by Erika Kelly
Knox hadn’t heard a word from Gray, but she couldn’t be angry. He’d done everything he could to get her set up. There’s nothing more he can do.
“What is that?” With both arms wrapped around his fiancée, Fin nuzzled her neck and eyed her laptop.
“Gray’s friend Amelia is setting up a social media account for us. We’re going to make really pretty photographs documenting the making of our wedding gowns.”
“Will there be pictures of you on it?” Fin asked.
“Of course.” Callie leaned back into him.
“I don’t want the whole world knowing about our wedding.”
“I told you we were taking advantage of the meme.” She gripped his forearms. “It’s going to be great for Knox’s business.”
“You realize that’s basically an invitation to get the paparazzi here, crawling all over town?”
“It’s going to happen anyway,” Callie said. “The meme might’ve died down, but we’re still feeling the effect of it. Look at my museum. Last weekend, that soccer team from Germany came, remember? They came out here specifically to see The Museum of Broken Hearts. And I’m still getting more donations than I can handle. The attention’s unavoidable, so why not throw some of it Knox’s way?”
The French doors opened, and Delilah and Will came in, their cheeks rosy, their hair windswept. The little girl in Will’s arms—the half-sister he was raising—wriggled to get down. Once her feet hit the floor, she took off for Brodie, who quit resetting the hockey table to greet her.
“Hey, how’s it going?” Delilah came right over to them, bringing in the cool mountain air. The scents of pine forest and sage swirled around her.
Callie turned the laptop toward her. “This is what Amelia’s done so far. What do you think?”
“Oh, that’s a pretty banner.” Delilah smiled at Knox. “I hope you’re ready for this, because once we go live, the orders are going to start rolling in.”
“Not without fabric.” Knox said it quietly, but she felt the tension squeeze hold of the room. All eyes were on her, so she pasted on a smile.
She’d find a vendor. Luc didn’t have a lock on the entire market. She just couldn’t understand why he’d do this to her. Well, intellectually she knew. If she went off on her own, he wouldn’t benefit from her talent. Emotionally, though, she’d thought—well, not that he was like a father to her. That would be stupid. But that he cared about her. As a person. That, sure, he’d be disappointed to lose her, but he’d still be rooting for her.
She didn’t want to worry them—her customers—though. “I’ve reached out to some people.” She’d emailed her college advisor and some friends she’d made over the years. Friends? Well, acquaintances. “They’ll hook me up. No worries.” People made custom gowns all the time—and they certainly didn’t have access to couture’s unique textiles.
“In this section here.” Delilah tapped the screen. “It’d be fun to put in photographs of some of your gowns.” Her gaze flicked up to Knox. “Would you want to do that?”
“That’s a great idea,” Callie said. “One look at them, and they’ll be hooked.”
She had dozens of dresses she’d love to post, but they all belonged to Luc. He’d never given her credit for anything. “I’d rather not show the ones in the pop-up, but I’ll dig some up from my senior year project.” She thought of the sketch she’d taken from the trailer—the gown she’d designed for herself. “I’ve got some sketches, if you want.” Maybe not that one, though.
“Oh, I like that idea,” Delilah said.
Just thinking about what Luc had done to her got her all worked up. “I’m going to check my email. See if anyone’s gotten back to me.” And then she’d start sourcing her own suppliers. “He couldn’t have blacklisted me from the entire market.” Just his personal connections.
Luc could throw up roadblocks all day long, but he couldn’t keep her from succeeding.
Knox didn’t have a lot of confidence—you don’t grow up being barked at and ostracized for living in a trailer and come out feeling like a champ. But she did believe in her talent as a designer.
The moment she sat down beside Callie on a barstool at the kitchen counter and opened up her laptop, Delilah handed her a glass of wine. “Yassss. Thank you.” As her email loaded, she skimmed the subject lines.
In the background, she heard the clacking from the air hockey game, two of the brothers shouting and laughing. On the couch, Will read a picture book to Ruby, snuggled up on his lap, her stuffed chicken wrapped tightly in her arms. Beside her, Callie and Delilah talked quietly about the profile picture they wanted for the social media pages.
And then the door flung open.
Chapter Forty-Seven
Gray Bowie strode in like an FBI agent on a bust. In his black Henley, faded blue jeans, and black boots, his body vibrated with purpose.
Mother of God, that man is so freaking hot. Their gazes locked, and a thrill sizzled through her.
“Hey, man.” Will set the book on the table and rose off the couch, effortlessly lifting his sidekick. “Where’ve you been?”
The brothers were tight, loyal, honest, so it made her sad that Gray hadn’t told them about Titans. They’d love that one of them had gotten such an elite invitation.
With a subtle shift of his shoulders, as though girding himself, Gray said, “Half Moon Bay.”
The game table rattled, as if Fin had shoved it. “You did not do Titans.” The youngest brother stormed over.
“I did. Had some trouble with the weather, but we managed to finish it off.” Gray grinned. “Good times.”
“You’re training for the Olympics. What the he—”—Fin shot a look to little Ruby—“heck are you doing surfing Titans?”
“I got the invitation.” He gave a careless shrug. “Not gonna turn it down. I came out alive.”
“You win?” Brodie asked.
“Heck, yeah.”
Brodie and Will burst out laughing, surrounding him with back slaps and hugs. Ruby pumped her little arm, the chicken’s bright yellow legs flopping around.
“You’re an ass—” Fin cut another look to the little girl. “Idiot. Your first competition’s in five weeks. Are you going to commit to this or not?”
“Starting tomorrow, I’m yours.” But Gray only had eyes for her. Pushing through his brothers, he came right over. “Can we talk?” He directed all that power and urgency on her, and it made her heart pound. “Got something to run by you.”
He still cared about her business. Deep down, she’d known it. No matter how nonchalant he acted, he’d always been there for her. Her heart beat furiously, because it mattered. “Yeah, of course.”
He side-eyed his brothers. “Outside?”
“What?” Callie said. “No. Is this about the dresses? Tell us. We’re invested in this, too.”
Gray turned to Knox. “I heard we can’t get fabric.”
She loved when he said we when she kept thinking I. Made her feel ten thousand times lighter. “I’ll find a vendor. Luc’s just making it harder for me.”
“He can bite me.” Happiness glittered in his bright blue eyes. “After Cali, I flew to New York.”
“Are you serious?” When Fin’s arms lifted, he knocked a spool of thread onto the floor. It clattered and rolled under the table.
Ruby wriggled for Will to set her down. “I get it.”
“Maui, Cali, New York.” Fin’s eyes went wide. “What’re you doing?”
“She can’t get her business started without material, and there’s only one connection I know that could hook us up.” Gray shot her a look. “Mrs. Granger.”
Worry pulsed in her body. Robert’s mom?
He watched her carefully. “She was the only person I could think of who’d have the kind of fabric producers you need.”
“Did he just say fabric producers?” Brodie asked.
“He sure did.” Will reached for Ruby, lifting her up and securing her against his hip.
; “And she does. She’s got someone.” Gray’s expression said, That okay?
No matter her concerns about working with her ex’s mother, shock turned into a buzz of excitement. The Granger Collection was like Ralph Lauren. It had a range of collections at a variety of price points, including couture. If anyone had the connections she needed, it was Mrs. Granger.
“But it gets better. I told her you needed the fabric because you wanted to do a pop-up bridal gown event in some fancy boutique.” He paused, and trumpets blared in her veins. “She wants to host you next spring.”
“Holy moly,” Callie said. “This is incredible.”
“She wants four of each dress, and she’ll pay you twenty-five hundred each up front so you can buy the fabric, machines, and supplies, and hire the help.”
“I don’t even know what to say,” Knox said. “I can’t believe it.”
“She said she’ll price them at her discretion on her end and, after she gets her money back, you’ll get ten percent of the profits.”
“Ten percent?” Callie said. “That doesn’t seem fair. They’re Knox’s dresses.”
“It’s a boutique on Fifth Avenue across the street from Central Park,” Gray said. “The least expensive thing in the place is a tie that costs a grand. Besides, Mrs. Granger’s taking all the risk.” He turned back to Knox. “It’s a take-it-or-leave-it deal.”
“I’ll take it. No questions.” She’d have to hire several sewers in order to make a hundred dresses in time for a spring show. Still, it was Mrs. Granger. “She knows it’s me, right? You said, Knox Holliday?”
“Of course. Right while I was in her office, I showed her the pictures Zach sent me. She loves them.”
She still couldn’t believe Gray had flown across the country to talk to Mrs. Granger about a fabric vendor. For me. She couldn’t help worrying, though. “I’m a little surprised she’d work with me, given our history.” Just days after her son had gone into rehab, Knox had bailed on him. Mrs. Granger couldn’t have understood it was the only way to leave him.
If she’d told Robert to his face that she was breaking up with him, he would’ve charmed and manipulated her into staying.
With a wave of his hand, Gray erased the guilt that had plagued her for seven years. “She knows you did the right thing.” Reaching into his back pocket, he pulled out a folded sheet of paper. “Wrote all the details down right here. You want the gig, it’s yours.”
“I want it.” She turned to Callie and Delilah. “I’m still making your dresses.”
“Oh, thank God,” Callie said. “I’m happy for you, but I really want my gown.”
“I want this, but…” It was exciting…but also overwhelming. “A hundred dresses in time for next spring…we’re going to need sewers, pattern makers, materials.”
“The up-front money will cover all that.” Gray always sounded so confident. “It’s all good. We’ve got this.”
“Is Mrs. Granger going to work on it with her?” Callie asked.
“No,” Gray said. “She’s writing the check and hosting the pop-up show. The rest is up to us.”
“And when you say us, I know you’re not talking about you, right?” Fin said. “Because the first qualifier’s in October in New Zealand.”
“Dude, I’m here, and I’m ready to train, but I’ve got a business to run. It’s what I’ve been doing all along, so nothing’s changed.”
“Hang on there,” Brodie sad. “You’ve been doing what all along?”
It broke her heart that Gray kept so much of his life from his brothers. She’d seen it growing up, how much he’d wanted them to be involved in his life. How many times had she watched him scan the spectators at one of his events, only to be crestfallen to find no one in his family had shown up?
She guessed he’d eventually wound up shutting them out.
“My friends and I have a company,” Gray said. “And, while I’m training, they’ll be doing most of the work. I just oversee things. Now, let’s stay on point.” Gray reached for her hand, nabbing her attention. “So, what do you think?”
“What kind of company?” Fin stood with his hands on his hips, his tone sharp.
“I make socks, scarves, gloves, stuff like that.” He said it with his usual casual stance, but there was no hiding the alertness in his eyes.
His brothers looked like he’d just pulled off his mask to reveal his true identity as an alien.
“Okay, that came out of nowhere,” Brodie said.
“It’s called Duck Dive Haberdashery,” Gray said. “You can look it up.”
“It’s got a name?” Fin said. “I don’t know whether to be impressed or pissed. You run a company, and you’ve never told us about it?”
All the slacker went right out of his posture. “Never came up.”
Oh, Gray. The brothers had always been this tight, impenetrable unit, communicating with a simple look. Since they were always training or competing, they hung out with each other almost exclusively, so she knew how much he’d want them to be included in something so important.
But they’d never been before. “Did you ever ask?” Knox said.
All the attention in the room snapped over to her.
“Ask what?” Brodie said. “If he’s made any socks lately?”
Gray’s shoulders tightened. “It’s no big deal. Just something me and my friends have been doing.”
“When? On the flights to Portugal?” Fin said. “At a bonfire on Bondi Beach?”
Anger sparked in Gray’s eyes, but he didn’t say anything.
“We’re talking about your posse, right? Amelia and Wyatt and those guys?” Will, the unofficial leader of the pack, cocked his head, as if trying to make sense of the information. “You guys are in business together?”
“Amelia’s the head of marketing, and she’s damn good. Wyatt’s our accountant.”
“Wyatt?” Brodie threw his head back and laughed. “I wouldn’t hire that guy to walk my dog.”
“He’s a whiz with numbers,” Gray said. “Look, we can talk about it later.”
“No, hang on,” Fin said. “I want to know why you didn’t tell us.”
“Well, I have a pretty good idea.” Yeah, she might be overstepping here, but she wasn’t going to let them attack Gray. “I can think of a dozen times in high school when he asked you guys to come to his fencing tournaments or his jazz ensemble shows…and none of you showed up. I mean, maybe I’ve got it all wrong, but at some point, he probably just stopped bothering to let you know what he was doing.” Because it hurt.
“That right?” Will asked.
“Why would I tell you guys about anything that isn’t directly related to training and snowboarding competitions?” Gray’s tone bared teeth.
“What the fu—” Fin clamped his jaw shut and turned away, as he worked to get his temper under control. “What the heck does that mean? We’re your brothers. Of course, you should tell us.”
“You say that like it’s obvious,” Knox said. “But let me ask you this. If you kept inviting someone to your competitions and they never bothered to come, would you keep trying? If you kept talking to someone about freeriding, but they never asked a single question or expressed any interest, would you keep talking about it? Or would you eventually just stop?”
“I don’t remember you asking,” Brodie said.
“Well, I did.” Gray pointed a finger at his older brothers, Will and Brodie. “How many times did I ask you guys for a ride, but you couldn’t be bothered?”
Callie shifted uncomfortably, and Delilah reached for Will’s arm, giving it a gentle caress.
“Are you talking about that fencing tournament?” Will asked.
Fin looked between his brothers. “He never fenced.”
Gray gave a bitter laugh and shook his head.
With the chicken tucked tightly under one arm, Ruby slowly unwound the thread from the spool in her chubby little hands. She gazed up at Will and said, “Okay, Wheel?”
“Yeah
, sweetheart. I’m okay.” He looked at his half-sister with pure adoration.
Will had always been this uber cool, aloof guy. Seeing him all soft and affectionate with a two-year-old melted Knox’s heart.
He kissed her forehead and turned back to his brother. “I’m not going to apologize again for blowing off your tournament. If I’m remembering correctly, I had a big competition coming up, but it sounds like we’re talking about more than that one event.” He looked to Knox in acknowledgment.
“I don’t recall a single time seeing any of you guys in the audience,” she said.
“And she knows because she was the only one there.” Gray’s voice was filled with warmth. “Look, no harm no foul. You guys weren’t into the things I was into, but you wanted to know why I didn’t mention it. That’s why. Now, I’m trying to talk to Knox.” He gave her a look that said, See why I wanted to go outside?
Will looked lost in thought. “That jazz group you were in. You got pretty good on the guitar.”
“How would you know?” Gray’s tone sharpened. “You never came to any of our shows.”
“I guess I thought—” Will began.
“You thought what?” Gray drew in a breath. “Look, I could’ve gotten a ride to that tournament with anyone on the fencing team, but you promised you’d take me. The only reason I didn’t go with someone else—after being burned by you ten times before that—was because I really wanted my older brother to come and watch me.”
Will looked hit with remorse.
“But you said you had to work on your trick before the next competition.” He waved to his brothers. “None of you gave a damn about anything I did if it didn’t have to do with snowboarding.”
“You were always switching from one thing to another,” Brodie said, a little confused. “I thought it was because you didn’t care enough about anything in particular.”
“Yeah, whatever. Like I said, no harm no foul.”
“Look, we’ve got Mrs. Granger’s attention right now, so...” Gray caught her fingers. “Are we doing this?”
