Game On

by Cheryl Douglas

  “Look, I’ve got a lot of work to do. If that’s the only reason you called-”

  “No, I wanna know if you’re still interested in buyin’ my place.”

  Johnny had recently placed his vacation home on the market, and Ryan was prepared to make an offer. “Hey, you mind if I go up there this weekend, spend a night or two? If it’s as great as I remember, I’ll have Sela prepare an offer.” It would give him a chance to spend some alone time with Brianna in a romantic, secluded spot and get her opinion on the place before he made the offer.

  “Sure, I got no problem with that. Just stop by my place and pick up the keys anytime.”

  “Sounds good. Thanks, man.”

  ***

  A knock on her door interrupted Brianna’s third attempt to re-read the same clause in a contract. She felt silly when the little flutter in her stomach died at the sight of her brother, Mike.

  “Hey you,” she said, smiling. “This is a nice surprise. You don’t often make your way down to the legal department to visit your little sister.”

  “Tori wanted me to invite you over for dinner tonight.”

  “Oh, I’d love that,” Brianna said, folding her hands on top of her desk. “I didn’t even know she was back in town.”

  “Yeah, but she’s headin’ out again in two weeks.”

  “I still don’t know how you two do it. Still so much in love after all these years in spite of her crazy schedule.”

  “Hey, I knew what I was gettin’ myself into when I married her,” he said, grinning. “One day with her is worth a month with any other woman I can think of.”

  “Awww, that’s so sweet,” Brianna said, smiling. “Who knew my big, tough brother was such a hopeless romantic?”

  He pressed his finger against his lips. “Just me and Tori know, so don’t tell anyone else. It would ruin my rep.”

  Brianna laughed. “Your secret is safe with me.”

  He sat down across from her, stretching his long legs out in front of him. “So listen, I came by for another reason.”

  Brianna tried to ignore the tightening in her stomach. This was her brother; she had nothing to fear from him. “What’s that?”

  “I wanna know what the hell’s goin’ on between you and Spencer.”

  She tried to sound nonchalant when she asked, “Dad told you?”

  “No, I saw the pics online. That was some kiss at Jimmy’s the other night. Was it just an impulsive thing after a few too many drinks or was there more to it than that?”

  She couldn’t lie to Mike. He was a retired police detective and the head of Titan security, which meant he made his living seeing through lies. “Ryan and I are seeing each other.” She stared him in the eye, trying to act braver than she felt.

  He looked at her closely before he said, “You know Ryan is one of my favorite people in the world, but he’s not the man I would chose for you, Bri. He’s reckless, self-centered. Hell, I’m not even sure he’s mature enough to take on a real relationship.”

  “I know it may seem that way,” she said, determined to hold her ground. “But there’s a lot about Ryan that people don’t understand.”

  “Okay,” Mike said, lacing his hands over his stomach. “So, fill me in. Tell me why you’re willin’ to risk everything for a guy who’s proven himself to be a lousy bet when it comes to women.”

  “I think I’m different.” Mike scoffed, and she tried to ignore the sharp pang of uncertainty that accompanied his skepticism. Was her brother right about Ryan? Was she just seeing what she wanted to see or was he really ready to change and make a commitment to her? “I don’t think he’d be willing to risk what we have if he wasn’t serious about taking things to the next level. You can’t deny we’ve been an important part of each other’s lives for a long time.”

  “That’s what worries me,” Mike said quietly. “I wonder what’s gonna happen if things goes south a few weeks or months down the road. You wouldn’t just lose some guy you’ve been datin’. You’d be losin’ someone who’s been a big part of your life forever. Are you really willin’ to risk that?”

  “If I don’t, I might spend the rest of my life wondering if he was the one. Can you understand that?”

  “Yeah,” he said. “I can.”

  “So, we have your approval?”

  “You’re a grown woman. You don’t need my approval.”

  “Still, it would be nice to know we have your blessing.”

  He got up and came around the desk. Pulling her into his arms, he said, “Like I said, Ryan’s one of my favorite people, but if he does anything to hurt you, I’ll have to kill him.”

  Brianna laughed. “I’ll tell him you said so.”

  “I have a better idea,” he said, kissing her on the top of the head before making his way to the door. “Bring him to dinner tonight. That way I can tell him myself.”

  “Do you promise to be on your best behavior?” she asked, pointing at him.

  He threw his head back and laughed. “Honey, I’ve known Ryan as long as you have. If I was on my best behavior, he’d know for sure somethin’ was wrong.”

  He winked as she shook her head and sank down into her chair. Sometimes having three over-protective older brothers was a nightmare. But she was grateful to know they would always be on her side when she needed them.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Ryan pulled his car up in front of Mike and Tori’s sprawling home as she squeezed his hand. “You nervous about tonight?”

  He chuckled. “This is Mike we’re talkin’ about. I’ve known him all my life, been here dozens of times for dinner…” He drew a dramatic breath for effect. “Hell yeah, I’m nervous. The man carries a gun.”

  The words she longed to say, the words she knew he needed to hear, were on the tip of her tongue, but before she could force them past her lips, he reached into the backseat to retrieve the bottle of wine he’d brought.

  “Okay, let’s do this.” He reached for his door handle and winked. “Come on, lady, before I lose my nerve.”

  He walked around to her side of the car and opened her door just as Mike appeared on the front porch.

  “You’re gonna have to do a hell of a lot better than that if you expect me to believe you’re good enough for my little sister, Spencer.”

  Ryan laughed as he helped Brianna out of the car and linked his hand with hers as they walked up the steps to meet her brother. “How ‘bout if I double your salary?” Ryan asked, offering his hand to Mike.

  Brianna put her hand on her hip, pretending to be outraged by his offer. “Why do I feel like I’m being sold to the highest bidder?”

  “Don’t worry,” Mike said, leaning in to kiss her on the cheek. “I haven’t accepted yet.” He slapped Ryan on the back as they walked into the house, side by side. “Triple it and you’ve got yourself a deal.”

  Brianna elbowed Mike in the ribs and laughed when he doubled over.

  “Uh oh,” Tori said, coming out of the kitchen. “Did you say something stupid already?” She looked at Ryan, a twinkle of amusement in her eye. “Ya just had to take a shot at him now? You couldn’t have waited until y’all had a chance to enjoy my pecan pie?”

  Ryan laughed as he swept her up in a hug. “You look gorgeous, as always.”

  “And you’re full of it, as always,” she said, planting a loud kiss on his cheek. “Well, would you look at this,” she said, reaching for one of Brianna’s hands. “How does it feel to land the sexiest, most eligible bachelor in the state?”

  “Yeah, how does it feel, Bri?” Ryan asked, nudging her with his hip. “Gotta feel pretty damn good, right?”

  Brianna rolled her eyes at her sister-in-law. “Must you encourage him? As it is, he has trouble getting through the door with that over-inflated ego.”

  “See that, honey,” Tori said, poking her husband in the stomach. “You and Ryan have even more in common than y’all realized.”

  “Ha ha,” Mike said, trying to keep a straight face. “Don’t think I’
m gonna forget that. I’ll punish you later.”

  Tori fanned her face with one hand. “Now that’s a promise I intend to make sure you keep.”

  “Lalalalala,” Brianna said, sticking her fingers in her ears. “Too much information.”

  Ryan grinned at her and she stuck her tongue out at him.

  “Come on you,” Tori said, hauling Brianna toward the kitchen. “It’s time to take Mama’s homemade biscuits out of the oven. Besides, I’m sure your brother is dyin’ to read your man the riot act.”

  Brianna shot a look over her shoulder and laughed when Ryan pretended to bite his nails. Mike put him in a headlock and led him toward the adjoining family room. She could hear them discussing hockey scores as Tori slipped an arm around her waist.

  “Okay, I want the details, girl. You and Ryan? When did all this happen?”

  Brianna leaned over the granite counter as her sister-in-law slipped an oven mitt on and pulled a tray of biscuits out of the oven. Moaning appreciatively, she said, “If I’d known Mama Warner was gonna send a batch of her biscuits over, I wouldn’t have eaten today.”

  Tori laughed. “Quit trying to change the subject. I wanna hear about you and Ry.”

  “There’s not much to tell,” Brianna said, toying with the gold ring on her right hand. “We just wanna see where this might lead. Obviously, we like each other. We’re attracted to each other.”

  Tori set two wine glasses on the counter and reached for an open bottle of red on the counter. Pouring a generous amount into each glass, she handed one to Brianna. “You like him? That’s all you’re gonna give me?”

  Tori had been her sister-in-law for more than a decade. She felt fortunate that her brothers’ wives quickly became the sisters she’d always wanted, but she still didn’t feel comfortable sharing everything with Tori just yet. She wanted to give it a little more time to see how their relationship progressed before she went public with her feelings for him.

  “He’s an incredible guy,” she said, smiling. “He makes me laugh, we have fun together. He’s sexy as hell, too smart for his own good. Who wouldn’t be attracted to a guy like that?”

  “I agree,” Tori said. “So, why’d it take y’all so long to figure it out?”

  “I don’t know,” Brianna said, shrugging. “Maybe the timing wasn’t right. Now that we see each other almost every day, it’s gotten harder to deny that we’re attracted to each other.”

  “Help me understand why you’d even want to deny it.”

  “He’s my best friend, Tori. I’m afraid of losin’ what we have.”

  “Sure, it’s a risk,” Tori said, propping her hands on the counter behind her. “But think about all you stand to gain.”

  “I know; that’s what I keep reminding myself.”

  “Speaking from experience, I can tell you there’s nothing better than being married to your best friend, Bri.”

  “You and Mike are so lucky,” she said wistfully. “You have it all. You love each other, you like each other, have fun together. You get to travel the world...” Brianna looked at her a long time, hesitant to ask such an intensely personal question. “Can I ask you something?”

  “Of course, you can ask me anything, sweetie.”

  “Do you ever regret not having a family of your own?”

  “No, we really don’t.” She smiled. “Mike and I have talked about it a lot over the years and we’re really happy with the choice we made. Once I got to know Victoria and Lena and learned more about the foster care system in this country, I saw a need that we could help fill. I’ve loved being a foster parent, giving kids who really need it a stable and loving home.”

  “Have you ever been tempted to adopt one of those kids?”

  “Of course, but with my lifestyle, it would be a struggle. I know lots of musicians who find a way to make it work, but something’s gotta give, and I don’t want that to be my relationship with your brother.”

  “I think it’s great that you guys are still so into each other after all these years.”

  Tori threw her head back and laughed. “It’s true what they say about absence making the heart grow fonder.” She lifted an eyebrow, a salacious grin spreading across her face. “The longer I’m away, the more I look forward to coming home.”

  Brianna covered her face and laughed. “Do you ever wish he could still travel with you?”

  “He does sometimes, but his job at Titan keeps him busy. Plus, he always wants to be available if any of the kids need him. It’s not easy for them to make the transition into a permanent home and he’s the only person a lot of those boys have to look up to.” She smiled. “Besides, we’ll have plenty of time together next year.”

  “Really? You’re not touring next year?”

  “No, I’m gonna work on writing material for the new album, so I’ll be home a lot more.”

  “That’s great.”

  “Yeah, so if you and Ryan wanna think about planning a wedding…” She winked. “That would be a good time.”

  Brianna shook her head. “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves.”

  ***

  Ryan sat back on the couch and brought his beer to his lips. “So, things at work goin’ okay? Anything I need to be aware of?”

  “I don’t wanna talk about work,” Mike said, looking him in the eye. “I wanna talk about you and Bri.”

  Ryan resisted the impulse to shift under Mike’s intense scrutiny. He hadn’t done anything wrong, yet Brianna’s brother had a way of making him feel as though he’d better pray he hadn’t. He and Mike had always been close, but that was before he was planning an intimate weekend with the man’s kid sister. “What do you wanna know?” Ryan grinned, trying to lighten the mood. “Is this the part where you ask me whether my intentions are honorable?”

  “Somethin’ like that,” Mike said, glaring at him. “So are they?”

  “Listen, man, I’m in love with your sister. It’s as simple as that.”

  Mike sized him up before he asked, “Is that so? Not sure I’ve ever heard you throw that word around before, Spencer.”

  “That’s ‘cause I’ve never said it before. Hell, I’ve never felt this way about a woman before, not even close.”

  Mike lowered his head when a ghost of a smile appeared on his lips. “I’m glad to hear that.”

  “Have you talked to Bri about us?” Ryan knew he should ask the woman herself how she felt about him, not her brother, but if Mike was willing to give him a hint as to what was going on inside her head, he’d gladly listen. “She told you where she sees this goin’?”

  Mike chuckled. “Even if she had told me, you think I’d tell you?”

  “Come on, man. I thought we were friends.”

  “We are friends,” Mike said, raising his beer bottle. “But Brianna’s family, and that trumps all.”

  Ryan leaned his head back and sighed. “I hear ya. It’s just hard, ya know? I’m crazy about her, and I’d like to know she feels the same way about me.”

  “I’m pretty sure she does.”

  “Then she did say something to you?”

  Mike laughed. “You do have it bad, don’t you?”

  “Don’t mess with me,” Ryan muttered. “If you know something, just tell me already.”

  “I know that you two are on the same page, and that’s all I’m gonna say about it.”

  Ryan grinned and tapped his bottle against his friends. “That’s enough. Thanks.”

  “My father told me you went to see him, talked to him about how he would feel about you and Bri hookin’ up,” Mike said, putting his feet up on the leather ottoman. “I respect that, Ry. That was a good thing to do.”

  “Hey, you guys are family. That’s not gonna change just ‘cause me and Bri are together.” He hesitated, picking at the paper label on his bottle before he said, “I don’t want it to change no matter what, Mike. I love your sister; I want to be with her. But even if she decides that I’m not the guy for her in the end…” It was difficult for him t
o even acknowledge that was a possibility, but he had to be honest with himself. “I don’t want that to change things between us… I mean, y’all are my family. I’d never want that to change.”

  “It’s not going to,” Mike said, setting his cowboy boots on the floor as he leaned forward. “Unless you do somethin’ to hurt or disrespect my sister.” He looked him in the eye. “You do that, and all bets are off.”

  “No worries, never gonna happen.”

  Brianna reached for Ryan’s hand over the gearshift. “I think that went well, don’t you?”

  Ryan laughed. “You were worried? It’s not like we haven’t known each other for years, Bri.”

  “I know, but I was worried it might be a little weird, you know, since we’re a couple now.”

  Ryan shot her a side-long glance and smiled. “Is that what we are? A couple?”

  She blushed and turned her head to hide her embarrassment. She hadn’t intended to make assumptions, but after their talk at Jimmy’s, she’d just assumed…

  “I’m just messin’ with ya,” Ryan said, laughing. “In fact, I gave Avery a statement about us today. I hope that’s okay?”

  Her head whipped around. “What do you mean, an official statement about our relationship? Why would you do that?”

  “Is there a problem?” he asked, looking at her as he pulled up to a stop sign. “I know we should have talked about it first, but there wasn’t time. She came into my office reamin’ me out about some pics that were posted online over the weekend. She said we had to say somethin’. The press was all over it because of those pictures they took of you and Clint at the party.”

  “Oh God, Clint,” Brianna said, covering her forehead with her free hand. “I haven’t even had a chance to talk to him since he got back. He called me as I was leaving the house tonight, but I told him I was going to my brother’s for dinner. I said I’d call him when I got home.”

  “You’re worried about what he’s gonna say about this?” Ryan asked, tightening his grip on her hand.

  She saw the tension in his jaw and shifted to face him. “I think he deserved to hear it from me instead of reading about it online, don’t you?”