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“You don’t have to thank me. I’m your brother,” Jax said. “This is my family too and this place means a lot to me.”
A small smile broke through the tension. “I’m glad you remembered. Because even though you’re a dick, you mean a lot to this place too.”
Chapter Twenty-Two
Take Life by the Balls
Say yes even when
it scares you.
Milly was at the finish line.
“This event has never run so smoothly,” Brynn said.
She and Milly stood along the fence line with the other few hundred spectators, waiting for the next run to begin. Besides a snafu with the porta-potties—half the amount ordered had arrived—everything had gone as planned. The deliveries came in correctly and on time, the swag bags had been stuffed and passed out, and Peggy had pointed out that this was the smoothest the event had ever gone. She’d also pointed out how handsome Jax looked that day.
Unlike the rest of the employees, who were in Sierra Vista team polos, Jax wore a dark gray button-down, untucked from his pants and with the sleeves rolled to the forearm. His shoes were business casual and his face was clean-shaven. He looked like one of those models from a cologne ad.
The last time she’d seen him he’d been talking with one of the event’s sponsors. That had been seven hours ago. Milly barely had time to breathe, yet she couldn’t help scanning the crowd for a peek at the man who made her smile. And as tired as she was—she’d been going since five a.m.—her cheeks hurt from smiling so much.
“I have a great team working with me.” In fact, her team had been amazing. They’d gelled immediately and functioned like they’d been working together for years. Surprisingly, she worked better with them than she did with the crew she’d spent four years working with in New York. And the work was fun and challenging. Being a part of an event that meant so much to so many people fulfilled something inside her that her old job never had. “Plus, your family makes it easy to do my job.”
Brynn laughed. “My family has been acting like we’re three-year-olds in a presidential debate. Whining, shouting, and a lot of tantrums, with the occasional punch being thrown.”
Remembering Jax’s split lip had been enough to stop her heart. “Do they do that a lot? Jax and Lucas?”
Milly’s expression must have been intense, because Brynn said, “My, my. You look like you want to throw a few punches yourself. Any of my family members in particular?”
“I plead the fifth.”
“Welcome to the world of having brothers. They’re more of an act first, have a beer after kind of creature. In fact, they use the least amount of words possible when communicating. Personally, I think it has to do with the missing leg in the chromosome.” Brynn’s smile vanished. “But I will say that Jax and Lucas have had a rough go of it the past year. Now that they’ve acted like idiots, I’m sure they’ll be hugging it out sometime soon.”
“I hope they do before Jax leaves.”
Brynn studied Milly with curious interest. “You know, Jax only needs a reason to stay.”
“Jax lives for the slopes,” Milly said quickly. Too quickly to allow herself to think of possibly being one of his reasons to stay. Because their relationship wasn’t real, she reminded herself. Even though the last few nights had felt more real than any relationship she’d ever been in.
Jax hadn’t said anything to let her know that he felt it too, but she knew he did. It was in the way he held her and the way he cared for her—and about her.
“That doesn’t mean he can’t make Sierra Vista his homebase. His first couple of years on the circuit he still lived at home. He’d come back all the time. Then Cindy happened and, as always, came between them,” Brynn said, hands on hips. “That woman drives me nuts.”
“Wait. That wasn’t the first time?” Milly had been under the impression that this had been the first blowout between the brothers.
“Oh, nothing as big as avoiding each other for a year, but even as kids they always had different opinions of what Cindy’s involvement in their lives should be. Lucas took to my family like a kid starved for love. Jax took a long time to open himself up to the idea that he was one of us.”
“I think he still struggles with that,” Milly said.
“Lucas treated our family like his, only spending time with his mom when he had to. Jax split time between houses. I think he was too afraid to sever ties like Lucas did, in case our family turned our backs on him. So when Lucas met with Cindy secretly I think it was Jax’s biggest fear coming true. But just like when he was a kid, he’s slowly opening back up.” Brynn’s expression went soft. “I think you have something to do with it.”
“Me?” Milly croaked. “No. I don’t think so.”
“We’ve all seen the way he looks at you.”
“How’s that?” She wanted to know. Because she saw a wealth of emotion every time their gazes met, but for all Milly knew, she was fabricating it because that’s what she wanted to see.
Gah!
