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“Maybe Holden can hook you up for a night of fun,” Vaughn interjected. “In his line of work, he knows a ton of ladies.”
“That’s not a bad idea. Whether it’s to blow off some steam for an evening or date for a while, it might be good for you.” Sutton rose from her chair and strolled over to me. She cupped my chin in her small palm and forced me to look at her. “One of these days, you’ll find someone who sees how incredibly amazing you are.” She dropped her hand, then winked at Vaughn before she left the room.
“Sorry, man. I know the situation sucks, but I’m glad Sutton said something. If you’d hooked up with Brynn, it could have caused a shit show.”
“Yeah, I get it, but it’s still messed up. She’s the first girl I’ve been interested in since …”
“I know.” Vaughn stood and stretched, his eyes never leaving mine.
Uncomfortable with the memories, I stared at the ceiling and watched the fan spin, refusing to look at my best friend. I wasn’t sure how well I was hiding my feelings, and I didn’t want to let him see how fucked up I was at that moment.
“The chick you saved at that party. I’ll never forget the haunted look on your face after you gave her CPR.” Vaughn smoothed his burgundy polo shirt, then popped his neck.
“Doesn’t matter. The past is the past. Not to mention, she’s married.” This conversation had taken a turn I wasn’t interested in. “I need to pack. We only have a few hours before we leave for the airport.”
“Same. I need to wake up Claire, too. The morning sickness has been kicking her ass. I should make sure she has some 7 Up and crackers on the plane in case she needs them.”
“And a barf bag.” Sutton’s voice reached us before she walked into the living room again, searching for something. “I’ve already made sure there’s ginger ale, crackers, applesauce, and 7 Up. When she’s not sick, I am.” Sutton placed her hands on her slender hips, frowning. “Has anyone seen my phone?”
I shook my head. “Nope. You didn’t have it with you when you sat down to chat.”
My cell pinged with an incoming message, and I stared at my screen. I chuckled as I read it. “Pierce said to tell you if you’re looking for your cell, he found it on your nightstand.”
Sutton rolled her eyes. “I’m never this scatterbrained, and I sure as hell don’t forget my iPhone. I always have it with me.” Sutton huffed and once more walked out of the room.
“Pregnancy,” Vaughn mumbled as a bewildered expression drifted over his face.
“At least Sutton and Claire are pregnant at the same time. It might help when they’re both waddling around and have to prop their feet up.” I smacked him on the back. “Good luck, dude.” My laughter echoed through the house as I left my man standing alone and headed for my bedroom.
Closing the door behind me, I leaned up against it as I took a deep breath. The place was empty of any personal touches, holding only a light-colored king-sized bed, plus a matching tall dresser and nightstand. It was definitely for guests only, but it was my place to sleep when in Canada.
I needed a fucking minute to digest the new information about Brynn. Disappointed didn’t even begin to describe what I’d felt when Sutton told me about Chance’s feelings. Fuck, what guy wouldn’t fall for Brynn? She was smart, kind, and gorgeous, a fighter with a quiet, determined strength. When she entered a room, the space around her lit up.Goddammit.I hadn’t felt like this in fucking forever. Not even with Vicki after I’d finished serving in the Army.
There was one other,a voice in the back of my mind whispered. “Not really. I saved her life, then found out she was married,” I muttered. I barked out a laugh. Hell, I was answering voices in my head.
I removed my suitcase from the closet and tossed it onto the bed. The sound of the zipper filled the space as I opened it. I flopped the bag open, realizing it wouldn’t take me long to pack. Most of my clothes were black slacks, khakis, and a variety of polo shirts with the Westbrook Security logo over the left pec. As much as I loved my jeans, they were only worn on the occasional day off. It was nice to lounge around in an infrequent T-shirt, too, especially ones sporting the logos of my favorite football teams, the Dallas Cowboys or Seattle Seahawks.
Even though I’d tried to force the memories away, flashes of that evening Vaughn had mentioned bombarded my mind. The owner of the striking home had invited Pierce and Sutton to an elaborate party, and Vaughn and I had gone as their bodyguards. Since Claire and Vaughn were together, it made sense that Sutton wanted her sister along for the evening as well.
It had been a perfect opportunity for Pierce and Sutton to rub elbows with the wealthy and land more business. Claire and Vaughn had just announced their relationship to the rest of the world, and although Claire had come a long way, she stuck to Vaughn and me like glue. When she’d had to use the bathroom, the ones located on the main floor were already in use, so I accompanied her upstairs.
My heart skipped a beat as I recalled the stunning woman with the haunted, light hazel eyes stumbling out of the restroom and dropping to the floor—deaduntil I worked furiously to bring her back to life.
I shook off the unwanted feeling, angry that a stranger from a year ago had triggered the nightmares I’d fought so hard to leave behind. I shoved my fingers through my short hair and heaved a sigh. Maybe it was time to make some changes and finally close the door on those dark memories that continued to drag me to hell.
2
Giselle
“Hi, sis,” Donovan said, slipping his arms around my waist before I could duck away from his grasp. He nuzzled my neck with the tip of his nose and planted a kiss on my damp cheek. “How was your run?” His sinister chuckle filled the kitchen as he stepped away. It wasn’t far enough.
“Fine.” I glowered at him as I patted my face dry with a dish towel. “It’s going to be unusually hot today, so I squeezed in my workout early.”
“A toasty 107 degrees. Spokane is breaking records.” His heated gaze traveled the length of my body, and I quickly turned away from him, suppressing a shudder.
“I don’t remember it ever reaching that high of a temp in all the years we’ve lived in Washington.” I busied myself at the sink and washed my hands, hoping my adopted brother would get distracted by anything other than me. Maybe if I kept him busy with small talk, he would leave me alone.
Donovan collected the coffee pot and poured himself a cup, then grabbed the milk and added a splash.
