by Elle Wright
Juke pointed to the back of the building, where the pool tables were. “Over there.”
She grinned. “Thank you. I’ll call you this weekend. We can have breakfast. Love you, homey.”
Brooklyn weaved through the crowd, waving at a few people as she went. She spotted Parker leaning against the pool table, lining up his shot. Then, she saw Carter. Stopping in her tracks, her gaze darted back and forth between her brother and the man who kept turning her down. How does Parker know him?
Judging by their interaction, she assumed they knew each other fairly well. Or at least had had a few conversations. Parker wasn’t one to kick it with people he barely knew. She needed answers, but first . . .
Brooklyn bit down on her thumbnail as Carter leaned down, assessing the table, lining up his shot. When he finally made his move, the balls scattered over the table, three of them dropping into the holes. He’s good, but is he better than me? Shooting pool with the guys as a teenager had been one of her favorite things to do. She’d spent a lot of time swindling men out of their money. She wondered if Carter would play her. Or would he make up an excuse and leave, as he’d been prone to do?
The man was obviously a pro. She noted his alignment, the way he addressed the ball, and how he stroked the cue. Just watching him made her hot all over, made her want to step into the line of fire and find out if he used that same precision when he stroked a woman. Carter took several turns before Parker was able to make his first move, and soon the game was over. Parker hadn’t had a chance.
She froze when Parker pointed toward the bar, hoping like mad Carter hadn’t seen her. Then her brother was advancing her way. Reaching out, she yanked him.
“Whoa,” he said. When he realized it was her, he shouted, “Brooklyn!”
Slapping a hand over his mouth, she told him to shush. “Be quiet.”
He pushed her hand away. “What are you doing?”
“How do you know Carter?”
“How do you know Carter?”
Brooklyn crossed her arms over her chest and threw her brother a look of disbelief. “Really?”
Parker laughed. “What?”
“Answer the damn question,” she hissed.
Parker stepped back, rubbed a hand over his chin. “He’s consulting on a Wellspring Water project,” he said, with a shrug. “I invited him to hang out.”
Carter works for Wellspring Water?
“Now, answer my question. How do you know him?”
Brooklyn stared out into the crowd. “The hotel. He’s staying there, too.”
Parker nodded. “Walk with me to the bar.”
At the bar, Parker and Juke caught up for a bit while Brooklyn pondered the situation. Carter working for Wellspring Water presented a few problems. There was no way Senior wouldn’t blow a gasket if she were to hook up with Carter. Not that I have a chance in hell anyway. And she and Parker had strict rules on dating one another’s friends.
It niggled at her because, despite everything, she still wanted to know him. Her attraction to him only grew stronger. Each morning, she’d see him at the same corner booth, reading something on his tablet. He was quiet, intense. It had basically taken an act of God to prevent her from approaching him again, because damn . . . there was something about him. I need to get out of here.
Brooklyn patted Parker on the back. “I have to go.”
He turned to her, tilting his head to the side as if trying to read her. “Everything okay?”
“Yep. Just tired.” She gave her brother a quick hug. Juke lifted her up off her feet and gave her a kiss on the cheek. “See you guys soon.” Soon she was out of the bar and into the fresh air. She lifted her head to the sky and inhaled. Without paying attention, she stepped off the small porch and ran right into Carter.
* * *
Carter gripped Brooklyn’s hips to steady her. “Easy,” he murmured.
Brooklyn looked up at him, her wide, doe eyes full of something he couldn’t place. “I’m sorry. I guess we keep running into each other, huh?”
He hadn’t expected her to come out so fast, or at all. He’d noticed her as soon as she’d walked in the place, watched her interaction with the bartender and Parker. While they were at the bar, he’d snuck out to get some fresh air. He needed a break from the music.
Brook’s Pub was similar to so many in Detroit. It was small, homey, and had a set of regulars that set the tone or vibe of the place. When he’d arrived earlier, he immediately liked the spot and would definitely return, eventually.
He smiled, unable to help himself. “I agree.”
“I saw you playing pool.” Brooklyn leaned forward and he could have sworn she’d just sniffed his shirt. “You’re really good.”
Carter realized he hadn’t let her go yet, and dropped his hands quickly, then retreated back a step. She looked different, softer. She’d taken the wig off. Her hair was short, and framed her face well. He let his gaze travel over her.
Frowning, she asked, “What? Why are you looking at me like that?”
He caught himself. “Huh? What do you mean?”
“You’re staring.”
“I’m sorry, my mind was on something else,” he lied. Carter couldn’t think when she was so close to him. He’d managed to stay away from her for the most part.
Brooklyn swallowed visibly, and ducked her head. “Well, I’m going to go. See you around.”
Carter scanned the area. While it didn’t feel like there was a lot of crime in Wellspring, he didn’t want her to take any chances. The hotel was five blocks south of the pub. “You’re walking back to the hotel?”
“I am.”
She started to walk away, and he fell into step beside her. “I’ll walk with you.”
Her gaze locked on his. “Okay.”
They walked in silence at first. His thoughts were all over the place. The woman beside him was unlike any woman he’d ever met. He shouldn’t want to be near her, to touch her even. But he did. It scared the shit out of him.
“What’s your deal?”
Her voice was so soft he half wondered if he’d imagined it. She’d asked the same question he’d been asking himself since he’d arrived in town. What was his deal? This woman had thrown him for a loop, made him feel things he hadn’t expected or even wanted to feel.
Glancing at her, he shrugged. “I’m not sure what you mean.”
She looked at him like she didn’t believe him. But she told him, “You saved my life. I mean, you literally saved my life. Yet, you refuse to let me do something for you, take you to dinner or even buy you coffee. I’m not sure what that is, and honestly, it grates.”
“It’s not you.” He wanted to take the words back as soon as they hit the night air. It wasn’t her fault he was incapable of letting himself go. He’d spent so much time grieving and seeking justice that he’d gotten used to the routine of shutting people out to accomplish his goals. And the way she made him feel . . . It had been a long time since he’d felt warmth instead of the cold that had taken over.
She shot him a look of disbelief. “Come on, you expect me to believe that? You literally shut down when I talk to you. You’re giving me a complex.”
They walked past the brightly lit ice cream stand. It was a small one, but still open and serving. There were several people milling around, some sitting at the tables in front and clusters of others standing off to the side.
“I’m going to stop.” Brooklyn pointed over at the line and walked over to stand behind a couple.
Carter watched the man and the woman lean into each other, whispering to each other with secretive smiles. They were happy. “So that ice cream stand is open after ten o’clock?”
Brooklyn grinned. “Hell, yeah. This isn’t just any ice cream. Jonah Wilder has the best soft serve around. He stays open late on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. If you haven’t guessed, Thursday nights are pretty busy around here.”
“I noticed.” Carter had seen the townspeople pile into Brook’s Pub
and it seemed there were more people strolling down Main Street than he had seen since he’d arrived. He wondered why. It was like that in college, but as he grew into an adult, Thursday nights were simply a preparation for Friday.
“Years ago, Wellspring Water Corp. was closed on Fridays. So Thursday was like our town’s last day of the week. Even after the company changed their hours of operation, the folks in town had grown so accustomed to hanging out on Thursdays, it stuck.”
She stepped up to the counter and smiled at the young lady behind it. “I’ll have my usual,” she said. Shooting him a side-eye glance, she asked, “Do you want something?” Carter opened his mouth to turn her down, but she forged ahead. “Please, let me do something for you. Haven’t you ever heard the saying that giving is for the giver, not the receiver?”
Carter had heard the phrase, countless times from his mother. “I have.”
“So, let me buy you a cone. You have to try it.”
He hesitated, but reluctantly agreed, ordering a small vanilla cone. When they received their ice cream, they started back toward the hotel. Brooklyn wasn’t lying. He wasn’t a person who ate a lot of sweets, but the ice cream was damn good.
“See,” she said knowingly, dipping her spoon into the hot fudge sundae she’d ordered. “It’s good, huh?”
He laughed. “It is. Thank you. So . . . Brook’s Pub. Is there a connection there?”
She laughed. “I’d be lying if I said there was. No, the pub is not named for me. But a lot of people think it is, though, because me and Juke go way back.”
Carter let out a breath he hadn’t realized he was holding. It wasn’t like him to feel jealous, but he’d recognized the feeling earlier when he’d seen Brooklyn interact with the other man. It had pushed him off his square because it was unexpected.
“Why?” she asked.
He shrugged. “I don’t know. It just seemed like too much of a coincidence.”
“That’s fair,” she said.
As they continued their walk, Brooklyn gave him a few tidbits about the town. He found himself wanting to ask about her, but he refrained. For now, it was nice to talk to her, to walk with her. It felt natural. Wellspring was a town full of rich history.
Once they arrived back at the hotel, Brooklyn tossed her empty cup into a trash can. “That hit the spot.” They walked toward the bank of elevators, with her waving at the front desk attendant along the way. “Well, I enjoyed the walk.” He followed her into the waiting elevator. “We should do it again sometime.”
Carter nodded before he could even stop himself. “Okay.”
The grin she graced him with then was nothing short of glorious. “Great.” The elevator dinged on the third floor and she walked out. “Have a good night, Carter.”
Chapter 7
Tucked into her favorite booth at the Bee’s Knees, Brooklyn finished off her omelet and turned the page on her e-book. She was tired. It had been a long day already, and it was only eleven o’clock in the morning. She’d been up since five, yanked out of a dream about Carter and hot fudge by her ringing phone.
After she spent hours checking one of her clients into a rehab facility, she’d needed a break. She’d been slapped and bitten by the defiant teenager and drained by her antics. The girl had basically jumped on her mother, beating her like she was a stranger because the mother wouldn’t hand over her purse. Instead of calling the police, the mother had called Brooklyn.
Unfortunately, Brooklyn wasn’t new to this. Many teenagers in town were being introduced to drugs. In the past year, the rate of arrests for drug violations had increased five percent. It was disheartening to see the kids of people she knew overdose or even die from lack of education about the effects of drugs. Tie that in with the increasing homeless population, and she was a busy woman. But she wouldn’t trade her job for the world. It wasn’t lucrative, but it was rewarding.
Massaging her shoulder, Brooklyn swore at the tenderness there. She needed a vacation, though. A real one. Or some hot sex on a platter. Her muscles ached and her feet were sore, but it was all in a day’s work. It had taken every last shred of energy she had to deal with the girl and the mother and the police, but it would be worth it in the end when the young girl made it out stronger and better.
One look at her when she entered the restaurant, and Will had given her an ice pack, a heating pad, a cup of coffee, and served up a hot omelet—all in the span of ten minutes. Will had history with her family, seeing as his grandfather was one of the founding fathers of the city. It was convoluted and tense, full of scandal and betrayal, but history all the same. He was like a great-uncle to her, and she’d spent a lot of time with him and Dee.
She was sure she looked a hot mess, but she couldn’t bring herself to care at that point. If she could crawl into bed and sleep the rest of the day, that would be ideal, but she had to go back to work.
Sterling slid in across from her, interrupting her peace and quiet. Glaring at him, she hissed, “What do you want?”
Sterling looked her over with a critical eye. He’d always done that, and she hated it. “We need to talk.”
“I don’t believe there is anything to talk about. I’m trying to eat breakfast, by myself.”
“Brooklyn, trust me, this is for your own good.”
Leaning back against the seat, she crossed her arms over her chest. “What?”
“If we don’t get married, it will be a problem. For your father and mine.”
Curious, Brooklyn observed Sterling, the sweat on his brow and the clench in his jaw. “What are you talking about? I already told you I’m not marrying you.”
“You know as well as I do what happens when our fathers don’t get their way, and they’ve been banking on a marriage between us for years. I don’t know what they have planned, but they’re not going to take this lying down.”
She wasn’t in the mood to deal with Sterling and her father.
“Listen, I don’t live with my father anymore. I moved out, so whatever he had planned is a moot point.”
No, she wasn’t stupid enough to actually believe that, but she also didn’t have to say it out loud to Sterling either. Brooklyn had learned a long time ago that people who crossed Parker Wells Sr. never really recovered. All she had to do was look at her mother and the long string of wives who’d followed her to know that. But she’d actually seen him in action, seen the veiled threats to business associates and even employees. He was a controlling monster, no doubt.
“Brooklyn, you know you’re not that naïve. My father is planning to visit you today, to convince you to make the right decision.”
Well, then I’ll just have to be somewhere else. “Good thing I won’t be around today.”
Sterling placed a hand on hers. “You’re not thinking, Brooksielynsie.”
She rolled her eyes. “What is there to think about, Sterling? I don’t want to marry you. Nothing about this is appealing to me.”
Sterling’s head jerked back, and his mouth fell open. He pulled his hand away. “It’s better than the alternative.”
Leaning forward, palms flat on the table, she asked, “What do you know?”
He swallowed. “I saw you Thursday night on the strip with the new guy. Is that your man?”
“I barely know him. And you didn’t answer the question.”
Sterling let out an ugly, bitter laugh. “You like him, though.”
He’d played her, and she’d let him. Coming into the restaurant acting anxious, scared even, had made her drop her guard a little. Never again. “Is there a point to this visit? How did you even know I was here? Have you been following me?”
“You do know he works for Wellspring Water?” he went on as if she hadn’t even spoken. “I wonder how your father would feel about you spending time with the help.”
Brooklyn gritted her teeth. Sterling was too self-important, too judgmental for Brooklyn to ever consider marrying him. He and people of his ilk made her sick to her stomach. They always seemed
to have their noses turned up, thinking they’re better than everyone else.
“Get the hell away from me,” she ground out through clenched teeth. “I don’t care if Obama told me the state of the union depended on me walking down the aisle. I’m not marrying you. Period.”
Sterling stood, pushing her plate off the table. In a few moments, Will Clark was by her side, nose to nose with Sterling. “Get the hell out of my restaurant, King.”
“What are you going to do about it, old man?”
“You’d be surprised.” Will pointed at the door. “Get!”
Sterling glared at her, the chill in his eyes sending a shiver up her spine. “This is not done.”
Then he stormed out of the restaurant.
* * *
Carter was officially moved in. He’d met a woman at the condo a few hours earlier and she’d given him the keys and other pertinent information about the subdivision. The spacious condo was move-in ready and fully furnished. There were balconies off of his kitchen and the master bedroom. Aisha hadn’t been lying. The view of the Grand River was spectacular, peaceful.
The amenities in the neighborhood made the transition easier. There were walking trails, a park, and the indoor pool. The gym located in the clubhouse was small, but he’d definitely use it if he couldn’t get to a larger gym. Located close were several restaurants and a Starbucks. He had everything he needed.
Glancing at his watch, he stepped back into the condo and headed toward the second bedroom, where he’d set up his home office. It didn’t take him long to hook his computer and dual monitors up. It took a little longer than usual to set up the private network they used when they were working on a project, but he’d accomplished his goal and still made it to Walmart to grab a few items for the house and back in time. Martin would be calling in a little while so that they could discuss his first week on the project.
Carter logged into the computer and checked his email. After responding to a few, he heard the ringtone for the video conference.
Martin appeared on the screen a few seconds later. “What’s up, man?”
