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Four
Vic drove to Aubrey’s parents’ house, a doorstep he’d sworn never to darken again. He knew Chelsea was upset for reasons other than him lying to Aubrey, but he couldn’t help feeling a tug of guilt at her accusation.
Chels never had approved of his confidence and didn’t hesitate to remind him of his “cocky” nature. He’d be the first to admit his bullheadedness was a character flaw, but he’d come by it honestly. He’d inherited the art of stubbornness from his namesakes, his grandfather and his father. The third Victor in line, Vic had been entrusted to run one of the largest ranches in Royal, Texas, a job description that called for leadership.
Decisiveness and boldness were two qualities required for the ranch to stay profitable for generations to come. What Chelsea perceived as arrogance was Vic doing what their father had charged him to do. Taking over meant taking over, and that’s exactly what Vic intended to do. If his sisters had been paying attention, they would’ve noticed that shit ran uphill, not down, when things went wrong. Being in charge was an enormous responsibility.
Not that it mattered at the moment. The family ranch wasn’t stable. The question of whether or not there was oil beneath both the Grandin land and neighboring Lattimore property remained unanswered. Ever since a claim on the estate had been made by Heath Thurston, the land Vic called home had been threatened. If Heath seized the land, there’d be no family ranch for Vic, Chelsea and Layla to work.
A terrifying prospect.
He parked in the Collinses’ driveway and shut off the truck. Leaning back in his seat, he considered how most people would not agree to play house with their ex. Vic wasn’t like most people. The night they’d shared recently had been memorable enough that he’d show up wherever Aubrey asked him to. He wasn’t a weak man, but when it came to his high school love, he didn’t possess the strength to tell her no. Not when, in her fragile state, she looked at him like he’d hung the moon.
Nothing was better than when she smiled at him, as wide-eyed as when he’d first turned her head. Her admiration when they’d been teenagers had been infinitely better than the acrimony that’d followed years later.
During the long months following their split, he’d given up on winning her back. Eventually he’d reentered the dating world, but it hadn’t taken long to realize that he wasn’t going to find Aubrey’s equal anywhere in this town—or the state. Hell, probably the whole damn solar system. So, fuck scruples. He was taking this opportunity to be in her circle for as long as she’d allow. He knew he still didn’t deserve her, but it’d be nice to feel good for a while. It beat stressing out over the ranch while simultaneously handling the pressure of being the Grandin golden child.
At Eddie and Mary Collins’s front door, Vic raised a fist to knock. He hid the bouquet of daisies behind his back, pleased when Aubrey opened the door instead of either of her parents. Her eyes were wide and excited before she saw the flowers, and then when she did, she melted like he’d brought her a dozen gold bars instead.
“They’re for your mom. I hope you’re not disappointed,” he told her.
“I live here, too, so we’ll both enjoy them.” She grinned. It’d been her vibrant, sunshiny smile that had first hooked his heart. He hadn’t seen it aimed at him for far too many years.
She clutched his wrist and dragged him into the house he hadn’t seen since Aubrey left for college. No, he took that back. He’d come here once after they’d broken up. Vic had literally told Eddie he’d come to “talk some sense into her” for dumping him on his ass. Eddie hadn’t let him inside, and Vic figured that’d been for the best. Any other attempts to reach her had been ignored or thwarted by her parents, and the rest was ancient history.
History Aubrey had forgotten.
“Mom, Vic’s here. He brought you flowers.” Aubrey released his arm and bustled around the kitchen filling a vase with water and unwrapping the daisies to arrange them on the dining room table. The same dining room table where he’d shared countless dinners with the Collinses when things had been good. The same sunken living room where they’d played Pictionary on a few innocent nights. The same plaid sofa where Vic and Aubrey had spent a not-so-innocent night while her parents had been away on vacation.
“Thank you, Vic. That’s very thoughtful.” Mary’s mouth was a neutral line. She’d never been as angry at him as Eddie, but who had been? Even Aubrey hadn’t matched her father’s ire after she’d given the engagement ring back.
“Do you want a beer, babe?” It took Vic a second to realize Aubrey was addressing him.
“Sure.”
She cracked the top off a red label and handed him the bottle. Then she pushed an empty platter into his other hand and shoved him toward the back deck. “Take this to Dad, will you? He’ll need it for the steaks. Dinner’s almost ready.”
He couldn’t say no to her sweet, sweet smile, despite her sending him into the lion’s den.
Outside, Vic offered the platter. Eddie narrowed his eyes but accepted it. Aubrey’s father drank from his own beer bottle as he and Vic regarded the smoking grill in silence.
“Thanks for having me,” Vic tried.
Eddie, his eyes on the steaks sizzling away on the flattop grill, squared his jaw. “We both know she deserves better than you.”
That hadn’t taken long.
“But you’re who she needs right now. You, for some reason—” he waved the spatula in Vic’s general direction “—bring her joy.”
Vic, on the cusp of defending himself for doing exactly what Eddie—at the suggestion of the doctor—had asked Vic to do, was unexpectedly mollified by those words. Aubrey had forgotten their troubles and their shared pasts. Vic had been charged with standing in as her boyfriend to help her avoid further trauma. But joy? Joy was a tall order. When was the last time he’d brought a woman joy? The idea of it was a treasure he hadn’t expected to find.
“I’d never lie to her if I could help it.” Eddie flipped the steaks over to finish cooking. “Just so happens I can’t help it. I love her more than anything on this earth.”
“I understand, sir.” And he did. At one point Vic had loved Aubrey more than anything on this earth, too. Before he’d screwed up and made her hate him. He was ashamed to admit that a fair amount of the bitterness between them had fueled some of his bad behavior in the past. That wasn’t her fault, but at the time he’d laid some of the blame on her. And since he had yet to forgive himself for his repugnant behavior, the least he could do was be here to support her. Maybe he could make up for at least part of the pain he’d inadvertently caused her over the years.
“If for one moment I believe your presence is making her life harder—” Eddie began.
“Got it,” Vic interrupted, cutting off whatever idle threat Eddie might make. Back when Vic and Aubrey were kids, Eddie’s words had held less weight. Vic had believed he was above reproach with everyone. Now that he was older, and hopefully wiser, he understood her father’s concerns.
