All the Broken Pieces: (Broken Series Book 3)
Read All the Broken Pieces: (Broken Series Book 3) Online
Authors: Anna Paige
Tags: #contemporary romance
ANNA PAIGE
All the Broken Pieces
Copyright © 2016 Anna Paige
Cover Image by Cassy Roop of
Pink Ink Designs
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This book is a work of fiction and any resemblance to persons, living or dead, or places,
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imagination and used fictitiously.
For Belinda… the best mom I could have ever asked for.
“There’s no fucking way I’m shacking up with you and your wife.” I crossed my arms over my chest, unyielding.
“Whatever, dude. It was just an offer. I still say you’re wasting money renting a separate place. We’ll be here working for months.” Clay shook his head in a way that suggested I was being stupid.
“Exactly. There’s no way I’m about to sign on for months in the same house with
the newlyweds
.” I used air quotes for emphasis. “You and Ali were bad enough before the wedding. Now, I fear you may actually screw each other to death, and frankly, I don’t want to be the one to stumble across your cooling, contorted bodies.” A shudder passed through me at the thought as Clay—my business partner and close friend—began to laugh uproariously.
I didn’t find it funny.
We were spending the afternoon walking the property where we would soon be breaking ground, brainstorming possible additions. It was something we did with every major job, but this time we were doing an especially important build and it needed to be absolutely perfect. Weather and scheduling glitches had already delayed the build by a couple of months, which was far from ideal given the nature of the project. We should have broken ground in late July but here it was nearly October. It pissed me off.
Much like the chuckles coming from my jackass partner.
His laughter continued to roll across the cleared expanse of land and I kicked the weeds at my feet, frustrated. “Look, I appreciate you trying to help, but the truth is I like living alone. It’s not something I do because of a lack of options. It’s my preference. So, the smaller cabin I rented is just fine. It’s close enough to you and Ali for us to collaborate on the build without having to give up our respective solitude. Plus, the owner cut me a killer deal on the rental fees in exchange for my help with a few renovations, so it’s a win-win.”
“Fine, fucker. See if I offer to help you again.” He groused, fighting off a smile. “Does everyone really refer to me and Ali as ‘the newlyweds’ with air quotes?”
I nodded, shrugging my shoulders. “Yup. Sometimes we also call you The Humpingtons. I can’t take credit for that one, though. That was all Talia. Or maybe it was Spencer. Either way, it’s your own faults for rubbing your public displays of affection in our faces all the time.”
He waggled his brows, grinning broadly. “You should see what she and I rub in each other’s faces in private.”
“For fuck’s sake, bro. No. Just no.” I spun on my heel and headed in the other direction, eyes darting to the tree line in the distance. “I’m going off to see if I can get myself mauled by a bear or something, which is far preferable to having to hear about your marital sexcapades.”
His laughter echoed behind me and I shook my head.
The asshole so enjoyed making me uncomfortable. Said it was his way of helping me come out of my shell.
Bullshit.
He just liked messing with me.
As the smile I’d been fighting began to win the battle, I had to admit to myself that I enjoyed the banter. Usually. Some things, though, one guy never needed to know about another guy. And thanks to his frequent over-shares, I always had a hard time not blushing around Ali. Clay thought that was hilarious.
I was halfway across the cleared lot when Clay’s phone began loudly ringing. I recognized the ringtone immediately, another over-share if you asked me. I mean, “Animals” by Maroon 5?
How subtle.
Not turning, I called over my shoulder, “Tell the missus I said hi.”
I could make out his greeting and waited for him to deliver my message as I slowed my pace to look at some of the painted markings left by the surveyors. My mind kicked back into work mode and I contemplated the need for more power, twisting around to gauge how far apart the cabins would be in reference to the main house, calculating amperage in my head.
We were building an enormous children’s retreat. One main building surrounded by nearly a dozen smaller cabins, all specifically designed for children battling cancer. It would be called Milly’s Mountain, named after the daughter of Ali’s best friend Talia, who lost Milly to cancer at age four.
Talia was now engaged to our other business partner, Spencer, and they were expecting a baby of their own. So many changes had happened for my friends in the previous year. It was astonishing to consider how far they had come, how happy they were.
Not me, though. I was still right where I’d been for more than a damn decade: self-imposed exile. Work and my few friends were all I allowed myself to care about.
Most days I couldn’t have been happier for my friends. I generally wasn’t a jealous man, wasn’t prone to envy.
Sometimes, though…
My thoughts were interrupted by Clay’s raised voice.
“Ali, slow down, you’re freaking me out. Take a deep breath and tell me what’s going on.” His eyes flashed to mine from across the field and I hastened back to where he stood, my eyes never leaving his face. “Are you hurt? Breathe, baby. Why are you crying?”
His expression went from concern to relief for a brief moment as she spoke, then it morphed into fear. He looked at me with wide eyes and gave a fractional shake of his head. I could hear Ali’s broken sobs as I stood there next to him.
It was bad, whatever it was.
Clay turned back toward the truck and motioned for me to follow, his steps urgent. “Okay, I’m leaving now. Brant and I will meet you at the hospital. Is Lauren already there?”
Lauren? The same Lauren who they had so much trouble with last year? She had tormented Ali and Clay when they first started their relationship. To be fair, she was blackmailed into it by Ali’s psycho ex, who was threatening to harm Teach if she didn’t cooperate. I just didn’t realize they were still in close contact with her.
He blew out a breath and climbed behind the wheel of his truck while I quietly slipped into the passenger seat. “Just please drive safely. I don’t like you being behind the wheel when you’re upset. It scares me.” Clay’s mother had been upset and crying the night she crashed her car and died from her injuries. Clay had a huge thing about the people he loved not driving while emotional. “I know. I will. Love you too, Ali. Everything is going to be okay. Okay?”
They chatted for a minute longer, Clay reminding her at least three more times to drive carefully before he ended the call and looked over at me, speaking over the sound of gravel flying from beneath the tires. “Teach had a heart attack. Lauren called Ali from the hospital.” Teach was Ali’s former college professor turned pseudo-grandfather. He was the reason Ali and Clay had met and fallen in love. Hell, he even got ordained and performed their wedding ceremony here in Denson a few months ago.
“Shit.” My heart dropped. I wasn’t as close to Teach as everyone else, but I’d spent a fair amount of time with him and thought highly of the man. He was like family to Ali and her best friend Talia, and he actually was family to Lauren. Despite the drama from last year, Ali and Lauren had clearly made peace, which spoke volumes about Ali’s amazing capacity for forgiveness.
I envied her that.
God, Lauren was probably losing it. I’d never actually met her but anyone who would risk prison time to protect Teach had to care about him very much.
Clay turned to me, his features pinched with worry. “I’m sorry you’re sort of stuck dealing with this. Of all the days to not drive separately, huh?”
“It’s fine. I think of Teach as a friend, too.” The last thing Clay needed was another thing to worry about right then. As it was, he would be half out of his mind with worry until Ali arrived safely.
“I appreciate that. Just the same though, if you decide you want to split, you can take my truck and head home. Ali will have the Jeep and I’ll probably end up leaving the truck there anyway so I can drive her home.” His grip tightened on the wheel, the thick leather making a cracking sound beneath his hands. “She shouldn’t be behind the wheel at all today but there’s nothing I can do about that.”
My hand shot out to grab the ‘oh shit’ handle as he took a sharp curve so fast I feared we would end up on two wheels. “Not to be a smartass, but are you sure
you
need to be driving? Because I could take over.”
I could practically see the scathing remark in his expression but when he flicked a glance at the speedometer, he bit it back and eased off the gas. Marginally.
I was all for going to the hospital but I would rather not do it in an ambulance.
Given the expression on my best friend’s face, it wasn’t the time to critique his driving so the best I could do was hang on tight and hope.
For the two of us, but also for Teach.
•••
Turns out if Clay ever needed another career to fall back on, I was pretty sure he could make it as a stunt driver.
Not many people could careen into a parking lot at forty miles an hour and manage to wedge a three-quarter ton crew-cab truck into a spot obviously intended for a goddamn Smart Car, all while barely touching the brake.
I may have also learned that I had exceptional bladder control.
Fucking lunatic.
We both exited the truck and I suppressed the urge to kiss the fucking pavement while he hurried off in the direction of the Emergency department.
The wide automatic doors opened with a whoosh of cold air and I was instantly reminded of the last time I was here. Ali had been admitted here after being trapped in a fire and suffering smoke inhalation in addition to several other minor injuries. The waiting room had been packed with family and friends, all refusing to budge until she was cleared.