The McCallans

by Hadley Quinn

  “You probably said some kind of charming shit, and when she had to make a tolerant retort, you took it the wrong way! I can see that coming from you, Jay! Goddamn it!

  “You’re out of your mind,” Jay shook his head with disbelief. “Jesus, Beck. I’m trying to do you a favor here. You told me that she’s been pulling away from you wanting space, and now she’s trying to get with other guys? Are you blind?”

  Beck came at him again, but Jay was prepared for it. Pound for pound they were equal, but Jay was quicker and held more of a defensive advantage when they hit the ground. Beck was yelling, calling him names, and Jay was doing his best to avoid getting punched. Finally he just nailed Beck in the jaw, stunning him. Then he hit him again, splitting his lip open.

  “Knock it off, Beck, before I knock the fucking shit out of you!” he shouted. “I don’t wanna hurt you!”

  Beck shoved away from him as he stood, and pointed at Jay as he wiped the blood from his mouth. “You can’t possibly hurt me more than you already have, Jay. You stay the hell away from Jess, do you hear me? And get the fuck out of my garage! You’re fired!”

  He pointed to the exit, but Jay didn’t move right away. This wasn’t how he expected Beck to react. The thought never even occurred to him that Beck wouldn’t believe him. But after a few seconds, Jay decided it was best to just leave. He would give his buddy time, but he hoped to God that he would figure out the truth sooner than later…

  ***

  “I can’t even believe that the bird says ‘fucker’ and the dog comes from the other room,” Tyse shook his head. “I have never seen anything like it.”

  “Well, you combine a bird with a dirty mouth and a dog named Tucker,” Melanie smiled. “Weird things can happen.”

  Tyse laughed with a shrug. “Yeah, I guess. But seriously, do you ever have company that is offended by it?”

  Melanie thought for a moment as they climbed into her car. Camryn and Teague had invited Tyse over for lunch, and even though Tyse had his own car, Melanie had volunteered to pick him up on her way home from the store.

  “Not that I can think of,” she replied. “The first time Grandpa Neil came over, Geraldo said ‘hey there fucker.’ At first he looked really pissed, but I guess he was just confused because he had a best friend from college that used to always say that to him, and he’d just passed away recently. To the bird he said, ‘Jeffrey, you been reincarnated into a goddamn bird?’”

  Tyse laughed as Melanie headed for Jay’s house. “He’s a funny old guy. I wasn’t sure about meeting him, to be honest.”

  “He used to be pretty gruff and unfriendly. He’s kind of shifted his mindset a little bit, from what I’ve been told. Teague and Jay said that he didn’t used to be so approachable. He was always kind of upper crust and totally into his business life.”

  “And I’m sure Jay is an expert when it comes to ‘unapproachable’,” Tyse smiled knowingly.

  “I know I’ve said this before, but just give him time. You just can’t take what he says too severely or give up too soon; you’ll never get anywhere with him if you do.”

  “That’s easy for you to say. You’re a beautiful female. I think he gives you a little more slack than I could ever get away with.”

  “You don’t seem to be afraid of him in the least bit,” Melanie pointed out as she slowed at a stoplight. “I’m not going to lecture you on how to deal with your own brother, but I know Jay pretty well and he’s not only stubborn as hell, but he’s not afraid of much. You seem to be the same way, but I’m just warning you, Jay does not back down from anything. You push him the wrong way and sparks will fly.”

  “I’m fully aware of that. And to clarify something, I’m not looking for conflict with anyone. The other day in the kitchen… It caught me off guard. I thought it was pretty sweet of you to bring him dinner and he practically yelled at you to get out of his house. I understand the whole Alpha male thing, and he was totally giving me a blatant warning, but I didn’t like seeing your feelings get hurt.”

  Melanie sighed as the light turned green and she pulled through the intersection. “Jay doesn’t recognize that feelings are involved,” she laughed lightly. “He reacts completely and utterly on whatever is in front of him. That’s how he guards the things he feels responsible for. I’m his friend, I was in his house, and you were there—someone he doesn’t entirely trust right now.”

  Tyse studied her for several seconds. “So…you really didn’t take offense to how he acted? That’s how he normally regards you?”

  “No, I’m saying it had nothing to do with me. I think he’s stressed about a few things lately and you making an arrival in his world has him rattled.”

  Tyse was quiet for quite a while as Melanie drove and she could tell he was deep in thought. Finally he said, “I think you’re wrong, actually.”

  She glanced at him curiously. “About what? I’m not wrong about much when it comes to Jay.”

  “I’m sure that’s true,” Tyse smiled. “But I don’t think you’re weighing the facts the right way. I only know a little bit about his personality, but maybe that’s why I can read this better. Yeah he’s rattled, but it’s about you, Melanie.”

  They were just pulling down Jay’s street and Tyse’s words kind of hit her in a funny way. All this time she’d kept a certain secret to herself, but even without Tyse stating it out loud, she knew exactly what he was talking about and didn’t even pretend she wasn’t clued in.

  “Jay isn’t the type to get serious about anyone,” she said. “Just ask him.”

  “What if he says one thing but feels another?”

  Damn, why did he have to specifically state out loud what she already hoped?

  With a sigh Melanie pulled up to Jay’s house and shut the engine off. “Have you ever been in a situation in your life where one decision meant it would either make you or break you? Something great could happen, or just the complete opposite and leave you with nothing?”

  “Uh, like coming here to California to meet a family I never knew I had?” he smiled.

  Melanie smiled too and nodded her agreement. “Gotcha. So we are both pretty much at the mercy of Jay McCallan.” She got out of the car and shut the door.

  It took Tyse a few seconds longer, but when he did, he was studying her carefully again. “I see the similarities to our situations with him, but you have options,” he said as they walked up the driveway together. “His feelings for you are plain as day.”

  “Plain as day?” she narrowed her eyes at him. Then she motioned to her stomach and added, “You realize there’s kind of something that changes things, right? Jay has plans and this is not a part of it.”

  Tyse stopped and faced her. “You’re saying he’s got an issue with you being pregnant?”

  He looked utterly disgusted, and whereas Melanie felt somewhat relieved that Tyse disregarded that as a factor, it only complicated things more.

  “Some people aren’t as accepting of things like you may be,” Melanie told him. “And I understand that. I made choices that got me in trouble and I’m willing to accept everything that comes from it. Do I wish things were different? Yes, sometimes. But I have faith that there is something good in my future. I’m not sure what, but I can’t regret past choices when I still have a future to live.”

  Tyse slowly smiled and shook his head. “You’ve got your head on straight now. It’s obvious. And if Jay can’t see that, he’s a fucking idiot. I’m sorry for saying that about my own brother, but it’s true.”

  “Jay’s not an idiot. He’s just afraid of himself. Once you get to know him, you’ll realize that he is afraid of letting people down. We are good friends, yes, and we’ll always be good friends. But he won’t commit to more than that because he doesn’t realize his potential. I see it in Jay, but he doesn’t. At least not in the broader spectrum. He has business goals and he has confidence that he will achieve them, but he doesn’t see that he would be amazing at a myriad of other things as well. But…I w
ould never hold him back from his dreams. Never.”

  “I didn’t say that, Melanie. I only meant that you’re selling yourself short, as well. You’re worth any changes in his life that he would have to make. He just doesn’t get it yet.”

  Melanie sighed, grateful for his support. And then she hugged him because she felt it was necessary. “Thank you, Tyse. I so needed to hear something like that today.”

  “Well it’s the truth,” he replied, hugging her back. “I think you two have a ways to go, but I can see it for sure.”

  She lightly laughed. For some reason his confidence didn’t quite reach her own heart and it hurt a little bit.

  “Thanks—” she started to say, but the rumble of an engine close by startled her and she pulled away from Tyse just in time to see Jay screech into the driveway next to them. Her heart immediately sank even lower the second she saw how pissed he looked, but he barely glanced at them as he climbed out of the Nova and slammed the door behind him.

  He headed for the house without a word.

  “Looks like I just dug myself into a deeper hole,” Tyse said, holding his hands up to show he shouldn’t have hugged her.

  Melanie bit her lip as she narrowed her eyes at the house. “No, it’s something else. I can tell. I’d better find out what.”

  She headed for the front door and Tyse trailed behind her. “Are you sure you want to approach him?” he chuckled lightly. “Mel, maybe you should let him cool off.”

  She didn’t respond and walked right into the house and glanced around. Jay wasn’t in the front room or kitchen, so that left his bedroom.

  “Melanie, seriously,” Tyse cautioned her when she headed for the hall.

  “I’ll be fine,” she answered. When she got to the end of the hall, she took a deep breath and knocked on the closed door. “Jay?” she called. She waited for several seconds but there was no answer. She knocked again. “I’m coming in, okay?”

  She waited again and still nothing, so she slowly opened the door. She was expecting that maybe he went straight out back to his shop, but Jay was sitting on the edge of his bed, elbows on his knees with his head in his hands. He was completely still, and Melanie’s heart started to pound from seeing him in such an idle position.

  Suddenly he popped up from the bed and said, “I’ll be out in my shop.”

  “Whoa, wait a second,” she got out, grabbing his arm to stop him.

  He surprisingly jerked to a stop but didn’t look too pleased about it. “I have work to do,” he said evenly, but he would barely look her in the eye.

  “Why are you home so early? It’s only four-thirty.”

  “Does my calendar not line up properly with yours?” he retorted. “My bad. I’ll send you a text next time.”

  “Cut the bullshit, Jay. What happened at work?”

  She honestly didn’t expect him to tell her. She figured he would either respond with something smartass again, or blatantly ignore her and walk out of the room.

  “Beck fired me,” he answered, and he pulled his arm away from her and left.

  She took a minute to assess the information and finally shook her head. Beck would never fire Jay, even if he made a major mistake at work. He loved him like a brother, but not only that, Beck was very sweet and forgiving.

  Melanie left the room to find Jay again, but only Tyse was in the kitchen eating out of a bag of chips.

  “He went out back,” he said. When Melanie headed for the back door he added, “You’re a glutton for punishment, aren’t you?”

  Yeah pretty much, she wanted to answer. But she trekked across the yard without pause and walked right into Jay’s man cave fearlessly. The usual classic rock was already blaring from the stereo in there, but she went straight to it and turned it down a bit.

  “Why’d he fire you?” she asked outright.

  Jay already had the hood up on the Boss and didn’t even look at her. “Because he let pussy get in the way of brotherhood, that’s why,” was his response.

  Jess. That’s the only thing that came to Melanie’s mind. “What did she do?” she asked.

  Jay finally looked at her, but it wasn’t out of annoyance or anger. He looked completely curious. “Why do you say it like that? –‘What did she do’?”

  Melanie shrugged her shoulders. “You wouldn’t be so pissed if it was your own doing. I know that for a fact. And call me a catty bitch, but I’m not really sure if I like Jess. I’ve only been around her a few times, but I just get a weird vibe from her. Plus I’m pretty sure she has a thing for you.”

  Jay leaned forward against the front of the car but was quiet for a few seconds. Finally he shook his head and stood. “She hit on me the other night in Beck’s shop. Like big time, try-to-get-in-my-pants hit on me. I got fucking sick and tired of Beck making her sound like the savior of the world today, and told him to shut the fuck up.”

  Melanie came across the room, trying to push down her feelings of resentment that yet another chick had been all up on Jay. “So you told him about it.”

  “Yep,” Jay replied. He walked over to the workbench and grabbed two old blankets that were sitting on top. As he draped them around the hinges of the open hood and across the windshield he said, “He didn’t believe me. Pretty much accused me of taking advantage of her or some shit like that. We got into a fight and he fired me.”

  Melanie watched him use a wrench to loosen the bolts that attached the hood to the car on one side. She didn’t say anything for almost two minutes as he walked around to the other side and did the same.

  Finally he stopped and said, “Would you help me with something quick?”

  “Of course,” she replied quickly.

  “Or you can grab Tyse. Maybe he’d put up with my shitty mood right now.”

  She barely cracked a smile and answered, “I’m sure he’d want to spend time with you, but I’d rather put up with your shitty mood right now instead.”

  He studied her for a few seconds and then looked away to focus on the car. “Okay, well I’m gonna take this hood off. I’ll hold this end up if you can just remove those bolts the rest of the way with your fingers?”

  She nodded and twisted the already loosened screws the rest of the way. It took a minute but she said, “Okay, got it,” as she put them in her pocket.

  “Okay, so you’ll need to hold that side up so it doesn’t twist into the windshield or into the bodywork.”

  “Okay,” she nodded. She watched him hold his side of the hood up while he unscrewed the two bolts in half the time it had taken her to do it.

  “You got it?” he asked. When she nodded again, he said, “Okay, so we’re going to bring it down flat and walk it over there.” He motioned with his head to another workbench that was covered with a blanket, and when they walked it over, they set it down together.

  “Piece of cake,” Melanie exhaled. “What’s next?”

  Jay smiled, which was absolutely what she needed to see. God, how she loved his smile…

  “That’s good enough, pretty girl. I got it from here.”

  “I failed at the whole sexy mechanic model thing?” she teased. “I’m already fired,” she pretended to pout. “That makes two of us today. Not good, Jay.”

  That time he laughed as he pulled the blankets away from the Mustang and tossed them onto the workbench. “I would never fire you. You’re the only beautiful thing in my life right now.”

  To Melanie, that statement was almost soul-crushing yet pulse racing at the same time. Jay was already choosing several tools and then pulled the cover off of the engine that was propped on a stand next to the car, so she didn’t expect him to notice that her heart and soul were in conflict. But he finally looked at her again and paused.

  “What’s up, buttercup?” he asked with a smirk.

  She barely shrugged as she came across the garage to stand in front of him next to the car. She knew he was perceptive but had deliberately lightened the moment to avoid the seriousness of it.

 
Classic Jay McCallan move.

  Melanie grabbed him by the shirt as she leaned back against the car. Jay was jerked toward her and put a hand on the Mustang right by her shoulder, but she pulled him closer. She could see him swallow briefly as they looked at each other from only six inches apart. Just having him this close to her almost made her lose her nerve. The boy did crazy things to her body and mind. But she didn’t want to regress. She had him, here right against her, and she couldn’t lose the momentum.

  She slid her hand behind his neck and pulled his mouth closer.

  Chapter Fourteen

  You’re gonna ruin everything, you dumb fucker was all that kept repeating in Jay’s head. Kissing her was probably the stupidest thing he could do and he had about half a second to stop himself.

  But of course he didn’t. He was a dumbass, after all. The last bit of hell had just come crashing down on him at Beck’s shop, and now all he wanted was to have something sweet to make it all better.

  He looked from her lips to her eyes, which was a mistake. Her lips looked so damn kissable, but her eyes could fuck him over big time. And he could feel her fingers on the back of his neck, softly caressing his skin into his hair. And then the tingles it gave him were magnified by the ravenous look in her deep green eyes.

  And that was it. She broke him down just like that.

  His hand gripped the back of her head and he captured her lower lip between his to try it out slowly. But she made a little noise, like a whimper, that totally fucking undid him, and it was like a shitload of pent up sexual aggression for this woman just unloaded all at once. He was on her instantly, wrapping both of her legs around his waist so his erection was pressed between them. She kissed him harder and it spread the fire burning through him all the way up to his brain, ravaging any rational thoughts that might make him stop.

  And the irony of it all?

  I’m On Fire playing on the radio…

  He was barely grazing her breasts with his hand as he continued to suck her tongue, but Melanie’s hands were up his shirt, tempting the fire to burn hotter. He was trying to be gentle with her, but just kissing her was undoing him piece by piece. He was still rubbing against her until it was obvious an orgasm was pulsing through her. God it was so fucking hot he wanted to rip her clothes off and screw her against the damn car. He was stupid enough to kiss her, so why not be stupid enough to have sex with her?