Page 10 of The Inn Dilemma (Give a Bookish Girl a Biker)

Chapter Six

Nova

M y heart pounds in my ears as we pull up to Holt’s cabin. Chris and who I assume is Roxy are sitting on the rockers on Holt’s porch.

My entire being screams at me to keep my helmet firmly planted on my head and slink into my cabin, but I don’t think I can get away from it. Not with the recognition in Christian’s expression as he stares at my helmet.

“So who is this?” he asks, casually walking toward us. The slight tightness of his jaw would probably not alert anyone else to his distrust, but even years apart, I believe I can still read my brother.

The woman I assume is Roxy cautiously looks between the three of us.

“I didn’t know you were seeing someone new,” Christian says, then narrows his eyes and cocks his head to the side as he stares at me. “That helmet looks familiar.”

Gritting my teeth, I slowly pull my helmet from my head, keeping my eyes closed as the cooling air meets my skin.

“Nova?!” Christian practically shouts.

I grimace and force myself to peel my eyes open. “Hey, Chris.”

He looks from me to Holt, then back to me. In my peripheral vision, I catch a look of confusion on Roxy’s face.

“When did you get home?” His tone is accusatory.

I swallow the lump in my throat. “A couple weeks ago.”

He stares at me and blinks. Minor chirps and rustles fill the otherwise silent pause.

“It’s so nice to finally meet you. I’m Roxy,” the woman says, breaking the silence as she reaches her hand out to grip mine.

“Christian’s wife. Right?”

Roxy’s eyes sparkle when she looks up at my brother. “Yep.”

“Nice to meet you,” I say awkwardly.

Apparently, that small introduction was enough for my brother to start his interrogation. “Why didn’t you tell me you were coming home? How did you afford your flight? Where’s Beau?” He says my ex’s name like it leaves a nasty taste in his mouth. Same, brother, same.

“I broke up with him.” A shiver courses through me. If it’s from the cold or the empty memories with Beau, I can’t say.

“Let’s take this inside,” Holt suggests, walking over and unlocking his door.

We all follow him inside, and he closes the door behind us.

Before I realize what’s happening, two black blurs barrel toward me and I have a single breath to brace for impact. One furball places their paws on my chest and almost pushes me over, and as I barely hold on to my balance, the smaller of the two yips and jumps at my feet.

“Tootsie, down!” Holt says in a firm voice that has my spine stiffening.He sounds so demanding compared to his usual lightness.

At the command, the Doberman drops to all four paws and sits, staring up at me.

“Nova, meet Titan and Tootsie.” Holt motions to the Doberman and miniature pinscher respectively, and I can’t help but burst out laughing.

“Titan is the little one and Tootsie is the moose?”

“Tootsie was originally named Athena, but Aunt Birdie gave her that nickname when she started sucking on a Tootsie Roll toy,” Holt explains.

Christian and Roxy drop to their haunches, and both dogs rush over to them, their tiny clipped tails wagging at the speed of light.

My brother and his new wife stand, and the dogs trot over to their bowls in the kitchen.

Holt dumps in their food portions and freshens their water.

The exchange is a momentary reprieve from the tension between me and my brother.

“I’m going to grab a few logs and get the fire going. It will give you three a few minutes to…catch up.” Holt looks between me, Chris, and Roxy.

Chris doesn’t wait for the door to close behind Holt before he lays into me. “Why didn’t you tell me you were coming home? Why didn’t you even respond to a single text or call? Why did you really leave?” Emotions flood his face at the last question.

I grit my jaw, swallow my pride, and answer honestly. “I wanted to do life on my own terms. Not Dad’s. So I ran off with Beau, who promised to give me a platform in Paris for my paintings.”

“Did you get what you were looking for?” Chris asks in a cautious tone, tucking his hands in his pockets and rocking back on his heels.

I release a humorless laugh. “Not even close. Beau was even more controlling than Dad.”

Roxy remains silent, shifting her attention between Chris and me.

As much as I’d love to have this conversation in private, away from a girl who is my new sister-in-law but mostly a stranger, I decide to stick it out.

She’ll find out one way or another. I rub my arm as a way to ground myself to this moment and bolster my courage to keep on the path of honesty.

Chris notices, and I can practically see the hair on the back of his neck stand up. “Did he hurt you?”

I shake my head. “No. Nothing like that.” I close my eyes, release the hold on my arm, and pinch the bridge of my nose.

Dropping my hand, I say, “Look, I know I messed up, and I’m sorry.

Really.” I choke on the last word and look into my brother’s face, willing every ounce of sincerity in my body to seep into my expression.

He remains silent, my heart cracks open at his expression. An expression that doesn’t hide the pain I inflicted. I take that as my cue to leave.

“I’m gonna go,” I say, my voice coming out in barely a whisper.

Heaviness infiltrates my chest the moment I turn. I step outside, inhaling the crisp mountain air, and head for my cabin. Before I even set foot on the sidewalk, a large hand wraps around my arm.

“Where are you going?” Holt asks .

Motioning with my head toward my cabin, I say, “Home.”

Holt shakes his head. “No. You’re hanging out with me, your brother, and Roxy.”

A feeling of defeat invades me. Not wanting my brother to hear me, I speak in a low voice. “Chris doesn’t want anything to do with me. He’s never going to forgive me for leaving. And I don’t blame him.”

Holt searches my eyes for a minute, and unspoken understanding passes between us. He nods, then bends down to pick up the load of logs. “Come inside. We’re going to work through this.”

I shake my head. “Not tonight.”

He looks more determined than ever.

“Please?” I beg. “I can’t.” Hanging my head, I mumble, “I can’t do this right now.”

I can hear the moment his determination cracks in his sigh. He releases my arm, and I go home.

* * *

I wipe my sweaty palms down my pants before raising my fist to knock. It only takes a moment before a teenage boy greets me at the door.

His eyes narrow as he takes me in. “Yeah?” he asks.

“Hi.” I lift my hand in an awkward wave. “I’m Nova; you must be Axel.”

He looks over his shoulder. “Rox? There’s a girl with a space name at the door.”

“I’m Christian’s sister,” I explain, and he turns back to face me.

“Are you the one who abandoned everyone to move to Paris with a guy you barely knew?”

My face heats so hard I’m sure Axel can feel its warmth. “Unfortunately, yes, that’s me. ”

Roxy comes to the door before any more awkwardness can pass between me and the teenage boy.

“Hey,” she greets me kindly.

“Hi, Roxy.” I wrap my arms around myself and pull my cardigan tighter. “Is Christian home?”

She looks at me sadly. “No, sorry. He went into the office.”

“Like father, like son,” I mutter under my breath.

“Hey,” she says with a sigh. “Look, I don’t know what your relationship with Christian is like, but I can tell you with absolute certainty he is nothing like your father.”

“I didn’t mean it like that. It’s just that Dad was always at work. I want Chris to enjoy his life.” I do my best to make myself clear so she doesn’t assume I think the worst of my brother.

She crosses her arms and leans against the doorframe. Axel’s gaze bounces between us. “He’s learning how to,” she says.

I look into my new sister-in-law’s eyes. “Good. I’m glad.” And I mean that. I want Christian to have a life outside of work and for him to be happy even if business isn’t booming. I change the subject to the matter at hand. “I just came over to eat crow. Try and beg for my brother’s forgiveness.”

Roxy’s expression softens. “He’s already forgiven you.”

“Really?” I ask.

She smiles and nods. “He’s more happy that you’re finally home than angry that you left. Why don’t you come in? He shouldn’t be gone too much longer. It’d be nice to get to know my sister-in-law.”

“I’d like that. ”

Axel leads the way into the apartment, and I love seeing the feminine touches all around. We sit and talk for a few minutes before keys jingle just outside the door and Christian steps inside. He greets Roxy with a kiss, then turns a steely expression on me.

“Nova.” He pushes his glasses up his nose and gives me a cold stare.

“Hi.”

We engage in a stare-off, neither one of us apparently knowing what to say. Words were never either of our strong suits when it came to fights. After a few hours, we’d just pretend like whatever happened never happened and moved on with our lives. Voices were never raised. Tattles were never told.

“Axel and I will give you two privacy.” Roxy and her nephew walk into another room.

There’s a long, awkward pause.

The fight Chris and I had right before I left haunts me. It plays like a reel through my head.

“ You ’ re just like Dad. You don ’ t care about anyone but yourself. It ’ s pathetic that you can ’ t even be your own person. You ’ re his carbon copy, so obsessed with the business that you let all your other relationships fail.”

He leveled his gaze on me. Hurt flashed in his eyes. “ At least I have some direction with my life. All you do is flit around from guy to guy like a little…” He didn ’ t finish the sentence, but I knew exactly what he was about to say.

A mix of anger and shame burned beneath my skin.

“ Maybe before, but Beau is different. He ’ s going to make me into a famous painter.

Or at least someone other than an asset or trophy to flaunt around.

I ’ m so tired of pretending to be something I ’ m not.

I ’ m leaving no matter what you say to become who I’m supposed to be. ”