Broken Open

by Lauren Dane

  The sex part definitely passed muster. What they’d been able to finish anyway.

  He paused at an SUV and she gave him a look. “No sports car today? Did I let you see my boobs too early?”

  He laughed and she felt a little more in control.

  “I had Damien and Paddy with me. Paddy’s boots were a mess. And then we got into a shoving match.” He opened the door of his SUV for her. She hopped up.

  Honestly. “You got into a physical fight with your brother. Because he had dirty shoes?”

  Ezra grunted as they all made their way out of the parking lot.

  “You’ve met my brother. Don’t you want to punch him sometimes?”

  She snorted. “I want to punch all sorts of people. Pretty much all day long every day. I have five siblings—it’s not like I don’t know what it’s like to want to hit a brother or sister in the face. But I refrain. They do. Usually. Though my two oldest brothers got into a fistfight at Thanksgiving dinner three years ago. So dumb. My dad let them at one another in the backyard while the rest of us ate dinner. My mom didn’t speak to my brothers and my dad for weeks.”

  “Six kids. I have to meet your mother.”

  Diana Easton would love Ezra Hurley to the stars and back. Tuesday’s mother would simply latch on and Ezra would never know what hit him.

  “To be fair, there’re two sets of twins in there.”

  “Jesus. Your parents really like each other then, huh?”

  She nodded. “I never knew other people’s parents weren’t constantly hugging and kissing and laughing until I got old enough to have sleepovers. My parents are straight up in love. They can fight—don’t get me wrong. But yes, Greg and Diana are mates in the deepest sense of the word.”

  They’d given her an example of what a working relationship was. She and Eric hadn’t been perfect, but they had been united. Tuesday sometimes felt that loss like a phantom limb.

  A phantom relationship.

  Something would happen and Tuesday instinctually found herself turning to Eric. The bones of her relationship with him still remained, though the rest of it had faded over time.

  But the instant she remembered—that moment in time when reality came back like a punch to the throat—that hurt to her bones.

  For a long time there was so much grief she couldn’t see past it. Couldn’t imagine a time when it didn’t make her ache every moment. But it hurt less that day than it had a year before. And it would hurt less next week. And so on.

  Ezra cleared his throat. “So tell me about them. Your family.”

  “Diana—that’s my mom—she’s an engineer. She works for the state of Washington and claims she’ll be retiring in a few years. I don’t believe her because she’s a person who is constantly in motion. I don’t know that she can stop working. My dad owns a roofing company. He and my uncle started it when they first moved out to the West Coast after my mom finished school. Anyway, he fell off a roof about nine years ago and broke his back so he had to slow down some. I say some because he still gets out on roofs when he feels a need.”

  “Sounds like your dad and mine would get along well.”

  “Does your dad like baseball?”

  “Yes, he’s a die-hard Red Sox fan. It’s like religion to him.”

  “Red Sox? Okay then, they’ll get along just fine. My dad converted the garage into what they call a man cave now, but it’s actually a sort of grungy place with his television and his recliner. He eats bags of peanuts and watches all four hundred sports channels. And she pretends she doesn’t know how much beer he drinks.”

  “Your dad sounds kind of awesome.”

  She laughed. “He is.” Her parents were awesome. Full of love and support no matter what her choices had been or where they’d taken her.

  “Where are the rest of your siblings? I know you have a sister in San Diego.”

  “You do?”

  “You went there at Thanksgiving. Natalie mentioned it.”

  Low in her belly, warmth spread.

  “Yes, my sister and her family live in San Diego. She and I are the only girls. The boys are two sets of twins. The oldest set both live in Seattle with their wives and kids. My younger brothers, one lives in Atlanta. He’s in sports medicine so he works with a lot of professional athletes. The other one lives in San Jose. He’s getting married in the fall. Since his boyfriend has a really great job my parents adore him. No rock stars in the bunch but we do okay.”

  “Doing okay is underrated.”

  Neither of them spoke for a while.

  “It’s up there on the right. I’m going to park here at the curb and we’ll walk. Otherwise we might get parked in.” After he’d done that and keyed the car off, he turned to face her.

  “Are you saying you might want to make a quick escape?”

  “Stick with me, beauty.” He winked and she drew a breath of appreciation. He paused, cocking his head. “What?”

  “You.”

  “Me? What?”

  She flapped a hand in his direction. “Everything. You’re handsome and charming and sexy and you just put all that—the entirety of which you have a considerable amount—into a wink and a quick response.”

  He blushed and she wanted to groan. He blushed. Which of course was charming and sexy.

  She pointed at him. “See?”

  He laughed then, taking her hand and kissing the inside of her wrist. A warm wave of pleasure slid through her.

  “You’re so good with your mouth.”

  He broke away from her wrist for a moment to say, “Wait till you see what I can do with my cock.”

  “I’m devastated I have to.” Which was 100 percent true.

  He’d just started to lick up along the sensitive line of her tendon leading to the heel of her palm, which he nibbled on and her whole body throbbed, when Sharon came out the front doors of the very pretty house just ahead and looked around.

  “Your mother sees us.”

  He cursed under his breath but let her hand go reluctantly. “She’ll only come over here unless we go in.”

  “Is she worried we’ll go too far and I’ll get knocked up?”

  He barked a laugh and it made her laugh even harder.

  By the time they got to the front steps, Ezra carrying a bunch of presents for both girls, Tuesday had managed to stop giggling, but as he reached out to put a palm at the small of her back to guide her into the house, she realized how much she liked it, that small touch. In it he helped her, he touched her like a lover, he marked her as being with him.

  She just had no idea at all where to put it, this intensity he brought to her life with the smallest of touches.

  Kensey launched herself at Ezra so Tuesday stepped to the side and grabbed the bags he’d been holding.

  “She loves her uncles as much as all the other women in the world do.” A gorgeous blonde came into the entry. Perceptive blue-green eyes took Tuesday in, along with the bags and her proximity to Ezra.

  Then her wariness fell away and she smiled and it was like all that beautiful went sensual and earthy. Welcoming.

  Tuesday knew what it meant to feel like an outsider. Here, even in this woman’s home she was outnumbered by Hurleys. For that reason, Tuesday really liked Kelly from the very first smile.

  Ezra listened intently to Kensey tell him all about her sleepover and how she didn’t even know her sister had her insides bursted out until she got picked up the next day. He made the right noises and asked the right questions and Tuesday liked him even more.

  Turning back, she held out her hand. “Hi. I’m Tuesday.”

  Kelly took it and shook. “Kelly Hurley. Vaughan told me a little about you. He said you make jewelry. I’d love to talk with you about that at some point in the future. But for now, please come on through to the kitchen. There’s some sort of unpacking of food. Ross—that’s my fiancé—he’s just run over to his house for extra chairs.”

  “Tuesday has some things for you in that bag.” Ezra kissed bo
th Kensey’s cheeks and put her down.

  She peeked inside as Ezra knelt next to her, pulling things out. Each item resulted in a delighted squeal and a dramatic hug with arms thrown wide and then around him.

  “I know. Gifted, right? She’s never even had a drama class.”

  Tuesday snorted as she glanced at Kelly, who watched her daughter with Ezra.

  “I’m going to get toothache from all that sweetness,” Tuesday said as Kensey gave him one last hug before backing off.

  “You have whispers like a walrus, Uncle Ezra.” Kensey rubbed her cheek.

  Tuesday’s ovaries may have exploded when Ezra picked her up and nuzzled her while she giggled and patted his head like he was a big dog.

  Paddy bounded into the room and Ezra handed Kensey off to another uncle who had plenty of kisses.

  “I only have whiskers, is that okay?” Paddy asked her as she steered him like a horse.

  He galloped away and Ezra loped after them. But not until he’d taken a look back over his shoulder to check on Tuesday. It was sweet. Tender even.

  Tuesday tried to pretend he didn’t totally fluster her as she spoke to Kelly again. “Thanks for having me over. Or whatever you’re supposed to say in this sort of situation.”

  Kelly laughed. “Thanks.”

  Two other little girls ran through with Kensey.

  “That’s Julie and Holly. Ross’s two.”

  Ezra and Vaughan headed out through the big sliding glass doors to a pretty yard beyond.

  Natalie was in the kitchen with Mary and Sharon. It wasn’t that Tuesday felt left out. After all, if she had wanted to she could have gone in. Not excluded, either, but they had a thing going and it would have been weird.

  “Would you like something to drink?” Kelly led her to a sideboard where a few pitchers of juice, water and tea sat. “I started coffee so it should be done soon if you’d like some of that.”

  “Tea is great, thanks. Ezra said Maddie is recovering well.”

  “Maddie’s doing great. She wanted to come home today but her dad managed to get through to her. They have that sort of connection.” Kelly’s gaze strayed over to where Vaughan and Ezra were huddled at the far end of the backyard. The girls had swarmed out there and were playing on the big play set and both men faced them, keeping an eye on the girls even as they talked. They were clearly up to something.

  There was a commotion at the front door and Kelly set her glass down. “That’ll be Ross. Excuse me a sec.”

  * * *

  EZRA TOOK ONE careful look back at Tuesday to make sure she was all right. She appeared to have hit it off with Kelly so he caught Vaughan’s attention, jerked a chin toward the backyard and headed out.

  The girls flew past them both in a hail of giggles and headed to the play set.

  “Apparently we got to the hospital today about ten minutes after the fiancé left. Fiancé. Jesus, Vaughan, what are you going to do?”

  “I don’t know. I should let it go. He’s good to the girls. They both really like him. They’d make a family together, his part and her part.”

  That pissed Ezra off. “But that’s your goddamn part. If you hadn’t stopped by here last night another man would have taken your baby to the hospital and sat up most of the night in the waiting room. You okay with that? Maddie calling him Dad, too? Is he going to take pictures before the prom and text them to you? Will she cry on his shoulder when she gets her heart broken the first time? You gonna be one of those guys drowning in regret when he’s sixty-five and his kids have kids of their own and he’s a stranger to them? Vaughan, these are your women. Your children and your woman. Why are you even hesitating?”

  Vaughan’s anguish was clear on his features. “Do you think I like it? I hate it. But what can I do, Ez? I walked away. I wanted a divorce and she gave me one and this is what the price of that act is. I made my decision and it fucked up everything. But I can’t take it back.”

  Hearing the misery in his brother’s tone tore at Ezra. “Bull. Yes, you screwed up. You were too damned young and you got married. You made stupid choices, but you’ve paid for them. Do you still love her? Because if you don’t, then yes, let her move on. But I see how she looks at you. I saw whose hand she reached for when the doctor came in today. You have a chance, not to undo your mess-ups, but to move past them and be a better man. Claim your family. Be worthy of them.”

  Kensey called out that both daddy and uncle watch as she went all the way across the monkey bars.

  “You rock, baby.” Vaughan kept his eyes on Kensey but he spoke to Ezra. “Once upon a time I loved Kelly. I loved her the first time I saw her. I loved her even when I fucked up so badly I broke the thing some other man is about to snatch up. She made these little creatures with me. Maddie and Kensey are the best parts of what Kelly and I were at one time. Do I love her now?” Vaughan shrugged. “I never stopped loving her. But I was stupid and selfish and too blind to see and appreciate what I had in front of me the whole time. I don’t know what to do. The tour ends tonight. I’m staying in the same hotel for the next few days. Thanks for the stuff you brought, by the way. Then after we get Maddie home and settled I’ll hang out a while and then I’m headed to my condo in Portland for a while. I need to get it together, man. I need to do it and I can’t do it at the ranch.”

  “I know how that is. Let me know what you need. I can get your mail and all that.”

  “Thanks.” Vaughan’s gaze slid to where Tuesday and Kelly stood together inside the house. “So what’s the story there?”

  “I’m taking that one a paragraph at a time.”

  “The two of you throw off some serious heat.”

  Ezra nodded. Startling how much.

  “She’s Paddy’s girlfriend’s best friend. Don’t be a dick or you’ll pay and pay.”

  “She and I are just cruising around one another. Beyond that? I don’t know. But she’s not insane and I’m not a dick so I think we can handle it.”

  Sharon opened the back doors. “Time to eat. Come on in, girls. There’s even some cake.”

  They flew off the play set and headed inside, with Ezra and Vaughan in their wake.

  “For the longest time I’ve felt like you needed to be loved by someone. Someone who knew all your secrets and didn’t give a shit.”

  Ezra caught Tuesday’s gaze where she stood with Natalie in the kitchen.

  “One paragraph at a time,” Ezra repeated. “Now, if I were you, I’d angle myself next to Kensey because then you’re on Kelly’s other side and the fiancé has to sit elsewhere.”

  Vaughan grinned as he sped his pace to do just that.

  Kelly approached with a very good-looking guy, who was clearly the fiancé everyone pretended Vaughan wasn’t upset by.

  “Ross, this is Tuesday. She’s here with Vaughan’s brother Ezra. Tuesday, this is Ross Porter.”

  They complemented one another. It was pretty easy to see they had an easy affection with one another and the kids.

  He shook Tuesday’s hand with an open, warm smile and there was nothing to be done but respond in kind. “Nice to meet you. Sorry about the circumstances, though.”

  “We caught it before it got scary. Maddie heals quickly so that’s a good thing.”

  Tuesday caught Ezra’s gaze as he came in with Vaughan. He moved straight to her and she waited, stuck in place by the sight of all that masculinity prowling toward her. Every bit of his attention was on her and it left her breathless.

  “Ready for some food?” He slid an arm around her waist.

  “Even if Mary did break out the little meatball things on the drive over I’d be open to having nine more.”

  His grin was nearly boyish.

  When they filled their plates in the large kitchen, Tuesday spied Vaughan setting himself up next to Kensey and Kelly. Which would have left Ross at the other end of the table.

  She didn’t frown. Because Tuesday knew what it meant to fight for someone. There’d been someone else once, between her and E
ric. It was all fine and good to make proclamations about what you would or wouldn’t do in a situation like that. But the reality had been different.

  The world wasn’t perfect.

  People weren’t perfect.

  Love wasn’t enough. But the right kind of love would be worth a second chance.

  Tuesday snapped out of it and spoke to Kelly. “Those meatball things. You need them in your life.”

  “Yeah?” Kelly put one on her plate and then added another. “Thanks for the tip.”

  At the table of course, Kelly figured out what Vaughan had done. Tuesday watched the realization hit her face. Kelly’s attention flitted to Ross, who had already settled with his daughters. She looked back to Vaughan, pausing.

  “So you know she’s figured out what Vaughan is up to, right?” Tuesday said in an undertone to Ezra.

  “The key is going to be what she does in response. She’s smart and she knows Vaughan better than he thinks.”

  “Just because she moves to where Ross is doesn’t mean she wouldn’t give Vaughan another chance if he really made an effort.”

  Ezra nodded. “I agree. In fact, I’m betting she’s going to up and move to where Ross is sitting. She’s going to be loyal because that’s who she is. She made mistakes, but that isn’t one of them. It’s then how Vaughan takes that and either quits or redoubles his efforts to win her back that’ll be key.”

  Ezra was so much smarter than she’d ever realized. Oh sure, she knew he took care of his brothers and was the caregiver of the family. But he was sort of scary in his ability to manage people and opportunities to help them realize things themselves.

  “Because he won’t know until he feels it,” she murmured. “The loss I mean. How will he use the pain then?”

  The intensity in Ezra’s gaze when he got very still, staring at her, sent a shiver through her body. “Exactly.” And then he smiled. A different sort of smile from the ones she’d seen from him before. This one made her breath catch. This one was intimate on a wholly new level.

  He broke the moment with a tip of his chin. Tuesday turned to find Kelly moving herself down to where Ross was, though Kensey stayed next to her grandpa, who was on one side.