Seb (8 page)

“No, no regrets.” I propped my chin in my hand. “I know this may sound crazy since my life isn’t very stable at the moment, but I’m happy.”

“That doesn’t sound crazy at all,” he said softly. “I like that you don’t need things to make you happy.”

“If my uncle’s illness has taught me one thing, it’s to appreciate the little things. So that’s what I try to do. Sometimes I wake up before he does and watch the sunrise or go for a walk just to listen to a great piece of music and be by myself.” I laughed, feeling a little self-conscious. “The other day, I sat in the park for half an hour watching a kid throw a ball to her two little puppies. I wouldn’t have had time for those kinds of things when I was working sixty hours a week, trying to get ahead.”

“I know what you mean,” Jarod said, shaking his head. “Sometimes I feel like I’m on a damn treadmill that just won’t stop.”

“Simplifying your life, giving up all the stuff that you thought was important, forces you to get clear about what really does matter.” I thought about how unencumbered I’d felt when I sold my house furnished instead of putting everything in storage. For the first time in a long time, I’d felt free to start fresh whenever and wherever I chose to.

“Yeah, my ex and I got into some nasty fights about stuff, dragging the divorce out and paying the lawyers a hell of a lot more than we should have just out of spite.”

“I can see how that could happen. I’m sure you were hurting; you wanted her to hurt too.”

“Yeah, that’s it exactly,” he said, looking at me as though he was surprised I’d been able to sum up his feelings so easily.

“Well, I hate to cut this short, but I have a dinner party tonight and I promised to bring dessert, so I have to go home and bake a cake.”

He stood to walk me out. “This was fun, Sky. You think we could do it again sometime?”

“Sure.” I was confident I’d reiterated my point about establishing a friendship and nothing more, so I didn’t feel I had to continue driving the point home.

“Great, I’ll give you a call next week.” He gave me a quick hug. “Enjoy your dinner party.”

“Thanks, stay safe out there.”

“I will.” He held up both hands, his fingers crossed. “I have a date tomorrow night. Wish me luck.”

I laughed as I reached for the door handle. “How’d you find this one?”

“One of the new guys on the force has a sister. She spotted me at the station when she stopped by to see him yesterday. We got to talking. One thing led to another…” He shrugged. “I don’t know. We’ll see how it goes.”

“Well, good luck. I can’t wait to hear about it.” I settled into my car with a smile as I watched him walk away. How about that? Looks as if I’d made a new friend.

Seb

I was ready for a beer break when my brother Brody wandered into the garage. Brody was a world-class poker player who was always traveling, and he routinely won or lost millions in a single night. He loved living the high life and had the toys to prove it, including the ’66 Alfa Romeo Spider he’d had me restore for him a few years ago.

“Hey, man,” I said, reaching into the mini fridge. “When’d you get back in town?”

Brody caught the can of beer I tossed his way and popped the seal. “I’m just passing through. Can only stay a day or two, but the car’s running a little rough. I was hoping you could take a look at it for me.”

“You still keeping your stuff over at Ryker’s?” I thought it was crazy that Brody was keeping millions of dollars’ worth of cars at our brother’s shop just because he’d sold his house and still wasn’t ready to put down new roots.

“Yeah, for now.”

“Still haven’t decided what you’re going to do?” I walked over to the sink to wash the grease off my hands. I’d started taking Skylar’s car apart, preparing for some of the parts I expected to arrive next week. Time was of the essence, and I didn’t want to disappoint her.

“I went to look at a few houses earlier,” Brody said, shrugging. “I don’t know. I’ll probably buy something else here. The nomadic life gets old.”

“You wanna tell me the real reason you haven’t been able to find another house?” I knew Brody was selective, but I had a feeling his reluctance to commit to a house had more to do with his ex-girlfriend than how many bedrooms and baths a place had.

“I know our big-mouth brother told you Riley has a new boyfriend, so don’t even try to pretend he didn’t.”

“Nex may have mentioned something about it.” Normally Brody and I shared everything, so the fact that he’d been tight-lipped about Riley told me she had him really messed up. Riley wasn’t the kind of girl who would sleep with two guys at the same time, so if she had a new man in her life, she definitely wasn’t still seeing my brother. “I know you two were seeing each other whenever you blew through town. When did she cut you off?”

“A few months back,” he said bitterly. “She told me she was tired of wasting her time with me when she could be looking for a man who was ready to grow up.”

Brody’s reckless lifestyle had always been a bone of contention in their relationship. She didn’t want a gambling man. She wanted a husband and father for the children she wanted to have, and everyone knew Brody couldn’t be either. His mind was always on the next big game.

“I’m sorry.” I knew how much Brody loved Riley. He’d messed around with a lot of women over the years, when he and Riley were taking one of their many breaks, but she was it for him, the only girl he’d ever love. “Are things serious with her and this doctor?”

He walked around the finished garage, looking at the framed photos of some of my favorite car restorations. “It’s killing me to think of her sleeping with someone else, man. I can’t get that goddamn image out of my head.”

I’d never felt about a woman the way Brody did about Riley, so I couldn’t pretend to understand, but I could sympathize. “Must be rough. Have you tried talking to her?”

“What’s the point?” He tipped back his beer. “She’s already made it clear she’s done with me. She doesn’t want any part of my lifestyle, and I can’t give that up. It’s a part of me.”

Gambling was to Brody what drugs were to other men. It was an addiction like any other, only his had made him obscenely wealthy. I knew it was time for some tough love, to make Brody realize that it was time for him to man up or shut up. “Then you need to let her go.”

“You don’t think I’ve tried that?” he shouted, turning on me. “I’ve downed more bottles of scotch and had more women than I care to count trying to forget about her. Nothing helps.”

“You think this guy is the one?” I couldn’t meet his gaze when I asked the one question I knew would slay him. “She gonna marry him?”

His breaths came in short gasps as he paced the concrete floor. He downed the rest of his beer before tossing his can in the trash. “That’s what I’m afraid of. And you tell me, how the hell am I supposed to deal with that?”

“I don’t know.” My brother was in an impossible situation. He couldn’t give up the life he loved any more than he could give up the woman he loved. But the two weren’t compatible, so something had to give. Seeing one of my brothers in pain and knowing there wasn’t a damn thing I could do to help killed me. “I wish I knew what to tell you.”

“Enough about me,” he said, scrubbing his hands over his face. “I can’t talk about this shit anymore. Tell me what’s goin’ on with you. You still out of the game?”

I thought of Skylar. What I was developing with her didn’t feel like a game, but I would have said the same thing about Amy. I had been so sure Amy was the real deal—until she blindsided me. “I don’t know.”

“You ready to talk about what happened?” Brody asked, sitting on a stool at a workbench, facing me. “And don’t tell me nothing. You hooked up with that chick a few months back, and it was like you were a different person after you ended it.”

I hadn’t been willing to talk to anyone about Amy’s scheme, not even my brothers. “Let’s just say she did a number on me.”

“Are you saying you were in love with her?”

I’d never said those words before. A few of the women I’d dated had me toying with the L-word, but saying it never felt right. “No.”

“Then why were you so messed up?”

I couldn’t keep it from them forever. Amy had messed me up, but not for the reasons my family assumed. “We’d been seeing each other for a few months, right? I thought I could trust her. She never gave me reason not to.”

“Until…?”

“She told me she was on the pill, so I stopped using condoms.”

Brody scowled at me. “Man, I don’t like where this is going. How the hell could you be so stupid?”

I didn’t need him to tell me that. I’d already beat myself up about it enough. “I overheard her talking to a friend on the phone. She said it was the right time for her to get pregnant and if all went according to plan, she’d be knocked up with my kid by month’s end.”

“Son of a bitch,” Brody muttered, dropping his head.

“Yeah, she went on to talk about all the things she intended to buy with my money once she got her hooks into me.” I’d thought I was starting to get over my bitterness, but repeating her words caused a fierce resurgence of rage. “You know, fancy car, designer purses and shoes. She even told her friend she had her eye on this three-carat diamond engagement ring. As if I ever would’ve married that lying, scheming bitch.”

“Jesus, it’s no wonder you swore off women. I would too after an experience like that.”

“Yeah, so I booted her ass out and headed to the doc to make sure she hadn’t left me with a nasty little reminder of our time together.”

Brody’s eyes widened. “Tell me she didn’t.”

“No, thank God.”

I caught a glimpse of a bird at the feeder I’d set up outside the garage window. My mother had been an avid bird-watcher, so it was my small tribute to her. Whenever I saw a bird, I could almost hear my mother’s voice telling me to slow down and take a moment to appreciate the beauty around me instead of getting so caught up in my own head.

“I know it’s rough, getting played like that,” Brody said. “But not all girls are like that. There are some good ones still out there.”

“Oh yeah? Is that why you’re still single?”

“I’m still single ‘cause the girl I love is as stubborn as hell. She can’t accept me for what I am, and I can’t change. Not even to please her.”

I understood Brody’s dilemma. I even understood it from Riley’s perspective. I didn’t know many women who’d want to be married to a jet-setting high roller who lived for the next party.

“But you can’t give up, Seb. Last time I was in town, you told me you were tired of the dating scene and you wanted to meet a nice girl, someone you could trust, and settle down. You’re never going to find her if you’re not even willing to put yourself out there.”

“I have met someone.” I thought, for what must have been the hundredth time that day, of the kiss I’d shared with Skylar. “But she’s got a lot going on in her personal life. I don’t think she has the time or interest in pursuing a relationship right now.”

“Since when have you ever been willing to take no for an answer?” Brody asked, grinning. “You want this girl? Find a way to wear her down. But for Christ’s sake, keep your guard up until you know for sure she wants you and not your money.” He chuckled. “Who would have guessed those ‘deadbeat Steele brothers’ would ever have these kinds of money problems, right?”

It was true. Everyone, neighbors and teachers alike, had always assumed we’d all end up in jail, not trying to decide which stocks or properties to buy with our millions. “I’m pretty sure Skylar doesn’t care about money. She sold her house so she could use the money to help take care of her uncle.”

“Wow. Really?” Brody asked, crossing his arms. “Not many people would be willing to make a sacrifice like that.”

“Her uncle took care of her when she needed him, so she says she’s just returning the favor.”

“Okay, we know she’s a do-gooder,” Brody joked. “But is she hot?”

I blew out a long, slow breath, thinking of all the crazy things I wanted to do with her, to her, for her. “Man, you have no idea.”

Brody laughed. “Well, all right! My little brother’s ready to get back in the saddle. That’s what I like to hear. So what’s the plan? You get her into bed yet or what?”

I rolled my eyes, not surprised Brody’s first thought was of sex. “We just met a few days ago. She’s definitely not the kind of girl who’d jump into bed with me after a couple of dates, and honestly, that’s not what I want. I’ve had enough of that. I’m looking for a slow build this time, something that’ll last.”

“Okay, but you must have a game plan. You’re not the kind of guy who can just sit back and wait for things to happen.”

I hooked a finger over my shoulder. “I’m working on her uncle’s car. She can’t afford to pay me, so we worked out a deal. She’s going to be helping me out at the shop, working on my website, stuff like that, to repay her debt.”

“I like that,” Brody said, nodding. “Guarantees you’ll be seeing a lot of her. You’ll be able to get to know her better without the pressure of dating.”

I wouldn’t have minded dating Skylar, but I knew she didn’t have time for romance when her life revolved around caring for her uncle. So I would take what I could get. “She’s coming over for dinner tonight. Her uncle’s a fan of the show and wants to meet me. You wanna stick around?”

“No, thanks, I told the boys I’d hang out with them tonight,” he said. “Ryker and Mac said they’d put me up for the night. I gotta head out tomorrow. Can I leave my car with you? No hurry to get it back. Just have one of your guys look at it whenever.”

“Sure. You need a ride to Ryker’s?”

“No, I can take a cab.” He pulled me into a half-hug. “I hope it works out with this girl, Seb. I hate seeing you mope around like you lost your best friend.”

I cupped his head, shaking it hard enough to hopefully knock some sense into him. “When are we gonna get you sorted out, dumbass? You’re gonna lose that girl if you don’t get your head out of your ass, and we’d all hate to see that happen.”

“I know, man. I know. I’ll figure things out. I just need a little more time.”

Something told me time was not on Brody’s side.