Shooting For Love - A Standalone Novel (A Suspenseful Bad Boy Neighbor Romance Love Story) (Burbank Brothers, Book #2)

by Naomi Niles

  “I’m not an idiot, ok?” I said. “I know it won’t be, but the thing is, I made mistakes too after Dylan left to enlist. I was too young to handle things and apparently so was he. We’re older now, we have enough life experience between us to deal with things.”

  “No matter which way they swing?” Maddie clarified. “Is that what you’re trying to say?”

  “I guess so,” I nodded.

  Maddie looked at me carefully and sighed. “He’s still in the Navy, Lizzie,” she said. “Or have you forgotten that part?”

  “Of course not,” I replied. “But I also know that he’s not going to be with the Navy for long.”

  “Who said?”

  “Dylan did,” I replied. “He told me that he’s thinking of early retirement. He might leave the Navy sooner rather than later.”

  “That’s what you’re hoping for, aren’t you?” Maddie demanded.

  I threw my hands up in the air in frustration. “People say you need to manage your hopes. ‘Don’t get your hopes up.’ That’s what they say, isn’t it?” I asked. “That’s always seemed so unreasonable to me. Your hopes are your hopes, you can’t control them any more than you can control the people around you.”

  Maddie smiled.

  “What?” I demanded.

  “Nothing,” Maddie said quickly. “It’s just that I haven’t seen you this passionate in a long time. It’s nice.”

  I couldn’t but smile. “It’s weird but I’m starting to feel normal again. I don’t feel as scared as I used to and I don’t feel the need to hide away from the world.”

  “And I’m thrilled for you,” Maddie nodded.

  “But …?” I asked.

  “How did you know there was a ‘but?’”

  “How long have we been friends?” I asked rhetorically.

  “Fair enough,” Maddie nodded. “I guess what I’m worried about is that this new change that you feel, despite being a good change, well, it’s been motivated by Dylan’s presence in town.”

  “You’re scared I’ll fall apart once he leaves aren’t you?” Lizzie asked.

  “Yes I am.”

  “If I’m being completely honest, I am too,” I admitted. “I don’t know how I’ll feel when he leaves and I don’t know if we will stay in touch once he’s gone. This might just be history repeating itself, but for the moment, this is where my head is at.”

  Maddie sighed. “Ok,” she nodded. “Then I will do my best to respect that. All I’m saying is—”

  “Be careful,” I finished for her. “I will.”

  Maddie nodded and we let silence settle in on the heels of that conversation. Then she looked at the keyboard and then at me. “He bought you a keyboard huh?”

  I smiled. “He did.”

  “That was really sweet of him,” Maddie said. “He was always so supportive of your music.”

  “He wanted to buy me a piano,” I said. “A grand piano.”

  “Are you serious?”

  “As a heart attack,” I nodded. “But I told him I wouldn’t accept it, so the keyboard was the compromise.”

  Maddie snorted. “I wish I had men who wanted to make compromises like that with me.”

  I laughed. “Dylan’s one of the good ones.”

  “He is,” Maddie nodded.

  “It was just bad timing and different choices for us, I guess,” I said mostly to myself.

  “So you called in sick today to spend time with him?” Maddie asked.

  “Yes,” I nodded. “He only left a few hours ago to meet some of his old friends.”

  Maddie wrinkled her brow a bit. “And you decided to sit home like some old maid and wait for him?”

  I shot Maddie a dirty look. “I just felt like staying in,” I said.

  “Well too bad,” she said getting up from the sofa. “Cause we’re going out.”

  “Now?” I asked. “But … I’m kinda tired.”

  “I don’t give a shit,” Maddie said forcefully. “Get your butt off that couch, put something sexy on, and let’s go.”

  “It’s Monday night Maddie,” I reminded her. “I have work tomorrow.”

  “So do I,” Maddie replied. “And that’s never stopped me. Now get moving or I will move you myself.”

  “Geez,” I said getting off the couch and moving into my room. “You are so bossy.”

  “Why thank you,” Maddie replied and I rolled my eyes at her.

  She followed me to my closet and sat on the bed as I started sifting through my clothes trying to figure out what I should wear.

  “What about the red mini dress?” Maddie suggested.

  “Are you crazy?” I asked. “We’re not going clubbing.”

  Maddie laughed and I finally settled on a simple, white dress that went perfectly with my nude wedges. I left my hair loose and dabbed a little gloss on my lips and then Maddie and I headed out.

  “Where exactly are we going?” I asked Maddie when we were sitting in her car.

  “Umm, I don’t know,” she replied sheepishly. “Any ideas?”

  “Maddie!” I exclaimed.

  “What?” she laughed. “I just didn’t want you sitting at home alone while your guy … or whatever he is right now, is out partying it up. If there’s one thing I’ve learnt, it’s that your life should never come to a standstill for a man, no matter who he is.”

  “Wise words,” I nodded. “But it doesn’t apply here.”

  “Why not?”

  “Because I was staying in tonight because I genuinely wanted to.”

  “Really?” Maddie asked suspiciously. “How were you feeling just before I showed up?”

  “I was fine,” I said. “Tired but fine.”

  “Fine?” Maddie repeated. “You weren’t feeling, maybe a little bit lonely?”

  I thought back and realized that I had felt a twinge of loneliness. I had been sitting in the apartment thinking about how empty it felt without Dylan.

  “I’m right, aren’t I?” Maddie persisted when I didn’t answer.

  “All right,” I said reluctantly. “Maybe I was feeling a little bit lonely.”

  “See, that’s just another difference between men and women,” Maddie went on. “If a man feels lonely or empty or unhappy, he’ll try to get rid of that feeling in any way he can. Women, on the other hand, just let it stew and that makes things so much worse.”

  “When did you get to be so analytical?” I asked, half teasing.

  “I always have been,” Maddie said with a self-satisfied shrug.

  I was starting to feel better the more we talked and I was also starting to see that Maddie was right. I should have been out, having my own fun and living my life, regardless of everything else that was going on.

  “How about we grab some frozen yogurt?” I suggested. “I have a sudden craving for it.”

  “Brilliant,” Maddie said smiling.

  We parked the car and walked down the street towards the frozen yogurt store. We had a fun time experimenting with different flavors and talking about everything but our personal lives. It felt nice to focus on inane topics without having to stress and worry about all the question marks in our lives.

  We had just finished our frozen yogurt and we were leaving the shop when I heard my name and I turned around automatically.

  “Hi, Elizabeth,” Paul said as he looked at me with a sheepish expression.

  I saw Maddie’s expression harden immediately and she glanced at me. “What do you want, Paul?” I asked harshly. I hated him for bringing down my good mood; the night had been going so well up until that point. I really didn’t want to talk to him and I wanted to avoid another scene at any cost.

  He approached me with an apologetic expression that I had not seen in a while. Without his usual self-satisfied smirk, it was easier not to hate him. Maddie was eyeing him suspiciously as he moved closer.

  “Hi, Maddie,” he greeted without looking her in the eye.

  “Hi, asshole,” she replied.

  “You alwa
ys had a mouth on you,” he said without malice.

  “Don’t make me use it.”

  “Whoa,” Paul said holding up his hands. “I come in peace, I just want to have a word with Elizabeth.”

  “Why?” I demanded. “So that you can humiliate me a little more?”

  “I never meant to humiliate you.”

  “Well then you must be naturally good at it,” I said. “Go home, Paul—”

  “Lizzie,” he said and I stalled a little. No one, apart from Dylan and Maddie ever really called me Lizzie. It felt strange coming from Paul’s lips. He leaned in a little as he spoke and I got the whiff of alcohol that perfumed his breath.

  “Paul …” I said cautiously.

  “I just want to talk about things,” he said pleadingly. “I just want to talk to you.”

  He looked so unbelievably pathetic that I couldn’t help but feel a twinge of sympathy for him. I glanced at Maddie and she stared at me pointedly. “Just go on ahead without me,” I said. “This won’t take long.”

  “Lizzie,” Maddie said warningly. “This isn’t a good idea.”

  “Hey!” Paul said raising his voice a little. “She’s my wife ok?”

  I desperately wanted to avoid a scene, so I put my hand on Paul’s chest and pushed him a little to keep him from swaying too close to me. “I’m your ex-wife,” I reminded him. “And we can talk, but only for a little bit.”

  I turned to Maddie and gave her what I hoped was a reassuring nod. “It’s fine,” I said under my breath. “I can handle him.”

  “Can you?” Maddie asked uncertainly.

  “I won’t be long,” I told her. “Go on ahead of me.”

  “Lizzie,” Maddie sounded worried. “Are you sure?”

  “Positive,” I nodded. “I’ll be fine.”

  “Fine,” Maddie repeated. “I hate that word.”

  But she turned around and walked away, leaving me alone with Paul.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Dylan

  It was strange seeing the boys again after so long. We had all been on the football team together and that was the primary bond we shared. Of the group, only Matt, Greg, and Keven had stayed in Bastrop, and they were already at the bar when I showed up.

  They rose to their feet in a chorus of cheers the moment they spotted me. Matt and Greg were shorter and stockier than I was, but Keven was as tall as I was. I recognized them all but there was something distinctly unfamiliar about all of them. They had changed since high school, and in my opinion they had all aged considerably.

  Keven had a potbelly that he would have been appalled at in high school, Greg had grey hairs coming in around the side of his head, and Matt looked like he was balding in the middle just like his father had around the same age.

  “Geez, Thomas,” Keven said shaking his head at me. “Remind me not to stand right next to you.”

  “All I can say is I’m glad we didn’t bring our wives,” Matt nodded.

  “Stop it,” I said shaking my head at them. “You guys look great.”

  “Do they teach you how to lie in the Navy?” Greg asked in mock seriousness and the boys started laughing.

  I realized that they didn’t care what they looked like; they could afford to be complacent because they were secure and happy in their marriages.

  “So what’s going on with you guys?” I asked. “Everyone’s married, huh?”

  “I just joined the club,” Matt nodded. “I got married only a few months ago.”

  “And what about you two?” I asked.

  “I’ve been married two years now,” Keven replied. “And Lisa’s pregnant.”

  “No way,” I said giving Keven pat on the back. “Girl or boy?”

  “We’re going to let it be a surprise,” Keven replied.

  “What about you, Greg?” I asked. “Michelle hasn’t left you yet?”

  “Not yet,” Greg laughed goo naturedly. “But if I get her pregnant again, she might just walk out on me.”

  “You have a son?” I asked, trying to remember.

  “Two sons,” Greg said with exhaustion in his voice. “And they’re only a year apart; it’s chaos at home, which is why I really need some down time with the boys.”

  “I haven’t been to this bar before,” I said looking around.

  “It’s relatively new,” Matt explained. “All the young kids come here.”

  “And you guys are playing make-believe?” I teased. I did happen to notice a few pretty girls walking past me with alluring smiles on their faces.

  “Geez, meeting women must be easy for you,” Keven said, noticing the looks I was getting from a few women.

  “I wouldn’t say that,” I said modestly.

  All three of them snorted and I couldn’t help but laugh. “Well, it’s certainly easier for me than it would be for any of you guys.”

  “Low blow, man,” Matt said as he mock punched me in the arm. “Geez,” he said pulling his fist back. “Are your arms made out of steel or something?”

  I laughed. “They don’t let just anyone into the navy,” I said raising my eyebrows at the boys.

  “Still a show off,” Greg said shaking his head.

  We got drinks and sat around the table drinking, talking, and laughing through the night. It was nice to reconnect with the guys, but it also made me aware of how different my life was to theirs. These boys had already built families of their own. No matter how a conversation started, it always led back to their marriages, their kids, or their jobs.

  They tried asking me about the Navy but I avoided their questions until they just stopped asking. I didn’t love talking about my decision to enlist or anything that had happened to me since then. The one person who made me feel like I could talk about it was Lizzie.

  By the end of the night, we ended up on the dance floor. Matt, Greg, and Keven danced like old men who’d forgotten all the good moves. I watched them in laughter for a while before a young woman approached me and asked to dance. I spent the rest of the night trading off partners and dancing with a number of different women.

  I was having fun, but there was an undercurrent that ran through my temporary high and I knew that once my buzz wore off I wouldn’t want to be here with these people. The girls I danced with were just faceless strangers in a crowd of people and I had no desire to know them. I realized as I was dancing with my fifth partner that I wished Lizzie had been here. It would have been so much more fun for me and I wouldn’t have even needed the booze.

  The boys signaled to me from the dance floor and I followed them out into the streets. “What’s up?” I asked. “Why’d you guys stop dancing?”

  “Sorry, man,” Keven said in an embarrassed tone. “We just … we’ve got to get home.”

  “You boys have curfews?” I teased.

  “Not curfews,” Matt said. “But we do have wives. We’d love to stay out a little longer, but …”

  “You have to go,” I nodded. “No, I get it. I think I’ll head home too.”

  “Hey, don’t do that,” Greg said. “Stay, take home some hot girl, live for all of us.”

  I laughed him off and we said our goodbyes. I thought about taking a cab home but then I realized that my buzz had already worn off and I was ok to drive. When I got back home, I saw that the lights were still on and I realized that mom was probably not sleeping very well and that meant that Tyler was awake too. I was walking up the driveway when Tyler showed up at the front door.

  “Hey, man,” I said. “Past your bed time isn’t it?”

  “Are you drunk?” Tyler asked his tone was hard as flint.

  “What?”

  Tyler stepped off the porch and walked down the driveway towards me. “Are you drunk?” he asked, enunciating each word condescendingly.

  “I had a few beers,” I said defensively. “I’m not drunk.”

  “I can smell alcohol on you,” Tyler said accusingly.

  “That’s what happens when you drink alcohol,” I said, starting to get anno
yed.

  “You drove back here,” Tyler pointed out. “In my Jeep.”

  “You said I could borrow it.”

  “I wouldn’t have if I’d known you’d been drinking and driving.”

  I felt my anger rise to meet his. “I wasn’t drinking and driving,” I spat. “Get out of my face!”

  “Or what?” Tyler demanded blocking my path to the house.

  “Are you serious?” I hissed. “Do you really want to get in my face?”

  “What?” Tyler asked. “You think I can’t take you?”

  I knew he was looking for a fight. He had probably been looking for a fight before I’d shown up. I probably should have stayed calm and walked away, but I was dealing with my own, confused thoughts. I had doubt building up inside me and I had no one to talk to. I realized that I was probably looking for a fight just as much as Tyler was.

  “I know you can’t take me,” I said butting my head against his.

  “You’ve always been a cocky little prick,” Tyler hissed. “You think you can do whatever you want and there’s not going to be consequences; of course you think that, because all your life everyone else has had to deal with the consequences of your decisions. That’s why you don’t give a shit.”

  I tackled Tyler and pushed him to the ground. I knew he wasn’t completely prepared for it and I savored the look on his face when he hit the ground. He struggled to get to his feet but I didn’t give him the chance to. I pushed him onto the front yard and we rolled around like teenage boys with no sense and something to prove.

  “Stop it!” I heard mom’s voice louder than she had spoken in the last week. “Tyler! Dylan! Stop it now!”

  For a moment, I was so angry that I thought I’d simply ignore her but then the frantic worry in her voice registered and I knew I had to step back. I gave Tyler one last push and got to my feet. He lay on the ground breathing heavily and then he sat up slowly. His panting was labored and I knew he hadn’t expected to lose so badly.

  “What is wrong with both of you?” mom sobbed as she looked between Tyler and I. “Your father died last week and here you both are fighting in the front yard like school boys!”

  Neither one of us said a word. We just stayed where we were, looking down at the grass and avoiding her eyes. “You are grown men, the both of you!” mom continued and I noticed that her voice shook when she spoke. “More importantly, you are brothers!”