Page 27

27

JACK

A DINNER DATE

“ O h my God.” Nervously opening her front door, Britt bites her plump bottom lip and bars my entrance. “Oh my God. Oh my God. Oh my God. Okay.” With a shaking hand, she brushes her hair aside. “This is really happening. Shit, Jack.”

Laughing, I lean in close and press a kiss to the corner of her lips. She takes my offered bouquet of flowers, but doesn’t even look at them, she’s freaking out that much. “It’s fine, Bambie. Everything will be fine. I promise.”

I eat her up with my eyes. She’s looking Miss T today, not Bambie. In tight jeans, but an elegant top that shows zero boob. Elegant hair, minimal mascara, but she’s wearing her new bracelet, so all is right in my world.

She’s wearing me on her, even when she hasn’t seen me in eighteen hours. Even when the last time she saw me, her brother was cuffing me. Even though we didn’t even get to say goodbye last night, except me tossing the keys to my Mustang so she could get it home for me. Despite freaking out so much she looks like she wants to spew, she’s still wearing me on her.

She’s so beautiful, my body is painfully reminded I didn’t get to come last night. Leaning forward, I press a second kiss against her lips again until she sighs and her lashes flutter against my cheek.

“Alex is here.”

“I know. Relax.”

“I’m not sure dinner’s such a good idea anymore. ”

I step further into her space, and shuffle her back until I’m at least inside her house.

It’s dinnertime. Time to meet the family.

Again.

“Relax, Bambie. I promise it’ll be okay.”

“ All the guys are here, Jack.”

I laugh, though I smother it just as fast as it comes.

I expected they’d be here. It’s what we’d do in our family, too. It’s all in, face the gauntlet, or go away. Not to mention, there are several too many cars parked out front. And a couple motorbikes.

I take her jaw in my hand and lower my face so I’m only an inch away. I whisper, “It’s fine, Bambie. I promise, everything will be okay.”

“What if they gang up on you? What if they beat you up?”

I laugh arrogantly.

“Oh, shit. What if you beat them up? They’re not fighters, Jack. I mean, they could probably hit people and make it hurt, but they’re not you. They don’t hang out in a gym all the time.”

“Stop.” I throw an arm over her shoulder and pull her in until the smell of strawberries floods my lungs. Home. “Let’s just get it done. Rip it off like a Band-Aid.”

“I think I’m gonna be sick.”

“I’ll hold your hair any time you gotta spew, Bambie. I’ve got your back.”

“I hate when you’re too sweet,” she grumbles. “Makes it hard to hate you.”

Alex steps into the hall, beefy arms crossed over his chest Wyatt Earp style, and stops our movements. With an ugly scowl pasted over his face, he literally picks my arm up and shoves it off her.

“Get off my sister.”

I let him move me, because although this was never going to be the best way to meet her family, it happened, so I may as well just ride the wave.

She’s his baby sister. Anyone fucked with my sisters or nieces, they wouldn’t be coming to my house for dinner .

I’ll allow this one.

“Alex.”

Glaring, he drops his hand onto his hip in warning. Motherfucker still has his gun. “Reilly.”

“X,” Bambie grumbles. “Stop. I know you all know each other, but… Alex, this is my boyfriend, Jack Reilly. ”

Alex literally grunts. That’s it.

“Jack, this is my big brother, Alex.”

“Deputy Alex.” I extend a hand and bite my tongue when he simply looks at it like it’s rotten.

Finally, his glacial eyes come back to mine. “That’s Chief, to you.”

There’s no laughter in his words today, not like last night. I bite down harder before I tell him to go fuck himself with his power trip.

Huffing with exasperation, Britt takes my lonely outstretched hand in hers and walks forward. Alex’s eyes track our hands, then Britt literally shoulder shoves him so we can walk by.

I’m not normally a guy who’d let a chick be my muscle, but fucked if I’m gonna stop her tonight. Britt can protect me, I’m having a hell of a time watching her step up to her big ass brother – he has a gun, and she’s shoulder barging him.

I’m confident he won’t shoot her.

But I’m not so confident about my survival tonight.

I let Britt lead me into the lion’s den, aka, a living room that resembles more of a frat house than it does a regular house.

I was so worried about impressing a girl’s family, about the fact I basically lived my teenage years in a frat house.

Fuck that – she’s still living in a frat house.

I smile at the band, the band I’ve drank with before. The band I’ve bullshitted with at the club. I’ve talked girls with these guys; after Steph, after Britt.

Any other place, any other time, we’re friends.

But tonight, they’re in big brother mode, and I’m the asshole who’s laying claim on their sister.

I get it.

“Guys.”

Britt sighs at their less than friendly welcome. “You know Scotch.” She points him out; wild hair, short stubble, arctic blue eyes just like his brother and sister. She points to the next guy. “Marcus.” Lighter brown hair, green eyes. “Don’t speak tonight, Marc, or I’ll kick your ass.” She looks to the next. “Angelo.” Long hair, man bun, trendy ripped jeans. “And Luca.” Blonde, short cropped hair, Rolling Stones T-shirt, and watchful eyes.

“Hey.” I try again, but they continue to glare.

I guess Alex told them about last night.

Girly giggling and chatting has me turning to find the two blondes and the mousy brown-haired girl entering the living room .

My stomach tumbles.

I stare at the mouse. I haven’t seen her in all the months I’ve been seeing Bambie. I’ve seen the blondes a couple times, but the mouse has been noticeably absent since the second time I saw Britt in the club.

I try to look away. I need to be on my game tonight. I need to fix the damage from last night, but just like it did at the club, the sight of her hits me in the gut and winds me.

It’s a miracle I remain standing.

I’m half tempted to ask if she’s Steph’s long-lost sister. They don’t look exactly the same. In fact, if they were in the same room together, there’d probably be a huge difference, but it’s been a long time since I last saw Steph.

Shit’s fading.

Now I remember the big things; her wild curly hair, her freckles, her green eyes. Her innocence. The small details are escaping me, and the knowledge that I’m losing that, I’m losing her , hurts so fucking much.

The guilt of dating Bambie is amplified with the knowledge that to know Britt, to love her, I’m letting Steph go. It’s like I’m being forced to choose between them, and though I know that’s ridiculous, the guilt still burns like I drank a glass of lava.

Britt squeezes my hand. “Jack?”

The mouse watches me watch her, the blondes watch me watch the mouse. Everyone’s eyes are trained on me and the mouse.

I feel sick.

“Jack?” I hear Bambie, I feel her next to me, holding my hand, running her other hand along my bicep, but my eyes itch and sting.

The fact I haven’t blinked, the fact I can’t blink, makes it worse.

“Reilly.”

My eyes snap to Alex’s as his deep authoritative voice cuts through my fog, but then they go back to the mouse.

A million memories roll over me, not of the mouse at all, she’s just the poor unfortunate medium, but of Steph. Of her laughter, her tears, her angry face, and the face she’d make when we made love.

“Alright. That’s enough.” Britt squeezes my hand and tries to turn me away. “We’re done for tonight.”

I frown at my mini muscle. “No.”

“It’s alright,” she whispers. “I know . I get it. We can try again another time.”

“No.” I stop moving. I don’t let her steer me away. I turn back to the mouse, then I scan every set of eyes in front of me. Especially a couple sets of murderous green and blue. “No, it’s okay.” I clear my throat. “I’m sorry.” Taking a fortifying breath, I offer a hand. “I’m Jack.”

“Yeah.” Murmuring shyly, she takes my hand and blocks Marcus and Luc’s protective step forward. “I’m Kari.”

Kari. Not Steph.

“Um,” Britt murmurs uncomfortably, because what the fuck does a girl do about her man staring at one of her best friends? “Okay. This is Jess.” She points to one blonde, then the other. “And Laine. You’ve met them all before.”

“Yeah, hey.” I shake each offered hand. “I’m sorry… about…”

“It’s alright,” Scotch announces quickly. “It’s cool. Let’s have a fuckin’ beer.”

I groan inwardly, but I don’t make another uncomfortable announcement.

Hi. I’m Jack, and I can’t drink with you tonight, because I’m an alcoholic.

Instead, I let Britt lead me to a formally set dining room, and when we sit and Scotch offers a beer, I simply pick up a glass of water and shake my head.

I so desperately want the beer.

Fuck.

I look around at the overfull table. At the crystal glassware. The fancy china patterns. Platters of creamy pastas line the long table, and a roast lamb with all the trimmings sits in the center.

“Britt spent most of the day cooking,” one of the blondes announces with a sly grin.

I don’t actually know which is which. They’re identical, and they’re sitting together, so I just nod and smile, then I throw my arm over Britt’s shoulder and pull her in closer. “Thank you for cooking, Bambie.”

Nodding shyly, she rests against me. I don’t miss the feral eyes coming from Deputy Alex, but I don’t really give a shit anymore. If I want to touch her, I’ll fucking touch her.

My heart’s still beating triple time, and my appetite has vanished.

I need to touch her.

In awkward silence, we serve ourselves and pass the heavy platters from hand to hand. Britt squeezes my thigh often. She sits closer than everyone else sits, and her shoulder rests against mine.

She’s trying to comfort me in the way I didn’t when our roles were reversed. When she had to face my family, I threw her to the wolves, because I knew my family wouldn’t be mean. They’d just joke and make fun.

“So, you’re dating my sister now?” Alex asks with venom. My eyes lift and meet his. “You’re over your dead girlfriend, just like that?”

“Alex!”

No, my family isn’t cruel. They’d never do that.

“We’re done,” Britt snaps. Tossing her cutlery down, she stands and glares. “I’m disappointed in you, X. That’s not you. You’re a good man, but for the first time in my life, you’ve disappointed me.”

Sitting back casually, he shrugs and works to hide the hurt in his eyes.

Snarling at his easy shrug, her eyes track the table. Stopping on a glass bottle of ketchup, she snaps it up and pegs it at his head.

She fucking nails him.

“You’re not that person, X!”

Teetering perilously on his chair, Alex shakes the shock off and comes back to growl at her. “And you’re not the girl who should be with someone like him.” Standing, fury rolls over his face. He jabs a dangerous finger in my direction. “You’re better than that, Britt. You don’t do shit like what I caught you doing last night. I’m disappointed in you, too!”

“I do do that stuff, X! I heard you myself; you’ve brought girls up to the lookout. Why can you do that shit but I can’t?”

“Because you’re my baby sister!” he roars. “Because he’s got a dead girlfriend, and he was driving the day she died! I’ve bullshitted with this asshole over girls, Britt. He’s a player, and he’s gonna hurt you. You’re better than that.”

“No, X. You’re better than this. He would never be cruel like you.”

But I have been cruel. I threw her out of my house and told her to fuck off.

“Do you even know about Stephanie?” Alex snaps. “Did he tell you about her? Or about the hundreds of other women that pass through his bed on a regular rotation?”

Britt picks up the salt shaker and tosses it. “Yes, asshole. I know about her! And yeah, I know about the girls, because I was one of them. I’m not your baby sister anymore, X. I’m a grown ass woman. And you know what? I like sex! I have sex. Lots of it. Sometimes it’s with men I have no intention of seeing again. Hell, sometimes we don’t know each other’s names!”

“No, Brat, you don’t. You’re a good girl!”

She turns slowly, like The Exorcist in slow motion, then snaps her arm toward Luca with the blonde hair. “Not so good, X. I’ve fucked him, too! ”

The girls gasp into their hands. The twins’ eyes dance with glee. They smile and giggle behind their hands, but the other members at this table don’t find Britt’s announcement very funny. Luca, the man who looks so much like his sisters, sits back in his chair the way someone might slowly back up from a pack of feral dogs.

It’s not just Alex’s glare burning holes into his face. Not just Scotch, or Marc, too, but forgetting the mouse, forgetting Steph, I stand and work to control the rage bubbling in my gut.

I know it’s irrational. Obviously , I wasn’t her first. But he touched what’s mine, and there’s no way in hell I’m gonna sit here and eat a meal with a guy who’s been with my girlfriend.

His eyes snap between mine and Alex’s. Then the girls. The band. The mouse. His hands come up in front of him. “Let’s just–”

“Did you fuck my sister?” Alex demands. Luca’s eyes wheel around the table. Alex snarls, “I’m talking to you, asshole.”

Luca gulps. “ Fucking is a harsh word, X.”

Alex’s chair slams against the wall. “Get the fuck outta my house!”

“X–”

Alex unclips the gun on his hip, and Luca’s chair falls to the floor in his hurry to escape.

Bambie isn’t at all intimidated. She simply sticks her finger in her brother’s face. “You’re an asshole, Alex.” She turns and takes my hand. “We’re going. Enjoy the food I cooked, X. It’s the last meal you’ll ever get from me.”

“Fuck!”

“I’m so sorry, Jack.”

Squeezing her hand in mine, I slow for the last corner before home. “It’s fine. Nothing I didn’t deserve.”

“He should never have brought Steph up. That was cruel.”

I shrug. It was a little cold, but I’m still reminded of my sisters, my nieces. I can’t say there’s anything I wouldn’t say to protect them.

Evie’s only a couple years away from boys. Shit’s going to get real tense around our estate soon.

“It’s fine, I promise.”

“I’ve gotta text Luc,” she mumbles. Taking the phone from her bag, she swipes screens and begins texting. “I’m a horrible friend.”

I glare down at her fast typing fingers. “So… you and Luca? ”

“It’s nothing.”

“When did you… hook up?”

She shrugs carelessly and finishes typing. Hitting send, her eyes come back to mine. “It was a long time ago. It was one single time, it was a mistake.” She goes back to studying her dark screen. “It should never have happened, but I mean, it is what it is. He didn’t treat me badly. It was just… a lapse in judgement. But he’s my friend. Everything’s okay.”

“I don’t like it.”

She snickers. “I can’t change my past, Jack. It happened. I wasn’t a virgin before I met you.”

“But–”

“And neither were you.”

“Fuck.”

“Relax. Leave the past in the past.”

“I think I still have to hit him or something. I won’t feel right till I break him a little.”

She rolls her eyes. “Boys are so dumb. Don’t hit him. I think my brothers will hurt him enough. I feel awful. I threw him under the bus, Jack. I just dropped him in the shit when he didn’t do anything wrong.”

Pulling up at the gate, I enter the codes and slowly roll through. “Asshole did plenty wrong.”

She turns in her seat and takes my spare hand between hers. “Are you alright? Tonight was a disaster.”

I laugh. “Did we actually expect it to go well? Your brother caught me fucking you less than twenty-four hours ago. I’m surprised I’m still alive.”

“What about Kari?” she whispers nervously. “Is that… something? I feel like that’s important. And maybe something that’s going to rip my heart out.”

“No, Bambie.” Pulling into one of the spare driveways, I take her hand and press my lips to her knuckles. “She just looks like someone I used to know.”

“Like Steph.”

Nodding, I study the house in front of us.

“I see the resemblance, Jack.”

“Is she…” I swallow nervously. “Does she have any relatives named Steph? Somewhere. Somehow. I thought I knew everything there was to know about Steph – who her family is, where she comes from. I don’t know of any cousins, but fuck, Bambie, they look similar.”

“No.” Shaking her head, she studies our joined hands. “No relatives. There’s just her and her brother. Their folks died when they were little. ”

“Who’s her brother?”

“Marcus.”

I frown. “Marcus from the band?”

“Uh-huh. That’s her big brother.”

Nodding, I remember the way he stood to protect her when I wouldn’t stop staring. “Makes sense. They look alike.”

“Yeah.”

“Hey!” Izzy stops on her porch. “What are you doing back here already?”

I turn back to Britt. “Don’t tell them what happened, okay?”

“Why not?”

Jimmy stops beside his wife, then Bean comes out to stand beside her mom with her hands on her hips and a cranky scowl.

Bunch of busybodies.

“Just trust me on this. The girls might get a little mad.”

“At X, or me?”

“Alex.”

“Okay.” Leaning forward, she presses a soft kiss to my lips, then climbs out her side of the car.

I take her hand at the back of the Mustang and walk toward Kit; who’s also a busybody and couldn’t stop herself from coming out at Iz’s shout.

Watching us approach, she scratches Annie’s ears. “Why are you home so early?”

“No reason–”

“Alex basically implied it’s Jack’s fault that Steph died.”

“HE WHAT?!”

“Jesus, Bambie!”