A Brevia Beginning

by Michelle Major

  Joe put one arm around Sam’s stiff shoulders and reached for Scott, hugging both men to his chest. “All three of us together again. I couldn’t ask for anything more.” He gave a loud sniff and Scott saw Sam roll his eyes. At least they were in agreement in not liking their father’s emotional mumbo jumbo. “We should celebrate.”

  Scott looked over his father’s shoulder to Lexi, who was gesturing wildly. He nodded as her meaning became clear. “We should celebrate the fact that both of you bozos were dumb enough to get caught in the marriage net. I’ll throw a party here for you—a joint reception with all your friends. As big as you want it to be.”

  Sam shook his head. “I don’t think so.”

  “It’s a great idea.” Joe clapped Scott on the back. “When are you thinking?”

  “I need a few weeks to get everything running the way I want. How about a month from Saturday?”

  “Perfect,” Joe answered.

  “No way,” Sam said. “Julia won’t agree to it.”

  “Nonsense,” Joe argued. “Vera will be thrilled and Julia will agree to anything that makes her mother happy.”

  “I’m sure you want to make your mother-in-law slash new stepmother happy, Sammy-boy.”

  Joe nodded. “If Vera’s happy, we’re all happy.”

  Scott got a good bit of satisfaction in watching his brother’s jaw clench. “Why are you doing this?” Sam asked.

  How did he answer that? Because his old life held too many reminders of the partner he’d lost. Because he couldn’t stand to be alone anymore. Because he had to keep moving, stay busy to keep the demons at bay. His chest tightened but he held Sam’s gaze. “I want to make things right between us. At least let me try.”

  “Fine.” Sam looked over his shoulder at Lexi, then back at him. “I thought you were going to fire her.”

  Scott felt that unfamiliar surge of protectiveness wash over him again. “Leave her alone, Sam. We’ve come to an understanding.”

  “She’s trouble and I don’t trust her.”

  Scott watched Lexi walk forward until she stood directly behind Sam. Scott had a couple of inches on his brother, but Sam was broader, making Lexi look even tinier so close to him. “I can hear you talking about me,” she told Sam.

  “I don’t particularly care,” he said, glancing at her again.

  “Do you work here with Scotty?” Joe asked, oblivious to the tension between Sam and Lexi. “I’m Joe Callahan, his proud father.”

  Proud father? Scott groaned. Next Joe would be handing out cigars to customers, as if Scott’s being in Brevia was cause for a real celebration. It was too bad his dad hadn’t been around like this when he was a kid. Joe had been a workaholic cop, leaving the raising of his two young sons mostly to their mother, so he could put his life on the line for the force. And after Scott’s mom died, things had gotten even worse, with Joe working extra shifts so he could bury the pain of his loss. Unfortunately, Scott had been stuck with his own pain and loss, but too young to know how to deal with them. Maybe things would have turned out differently if his mom was still around, but he’d never know. All he had was the present moment. “Dad, this is Lexi Preston. She’s one of the waitresses here.”

  “Nice to meet you, Mr. Callahan.”

  “Call me Joe.” He took her hand and brushed his lips across her knuckles. “If all the waitresses are as pretty as you, this place should do a bang-up business.”

  “Dad, inappropriate.” Scott felt his jaw drop as Lexi giggled. He hadn’t heard her laugh before. The sweet sound washed over him and made him crave more.

  “I don’t mind,” she said, tipping her chin down as a blush crept up her cheeks.

  Scott sucked in a breath as she smoothed her hands across the fabric of her dark miniskirt.

  Sam nudged him. “Be careful, little brother. I still don’t trust her.”

  Joe turned to Sam, frowning. “You’re being rude, Sammy. I didn’t raise you to disrespect a lady like that.”

  “It’s true, Dad.”

  “Thanks for the compliment, Joe.” Lexi met Sam’s angry stare and swallowed. “But your son has good reason to mistrust me. I worked on the custody case against Julia Morgan. I put her and Sam through a lot and I’m sorry for that.”

  Joe crossed his arms over his chest. “Is that so?”

  “I also gave Julia the information that helped her get the lawsuit dropped, if that makes a difference.” She glanced toward the front of the bar as if she wanted to bolt, then turned back to the three men. “I know I have to earn your trust, and I’m going to do that, Sam. Julia has given me a chance and I’m very grateful to her.”

  “A chance at what?” Joe asked.

  “A chance for a fresh start.” Lexi took a deep breath. “I’m going to live by my terms and that means helping people instead of hurting them. I learned a lot in the past couple of months. I’ve gotten a second chance and I’m going to make the most of it.”

  Joe studied her with his best hard-nosed cop stare. Scott knew the look well, as he and his trouble-making buddies had caved under it many times growing up. Lexi didn’t look away and Scott realized that his little mouse had a lot more backbone than he’d given her credit for. Suddenly, Joe reached out a hand and pulled Lexi into one of his trademark bear hugs.

  “You’ve got to be kidding me,” Sam muttered under his breath.

  “It takes a lot of guts to admit you’ve made a mistake. I’m proud of you, Lexi. We’ll be here to help you every step of the way.”

  Joe released Lexi and she stepped back, looking a little dazed, much like Scott felt. “That means a lot, Joe.” She quickly swiped at her cheeks and kept her eyes to the ground. “I’ve got to clock in now. I’ll, um... Thank you.”

  With that, she raced through the door that led to the back of the bar.

  Scott wanted to follow her, but turned to his father. “What was that, Dad? You made her cry.”

  “When are you going to learn there’s nothing wrong with tears?”

  “Excuse me, but you were the one who told me to man up after Mom died. I was seven, and as I remember, there was a strict no-tears rule.”

  Joe wiped at his own eyes. “I’m sorry, boys. I know I made big mistakes. But we’re all together now and things are going to be back on track with the three of us.” He pulled Scott to him and let out a shuddering breath.

  “Okay, Dad, sure.” Scott looked at Sam. “Is he always like this now?”

  “Yep. Welcome to Joe Callahan 2.0.” Sam nudged their father. “Come on, old man. Scott has work to do.”

  “I’ll have Vera call you about the details of the reception. She’ll be thrilled.”

  Scott’s eyes widened at the thought of dealing with his spirited new stepmother. For the first time today, Sam smiled. “Be careful what you wish for,” he cautioned, then turned for the front door.

  Joe stopped and looked back at Scott. “Do you have a place yet? You’re welcome to stay with Vera and me.”

  “I’m set. Thanks, though.”

  Sam’s eyes narrowed, but Scott ignored him. “See you, boys,” he called, then turned back to his cases of beer.

  * * *

  Lexi entered another order into the computer and turned away from the bar as a hand clamped down on her wrist.

  “You’re avoiding me,” Scott said, leaning toward her.

  “I’m hustling so you don’t have a reason to complain about me.”

  “I wasn’t aware I needed a reason.”

  “Don’t you have bottles to open?” She blew a strand of hair out of her eyes, then stilled as he brushed his thumb across her face.

  “I’m an excellent multitasker,” he said, somehow making the words sound like foreplay.

  She shrugged out of his grasp and stepped away from the bar, his quiet la
ugh flustering her even more. She still hadn’t recovered from the emotions that had bubbled to the surface when Joe Callahan said he was proud of her. Never once since she’d been adopted had her own father said anything like that to her, despite the fact that she’d made it her life’s mission to make him proud. Instead, the more she’d tried, the more he seemed to expect, until she felt more like a machine than a real person. Now, by her simply admitting she wanted to do better, Scott’s dad had given her the validation she craved. How weak and pathetic did that make her?

  She was totally off-balance, which may have explained why, when Jon poked his head out of the back of the bar and told her she had an emergency call, she automatically took the cordless phone and held it to her ear.

  “Hello,” she said into the receiver.

  “Lexi.” Her father spoke her name like an admonishment. It was a tone she recognized all too well.

  She sucked in a breath. “How did you find me?”

  “The better question is why are you hiding from me?”

  “I’m not hiding,” she said softly, holding the phone close to her ear to hear over the background noise in the bar. Although it was a weekday night, a decent crowd had trickled in to watch the evening’s game on the big screen. “You fired me. I left. That’s how it works.”

  “No need to be snippy, Lexi,” her father said, his voice clipped. “I acted in a moment of anger. I think your leave of absence has gone on long enough. I’ll expect to see you at the office Monday morning.”

  Lexi bit down on her lip until she could swear she tasted blood. She’d known this was going to happen, that her father would reel her back in eventually. She was too valuable a commodity for him to truly let her go. But she’d hoped to have more time. “I’m not ready.”

  “Excuse me?”

  “I want to stay,” she said, trying to give her voice a confidence she didn’t feel.

  “To spend your nights in a bar in that backwoods Southern town? I don’t think so. With your biological history, that’s a very bad idea. I’ll see you Monday and—”

  “No!”

  Silence greeted her outburst. “I’m taking a month. I have the personal days.” She spoke quickly so as not to lose her nerve. “I’ll let you know then if and when I’m coming back. Goodbye, Daddy.”

  With trembling fingers, she clicked off the receiver and held it tight against her chest, her stomach turning. She’d never disobeyed her father before. Yes, she was twenty-seven years old, but when it came to her relationship with Robert Preston, she felt more like a schoolgirl, afraid of his dissatisfaction, disappointment and ultimately his rejection. Her biggest fear was that the man who’d rescued her from her awful childhood would leave her with nothing and no one in her life. She knew he had the power to do that, at least as far as her career went. Still, she couldn’t give up now. She needed to know she could make it on her own if she had hope of going back to her old life with any shred of dignity intact.

  She felt someone watching her and looked up to see Scott standing stock-still next to the bar, the waitresses a flurry of activity around him. Lexi tried to throw him a casual smile, but her mouth wouldn’t move in that direction so she fled to the back of the bar. With a calming breath, she headed into his small office at the end of the hall and returned the phone to its cradle. Scrubbing her hands across her face, she turned and ran smack into Scott’s rock wall of a chest.

  “Who was on the phone?” he asked, holding her upper arms to steady her.

  “It was personal. None of your business.”

  “You look like someone called to say they’d shot your puppy.”

  “That’s awful.” She tried to step way, but he held her in place, one finger tracing small circles on her skin, as if he was trying to soothe her. She hated to admit that it worked, but felt herself sagging a bit, the conversation with her father draining what little energy she had left from the day.

  “I’m guessing you got the call from dear old dad?” Scott asked softly.

  She nodded. “I blocked the firm’s and his personal numbers from my cell and haven’t been picking up callers I don’t recognize. It was sneaky of him, phoning the bar.”

  “He’s an attorney—what do you expect?”

  “Lawyer jokes. Funny.” But she smiled a little. “He wants me in the office on Monday.”

  Scott’s fingers stilled on her arm, which made her glance up into his suddenly unreadable eyes. “Are you going?”

  “No. Not yet, anyway. I like it here, the apartment, the small town.” She gave a tiny laugh. “Even this crummy job. The boss is a jerk but the customers are great.”

  “Boss jokes. Funny.” One side of his mouth kicked up before drawing into a tight line. “Will your father come looking for you?”

  “I don’t think so. I told him I needed a month.”

  “What happens in a month?”

  “I’m not sure, but it gives me time to figure it out.”

  “You can take care of yourself, you know. You had my dad eating out of the palm of your hand minutes after you told him you’d tried to take his grandson away.”

  “Your dad’s a big teddy bear.”

  Scott grinned. “I’ve never thought of him that way.”

  His smile disarmed her, made her breath hitch. She wanted him in a way she couldn’t explain and barely understood. Clearly, she wasn’t his type, and he was way too much...man for her. But it didn’t stop her body’s response to him. He met her gaze, and the way his blue eyes darkened made her think he might feel the same. She knew her time in Brevia would eventually come to an end, and she wanted to experience everything she could while she was here. Maybe that was what made her blurt, “Have an affair with me?”

  Scott’s grip on her arm loosened. His fists clenched and she thought he might walk away. “You can’t want that.”

  “I do.” She licked her lip and felt the electricity of desire charge between them. “More than you know.”

  His hands smoothed up her arms and across her shoulders to her neck, his fingers burning a path along her heated skin. He cradled her head in his hands as one thumb traced the seam of her lips. “You should be gentler with this mouth,” he told her, soothing the spot she’d bit down on earlier. “I’ve grown to like it quite a lot.”

  She could hardly manage a breath, but whispered, “What if gentle isn’t what I want?”

  He cupped her face, tilting her chin up and leaning in so they were so close she could smell the peppermint scent of his breath. “You don’t know what you’re asking, Lexi.”

  “Show me.”

  Heaven help her, he did. His mouth covered hers, igniting a fire in her belly that quickly spread out of control. Which was exactly what she wanted: to lose control with this man. Right here, right now. As his lips teased hers, she lifted her arms around his neck, pressing her body against him.

  Scott groaned low in his throat and deepened the kiss, his mouth making demands that she tried her best to meet. His hands moved down, just brushing the outline of her breasts, making her gasp. He took the opportunity to tangle his tongue with hers and she lost all coherent thought, so caught up in the physical sensations that were flooding through her.

  When he pulled back she thought she might melt into a puddle on the floor, that was how boneless and weightless he’d made her feel. “Don’t stop,” she said, reaching for him again.

  “No.”

  That one word brought her back to reality like a swift kick to her stomach. She blinked several times to clear her head. “You don’t mean that. The way you were just kissing me, you can’t mean that.”

  He shook his head, his hands clenched at his sides. “You’re not thinking clearly and you want to get back at your father. I understand that. But I’m not going to take advantage of your weakness.”

  “I’m not weak.
”

  “I didn’t mean—”

  “I get to make my own decisions.” She adjusted her shirt where it had bunched around her waist, embarrassed that she was still reeling from the kiss, when Scott could clearly pull away with no problem. “Good or bad, the point of me being on my own is to live on my own terms.”

  “Which involve a relationship with me?”

  She crossed her arms over her chest. “Not a relationship. An affair. You know...”

  “Sex?” he offered.

  “Well...yes. Casual. Fun. Easy. All things that have been missing from my life since...forever, really.”

  “You don’t strike me as the casual-sex type.”

  “That’s the point.” She wanted to stomp her foot in frustration. Why was he making this so complicated? Couldn’t he just go back to kissing her and see where that led?

  “My answer is still no,” he said quietly.

  Tears of embarrassment clogged her throat. Here she was, all but throwing herself at his feet, only to be rejected. “Because I’m not your type.”

  “Because of a lot of reasons. I don’t—”

  “It’s fine.” She held up a hand. “There’s no need to go on. We both need to get back to work.”

  He shook his head as he watched her. “It’s a slow night. Take the rest of it off. You look like you could use it.”

  Lexi felt a blush burn her cheeks. He was going to reject her, then tell her she looked like hell? Great. Insult to injury, why would she expect anything else?

  “What I need,” she said, straightening her shoulders and setting her jaw so he wouldn’t see how his words stung, “is a drink. It works for you. Why not me? I’m going to have an adventure with or without you, Scott. Just wait and see.” Mustering every ounce of dignity she could grasp, she walked past him back toward the bar.

  Chapter Six

  Scott put his key in the lock, then leaned forward to listen for any sound coming from the apartment. It was late, past 2:00 a.m., and thankfully, things seemed to be quiet here. He wasn’t sure if he could keep his temper at Lexi’s ridiculous proposition, not to mention his desire for her, in check if she was still awake.