Wright Rival

by K. A. Linde

  “Use you? That doesn’t even make sense. I’m speaking plainly here. So, you’re mad at me for sleeping around, and now, you’re mad at me for wanting more? Which is it?”

  “Both!” She crossed her arms. “It’s both. Because I don’t trust you.”

  “I’m not going to hurt you, Piper. Come on. At least give me a chance.”

  She stepped away. “I’m sorry. But no.”

  “You’re scared,” I said, pushing toward her as she walked away from me.

  I should have let her go, but I couldn’t. She wasn’t even making sense. I’d hurt other people before. But that didn’t mean I was going to hurt her. I’d never pursued a girl like this before. It was different. She had to realize.

  “How do I change your mind?”

  “You can’t.”

  I pulled her to a stop again. “Look, do you think this is normal for me? That I have to pursue a girl like this? I’m not doing it because I want to see you hurt. I’m doing it because I like you, Piper. I like you, and I think you like me, too. So, why are you running away scared?”

  “Because I’ve seen you over the last five years,” she said, yanking away from me. Her eyes were wide and guileless. Not angry, but sad. “I want someone who is serious, who cares about me, who wants me for more than a few dates. And you haven’t proven that you’re that person ever. Not ever. You don’t know my favorite flower or what I like to eat for lunch or any of my favorite songs.”

  “We date to learn that, Piper.”

  “Do you know that information about anyone you’ve ever dated?”

  I winced. There was one girl, but I wasn’t ready to even mention her. And the ones since her…well, they were mostly a blur.

  She huffed. “Exactly. You don’t care about the girls that you date. And I won’t be just another one of them. You don’t know anything about me. So, how could you possibly like me?”

  I ran a hand back through my hair in irritation. She was wrong. She was so wrong. I might not know stupid flowers or food or a song. But I did know her. I knew her way better than she thought I did.

  “I know that you love the land like I do. You love your winery like I do. You love your people like I do. You’re fiery and caring and smart and determined and not afraid to stand up for what you believe in. So, maybe I don’t know the other stuff, but that’s enough for me.”

  She gaped at me. Speechless from my outburst.

  “I’m going to prove you wrong, Piper. I’m not the guy you think I am.”

  21

  Piper

  I’d made a mistake.

  Somewhere in all of my righteous anger, I’d screwed up. I’d made an assumption based off of past behavior and my own personal experience with Hollin that he was treating me like this to get back in my pants. He’d always been that guy. I hadn’t thought he’d be any different with me. And after that text from Quinn, I’d been mad all over again for what he’d done to my friends and how it had impacted my own life.

  But now that he was walking away, furious for my assumption and promising to prove me wrong, I realized it was all in error.

  He didn’t know me like I’d accused. But he’d hit the nail on the head. The fields, the winery, the people—that was my life. That was who I was and what I lived for. And he’d seen that without ever dating me.

  Now, I didn’t know how to backpedal. There wasn’t a way to do it with my family leaving the service and Hollin returning to his family and the Wrights in disarray about Emery giving birth. This wasn’t the time. It wasn’t the place.

  And Easter was a celebration for my family. Abuelita had said, in Mexico, the people would flood the streets, eat all the delicious foods that they hadn’t had during Lent, and revel in a day of rest. The next week, they always drove down to the coast to eat fresh-caught seafood and relax now that the stone had been rolled away from the tomb.

  We weren’t going to the coast, and there was no feast outside of the service. But we were all returning to Abuelita’s house for lunch. She’d made fish tacos, empanadas, shrimp patties with pipián, and heaps of ice cream in all of our favorite flavors. It was the way that it was always supposed to be.

  I couldn’t let my mistake hold.

  “Hollin!” I called before he disappeared.

  He stopped and faced me.

  “Do you…have plans?”

  He jerked his chin to the side. “What? Right now?”

  I jogged back up to him despite people watching us. “We’re going to Abuelita’s for lunch. It’s kind of a big deal in my family. Do you want to join us?”

  He opened his mouth, still very confused, and then closed it. His head began to nod before he said, “Yes. Yes, I want to join you.”

  “Okay. Um…good. I’ll text you the address.”

  “Do I need to bring something?”

  “Oh, no. Abuelita will be glad to have another mouth to feed.”

  “What made you change your mind?”

  I texted him the address. “You.” Our eyes met again. “You were right.”

  He grinned, and it was the same wide, arrogant look I’d gotten from him for years. “Sorry, didn’t hear you. Can you say that again?”

  I swatted at him. “Don’t push your luck, Abbey.”

  He laughed. “All right. I’ll be there.”

  I watched him walk away with the weight lifted off of my shoulders. I had no idea what I was doing exactly. This could all crash and burn. But at least, I was giving it a chance. I didn’t know what the future held. I didn’t know where we’d end up even a month from now, but I wanted to see it through. I’d been trying to convince myself that I wasn’t interested since long before that tour bus. I’d let Quinn scare me into pushing him away. Today, it would be different. And I’d take it one day at a time.

  I parked my Jeep outside of the home Abuelita had owned since she’d arrived in Lubbock in the ’70s. It wasn’t much, but it had seen my mother grow up and all three of us kids as well. It held memories through pictures and food and dance. It was home as much as the winery.

  As I hopped out of the car, I heard a rumbling coming down the road. And then I saw Hollin…on a fucking Harley.

  I had known he had one. I’d seen him drive, but it had been a while. I always made fun of his obsession with his motorcycle, but, well, looking at him on it now, it was hot. Like really fucking hot. Especially because he was still in his suit from church. A suit and tattoos and a Harley…dear God.

  He parked the bike behind my Jeep and jerked his helmet off. He caught me staring at him and grinned devilishly. “Want a ride, Medina?”

  I gulped. “I’ve never been on one before.”

  “Oh, I could show you a good time.”

  I had zero doubts of that.

  “You’re making me consider skipping lunch.”

  He chuckled and strode over to me. “Well, we can’t do that now, can we?”

  “And why not?”

  “Because I just got you to agree to go out with me.”

  I crossed my arms over my chest and lifted my chin. “Did you? I asked you out.”

  “Fine. It’s mutual.” He smirked at me. “Either way, I won.”

  “Are you able to be anything but insufferable?”

  He stepped closer, pinching my ass. I yelped softly. “No. And you wouldn’t want me any other way.”

  I rolled my eyes at him. “Maybe keep your hands to yourself in front of my family.”

  “Oh, I will do my best. I just had to get the ass grab out before I was around you for hours on end without being able to touch you.”

  “Ridiculous.”

  “What? You have a nice ass.”

  Despite myself, I laughed. He was wild and handsy and as insufferable as I’d said he was. But he was interested in me. Just me, apparently. Something I’d never expected from him. Actually from very few people. Even Bradley had dated other people in the midst of our off phase. He’d always looked up Instagram “models” and tried to convince me it was norma
l while rarely complimenting how I looked. So, I vowed to accept the fact that Hollin was attracted to me enough that he could barely keep his hands to himself. That felt like a good thing.

  We took the walkway to Abuelita’s house together.

  “I feel like I should have brought something,” Hollin insisted. “Wine at least.”

  “You’re fine. Don’t worry.” I glanced over at him. “Also, I’ll apologize in advance for what is about to happen.”

  “What is about to happen?”

  The door swung open, and Peter stood in the doorframe. The little shit sure looked self-satisfied. “Piper, you brought a friend.”

  I rolled my eyes. “Peter, you remember Hollin.”

  “Hey,” Hollin said, offering his hand. They shook even though they’d known each other for years.

  I hadn’t exactly warned Hollin, but he was about to endure the third degree. Even Bradley had gotten uncomfortable, and he’d been around my family for years. He usually didn’t do a lot of my Mexican family traditions because he didn’t—quote—“get it.” Whatever that had meant.

  But Hollin barreled inside with all the finesse of a bull in a china shop. He hugged Peyton and Abuelita, who was seated at the dining room table, shook hands with Isaac and my dad, and then swung Aly up into the sky and back down. She giggled dramatically. Hero worship was already there in her six-year-old face. Anyone who could throw her up like a rag doll was a friend of hers.

  “What is going on in here?” my mom, Hannah, asked. She wiped her hands on her apron and put them on her hips.

  “Mom, this is Hollin,” I said.

  “He’s Piper’s new boyfriend,” Peter chimed in.

  “It’s about time,” Peyton said. “We’ve all been wondering when this would happen.”

  “I thought he was flirting with me,” Abuelita said.

  She winked at me, and I shook my head.

  My whole family was wonderful. I’d had a great upbringing. Better than most people that I knew. But sometimes, they were a little…much for new people. Not overbearing, but overtly friendly and always making little jabs at you. Not because they didn’t like you, but because they did like you. If they treated you with quiet resolve, then that meant they weren’t big fans. I’d know. That was how they’d treated Bradley.

  “Why was I uninformed about all of this?” Mom asked.

  “Me too, Hannah,” my dad said, putting an arm around his wife. “Here I thought, she was going out with that Sinclair guy.”

  “Dad!” I grumbled.

  “Boring,” Peter said.

  Peyton nodded. “Can’t help but agree.”

  “Whoever is dating my Piper, I’m happy about it,” my mom said. Hollin went to shake her hand, and she pulled him in for a hug. She kissed his cheek and smiled brightly. “Make her happy, or we’ll run you out of town.”

  Hollin coughed out a laugh. “Yes, ma’am.”

  “There are your Southern manners. Mira, let’s finish the cooking, so we can eat.”

  “Matthew,” Abuelita said, gesturing to the kitchen. “Save mija from herself. We know she only belongs in the kitchen to make tamales.”

  “Mother,” my mom groaned. “I can cook empanadas.”

  “Out of the way, Hannah,” my dad said. “I’ll get the rest.”

  My mom sighed. She had never been a great cook, except for the traditional meals that Abuelita had forced her to learn. My dad was the main cook. He loved spaghetti and fresh bread and random casseroles, of all things. He never cooked Mexican food. Just helped Abuelita as her sous chef. It was a perfect compromise.

  “I’ll help,” Abuelita said, getting slowly to her feet.

  “Mom,” my dad said, “you should stay off your feet.”

  “I’ll rest when I’m dead.” She elbowed past him and into her kitchen.

  “Well, have a seat, Hollin,” my mom said. “Tell us all about yourself.”

  We entered the kitchen table, which was barely big enough for the lot of us. We squeezed in extra seats and had Aly in a booster. Normally, she’d complain that she wasn’t a baby but not at Abuelita’s. She had the ability to make us all feel young again.

  Hollin told them about the winery, which was a conversation we knew all too well. And by the time my dad and Abuelita came out with lunch, my entire family was enamored with him. It wasn’t hard. He was a people person to his core. Everyone loved him, except me…for the longest time. And now, even I’d been drawn in.

  As we dug into the delicious food, Aly, still dressed in a tutu, as if she’d come straight from ballet class instead of Easter service, asked Hollin, “Are you going to marry my aunt Piper?”

  Hollin laughed. “Uh…”

  I choked on my sip of water. All eyes turned to the two of us. My face flamed.

  Isaac laughed and slid an arm around his daughter. “Aly Cat, people don’t get married after dating them for a few weeks.”

  Aly looked at him with wide, confused kid eyes. “But you and Miss Peyton did!”

  “She has a point,” Peyton said. “Didn’t realize we were teaching her that.”

  “I think you should get married,” Aly told him. “Then, I can be your flower girl. Do you know how pretty I look in my dress?”

  “I don’t,” Hollin admitted, “but I’ll be at the wedding for your dad, and you can show me.”

  “Okay!” she said, completely satisfied.

  Hollin arched an eyebrow at me, and I shrugged. Kids. It was out of my control.

  After lunch was finished, we all sat around outside, eating homemade ice cream. Hollin’s phone dinged three times in a row. He’d been ignoring it, but the last one finally made him pull it out.

  “Excuse me,” he said and then got on the phone.

  Peyton raised an eyebrow. “What’s that about?”

  Her guess was as good as mine.

  “No idea.”

  But when Hollin came back, he was beaming. “Emery had her baby. A healthy boy named Logan Christopher.”

  “Oh, lovely!” my mom said.

  “I’m so happy for them,” Peyton added.

  “Logan Christopher,” I said. “It’s a good name. And Emery is okay?”

  “Totally fine.”

  “That’s wonderful,” Abuelita said. “An Easter baby.”

  We all celebrated the news, and after we ate more than our share of ice cream, I followed Hollin out the front door. We walked in silence to my Jeep, and I leaned back against it.

  “So, that’s my family.”

  “They’re wonderful.”

  “Yeah?” I asked. “I mean, I think so, but…other people…”

  “Don’t matter,” he said at once. “If anyone else has ever looked at your family and not thought they were incredible, they don’t matter. You’re so lucky to have been raised in a big family like that.”

  “Well, thanks. You have a big family here, too.”

  He shrugged. “Nah, not really. My mom died when I was in college. My aunt Lori only moved back and she married Vail. Campbell left after graduation. It’s just been me and my dad and Nora. I only recently got my cousins and Campbell back.”

  I hadn’t known that. He didn’t exactly talk about his family, except how proud he was of Campbell and Nora. Almost as if he were their dad more than their older brother.

  “Well, I’m glad you enjoyed your time.”

  “I did.” He slowly threaded our fingers together. “Can I take you out on a real date now?”

  “Right now?”

  He grinned. “No. I’ll make it a real date. I’ll pick you up and everything. Your favorite flower is?” he prodded.

  I shook my head. “Tulips.”

  “Got it,” he said with a wink. He tugged me forward. “I’m going to kiss you now.”

  “Oh,” I whispered.

  Then, his lips were on mine, and all thoughts fled my mind. I’d kissed Hollin that day on the tour bus. But we’d been drunk and frantic. The entire purpose had been to get our clothes off. Thi
s was…not that. This was so much more. Sweet yet claiming, and soft yet unyielding. It was everything I wanted a first kiss to be and more.

  And by the time he pulled back, I was breathless and leaning against him.

  “I had a good time,” he said against my lips.

  “Me too.”

  “Friday?”

  I nodded and met his baby-blue eyes. “Friday.”

  22

  Hollin

  It had been years since I’d gone on a proper date. The kind that my dad had prepared me for as a kid. Not that I’d been a complete asshole, but flowers certainly hadn’t been in my repertoire.

  So, when I knocked on the door to Piper’s place, holding a bouquet of tulips, I was definitely not prepared for Blaire and Jennifer to be standing there expectantly with wide, excited eyes.

  “Oh my God, flowers,” Jennifer said.

  “Those are beautiful,” Blaire said. “I didn’t know you had it in you.”

  “Me neither,” I admitted with a self-deprecating laugh. “Is…Piper here, or am I just seeing you two?”

  “She’s still getting ready,” Jennifer said, opening the door wide so I could come inside.

  Blaire took the flowers into the kitchen, where she arranged them in a vase.

  “That doesn’t sound like her.”

  Blaire grinned. “No, it doesn’t. She might be talking herself out of it.”

  My eyes darted down the hall. “Uh, should I go say something?”

  “No,” Jennifer said quickly.

  “We told her we’d kick her ass if she backed out,” Blaire said.

  “That’s not promising.”

  Blaire winked at me from under her baseball cap. “She likes you. She’s just stubborn.”

  “I like stubborn.”

  “We know,” Blaire and Jennifer said at the same time and then broke down into giggles.

  I waited patiently for Piper to come out of her room. I didn’t know why she was nervous. We’d talked all week. I’d texted her while we were both at work and called her at night to talk. It was unlike anything I’d ever done before. Not for a long, long time at least. Normally, I got bored before this point. But not Piper. There was not a single thing about her that was boring.