Page 93 of Break the Barrier

I pick up my cell and dial Tori’s number, hoping and praying that it’ll go through.

It rings and rings and rings.

A voicemail never picks up, and I hang up, wondering how I could fix another thing that I allowed Eric to break.

33

logan

I openmy front door and shake my head. “No.”

“Hey!” Stetson’s foot stops the door from slamming shut in his face, and I groan against the weight of him pushing back, him and his six-pack. “Let me in!”

“I’m busy!” I yell back at my little brother, rolling my eyes at how he’s acting. I try to stomp on his foot.

“Dude! What the hell?” He gives another heave, and I feel a ghost pain radiate up my arm as my muscles twitch to hold him out.

“Ah!” I let go of the door suddenly as the pain holds me for a few seconds, and I have the brief satisfaction of my brother heaping onto the floor at the sudden loss of resistance.

Stetson stands while I massage my arm. Glaring at me, he stalks into the kitchen, me right on his heels.

He stutters to a stop at the sight he sees to the left when the living room comes into view.

“What’s all this?” Stetson’s eyes dart around from the candles on the coffee table, the roses that I picked up from the florists this afternoon, the wine I have set out so it can breathe, and the blankets spread out on the floor in front of the fireplace.

“It sure as hell isn’t for you,” I growl at him, my arm lifting to check my watch. “You need to leave. Thea will be home any minute.”

“Ooh, is this why you shipped my niece off?”

I roll my eyes at him, a tiny prick of guilt stinging me at his words. “I didn’t ship her off, she begged me to let her go with Dani and CT this weekend.”

It was their last show of the season, and Lue had been having so much fun shadowing Dani with her work that she was dying to see Dani show and compete too. It took a little convincing, but I trust my cousin.

Orcousinsnow.

“Sure, sure.” Stetson nods his head like he’s not about to be a jackass about something. “I was just swinging by to watch the game and talk about our miserable and lonely brother who at this minute is sitting at home with Mom, learning how to crochet.”

I frown at him, crossing my arms over my chest. “Learning to crochet?”

He shrugs. “Yup, guess you’ll never know what’s going on. Tell me.” He gestures to the space I’ve set up. “Are you going to propose?”

“Alright, enough.” I walk toward him and grip his arm, dragging him back the way he came.

I swing the door open, and Thea’s standing there, eyes wide and about to enter the house. She smiles when she sees my brother.

“Oh, hey, Stetson.” She takes a step inside, and I maneuver him out the door.

“Hello, Thea, looking beautiful today. Tell me, how’s your sister?”

Thea’s mouth opens to answer, but I slam the door in his face before she can reply.

Turning to me, she looks puzzled if not slightly amused. “That wasn’t very nice.”

“Trust me, he had it coming.” Realizing that she’s been in front of me for almost a full minute, and I haven’t reached for her, I grab her and pull her to me, locking her in my embrace and taking a full breath now that she is here. I hear her purse fall to the ground.

“Hi.” She smiles up at me, that slight shyness still there, but there’s also something else. A warmth in her smile when she shines it in my direction.

“Hello,” I say, leaning down and pressing my lips to hers. I mean for it to only be a quick peck, for us to only greet each other quickly.