The Playboy (The Chandler Brothers Book 2)

by Carly Phillips

  She came to his side and placed a stern hand on his shoulder, chuckling as she said, “Congratulate me later. Get better first.” Then she settled in beside him. “Rick, there was more to our silence than just making your mother pay for manipulating us. I know we should have told you. But once we got home, I realized that my mother’s mental health was still shaky. Her depression . . .” She shook her head. “The medication wasn’t working yet. And I wanted to wait a few months to reveal the pregnancy. Until she could appreciate the news. So then I asked Roman to wait before telling anyone about Raina’s health. Or my pregnancy.”

  Rick turned to this woman who’d made his brother’s life complete. She stared at him with wide green eyes, apology and regret etching her features. How could he remain angry at her? He exhaled a groan and put a comforting hand on Charlotte’s shoulder. “I don’t blame you.”

  She shot him a grateful smile. “We were still wrong.”

  Roman nodded in agreement. “And by the time we were ready to tell you everything, you’d met Kendall. There was no way in hell I was going to tell you that Mom had been faking her heart condition.”

  “Why the hell not?”

  Roman rolled his eyes as if the reason were obvious. As if anything about this situation could be obvious, Rick thought with no small amount of frustration.

  “I couldn’t tell you once you met Kendall because she was the first woman you’d trusted since Jillian. The first one who really interested you. You seemed to have a shot at what we have.” Roman gestured back and forth between himself and Charlotte. “And I wasn’t going to be the one to give you an easy excuse to claim distrust in women and back off from Kendall. Not when it was so obvious you were already head over heels. So when Mom wanted to tell you the truth, I put a stop to it.”

  Rick shook his head in disbelief. “Mom wanted to come clean?”

  Roman raised his hands in the air. “What can I say? She’s had it with pretending to be sick because it’s putting a crimp in her social life. So I told her to keep her mouth shut. I figured making her keep up the charade of being sick was damn good punishment for meddling in our lives.”

  Rick pinched the bridge of his nose. Thank God the aspirin had begun to kick in and the pounding had lessened enough for him to relax and think more clearly. “I don’t believe this. You played psychologist and match-maker.” He wanted to throttle Roman.

  But as brothers, they’d always understood one another and thinking about the whole messed-up situation, Rick supposed his younger sibling’s reasoning made sense. In an ass-backward sort of way. “You do realize this makes you no better than our mother?”

  Roman actually flushed red. “Hindsight is twenty-twenty,” he muttered.

  Charlotte sighed, placing a hand on Rick’s shoulder. “So here we are.”

  Rick groaned. “Yeah. Here we are. Did you know you two could give a sober man a headache?”

  Roman laughed and though Rick glared, he joined his brother. Putting all the pieces and reasoning together, he couldn’t hold Roman responsible for a situation Raina had created and one he’d believed he had no choice but to perpetuate. After all, Chandler brothers stuck together when they could. Nothing would change that—except a woman. In Roman’s case that was Charlotte and knowing what Rick would do for Kendall, he wasn’t about to pass judgment on his younger sibling.

  “I take it the family feud is over?” Charlotte asked, staring at Rick until he was forced to meet her bright-eyed gaze.

  “I’ll think about it.” Let Roman wallow a little while longer, Rick thought. For as long as his hangover lasted seemed a fair exchange to Rick considering his head still hurt like a son of a bitch. “Scratch that. No thinking today.”

  Roman laughed, obviously reading Rick and knowing things between the brothers were fine once more. “I need to do some errands in town before Charlotte and I head back to D.C. tomorrow. Finish your soda, take your aspirin, and I’ll drop you off at home.”

  Rick picked up the glass and polished off the entire drink in almost one gulp. “That’s better.” He stepped toward the front door when realization bypassed the mugginess in his brain. “We need to tell Chase about Mom.”

  Together Roman and Charlotte winced. Rick understood. When his oldest brother discovered the extent of their mother’s games, things wouldn’t be pretty. He wasn’t thrilled himself, but exhaustion, body aches, and other hangover-related ailments prevented him from focusing too much on Raina’s antics. Besides, if he was capable of concerning himself with anything at this particular moment, it would be Kendall.

  Twenty minutes later, feeling just as crappy as when he awoke, Rick climbed out of Roman’s car and headed around the side of the building to his apartment.

  To his surprise, when he arrived he had a visitor waiting. Hannah sat, head bent, her hair hanging over her face. He paused on the step below her. “What’s wrong?” he asked, concerned that she’d show up out of the blue and wait for him to come home.

  She raised a tear-stained face to his, pain etched in her expression. “Kendall’s going to sell the house and leave town.” Her voice cracked on the last word.

  Rick hadn’t realized he was still holding out any real hope for a future with Kendall until he heard the finality in Hannah’s tone. And though the heartache was great, her words weren’t a surprise. Instead of shock, he felt let down instead. Disappointed in Kendall and her decision not to stay and fight her demons, not to fight for them.

  Rick had spent last night drowning his emotions and this morning learning about his family situation. He hadn’t dealt with anything yet, but it could wait. Right now Hannah needed him more. He knelt beside the young girl, wishing he could offer comfort when he knew there was none to be had.

  Not for Hannah and not for him. After wrapping an arm around her, he pulled her close. “Your sister loves you, you know.”

  “Yeah right.” She snorted in his ear and ended with a sniffle.

  Despite his disappointment in Kendall, Rick knew it was in Hannah’s best interest that he put a positive spin on a hopeless situation. Normally Rick didn’t give up without a fight but Kendall had left him with no alternative. He’d done his best to show her the life they could have together. She was the one walking away. And though he thought he’d been preparing for this moment since Kendall’s arrival, the burning in his gut told him he was wrong.

  Regardless of how she felt about him, Rick was certain Kendall did adore her sister. But before he could begin to make Hannah see the truth, he needed to know what Kendall planned. “Well, where did your sister say you’d be going when she takes off?” His stomach churned as he used words that put an end to their time in Yorkshire Falls.

  Hannah sighed. “Kendall said she’d take me with her but I don’t want to go anywhere.” Her voice trailed off in a long sigh.

  Clearly she wanted more than Kendall was willing to give. Join the club, Rick thought silently. But knowing Kendall was doing right by Hannah filled Rick with relief and eased the vise gripping his heart. If Kendall was giving up her solitary roaming, then she’d begun to face her fear of commitment and stability. She was fighting harder than he’d given her credit for, but he didn’t delude himself into thinking she’d take that next step and do right by herself. At least she’d opened her heart and her life to her sister at the moment the young girl needed her most. That counted for a lot in Rick’s book.

  He glanced at Hannah out of the corner of his eye. “You know your sister’s way of thinking. She doesn’t know anything other than a transient kind of life. For her even to take you with her is a huge leap. You need to go. To bond with her. Get to understand her.”

  He drew a deep breath, forcing himself to make a bleak situation look great to a teenager. “Besides, I hear Arizona has amazing weather, no humidity, and you’ll be able to learn horseback riding,” he said, figuring Kendall planned to head west as she’d told him a while back. He put his hand beneath her chin. “Look at me.”

  She glanced up b
ut instead of excitement he saw desperation in her young eyes. “You have to try and stop her,” she said, pleading with no shame.

  He’d grown to love Hannah like he loved his own family and he’d do anything for this kid. Anything he could, Rick amended. Unfortunately that excluded what she wanted from him most of all. “I can’t.”

  She blinked and turned away, that mutinous, stubborn tilt to her chin returning. “Because you don’t care if we stay or go either.” Her stubborn bravado faltered when her voice caught on her words.

  “Untrue and you know it.” He still held her tight, no matter that she tried to pull away and put distance between them. She obviously wanted to blame him, force him to share the brunt of her anger.

  “Then why won’t you help me get Kendall to stay?” Because Rick refused to shoulder the burden for Kendall’s impulsive actions. She obviously wasn’t facing her feelings and Rick wouldn’t be the one to make her life any easier. She didn’t deserve it. If her pint-sized, hellion sister wanted to torture her a little, maybe she’d be forced to take a good look at her decisions and their consequences.

  “Because Kendall’s a grown woman,” he explained, gentle in tone but firm in his intention. “She knows her own mind. I can’t make your sister do something she doesn’t want to do, Hannah.”

  “Yeah, yeah. Thanks for nothing.” She jerked out of his grasp and rose to her feet.

  Rick followed, standing on the step above hers. “Promise me something?”

  “Maybe.”

  He loved this kid despite her wise-guy mouth. He shook his head and stifled a laugh. “Just think about what I said and give your sister a chance. She loves you.”

  “Says you.” She turned and started to bound down the stairs.

  “Hannah, wait.”

  The young girl pivoted back to face him. “Yeah?”

  “I just want to know where you’re going.” He couldn’t help looking out for her.

  “To Norman’s for a soda. Jeannie’s there and since I don’t know when Kendall will decide to take off, I want to hang out with her as much as I can.”

  Rick nodded. He’d felt the same about Kendall. “Need money?”

  Hannah shook her head. “I earned some yesterday. But thanks anyway.”

  His cell phone rang, disturbing their exchange. “Hang on a sec.” He pulled his phone from his pocket and answered on the second ring. “Chandler.”

  “Hi, Rick.” There was no mistaking the soft voice on the other end.

  “Kendall.” His heart picked up rhythm, kicking into high gear, and his mind began a steady whirl of questions. Had she changed her mind? Decided to stay? Did she need a friendly ear?

  Did she need him?

  All of those things, he hoped. “What’s up?” he asked her.

  “Have you seen Hannah?”

  His personal hopes plummeted and common sense took over. This was Kendall and she didn’t want to stay in town or with him. She never had. To her credit, she’d been honest about her intentions from the first. If he had anyone to blame for falling into a deluded trap, it was himself.

  After all, he’d done it once before, with Jillian. “Your sister’s here.” He covered the receiver and gestured for Hannah to come closer. “In case she wants to talk to you,” he whispered.

  “I have nothing to say to her,” Hannah said, her lips set in what he figured was a permanent pout.

  “I heard that,” Kendall said, obvious disappointment and hurt in her voice.

  And it was the hurt that got to him. Considering the woman was breaking his heart, he shouldn’t care. But he did. Too much.

  “Can you get her to meet me at Norman’s?” Kendall asked, keeping things between herself and Rick strictly business. As if they’d never made love, as if he’d never declared his.

  He swallowed hard. “Sure thing.”

  “Thanks. I’ll see you both in a few minutes.” She hung up, dismissing him as if he meant nothing to her.

  Get used to it, buddy. Rick turned to Hannah. “We need to meet your sister at Norman’s.”

  She folded her arms across her chest. “I’m not hungry.”

  He rolled his eyes. “Then don’t eat. Besides, you were going there anyway. I’m sure Kendall just wants to talk, so for your own sake, try meeting her halfway.” He braced his hands on her shoulders and looked her in the eye. “I know it isn’t easy and I know you’re not happy. But this is your life and only you can make it better.”

  “Geez you are so full of it.”

  He cocked an eyebrow, knowing he could only allow her big mouth to go so far. “Excuse me?”

  “So full of wisdom, Officer Chandler.”

  She grinned and in her beautiful smile he caught a glimpse of her sister. Hannah would be a knockout one day soon. She was well on her way. He only hoped she had more confidence in the world around her than Kendall did.

  “Full of wisdom.” He shook his head and despite the screwed-up mess of his life, Rick laughed. “I see. In that case, you’re pretty full of it yourself. Now give me a minute to change and I’ll meet you downstairs.”

  Hannah gave him a smart salute, turned around, and headed down the stairs. Rick would do the same. He’d meet up with Hannah at Norman’s, meet up with Kendall, pretend he was fine with her choices, then get the hell out.

  He’d already scrapped his prior plan. No way would he tell Kendall he loved her one more time. He’d told her once. He’d shown her in many ways. Why set himself up to be trampled on again?

  He might love Kendall but it was time he cared for himself more. Time to start rebuilding the walls around his heart.

  * * *

  If not for her sister, Kendall wouldn’t have willingly walked into Norman’s the day after her slide show unveiling. She wouldn’t have willingly called Rick. But she’d known better than to search Hannah out in person or ask her to come home until they’d talked. Hannah was hurt and angry.

  The last time she’d acted on those emotions she’d taken Kendall’s car. This time around Kendall hoped to circumvent a major catastrophe. And she hoped to avoid a huge scene by meeting her sister in a public place.

  By the time Kendall had parked and walked inside, Hannah and Rick had already taken a table in the back. Drawing a deep breath, Kendall held her head high as she passed the tables of people, heard the whispers again, and noticed the pointing. She wasn’t imagining being the center of attention, she knew, but she didn’t have time to worry about it now.

  Whereas her sister wouldn’t meet her gaze, Rick did. Those gorgeous eyes stared into hers. From a quick glance, he looked as if he hadn’t slept well. Razor stubble covered his face and dark circles swept beneath his eyes. He looked as awful as she felt and she hated being the cause.

  “Hi.” She forced a smile.

  He didn’t return the gesture. “Hi, yourself.”

  Kendall didn’t know what to say to him and apparently the feeling was mutual because silence descended, making her stomach cramp and her nerve endings tingle. Without warning, Hannah rose from her seat, pushing her chair back with a screech, making a huge amount of noise, and breaking the charged, silent connection between Kendall and Rick.

  Without a word, Hannah started to walk away from the table.

  “Where are you going?” Kendall asked.

  “Bathroom. You two make me gag.” Then she glanced at Rick. And winked.

  Kendall sighed. The little traitor was leaving on purpose, to give Kendall and Rick time alone. Before she could stop her, Hannah stalked toward the back hall.

  “I didn’t put her up to that.” Rick leaned back in his seat.

  “I didn’t think you had.” Since Kendall knew she’d shut him out of her life last night, he wouldn’t orchestrate time alone with her now.

  Rick’s eyes had twinkled with laughter at her sister’s antics but when he focused on Kendall, his expression turned blank. He’d drawn a shutter over his emotions and closed her out. Though she deserved the reciprocal wall he’d erected, she
hated the strain between them, hated more that she’d forced him to put distance between them. She simply didn’t know how to handle things now.

  He stretched an arm over the back of his seat in a casual, masculine gesture that flexed the muscles in his forearms and pulled his T-shirt tight across his broad chest. “Hannah tells me you’re selling the house and leaving town.” His voice held not a hint of emotion or caring.

  After the intimacy they’d shared, a virtual stranger sat across from her. She hated that too and a huge lump formed in her throat and remained. This is what you wanted, Kendall, she reminded herself. No ties, no strings, no attachments. Just the freedom to pack up and move at will. No one close enough to leave you behind or push you away. No one who held the power to hurt her at all.

  Exactly the life she’d always chosen and the one she’d opted for again since last night. But if she’d gone back to a lifestyle she preferred, then why did she feel so god-awful now? Kendall had a hunch and the answer scared her so much that she refused to deal with the strangling emotions hovering just out of reach.

  Focus on the mundane, she told herself. “I haven’t listed it yet but Tina Roberts called and she thinks she can get a nice amount of money for the house and property. Less because of the stipulation I insisted on but a good enough amount for Hannah and me to start over. Somewhere.” Her own thoughts and words threatened to choke her and she had to forcibly swallow over the lump in her throat before continuing. “Arizona’s probably where we’ll head next.”

  He nodded and clenched his jaw tight, obviously unwilling to give her the satisfaction of letting her see an emotional reaction to her words. “What stipulation?” he asked instead.

  “Pearl and Eldin get to move to the guest house and live there rent-free. As long as they maintain the place, I’m hoping someone will agree. I can’t displace them.” She couldn’t imagine the elderly couple who lived in sin residing anywhere but Aunt Crystal’s house.