Page 17 of That One Night (The Heartbreak Brothers Next Generation #4)

Chapter

Fourteen

The music stopped and everybody cheered. Emery couldn’t help but grin as Sabrina flounced back from the podium where she’d just belted out a karaoke version of ‘I Need a Hero’, her voice as thick and sultry as Bonnie Tyler’s.

And from the way she was stopped several times by guys as she headed back to their table, it was clear a lot of them were trying to volunteer to be her partner for the night.

“How was I?” Sabrina asked as she took the seat next to Emery.

“You were fabulous.” Emery grinned at her. “And that’s not me just trying to inflate your ego.”

“That’s good,” Mariah, one of Sabrina’s friends commented. “Her ego is big enough as it is.”

“For that, you have to buy me another cocktail,” Sabrina told her, grinning because she knew it was true. “And I can’t help it. It’s the Hartson side of me. I swear the big dick energy my cousins have has turned into big…”

“Pussy energy,” Mariah said, smugly.

“BPE. Whatever.” Sabrina shrugged. “And you still owe me that cocktail.”

“I just ordered a round,” Emery told her. “It was my turn.”

They were on their fourth. Maybe fifth. And definitely the last for Emery. Her head was starting to feel fuzzy. She liked the buzz, though. The way she couldn’t stop smiling.

The way she felt freer than she had in a long time.

Truth was, she kind of wished she had Sabrina’s confidence. Maybe she was right. You were either born with it, or you weren’t.

Or maybe it had been squeezed out of her by a million different compromises. Making herself fit the mold of being the best daughter to her mom. The best fiancé to Trenton. But it didn’t matter, because now she was getting it back.

“Are your cousins going to sing tonight?” Lila, a blonde who worked at the local diner, asked Sabrina.

“No, thank God. They’d embarrass the rest of us.” Hendrix’s older brothers, Presley and Marley – along with Pres’ wife, Cassie – sang professionally in a band.

“How about Hendrix? Maybe we should get him up on the stage?” Mariah asked.

“You’re only saying that because you have a crush on him,” Lila replied, elbowing Mariah in the side.

“Shut up.” Mariah shook her head. “You know that was when I was younger. I’m over him.”

“Did you hear he took Emery to get a tattoo?” Sabrina asked, a sly smile pulling at her lips.

All eyes fell on her. Mariah frowned momentarily, replacing it with a smile like she was trying to show she didn’t care.

Emery felt bad. “It’s not like that,” she told her. “He knew it was on a list my friend gave me. So he introduced me to his friend who’s a tattoo artist.”

“What list?” Sabrina asked her.

“It’s a long story.” Emery was having to speak loudly to be heard. “But my friend from work knew I was coming home this summer and wanted me to get out of my comfort zone. So she made me a kind of to-do list.”

“What else is on it?”

Oh no, what was she getting herself into?

Those cocktails had a lot to answer for.

“Skinny dipping. Which I already did.” And no, she wasn’t going to tell them about her meeting Hendrix almost naked.

“And the tattoo, of course. Get drunk.” She looked at the cocktails.

“Which really doesn’t seem to be a problem. ”

“What else?” Sabrina asked.

She wrinkled her nose, trying to remember one that wouldn’t cause problems. Like admitting she enjoyed riding on a motorcycle with Hendrix way too much. “Dance on a bar counter.”

As soon as she said it, regret washed over her. Because of course Sabrina’s eyes lit up like Christmas had come early.

“Oh my God,” Sabrina said. “That’s amazing. We can do that tonight!”

“Seriously, it’s meant to be,” Mariah added.

Emery looked at the bar. It was covered with drinks. People were leaning on it. “I don’t think she meant somewhere like this.”

“Then where?” Mariah asked, because there was no other bar in Hartson’s Creek.

“Coyote Ugly,” Sabrina said, and they laughed. But she was clearly thinking things over, because her eyes were narrow.

“It’s fine. I’ll do it another time.” Or not do it at all. Because the idea of dancing on a bar, being watched by everybody, made her want to break out in hives. It was one thing to go skinny dipping with nobody watching. Or getting a tattoo from a guy who did it day in and day out.

But to be the center of attention here? Dear god, no thank you.

“I’m gonna ask Ryan,” Sabrina said, standing.

“No.” Emery shook her head quickly. “Don’t do that.”

“If you don’t do it here, where are you going to do it? Come on, I’ll do it with you. So will the others.”

Mariah shrugged. Lilah grinned.

And Emery thought she might be sick any minute now.

“Third time champion.” Marley grinned, holding his pool cue aloft like he was celebrating a major win. “You guys might as well go home. I’m on a streak tonight.”

“Don’t confuse luck with skill,” Pres retorted, shaking his head, because this game had come down to the last ball. Which was more than could be said for when Hendrix played Marley in the last round. He’d barely potted a thing. Been too busy thinking about what was going on in the main bar.

Too busy popping his head around the door to check that she was okay.

And she was. She hadn’t seen him checking on her, but Emery looked like she was enjoying herself.

She was laughing with his cousin, talking to Sabrina’s friends.

And thankfully, all the women at the table were making it clear to any assholes who approached them that tonight was strictly a ladies’ night. No ardent suitors invited.

“Sure, let’s call it luck,” Marley said, the smile still pulling at his lips. “The more I play, the luckier I get.”

“Maybe if you’d been lifting roof tiles for eight hours today you’d be singing another tune.” Pres rolled his shoulders, groaning. He worked as a contractor. Owned his own business. Mostly he coordinated the work, but if a tradesman didn’t show up or got sick, he was the first to take over.

“Sure, old man, blame your muscles if that makes you feel better.”

“I’m only older than you by five minutes.” Pres narrowed his eyes.

Marley shrugged. “Sometimes that’s all it takes.”

Hendrix shook his head at his brothers. They had their own bond. It was impossible for them not to. And yeah, sometimes he felt a little excluded, despite their attempts to make him feel a part of it. It wasn’t something they did on purpose, he knew that.

But he couldn’t exchange a glance with Pres and know exactly how he felt like Marley could. Or wince in real pain when his twin was in an accident the way Marley had that time Pres had fallen from a roof.

Maybe that’s why he felt so lost for so long. Looking for something that he could never have. When your only frame of reference growing up was that your brothers had the kind of bond that could never be broken, you either sought out the kind of intimacy that could give you that or you avoided it.

And Hendrix had avoided it like a professional. Causing his mom even more heartache.

“So what’s your excuse?” Marley asked, looking at Hendrix. “You’re not even putting up a fight today.”

“He’s too busy thinking about a woman,” Pres murmured.

Hendrix rolled his eyes. They hadn’t stopped joshing him about driving Emery to meet up with Sabrina and her friends since he’d walked through the door to the pool room.

Even though it would have been super weird for them to be traveling from their houses opposite each other to exactly the same place and home again without sharing a ride.

“Get out of here.” He shook his head, mostly at his lame riposte.

“Whatever happened to there being nothing between you two?” Pres asked. “First you’re taking her to Jack’s place, then you’re driving her here.”

“We’re friends.” And that was it. Because there was nothing going on between them. Not even if every damn day his heart beat faster whenever he saw her from across the road.

“And she’s engaged,” Marley pointed out. And for some reason that made Hendrix’s jaw tighten.

“So where’s her fiancé?” Pres asked. “How the hell is he letting her out of his sight for this long if everything between them is a-fucking-okay?”

That thought had occurred to Hendrix before. And then he’d pushed it away like it was poison.

“Doesn’t he live and work in Charleston?” Marley murmured.

“It’s not that far away. Would you leave Kate for that long?” Pres asked his brother. “Because if Cass was living and working somewhere and I was somewhere else you can be damn sure I’d be driving to see her every weekend, no matter how far away she was.”

“You drove to New York after all,” Marley murmured.

Hendrix grinned, because he remembered that particular episode.

It was in the early days of Pres and Cassie’s relationship.

His brother had this guilt about it, because his first wife – and the mother of his daughter – had died three years earlier, and Cassie was his kid’s dance teacher.

He’d tried so hard not to fall for her, but the chemistry between them was instant. It still hadn’t stopped Pres from behaving like an idiot, though, and insisting Cass take an opportunity in New York when she was offered it.

And then he’d realized what a fool he was to let her go, so he’d bundled his daughter, Delilah, in his car and driven the hundreds of miles to Manhattan so he could declare his love for Cassie.

Hendrix let out a long breath. In so many ways it had been easier for his brother. Yes, he had to overcome his own demons, but they were both single. They were so obviously in love with each other.

Whereas Emery Reed was engaged – and presumably in love with – another man. This infatuation, if that’s what you wanted to call it, with her was all on his side.

Even if sometimes it felt like it wasn’t.

And wasn’t that the most dangerous thought?

“There’s definitely something weird between them,” Pres agreed.

“Can we get on with playing a game, please?” Hendrix replied, shaking his head. “If I wanted an in-depth discussion on my love life, I’d have gone to see Mom.”

Pres had the good grace to snicker.

“Have you talked to her?” Marley asked Hendrix.

“Mom? No.”

“I mean Emery. Have you asked her why that asshole hasn’t visited her since she’s been back in town?”

Hendrix frowned. “No, why would I?”

“Because the way I see it, there’s one of two reasons for his absence.

” Marley grabbed the rack, lining the plastic triangle up in the center of the blue baize.

“Either he doesn’t want to see her, which means their relationship is in trouble.

Or…” He hunkered down to pull the ball release, the sound of them rolling to the front of the table echoing through the room.

“Or?” Hendrix prompted. Not because he was interested, or at least that’s what he was telling himself. But because he wanted this conversation to be over.

“Or she doesn’t want him to come see her. Which also means their relationship is in trouble.” Marley filled the triangle with the balls. “Now who’s up next?”

“You go again,” Hendrix told Pres.

“You sure?”

“He just wants to see you pout when you lose again,” Marley teased.

Sure, that was the reason. Not because Hendrix wanted to think about what Marley had just said.

Marley was the quieter of the twins, but not because he didn’t have things to communicate.

But because he thought a lot. Pres, on the other hand, tended to blurt things out before they even reached his brain.

“Either way, she’s still engaged,” Pres pointed out.

“Can we shut up about it now?” Hendrix asked them. “If somebody overhears they’ll think you’re being serious. And I don’t want rumors flying around about things that aren’t true. She deserves better than that.”

Pres and Marley exchanged one of those stupidly annoying glances he could remember from growing up with them.

“What?” Hendrix asked, shaking his head.

“You’re fucked, man,” Marley murmured.

“Absolutely and completely,” Pres agreed, grinning.

“What the hell is that supposed to mean?” A frown pulled at Hendrix’s brow. He should have stayed home. Hell, he would have, if she wasn’t here.

And no, he wasn’t her keeper. He just cared, that was all.

As a damn friend, in case you were wondering.

“It means you’re not worried about us spreading gossip because it might harm you. Or stop you from getting some female action,” Marley said, still unable to hide his enjoyment. “But because you’re worried about her reputation .”

“Shut the hell up and play the game,” Hendrix muttered.

“Completely fucking besotted,” Marley agreed.

Before Hendrix could tell them they were delusional, the door to the pool room opened, and a young guy ran in.

“There’s some girls going full on stripper in there,” he shouted to his friends playing at another pool table. “They’re dancing on the bar. You gotta come see.”

Marley froze. His eyes met Pres’ again. At exactly the same time they both said, “Sabrina.”

And then all three of them rushed to the bar area like the whole place was going up in fire.