“We should get out of here.” He slid his lips across her cheek, down her jaw, to her neck.
“We should.” She was putty in his very experienced hands.
“Let’s go.” He grabbed her hand and turned but stopped so abruptly, she ran into him.
“Fuck,” he said under his breath. Paisley peeked over his shoulder. His brothers were silhouetted in the doorway of the ballroom, blocking their exit. Her night was about to go to hell in a handbasket.
He kept her at his side as if his siblings were gun-toting hombres bent on death and destruction. She studied the two men, really studied them. They seemed okay. The only hostility on that deck came from Zeke. It radiated off him in waves.
Paisley took the volatile situation into her own hands. “Isaac, Tanner, so good to see you again.”
Both men nodded, grateful for a friendly face. Avery and Emma flanked them, offering support by being there. The four of them impressed her with their solidarity. Zeke, on the other hand, was an island, alone and drifting. She wrapped her arm around his waist, offering her support.
He met her gaze, gratitude in his troubled eyes.
“We were just leaving,” he said, his voice strained like a violin strung too tight.
“We’d hoped to have a minute with you—in private,” Isaac said, no expression whatsoever on his face. Tanner nodded.
“Whatever you have to say can be said in front of Paisley. We have no secrets.”
Paisley blinked at the blatant lie, but recovered quickly. Smiling sweetly at Zeke’s brothers, she held on to his arm as if he were her lifeline. Right now, she figured she was actually his.
Isaac sighed with resignation. “Zeke, it’s time to let the past go. We’re brothers. We need to heal and move on. We’re both sorry. We were young, selfish, and stupid. I’d do it differently if I could, but I can’t. All I can do is pray you’ll find it in your heart to forgive us.”
Tanner added his unwelcome two cents. “Z, I felt like you did. I blamed Isaac for what happened to Karen. People change. They grow up. They see the true value in family.”
Zeke stiffened beside her. Paisley stroked his arm, hoping to calm him. It didn’t appear to be working. She sensed the anger building inside him toward detonation. She glanced toward the door, glad the party was in full swing and hopefully no one would hear them.
This wasn’t going to be good.
* * * *
Zeke reined in his temper, tamping it down from a boil to a simmer. After scanning the area for eavesdroppers, he squared off with his brothers. They stared back at him, their expressions unreadable, but their stances said it all. They were united against him. Baby brother was on the outside looking in again, as usual.
“You.” He growled and jabbed his finger within an inch of Isaac’s chest. He whirled around and did the same to Tanner. “And you. Both of you left me alone in that house with him. You promised you’d take me with you, get me out of that hellhole, but you deserted me.”
“Is that what this is about?” Isaac’s face turned ghostly pale. He held out his hands palms-up.
Tanner exchanged a look with his elder brother.
“I should’ve come back for you, but I was a kid myself trying to make it in the NHL—” Isaac’s voice cracked, and he appeared unable to continue.
“You were too busy partying, getting wasted, and fucking every female in sight. What the fuck did you care about a little brother left behind in that house of horrors? You were free of it. As far as you two were concerned I. Didn’t. Exist.” Zeke couldn’t control the venom in his voice. Alarmed, Paisley stared up at him wide-eyed as if she didn’t know him.
He shuddered. Just as he’d feared. He was his father’s son, a no-good asshole who didn’t deserve a good woman. Yet he couldn’t stop himself. This showdown had been brewing since Karen died, and long before.
“I thought this was about Karen,” Isaac mumbled.
“Yeah, well, I didn’t blame you for that, not to the extent Tanner did, but I can see you’re BFFs now.” Zeke whirled on Tanner, sending him back a step. “You weren’t any better. You know how bad it got when Isaac left, but you couldn’t wait to get the hell out of there and to hell with me. You don’t have a fucking clue how bad it was. You think you do, but you fucking don’t.”
Both men shuffled their feet and stared at the ground. They said nothing. They didn’t deny Zeke’s accusations or make excuses. Their silence took some of the wind out of Zeke’s sails and deflated his anger somewhat.
He squeezed Paisley’s hand, taking comfort in her nearness. Other than a few teammates, no one had ever had his back before, especially not his brothers. Not that their upbringing had fostered brotherly love. Their father believed in competition and punishment because losers were losers and deserved to be punished. They all had the scars to prove it—emotionally and physically.
“Let’s get the fuck out of here,” he said to Paisley. But before they could carry out an escape plan, Hunter appeared in the doorway as if on cue.
“There you are. It’s good to see the three brothers together.” If he noticed the tension thick and heavy like smoke inside a burning house, he didn’t give any indication.
“We’re about to start the presentation. You don’t want to miss it.” His voice, while pleasant, had a glint of steel in it. Leaving early was no longer an option.
Isaac and Tanner nodded. With their women, they slipped past Hunter to the safety of the ballroom. Zeke tried the same, but Hunter cut off his escape.
“They regret the foolish mistakes of their youth.”
Zeke narrowed his eyes. “You did this on purpose. You had to know how I feel about my brothers.”
Hunter neither denied nor confirmed. “How do you feel about them?”
“We aren’t best friends.”
“It’s time to exhume the past, get everything out in the open, and throw the ashes into the wind.”
“Easy for you to say,” Zeke muttered.
Hunter merely smiled. “We all have our hardships and past actions we regret. You’ll never be truly happy as long as you hold on to the past instead of using it as a building block to being a better person.”
“I’ll take that into consideration.”
“I know you will.”
Zeke didn’t detect any sarcasm in Hunter’s last statement. He wasn’t about to let them slip away and personally escorted them to seats at the same round table that included, of course, his two brothers, and Avery and Emma.
Hunter bent close to Zeke’s ear. “The media are here. You’ll want to maintain your reputation and play nice with your family.” On that note, Hunter strode away. He’d figured out where to hit Zeke where it’d hurt the most by exploiting his obsession with being a model athlete and citizen.
Zeke shook his head. “Can you believe that guy?”
His comment had been meant for Paisley, but Tanner spoke up. “He’s a little different, but I love him like a brother, and he’s a helluva football player.”
Zeke nodded. Of course Tanner’s best friend would be loved like a brother, while his real brother—
Zeke stomped on that thought. His brothers didn’t matter. They’d been dead to him for a long time, and he preferred to keep them that way, as difficult as a separation would be with all three of them living in Seattle.
“Zeke, I’m Emma. I’m married to Tanner.” The pretty blonde in a very feminine pink dress reached across the table and shook his hand. She didn’t seem like Tanner’s type from what Zeke recalled from the photos of the celebrities his brother loved to have on his arm.
“Nice to meet you, Emma.” He smiled, and she smiled back. He had no beef with her or her twin sister.
“And I’m Avery. I’m engaged to Isaac.” Avery wasn’t as girlie as Emma. She looked like the outdoors type and didn’t seem all that comfortable in her little black cocktail dress. He instantly felt an affinity for her.
“Hey.” Zeke smiled at her, giving her an actual smile rather
than a grimace. “You two ladies have your work cut out for you with these two.”
“Tell us about it,” Avery groaned, but her eyes lit up as she gazed at Isaac, who grinned at her with a sappy smile. Zeke would’ve never imagined his brother to be such a goner for a female. Tanner, too. He was currently whispering to Emma, who was giggling. Her face turned bright red. Obviously, Tanner’s whispers bordered on the down and dirty, but Emma ate it up. That sweet thing had some spice in her.
Zeke cocked a brow at Paisley. She smiled at him, relief clear on her face. Despite the burn of anger lodged low in his gut, Zeke forced himself to play nice with the brothers so he wouldn’t ruin Paisley’s night.
Hunter was right. This smoldering anger hurt him and the innocent people around him more than it would ever hurt his brothers. They’d leave here and go back to their happy little homes and never give him another thought until the next time they planned on harassing him.
“Can I get a picture of the three of you together?” a reporter asked, holding a large camera up for them to see. The guy covered the Seattle sports beat, but Zeke was still too new to know him.
His brothers got to their feet and stood where directed.
Paisley patted his arm. “Please, Zeke.”
He nodded. “I won’t make a scene. I never do.” That was him. Mr. Agreeable even when his heart and soul were being ripped out from the roots.
She kissed his cheek, and he grinned like a damn fool. Pleasing her made him feel on top of the world. He’d always tried hard to please his father and his brothers. It’d caused him nothing but pain, but pleasing Paisley didn’t cause him pain. Not one little bit.
He stood sandwiched between his brothers, who put their arms around his shoulders in a comradely gesture. Zeke’s smile froze on his face as the camera clicked away. After an eternity, the guy stopped clicking.
Zeke blew out a breath and stepped away.
“See now, Little Z, that wasn’t so bad, was it?”
Isaac called him by a childhood nickname. He waited for Zeke to react, as did Tanner.
Zeke nodded brusquely, showing no emotion. He clasped his hands behind his back so they wouldn’t see how badly they were shaking. He took his seat next to Paisley and scooted his chair closer to hers. Inside he was in turmoil; on the outside he hoped he was as cool as the horse ice sculpture in the middle of the room.
Paisley patted his thigh, which had an oddly calming effect on him. He ordered another beer, as did Tanner. The ladies ordered wine. Isaac ordered an iced tea. Zeke thought back over the evening. He hadn’t seen his oldest brother, the family drunk next to their father, with any kind of alcoholic drink.
“On the wagon?” he asked, even as he mentally slapped himself for being an ass in front of the ladies.
“You could say that. I haven’t had a drink in over three years.”
“Oh.” Zeke didn’t know how to respond to such a surprising admission.
Avery hugged his arm. “Isaac doesn’t drink, which is a good thing. He gets grouchy enough without alcohol.”
Zeke narrowed his eyes, wondering if his brother abused his fiancée. Considering their upbringing, the odds were stacked in favor of at least one, probably all, of them being abusers themselves. Only, Avery didn’t behave like an abused woman. Not like their mother had. She didn’t cringe when Isaac made a sudden move or watch her words carefully while keeping an eye on Isaac’s reaction. Instead, if he didn’t know better, he’d almost think she was in charge.
“Ave knows how to talk him out of a good grouch,” Tanner added.
“There’s no talking involved.” Isaac grinned and wiggled his eyebrows.
Avery slapped his arm playfully. “You’re awful.”
“But I’m adorable, and you’re sexy as hell. How much longer is this thing lasting?” Isaac looked like a lion stalking a tasty morsel. He definitely wanted to eat her up.
“Fuck. Get a room.” Tanner rolled his eyes and pulled Emma closer. “Don’t watch, honey. It could scar you for life.”
“I’ve already been scarred for life. Remember? I’ve stumbled upon them doing worse things on a saddle rack in the barn.”
“Oh, yeah, that.” Tanner grinned, and so did Isaac. “You’re the man.” Tanner fist-bumped his brother.
Zeke felt a twinge of that old feeling of being left out. He’d always been on the outside. Too young to go places with them. Too young to be one of them. And by the time he was old enough to be included, he hated their guts.
Still, the old wants were closer to the surface than he cared to admit. It hurt like a bitch to be excluded from something as stupidly simple as a fist-bump.
“You okay?” Paisley knew. He didn’t know how, but she knew.
“Yeah.”
He was grateful when Hunter stepped up to the small lectern and spoke about the outrageously expensive horse they’d all bought with their combined dollars. The animal was a two-year-old and would begin racing this summer. He’d been named SeaStrong since every one of the partners was involved in Seattle sports. It fit, actually.
Hunter’s thorough presentation included videos of the horse being exercised on a dirt track and walked around. Zeke knew nothing about horses. He’d just wanted to be in the owner’s box at the Kentucky Derby, but he assumed that’d be as easy to do as winning the World Series, and a horse only had one chance.
He glanced at Avery, who worked with horses for a living. She nodded her head appreciatively, so it must be a good horse. Zeke liked his brothers’ choices in women. They’d lucked out, or the women loved a good project. To get Isaac to stop drinking would be a feat unto itself, and to tamp down Tanner’s arrogance would be just as difficult.
He was jealous, and he’d be the first to admit it, but he didn’t want to be part of this new family they’d formed. He didn’t give a shit how normal they acted; the Wolfe dysfunction had to be there. He doubted years of therapy could erase what they’d been through, and Zeke had seen the worst of it. His brothers would never know how bad it’d been.
His old familiar resentment started to bubble inside him again. He pushed it down. Not tonight. But if his brothers wanted to have it out, he’d have it out with them. In private in a log cabin in the woods or a boat on the water. Anywhere they couldn’t be heard, because he had plenty more to say.
Chapter 12—Hot Streak
Paisley waited near the door as Zeke worked the crowd, saying his good-byes. He was in his element, taking the time to speak to the powerful Reynolds brothers, the even more powerful Ethan Parker, and several other Seattle movers and shakers, along with sports celebrities. Paisley knew nothing about these people, but Bella was a fountain of knowledge about anyone and everyone. Paisley had instantly liked her, as she did the other Maxwell sisters she’d met. Izzy was the only one she hadn’t spoken to, but she appeared to be a force to be reckoned with, as she’d organized the event.
Bella extracted herself from Cedric’s protective hold and joined Paisley at the door. She leaned close and said in a conspiratorial whisper, “He needs you, you know.”
Paisley shook her head in denial. “Surely you aren’t talking about Zeke?”
“That’s exactly who I’m talking about. You need to get him to loosen up. He’s as tight as a rubber band pulled back on a slingshot to the breaking point.”
“I know. It’s affecting his game.”
“There are fun ways to loosen him up.” Bella winked at her.
“Our relationship isn’t like that.”
Bella snapped her head around and gaped at her. “You’re kidding, right? He looks at you like he wants to throw you over his shoulder, drag you to his cave, and have his dirty way with you.”
“I don’t think so.”
Bella laughed. “Oh, sweetie, you’re blind.” She paused to throw a sultry look toward her handsome fiancé, Cedric. The man in question stood near Isaac, probably talking hockey, but he hadn’t taken his sizzling gaze off Bella. He grinned at Bella, despite the elbowing he got
from Cooper Black, the Sockeyes team captain.
“I’m not blind. I’m entertainment until he gets tired.”
“I spent a lot of time with him this winter and never once saw him interested in a woman. I even wondered if he was gay. But he’s a different man around you.”
“He’s not gay.”
Bella laughed, sliding Paisley a sideways look. “Whatever is going on or not going on between the two of you is your business, but if you care even a little, you should talk to him about his attitude toward his brothers. He’s not doing anyone any favors, especially himself.”
“I’ll be sure to talk to him about that,” Paisley fibbed.
“No, you won’t, but you should.” Bella’s gaze was glued to her tall, gorgeous hunk as he sauntered toward them, twirling his car keys on one finger. Bella tapped Paisley on the arm and smiled. “Good talking to you.”
Cedric held out his hand to Bella, nodded briefly at Paisley, and they were gone like leaves in the wind.
Paisley watched them go, almost regretting the absence of Bella. She refocused her attention on Zeke. She’d considered him a loner, but he charmed the crowd like a seasoned politician. All he needed was a few babies to kiss. The man was an enigma; moody and silent one minute, charming and talkative the next, as long as he didn’t have to talk about his family. She understood his reluctance. She didn’t have any interest in discussing her family, either, such as it was. There was trailer trash, and then there were the Madison’s from Wally, Idaho.
Yet Zeke’s brothers seemed like nice guys. He should be able to move on and forgive them for whatever deeds they had done to him. She didn’t understand his animosity, but then, family shit ran deep. She would know.
Bottom of the Ninth: Seattle Skookums Baseball (Game On in Seattle Book 6) Page 13
