Stormy Attraction

by Danielle Stewart

  “Why did your mother stay?”

  Hugo almost answered that she didn’t. That maybe all those pills in her system were her silent protest. Not only would she get peace but she could go out in a way that would diminish his father’s legacy. But she should have known he’d spin it favorably for him. Suddenly he was the heartbroken widower in an election year. The story did great in the polls. “She was a loyal woman. Somehow she hung on to the small great things he did. As dark a man as my father is behind closed doors, he’s championed some groundbreaking legislation. In her mind she felt like the shit she had to deal with meant people across the country might be making out better. It was how she was serving the people.”

  “That’s incredible.” Junie stared out the window as she thought it all over. “I could never do that. I’d have knocked your dad on his ass, held a press conference, and aired all his dirty laundry. I have no time for a cheating, lying waste of space. Not to mention my brothers would’ve run him out of town before we could ever get married in the first place.”

  Hugo felt warmth spread wildly across his chest. For as much as he loved his mother, he never understood her. But Junie’s response—that he could understand. He never wanted a woman who would excuse his bullshit. And he had his share of it. To him it was far more enticing to be challenged and held accountable. The brothers on the other hand, that was new for him. “They’re protective of you?”

  “The only girl in a big Irish family of boys? You bet your ass. When we were in school I couldn’t understand why no one would ask me out. Then one day one kid got brave enough to inform me that my brothers had personally told every boy in my grade that I was completely off limits. They were apparently very convincing. I went home and chewed them all out, but it was too late. The boys at my school were shaking in their boots. Then I put myself through night school while I worked a couple of jobs. They couldn’t scare every boy there so they waited until I brought someone home to frighten them half to death. There was one time I remember them driving down the road with one guy I was dating strapped to the hood of the car. They saw him at the pizza place kissing some other girl. Needless to say, he never came calling for me again.”

  “That’s intense. Is that why you’re single?” Hugo wasn’t intentionally fishing around. A woman as beautiful as Junie not being in a relationship intrigued him. It might not feel like the right time to ask but she’d asked to chat, to be distracted. So he wanted to know. She seemed to be the whole package. Maybe she was a little fiery for some men. But Hugo enjoyed it.

  “No.” She shook her head and rolled her eyes. “I’m too old for my brothers to be running men off. But after night school, my father got really sick. He sat me down and told me that my brothers were good boys but dumb as stumps. If he wasn’t going to be long for this earth, I’d need to step up for the family. I was the first to go to college. I was the first to not have a criminal record. That night we started working on the prototype. He knew there was something to it, but he’d never had the time or know how to do anything with it. I’m single because the only thing I’ve been doing for years is trying to get someone to pay attention to this project. I’m busting my ass working a couple jobs trying to make sure I have enough money to eat and buy bus tickets to places that might make the difference. But look at where I am now. Right back here.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Every time I take a few steps forward something in this place pulls me back. Last year the money I saved up had to go for repairs to my family’s house. The water heater went out and the roof leaked. The boys all work. They hold down pretty good jobs. But it’s never enough. Tommy is the oldest and he’s married. His wife Mary has some kind of autoimmune thing. All his money goes to making sure she’s healthy. He’s an electrician. They are paycheck to paycheck, and now she’s pregnant. Brian works on the docks. I know it’s so cliché but it’s a hard living. Work up there is hit or miss. Nicky is a janitor like my father. He actually took over my dad’s job at the bioengineering company. You wouldn’t believe how proud my father was. Ben and Loch both tend bar at a place around the corner from the house. The pay is all right but no benefits or anything. Nicky, Ben, Loch, and Brian all live in the house we grew up in.”

  “And you live there too? That’s a full house.”

  “I do and it is. It’s a nightmare most of the time but we’re all working different schedules and somehow we make it work. We’ve talked about selling it, but we just can’t seem to imagine anyone else living in it. Now that it’s falling down around us though, we have to have some serious conversations about what to do. We’re a hard-working family; what most people don’t realize is sometimes that’s not enough. The math doesn’t add up. But I’m going to change that. Or so I keep telling them. I’m not sure if they really believe me anymore. It’s been so long, and I’ve had no real results. Now I’m back again. Nothing to show for everything I put into this trip.”

  “You have plenty to show for it. You’ve filed for the patent. That’s a huge step.”

  “They won’t care about that.” Junie laughed at Hugo’s oversimplification. “That’s not the kind of results they’re looking for. These guys are good men. We just need a damn break. This place, this part of Boston, for some of us, is a black hole. That’s why I think when we get to the hospital you should turn around and go back to the airport. I’m sorry I put you in this position, and I’m even sorrier I wasted your time. You should go.”

  “You haven’t wasted my time. I’m not blowing smoke up your ass, Junie. You’ve got something here. What you and your father created, it can be something big. I’m going to work with you on it.”

  “I don’t know how Loch is. I don’t know if he’s going to make it. If he does, my family will need me here. He won’t be able to work, the medical bills will be astronomical. I don’t see myself going back to Texas. If he doesn’t, they’ll need me even more.”

  “The only thing I’m hearing is your need for this to work just became more urgent. Coming back here and working a few shit-paying jobs to keep a crumbling house standing for a few more years, that’s not what your father wanted. He knew you could do it. You will. Be here. Be with your family. Do what you need to do. But don’t give up on this. Don’t quit.”

  Junie pursed her lips as the tears came again. It was clear she didn’t want to throw in the towel but Hugo couldn’t blame her. How many times could a person get knocked on their ass before they decided living on the ground was better?

  “We’ll see.” That was the best she could muster as they pulled up to the hospital and she reached for the door handle. He was out of the car quickly and by her side. “You’re coming in?”

  “If you want me to.” Hugo paused for a moment, his fingers brushing hers.

  “I’m not sure I want to give you a front row seat to my screwed-up life. Do I really want you to see me falling apart? I’m about to be at my worst.”

  When she didn’t pull her hand away he took it as a sign. Lacing his fingers with hers he squeezed gently. “Rock bottom can be a pretty solid surface to build on.”

  “Hugo, I’m so scared.” She sniffled.

  “I’ve got you.” He bent his arm and tucked hers under his, their fingers still entangled. The automatic doors whooshed open and the sterile smell of a hospital enveloped them. He’d avoided places like this since his mother had died. Somehow he’d shoved those memories away. His senses were dragging them back out now. These smells and the fluorescent lights. The linoleum floors and rigid lines of chairs in the waiting rooms were exactly what he’d tethered all his memories to. Now as they moved together through the space he wasn’t sure if he was holding her up or she was holding him. No one else in the world could have dragged him into this hospital—and that was scaring the shit out of him.

  Chapter 13

  Just let him be alive. No matter what. I can take care of him. No matter what is wrong with him. Just make sure he’s alive.

  “Junie!” Tommy saw her first
and jumped to his feet, the others seeming to come up as though they’re were attached to him with a string. They all sprung up and charged toward her as Hugo released her hand and stepped back. Respectfully? Out of fear? It wasn’t clear and in this moment it didn’t matter.

  “How is he?” Junie asked, her mouth pressed to Tommy’s shoulder. For all their flaws and foolishness there was no one else in the world who shared her memories. There were no other people in the world who knew what Christmas morning at their house was like. No one else understood what it was like to wake up to their mother singing old Irish songs from her childhood. Standing in Tommy’s arms brought back every moment only they could know.

  “They say he’s waking up.” Tommy released her and practically passed her to Nicky. It wasn’t until every brother had squeezed her half to death that someone gave her a real update.

  Tommy stuffed his hands in his pockets and bit at his lip as he explained. “They aren’t sure if he’s going to be all right in the head. That’s what they are worried about.”

  Nicky, humor always his shield, couldn’t help himself. “I don’t know how they’ll be able to tell the difference. I never thought he was right in the head to begin with.”

  “Dude.” Tommy’s voice boomed loudly as he shoved Nicky back. “Why do you always have to be a wise ass? That’s not what we need right now.”

  “Yeah. What do we need, oh wise Tommy?” Nicky was rubbing the spot on his shoulder where he’d just been hit.

  Every eye turned to Junie as though she’d brought with her some secret knowledge they’d been waiting for. “We just wait.” It wasn’t fancy or brilliant but it seemed to be what they all needed to hear. “If he’s waking up, that’s a good sign. The doctor will talk to us and we’ll deal with whatever it is. Just like we always do.”

  “He’s got no insurance.” Brian rubbed at his tired eyes and flopped back into his chair.

  Junie looked at them all standing together and felt the emptiness of not having Loch in the mix. The boys were all copies of each other with only small variances in their size and shape. One with slightly bigger ears. Another with a crooked smile. But the canvas they were all painted on was the same. It made them easy for teachers in school to spot and anticipate the trouble they might bring. Would this O’Malley brother be better or worse than the one they taught last year? It was a gamble.

  “They have to treat him. It doesn’t matter if he has insurance.” Junie patted her brother’s shoulder. “And we can deal with the bills later.”

  Tommy crumpled his hands into fists. “How the hell are we ever supposed to dig out of this bullshit? We just paid the last of mom’s medical bills from years ago.”

  “Was he drinking?” Junie whispered and looked around to make sure no one else was listening.

  “No. We just finished a shift.” Ben’s shaggy brown-red hair covered his eyes, but Junie could see the weight of the world was on him. “I was meeting up with Tiffany. I told him to head home without me. I always drive home. This never would have happened if I had been driving.”

  Tommy cut in paternally. “Don’t be an idiot, Ben. The other car ran a light. There is no way in hell you’d have done anything different. We should be glad you weren’t in the car. That would have put Loch in the passenger seat, and he’d have been killed for sure.”

  Ben nodded his head but couldn’t bring his gaze up any higher, his head weighed down by guilt.

  Nicky had recovered from his scolding for his jokes and was back on his feet now. His attention snapped to Junie as though he’d just realized something. “How did you get here so fast? I thought you were out of money. How did you get a flight?”

  Like a pack of wild animals that caught the scent of prey, her brothers all immediately changed their posture. Eyes narrowed. Brows rose skeptically. They had homed in on Hugo finally, and nothing would stop them until they got answers.

  “This is Hugo.” Junie tried to place her body between her approaching brothers and him but it was useless. They pushed past her and sized him up. “He’s someone I’m working with in Texas. He flew me up here.”

  “Like he flapped his wings?” Nicky asked sarcastically. He was looking down at Hugo’s glossy shoes and clearly drawing a judgmental conclusion.

  “A jet.” Junie tried to laugh lightheartedly but no one else joined in. To his credit, Hugo didn’t flinch. Just like in the bar fight, he could hold himself together when the heat was turned up. There wasn’t one indication that he was intimidated. Her brothers would hate that.

  “He flew you here on his jet?” Tommy asked as though he had caught Hugo red-handed in some dastardly act. Instead of thanking him for safely delivering their sister to them in a time of need, they were acting like he’d been an arsonist lighting house fires.

  “It’s not my jet,” Hugo corrected, but no one was about to let him talk.

  “Because your jet was in the shop?” Nicky asked. “Getting gold plated maybe? How much does it cost my sister to fly on a jet with you? What exactly do you expect in return from her? Because I can tell you right now—”

  “It was no problem.” Hugo stared them all down, looking completely unfazed. Didn’t he know you never look wild animals square in the eye? Play dead, man!

  Ben elbowed his way to the front. He’d be the real trouble for Hugo. He had a chip on his shoulder about Loch and the accident. Those feelings needed an outlet, and it was clear he’d locked in on one. There was no healthy processing of emotions in this family. It was boil over, burn each other, move on. “So we’re supposed to believe that out of the kindness of your heart, after a few days of knowing my sister, you flew her up here on your dime? You were being the nice guy, holding her hand when you came up here. I saw you.”

  “It’s not like that.” Junie tugged at her brother’s arm but as she moved one brother back another would step forward. It was essentially like trying to hold back an avalanche with a snow shovel. She’d need to take another approach. “If you pummel him right now we’ll get tossed out and we won’t hear from the doctors. What about Loch? Think about him.”

  “Loch would want us to tell this fancy jackass to take a hike.” Nicky was the closest to Hugo now. Well within striking distance, but still Hugo didn’t recoil.

  “He’s the guy who’s going to make my career,” Junie pleaded as she finally slid her body in front of Hugo, pressing her back tightly to him. It was intimate and oddly sensual. But more importantly, it was what would keep him from taking a beating. “If you touch him you’ll ruin all the work I’ve been doing. He is very high up at West Oil. I told you they were our best hope. He’s only trying to help me.”

  “To get into your pants.” Ben spoke slowly and tapped the side of his head as though to remind her to use her brain. “A guy like him, in his fancy suit and flying around in a jet . . . you’re a toy to him. A wrong side of the tracks kind of game he wants to play. He’ll use you, slum it for a little while, then head right back up into his ivory tower, leaving you in the mud.”

  “He doesn’t even have anything to say for himself.” Tommy gestured at Hugo and looked utterly disgusted. A man who didn’t stand up for himself was the worst kind in their eyes.

  “You guys are here for your brother. I’m not going to start any shit. You want some space, I’ll go downstairs. Junie, call me if you need anything.”

  “Coward,” Nicky barked out.

  “Gentleman,” Hugo corrected as he nodded his head rather properly and backed away. He was at least smart enough to know he shouldn’t turn his back on them until he was out of reach.

  Ben ground his teeth together and growled. “What a prick. I’m glad you used him to get up here, but now tell him to beat it. It’s not like you need the ride back there.”

  “Right. I’ll just take the bus for days and days again.” Junie felt a prickly heat roll up her back. She was tired of having to choose between home and a future. She didn’t want Loch to be hurt, but she also didn’t want to be back here either.
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br />   “You’re not going back there with that guy.” Tommy folded his arms across his chest and smiled smugly. “He’s obviously using you. What did he tell you? He’s going to make you a fortune? At best he might steal your idea and pass it off as his own. At worst he’ll use you, get in your pants, and then break your heart.”

  Junie felt so overcome by anger she was shaking as she stepped forward and pointed angrily at them. “Of course he will. Because I’m an empty-headed fool who can’t look out for herself? I’ve been hustling and traveling and working for years now. I’m going to make this happen. Not because of Hugo. Not because of any of you. Shit, probably in spite of any of you. Now I came back here for Loch. I’m going to make sure he gets the best care and he’s all right. But then, when that’s done, I’m going to Texas. Hugo is my best shot, and I’m taking it. Not for me but for all of us.”

  Brian softened his voice but not his body language. “I saw how you were looking at him. You already like him. Don’t fall for his shit, Junie. You have to keep your guard up.”

  “I will.” Junie fiddled with her phone and fought to keep the blood from rushing to her cheeks. They were right. Her feelings for Hugo were getting blurry and undefined. But that wasn’t why she wanted to go back. Was it?

  “Are you the O’Malley family?” A short round-faced doctor with jolly red cheeks cleared his throat as he interrupted.

  “Gee what gave us away?” Tommy asked, running a hand through his bright red hair.

  The doctor chuckled uneasily then cleared his throat again. It seemed like more of a tick than anything. “I have an update on your brother. Can we sit?”