath of fresh air. Being around her was more rejuvenating than time spent on a bright mountainside full of spring blossoms.
Claire watched Hazel’s Jeep Cherokee pull away and returned her wave and smile. She felt like a mother to Hazel as much as a sister, and somehow, she knew that Hazel had turned out so fabulous because of her protection and their ability to tease and joke through hard times. She smiled.
The office door opened, and she swung to face Brig. He leaned against the door frame, looking irresistible. What would he do if she walked right up and put her arms around him?
“Hey,” he said quietly.
“Hey,” she said, feeling suddenly shy. Hazel was pushing her at this handsome man, but Claire still didn’t know why her former self would have turned him down. At least, Hazel had explained that she was tight with Knox and his family. Of course, she was safe here or Hazel wouldn’t have left her. Yet it was Brig who made her feel safe, not Knox or the security guards out front.
“How was Hazel?” he asked.
“She’s adorable, isn’t she?”
He nodded, his eyes soft. “Almost as cute as her older sister.”
Claire bit at her lip. “Thanks.”
Brig strode toward her, and Claire’s eyes widened. Her heart thumped faster and faster as he approached. She had visions of him sweeping her into his arms and crushing her mouth with his own. He stopped next to her, his blue eyes warm and full of delicious promise. He leaned close and grabbed the suitcase Hazel had left in the entryway. “Let’s get you settled in your room.”
“Sounds good.” Claire deflated, exhaustion rushing through her as her little fantasy was left unfulfilled. She didn’t think she was usually so full of desire and imagination. Maybe she was simply tired. It was hard to believe that her accident had been early this morning. Maybe after a good night’s rest, she’d remember … something. She wanted to remember Brig.
They walked side by side up a wide staircase. Brig motioned toward the left and they walked down a hallway. He pointed. “That’s my room.”
Butterflies fluttered around in Claire’s stomach. His room. When he pushed open the very next door, and she realized they’d be next-door roomies, her stomach went even more nuts. “I’m going to hear you snoring tonight,” she said teasingly.
Brig grinned. “If I snore, come punch me.”
“I would never punch you.” Visions of creeping into his room while he slept made her heart race.
Brig sat her suitcase down next to the open bathroom door. The room was nice and spacious. A log bed sat against one wall and the perpendicular wall was all windows looking out at the dense, green forest beyond. There were landscape portraits of mountains and horses.
“What would you do if you were mad at me?” He folded his arms across his chest and the breadth of his toned bice
ps made her breath hitch.
“With arms like that I doubt I’d dare do anything physical.”
“I’d never hurt you, Claire.” He got much too serious too quick.
“I know that, Brig.” And she did. He was obviously a good guy clear through every one of those well-defined muscles. “I was just trying to say that you’re stinking tough and …” She bit at her lip. “It’s very attractive on you.”
Brig smiled then. “I appreciate that. You didn’t answer my question though. What would you do if you were mad at me?”
“This is a very weird question for you to ask.” She really liked teasing with him. He seemed to lean to the serious side, but he could take her teasing well.
“Is it?”
“Yeah.”
“Okay, sorry.” He walked toward the bedroom door.
“I hope I’m never mad at you.” Claire spoke up, not wanting him to leave.
“Why?” He turned.
“Because I bet I could be pretty grumpy, and I’d hate to have you see me like that.” Her mind flashed to the argument with Peyton that felt like it was last night. She didn’t want to marry him, and instead of just admitting that truth to him, she’d argued with him about wedding dates and him being too controlling. She’d been worse than grumpy. Her face flushed as she remembered. She’d been mean and bratty. Peyton wasn’t controlling. He had just loved her too much, and it had seemed to smother her instead of making her happy.
Why hadn’t she been brave enough to break up with him rather than make them both miserable? More hurtful memories came rushing back as she thought through that question. She’d hoped that he would break up with her. He was so great, and she didn’t want to injure his kind heart, or have him not think he was amazing. So instead of breaking up with him, she’d exacerbated the fight and tried to get him to end things. And he’d been sending a text to apologize when he’d been murdered. No wonder she’d felt so horribly guilty.
“I can’t see you being grumpy,” Brig said.
Claire tried to smile, but all the memories with Peyton were making her sick to her stomach.
The Irresistible Groom_Texas Titan Romances Page 4