Just Want Somebody to Love (Bella Warren Book 1) (7 page)

Brandon still looked, and still didn’t touch the papers. “To where?”

Where? He thought he’d come to him this excited over another city in Texas? “To anywhere. Hell, everywhere. They’re starting in Florida, then Georgia, and working their way west to meet us in Texas. I don’t know where from there. This is our big dream.”

Brandon lifted a shoulder and leaned back. “Dreams change.”

Goals changed. Plans changed. Dreams? Those never changed. Justin tapped the papers. “Not this one.”

“Does for me.”

Justin sat back and studied his brother. Brandon did the same back. He must have misunderstood. “We’ve waited for this day since we were teenagers.” He sat on the edge of his seat. “Billboards across the country advertising us. Nationwide commercials. We talked about this for hours and now it’s here. You’re not happy about that?”

“It’s not what’s important to me anymore.”

Justin looked around at the shack of a kitchen. There wasn’t even a dishwasher. Upstairs sucked even more. Money clearly didn’t hit a top priority of his brother’s anymore. But still. “I’ve worked for this. I’m ready to see it happen.”

“I’m not interested in it.”

Justin just stared at the man across from him and tried to figure out who was sitting there. As much as a hermit Brandon that had become, this couldn’t be the same brother that Justin had shared “one day” dreams with for hours. “You do realize what I’m talking about, right? Branching out and becoming a nationwide chain? We’ll be a household name.”

“I understand fine. What you’re not getting is that I don’t want it.”

Justin stared at him a little longer. He had a decent poker face, but not over this. Surely not over this. Right? “How could you not want it?”

No smile hinted he might be joking. “Too much work. Too much time away. It’s too much.”

Lifelong plans crumbled, and Justin grasped at anything he could to hold it all together. If his brother didn’t agree and wouldn’t sign…Justin refused to even think of that option. He and Brandon had grown into different people over the last few years, but he wouldn’t do this to him. He couldn’t do this to him. “I’ve been handling everything for several years now. It wouldn’t change anything for you. You can stay here, keep on like you want. Get your TV and don’t hire any help. Nothing changes for you. Except your bank balance.”

Finally Brandon took a moment to think. It didn’t last long before he pushed out a heavy breath. “You know what you said earlier? About meaning to get by here, but you don’t? If I sign this, then I’ll never see you.”

Ice ran through his blood and Justin sat forward. “Are you saying you won’t sign?”

“That’s exactly what I’m saying.” Brandon crossed his arms over his chest. “I’m not signing. I don’t think it’s in the best interest of everyone.”

Justin’s throat tightened, and he was tempted to grab the last of Brandon’s water. He couldn’t decide if he needed a drink it to clear his throat or break it over his brother’s head in hopes to knock sense into him. For that, he left the water alone. “But if you refuse, then this deal falls through. We’re fifty-fifty partners.”

“I know.” Brandon’s words were filled with so much calm.

Justin was about to come out of his skin. “I don’t think you understand. You have to agree.”

“I understand perfectly.” Brandon tapped the stack of sheets holding their future. “I don’t sign. This doesn’t happen. That’s how we started this restaurant. Either we both agree or it doesn’t happen. I don’t agree.”

Justin waited to try and gather words that didn’t involve shouting them. Shouting would get him nowhere. “I’ve worked hard. I want this.”

“I know you’ve worked hard.” Brandon nodded. “You’ve pored your life into it, and you’ve done a great job running it by yourself. I never doubted that you couldn’t. That’s why I’m not signing.”

“You’re not making any sense.” He admitted Justin was capable, and that’s why he wasn’t signing?

Brandon started to lean on the table, but stopped and pushed the papers out of the way as though they were disgusting. With the offending items out of his way, he leaned on the table and clasped his hands together. “All you’ve done is work. You don’t have anything to show for yourself besides work.”

“Oh you mean like having an ex-wife, like you?” Damn it. He regretted that the moment it popped out.

Brandon’s gaze narrowed, and he pushed from the table. “Is there anything else? I work hard too and I’m exhausted.”

Was there anything else? Yeah. There damn sure was a lot more. He was just at a loss on what to say as Brandon grabbed his glass and pushed his chair in. “I’ll see you in the morning.”

Justin watched him as he headed for the door. “That’s it?”

“What?”

Justin lifted his papers. “I come to you with this, and all you say is no because I work too hard?”

“Yeah.”

“Maybe if you were holding up your end of the partnership, I wouldn’t have to work so hard.” He pushed out of his chair. Brandon was not walking away from this. He couldn’t. Not after everything.

“Even if I was there, you’d work just as hard. All you know is trying to make that restaurant a success when there’s so much more to life.”

“How would you know? You’re in here six days a week, and you don’t have a single employee. You work just as hard as I do. If not more because I can at least take a sick day.”

Brandon looked down, his temper still intact, and that damnable calm tone of his voice remained. “Because I discovered there’s more and then lost it.”

Justin stared at the floor as anger bundled to a tight wad pounding through his veins. “That’s not my problem.”

“It needs to be a problem for you. You’re throwing your life away. There’s more than just that business out there.”

“This is my life’s work. I’m not throwing it anywhere. You are. I’m happy. I like my life. You’re the one trying to ruin it because you didn’t work hard enough for your marriage, and somehow that’s my load to carry?”

“I’m sorry you feel that way.”

“You’re sorry? That’s all you have to say for yourself? You’re ready to flush what I’ve worked my ass off for years to achieve, and you’re sorry about that? What is this, you fucked up your life, so you’re going to fuck up mine too?”

Brandon shook his head and walked out the room.

Justin fell back in his chair. The papers remained unsigned in front him. He fisted his hands, then reached for them. This wasn’t happening.

If Brandon refused to sign the papers, then it was time to figure a way to kick him off the partnership. A complete lack of input for the last several years had to be viable in that argument. Or somehow he had to make Brandon change his mind.

Justin got everything he set his mind to, and this was no different.

He pushed off the chair and headed upstairs for his things.

Whitney turned in the mirror and ran her hand over the cotton yoga pants covering her hips. “I think jeans would be a better idea.”

Kara stood back with her chin rested in her hand. “No way. Jeans take longer to get off and on. Besides, guys love yoga pants.”

“I just think my ass looks better when it’s held in place by jeans.”

Kara’s brow lifted it. “Your ass is fine. Actually, it’s more than fine. It’s great. It has a life of its own back there, happily bouncing when you walk. It’s begging you to show it off.”

“Begging me?”

“Yep.” She nodded. “
Please, Whitney! Showcase me! I am amazing back here and you hide me under oversized sweatshirts and force me into jean shape!
” she mocked in a tiny voice.

“I never knew my butt felt that way.”

“That’s why guys like yoga pants. Because they’re tight on the real shape of your butt. There’s no way you could be hiding a fake butt in yoga pants.”

She turned in the mirror again. Well? It wasn’t bad. She’d run to town plenty of times in yoga pants. Wearing them wasn’t a problem, but going on a date in them? That just seemed sloppy. “Uh-huh, and who are these guys you’ve been polling?”

Kara fidgeted with her lips. “Did you hear the oven timer go off?”

“No.” She smoothed a hand over the front of her shirt. She doubted it mattered. Those brown panties hadn’t fazed Justin in the least, so she doubted he’d even notice her pants. And bonus. No zipper to tease her with. Just tug and ta-da! Naked. Kara had a point.

Kara nodded, then sidestepped for the door. “I think I heard it.”

“I know I didn’t because the oven isn’t even on.” She turned in her room for tennis shoes. Yoga pants or jeans, it didn’t matter at this point because she didn’t have time to change now or she’d be late. Not being able to find her other shoe wasn’t helping. She tossed the covers that were half on the floor, half on the bed aside and found her other shoe. After Justin left, she might have hung around downstairs for about fifteen minutes just in case he came back. She’d been ready to throw herself at him the moment he would have landed on the porch.

No shame. Whatsoever. And she didn’t care. Amazing and unimaginable summed up last night pretty well. Never could she have imagined having a night like that. She used to think she’d had awesome nights, and then Justin came along. It wasn’t just the sex, either. It was everything. The way he moved, the tone of his voice, even his humor. The light of his eyes. How he looked at her and somehow made her feel like she was the whole world.

So yeah, with bitter disappointment that he didn’t come back, she’d trudged upstairs and wallowed in what was left of her bed.

She cleared her throat before she got lost in thoughts of last night. “I guess yoga pants it is. I’ll ask Justin about his opinion on them, and then you can add this to the list of men you’ve polled. I’m curious to see who they are.”

“Sounds like a plan.” Kara made a suspicions side-eye to the doorway and slipped through it just as fast.

Sickness filled Whitney’s belly as Kara slipped out wearing yoga pants. “Oh my God, you did not just tell me something that my brother finds sexy.”

“I’m sorry,” echoed from the hall. “I made you snacks and brought a blanket for you, if that makes up for it.”

Whitney flipped the lights off and headed downstairs. She stopped at the bottom and did a full body shiver. Having her childhood best friend grow up and marry her brother so they were sisters for real? One of the coolest moments of her life. Learning about her brother’s turn-ons? Worst moments of her life. She took the basket from Kara and lifted it a couple times to test its weight. “I guess this makes up for it. Feels like you packed it well.”

“Of course I did. You’re good to go all afternoon. I packed balanced snacks in there. Protein for energy, carbs to keep you full, and fruits to play with.” Kara’s grinned remained. “Now go have fun. I expect a full list of details when you get back.”

Sounded like a well packed basket. Bless her. “If I tell you without Tasha, she’s going to be furious.”

Kara’s smile fell to narrowed eyes. “She won’t be off work until late, and who made you snacks? Your favorite snacks, by the way.”

Well that was hard to argue with, except Tasha gave her all the ice cream a girl could want for free all year long. Of course, Kara gave her pretty much whatever she wanted when she wanted it too. She kept that to herself. If things went like last time, by the time Whitney came home, Tasha would be off work and she could corner the three of them for all the dirty details at once. “All right, all right. I need to go.”

“Make sure you have enough sex to last you through the summer.”

She chuckled and got in her car to head to The Curve. If last night—this morning?—was any indication, she’d have enough fun to last her for a minimal of three years. If she was at all lucky, he wouldn’t stay away that long.

She pulled in the lot. Sunday at straight up noon and church goers packed the place out. The “I sure hate we missed you at church this morning” guilt trip was incoming. She twisted her hands around the steering wheel. Maybe she should just wait in the car.

Saying she stayed up all night getting her mind blown wasn’t exactly acceptable. Not going in would mean they’d tap on her car windows when they left. At least inside there was the hope a distraction would get her out of most of it. Getting cornered outside might get her stuck for half an hour or more.

Besides, she had all afternoon with Justin since her mom likely wouldn’t be there until early evening. A grin pulled on her lips. She didn’t have any problem spending a few teasing minutes over lunch.

She pushed opened the door. The familiar noise of forks being clinked on plates and orders called out in the background washed over her. An old smile pulled on her cheeks. She hadn’t been in here for Sunday lunch since, sheesh, a year ago before Kara moved back to town.

She smiled at the people who glanced her way as she weaved through the crowd. A table by a window had her name written all over it. She didn’t make it that far.

“Hey, Whitney.” Jim Barrow leaned back in his chair. He gave her hug. “Haven’t seen you in a while.”

“I’ve been staying busy and trying to stay out of trouble.”

He laughed and clapped his hands together. “I hear that!”

She kept her smile as she made it past him where she got stopped by Mrs. Laura. The flowing fabric of her neon yellow moo-moo waved as she talked with her hands “Oh, Whitney, I’m glad I ran into you. Will you see Kara today?”

“I should.”

“I missed her after church this morning. Could you tell her the kids voted, and they want chocolate chip next week. She’ll know what I’m talking about.”

For the Sunday school group. As if Whitney didn’t know Kara baked the young ones a batch of cookies once a month. She got her knuckles slapped by a wooden spoon because of it. “Yes, ma’am. I’ll let her know.”

“Thank you.” She smiled and patted Kara on the arm. “We sure did miss you this morning. You have such a pretty singing voice. I tell Larry every morning after church, did you hear Whitney singing today?”

“Thank you.” Heat pooled in her cheeks. Larry was mostly deaf and everyone but Laura, it seemed, knew he tended to turn his hearing aid off, and he didn’t always get it back on.