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“Well there’s an empty bottle of wine lying on your welcome mat, that gave me my first clue. If it makes you feel any better, I think Nate is probably worse off than you are right now.”
She perked up. That did make her feel better. She walked over to the doorway, holding her head as her steps banged her brain against her skull like a pinball machine. She turned the lock and dragged herself into the kitchen. “Enter at your own peril.”
She heard the door open and high heels clomping loudly on the floor before she saw the dark haired young woman she’d thought was her friend. “Hey, shoes off. Dying woman over here.”
Jane slipped off her heels with a sigh. “Let me make you some coffee. We need to talk.”
Truly sat down at her breakfast nook and buried her head in her hands. “Just tell me about the suffering. Please.”
“You wanna know about the broken nose, the hangover or the fact that I kicked him out of the house until he sobered up?”
Jane’s words had Truly’s head spinning. Or maybe it was just the room. “He broke his nose?”
“No,” Jane’s tone was wry. “Sweet, gentle Clay broke his nose. Don’t ask me why, I didn’t snoop. But I was tempted myself. That man has been an ass since you left. Worse than that. A drunken ass. And he usually doesn’t touch the stuff.” She set a steaming mug of coffee down in front of Truly with a shrug. “We don’t have the best family history with addiction in general.”
Truly took a grateful sip, her mind still reeling. “That doesn’t sound like Clay. Not that I blame him. I’d like to break something on your brother. But I don’t think I’d aim for his nose.” She rubbed her temple. “I don’t drink either. And right now I think I know why. There is nothing fun about this feeling.”
Jane reached her hand out to take Truly’s. “We need you back at the construction site. Robert can’t do this without you. He thought he could, but he can’t. He needs you. Clay and Louis need you. Nate needs you.”
Truly grimaced. “He doesn’t need me, he has Clive, apparently. And Robert is fired. Why is he still going to work?”
“Because he knows you. And I know my brother.” Jane shifted in her chair. “Look, you don’t have to tell me about what went on between the four of you that night. But trust me, I’m not judging. I’ve always known about Louis and Clay. And I knew my brother had a past. Besides, Robert took me out to a dungeon…let’s just say after that outing I have no room to talk. About anyone.”
Truly looked up at the blushing Jane with interest. A dungeon, huh? She didn’t look like the dungeon type. But then, Truly probably didn’t look like the one girl in an orgy porn either but, there you go.
She leaned back. “I don’t know what happened. I thought it was going well. I mean, I thought he wanted…” She raised one shoulder. “I can’t do it. I’m obviously not sophisticated enough to handle the morning after with a client. I made the worst mistake you can make with the first person to hire me after the station debacle. Maybe my mother’s right.”
“Oh brother.” Jane stood up and put her hands on her hips. “I don’t know if it’s the sugar crash or hangover talking, but I don’t let my kids pull a pity party on me, and I’m not about to let you get away with it either.”
Truly watched as she buzzed around the room, taking out her aggression on dirty plates and trash. “My brother is in love with you. I know because he has never been in love, has avoided it like the plague. He loves his family. He loves Clay and Louis like brothers, but he has never fallen for a woman. And you can trust me, this was a hard damn fall.”
“He had sex with me. He shared me with his buddies. Then he basically sent me packing. That doesn’t sound like love, Jane.” It sounded sordid. But it had been more than that, hadn’t it? At least, it had to her.
Jane headed into the living room with a trash bag. “I am going to clean away your lost weekend here.” She waggled a half empty carton of Chinese food at Truly before tossing it. “And you will take a shower, get dressed and face your fate with all the courage I know you have. Those three men are important to me, Larkin. And so are you. I won’t allow you all to keep hurting like this.”
Truly stood up, clutching her coffee mug like a shield. “I don’t want to hurt anyone, but I don’t think I can do it. Don’t think I can see them—him.” Especially not if they gave her looks of pity, or worse, disdain.
Jane closed her eyes and shook her head. “Men are idiots. But we are women. Women are tougher than that. You’ll make that restaurant everything you imagined it could be. After that, whatever makes the four of you happy will make me happy. Love is never a mistake. Trust me. The worst kind of love gave me the best men in my life. My boys.”
How could she argue with that logic?
Chapter Seven
It was perfect. Not country club. Not dive. But a masterful blend of both. She’d kept his pictures, though they were hung more like art. The walls were muted but still colorful. The floor was bamboo instead of peeling linoleum. The chairs were tasteful but comfortable.
Nate looked toward the kitchen. She rebuilt half the wall in adobe brick, giving the space a warm, welcoming feel. There was en
ough of a window so that diners could watch the chefs in action but not too closely. And in the center of everything, chrome shining in the dim light was a classic motorcycle in mint condition. On its side had been etched three words in beautiful calligraphy. The Iron Horse.
“The place looks phenomenal.”
“You should be telling her that.”
Nate turned warily as Clay entered the dining area of the restaurant. The big opening was tonight, and Nate hadn’t been sure his friend would be there. Not since he’d socked him in the nose for his drunken words about Truly.
He hadn’t meant them. He’d been jealous. Petty and stupid and jealous. He’d wanted them all to hurt as much as he was hurting.
He really was a bastard.
