Page 61 of Feel It in the Air

16

MARGEAUX

“Margeaux!”

I stop dead in my tracks, one foot on the bottom step to the small cottage Gus shares with two of his brothers. The little I have left in me plummets at the sound of Jace’s greeting—I don’t even bother to look up, my body deflating, while the heavy grocery bags cut into my fingers even more.

Looking up at him, my jaw twitches. The Hayes trademark smirk spreading across his face as he leans against a column on the wraparound porch is doing nothing to help his cause. I push forward, not bothering to take a moment to study the house past what is immediately obvious. Something I know I will regret later. It’ll be dark soon, and I won’t be able to take in all the little details that my brain will want to focus on for my secret, girly daydreams about making this my home.

But it’s fine. Totally fine. Just fine.

“I do not have the tolerance for little brothers tonight,” I snip, my tone terse. I realize just how nasty I sound as the words are coming out and immediately start to regret that too. After all, these aren’t my brothers.

“Whoa!”

Hands held up in surrender, his face morphs into slight surprise, but he doesn’t move, his body language still completely unbothered by anything that is going on around him.

“She told you,” Hux remarks, giving Jace a shove. “Take a bag.”

Reaching out, Hux takes one of the offenders whose straps are currently cutting off circulation to my fingers. I give it over willingly, enjoying the rush of feeling back to my digits. The soft smile he gives as he turns back toward the house is full of understanding and something else—something I can’t name—but it eases my annoyance that they’re still here.

To a degree.

“What did I do?” Jace asks, shrugging a shoulder.

“You’re still standing there,” Hux barks, walking into the house.

“Oh, sorry.” Quickly taking the other bag, he holds out a hand, offering to help me up the stairs. I take it, not really needing the help but appreciating the gesture, nonetheless.

“Sorry, it’s been a day,” I tell him, following him into the house.

“Seems to be a lot of that going around.”

His comment doesn’t make a lot of sense, but then I see Gus.

Pacing.

I’m barely two steps into the small foyer, the staircase leading up to the second floor to my right, with what looks to be an office adjacent to it. The long narrow hallway that leads to the rest of the house brightens and darkens as Gus moves back and forth, his phone pressed to his ear. His tone is low enough that I can’t hear what he’s saying, but the hunch of his shoulders speaks volumes.

It's nothing good.

“I put the groceries in the kitchen,” Hux tells me, scooting past Gus on one of his passes at the far end of the hall. “Which is back that way and to the right.”

I nod, not taking my eyes off the stiff, tense figure in front of me. My heart squeezes, calling out to him, trying to let him know that I’m here, and I can help. Despite my own shit day.

“House is yours for the night,” he continues. “Have at it.”

A single chuckle escapes, not knowing if he meant it as a joke or what. From the little I know of Hux, it could go either way. “Thanks.”

Jace gives me a single nod, then a wink. “And nothing to be sorry ’bout. We like women who can hold their own in this family.”

I smile, the soft snick of the latch filling the foyer as they close the door behind them. Gus is still pacing, seemingly oblivious to my arrival. Taking a few more steps inside, I do what I didn’t get to when I arrived—take in my surroundings.

The mostly bare walls leave little doubt that a group of bachelors live here, the round, braided area rug just inside the door having seen some better days. The small office off to the side of the stairs is simply decorated with a large desk, neatly stacked with folders that don’t seem to be marked in any way, and a wood filing cabinet on the far wall. A large oil painting of Hayes House is hung on the wall, the signature in the corner dated 1926.

“Yeah, sure…talk then…” I hear Gus say, so I turn back to the hall.

Our eyes lock the second I round the corner, his face brightening. My heart squeezes all over again, only this time, I want to fall into his arms and stay there for the rest of time.