Huge Working Hero (Hard Working Hero Book 3)

by Penny Wylder

  “Like I'm ready to pop,” she says with a giggle and rubs her belly.

  “Just wait,” my mother says, her hand hanging in the air as if it's attached to an invisible string. “Your body won't look normal again for months—maybe even years. I know it took me a long time to get back to my prebaby body. I can thank Dr. Gibbons for the extra help.”

  “Yeah, but that's all right with me, Mrs. Klein. Hardin loves me no matter what my body looks like. Right, babe?” She flirts her eyes up to Hardin and grins.

  He kisses her forehead, wrapping his arms around her shoulders. “Absolutely.” He slides his hands down to her belly and holds it. “I love you no matter what.”

  They kiss each other, forcing jealousy to flood to my veins. I want that. I want to be able to swoon over Brand. I want to be able to hold his hand, lay in his arms, and kiss him if I want to.

  This feeling of it being wrong is killing me inside. I don't like it. I don't like feeling like I have to hide what I want.

  Millie studies my face. “Kel, let’s go for a walk. Babe, we'll be back in a few.” She kisses the back of his hand, and he kisses the top of her head. “Come on, let's go.”

  “Are you sure? I mean, shouldn't you just take it easy?”

  “I'll be fine. I'm pregnant, it's not like I have a major injury or something.”

  We walk side by side up the strip between the cars. She doesn't say anything until we're far enough away that no one can hear us.

  “What's wrong?” she asks.

  “Wrong? Nothing's wrong.”

  “Bullshit. What is it? Did something happen?”

  I can't look her in the eyes, so I keep them down on the ground. “Something might have happened. . .” I let the last word draw out, unable to hide the smile.

  “You dirty bird!” she yells and gives me a shove with her shoulder. “So, why don't you look happy then? I mean you should be glowing.”

  “I don't know,” I answer, shrugging my shoulder. “I want to be happy, but I just know it won't ever work. My parents will never accept him. There's not a chance in hell. They'll lock me in my room for life.”

  Millie cocks a brow and purses her lips. “Why does this feel like déjà vu? It's like we've had this conversation before.” I give her a slanted look. Millie rolls her eyes, and asks, “Do you like him?”

  “Of course I like him.”

  “Then help me out here. I don't understand your resistance.”

  “It's just, I see you and Hardin together, the way you guys look at each other. I can feel the love you have for each other. And I want that too, I just don't think I can have it.”

  Millie rubs her belly as she looks down at her bump. “It feels good, Kel, giving yourself to someone and not caring what anyone else thinks. It's life changing.”

  I frown. “What am I supposed to do then?”

  “You want my honest opinion?” she asks.

  “Yes. I don't want you to lie. Tell me what you think I should do?”

  “I think you should go for it,” she says bluntly. “I'm pretty sure you were the one to give me that advice, and that's what brought me to Hardin. I ignored what I was brought up to think and did what felt right. If you like this guy, then don't think about your parents. Think about you.”

  She's right.

  So why is it so hard for me to see it? Why does this feel so difficult?

  “Look, I know you'll make the right choice.”

  “What if I don't know what the right choice is?”

  We make our way around the loop and walk back to where my father's car is parked. Hardin stands up from the chair he's in the second he sees Millie, his eyes lighting up.

  Millie reaches for my arm and stops us for a second before we get any closer. “All I'm saying, Kel, is that your advice was exactly what I needed to hear. So, maybe you need to listen to yourself, too.”

  She waddles a little ahead of me and into Hardin's arms. He hugs her tight and kisses the top of her head.

  They snuggle each other lovingly, making goo-goo eyes and giving each other light kisses. My heart fills with need and desire to feel Brand's eyes on me like that, and his arms holding me with the same care.

  I look around and realize that no one else is here. It's just my brother and Hardin. Both my parents are gone, and Brand is nowhere to be seen.

  “Where is everyone?” I ask.

  “Your dad went off to find some guy he knows, your mom went to powder her face as she put it, and the other guy—Brent, is that his name?”

  “Brand,” I correct him.

  “Right, Brand. He didn't say where he was going, just that he'd be back. Hey,” he says as he looks down at Millie, “I know you just went for a short walk, but you want to go for another? I'd love to check this place out.”

  “Yeah, sure, I still have ankles, so they're not too swollen yet.” She holds her leg out and twists it side to side. Millie nudges her head in my direction. “Go find him,” she says, her voice a whisper.

  They walk off hand in hand. Hardin smiles at her as they're talking, and she smiles back. Just watching them together is enough for me to know I have to do something. I can't, and shouldn't, just pretend like these feelings aren't real or don't exist.

  I don't want to spend the rest of my life wondering what could have been because I didn't jump in with two feet. Looking back over my shoulder at my brother, Seth is sitting in the chair beside the car, his face in a comic book.

  “Hey,” I say, “you good here for a bit? I'm going to go grab a snack at the stand.”

  He waves his hand lazily, absorbed in the pages. “I'll be fine.” Seth doesn't even look up.

  My eyes start scanning the crowd. I'm not really going for a snack. I'm going to search for the only person I really want to spend my time with. Brand.

  The car show is packed. Right now, it's all about the looks. Everyone has their hoods open and are wiping or waxing their cars for the judges. Other people are relaxing back in lawn chairs with a beer in hand and a sun hat to block the hot rays.

  Vendors are set up around the outskirts selling different parts and high-performance upgrades for cars. Two chamber exhaust systems that rumble like thunder, slicks for racing, radiators, belts, even cowl hoods for anyone who's looking to be more badass.

  Where the hell is he? I stand up on the tips of my toes and try to look over the people walking by. I don't see him, so I wander around some more.

  Finally, I spot Brand examining a cam shaft. He's holding it up and running his fingers over the lobes.

  “Here you are,” I say.

  Brand looks up briefly, then drops his eyes back to the engine part. “Here I am.” His voice is flat and emotionless.

  “Wow, I thought you'd be a little happier to see me after yesterday, and with how long we talked last night. Plus, we're alone, no one else is around right now.”

  “Yeah, well, I thought the same thing this morning, then you gave me the cold shoulder.”

  I don't say anything. I'm not sure how to answer. He knows why I didn't run into his arms. He knows why we have to keep our distance.

  He places down the cam shaft, then turns to face me. “Nothing to say?” He laughs cynically and shakes his head. “I should have figured. A girl like you is too good for a guy like me. Too good to even get a smile or a look or a hello. You know what, I—”

  I cut him off with a kiss. I don't want to ever make him feel like I think I'm better than him, because I don't. I kiss him in the middle of the car show and let everyone around us see it.

  His warm, wet lips kiss me back. This kiss is exactly what I want. My insides liquefy, and my heart is beating so fast it feels like it's going to explode. Brand wraps his arm around my waist and pulls me in against his chest.

  My lips tingle as Brand pulls away and smiles. “Now that's better.”

  I drop down to flat feet, my cheeks flushed and pink. “Yeah, I like that a lot better too.”

  “Kelsie! Kelsie!” My mother's voice screams
from somewhere behind me.

  I shove Brand away, putting space between us, frantically spinning around to see where she is.

  “Kelsie,” she says as she comes pushing her away through a small crowd of people.

  “Hey, Mom.” I'm nervous, afraid she's on the brink of a panic attack because she saw Brand and me kissing. Anxiously, I run my fingers through my hair, my eyes wild and jittery. “What's going on?”

  “Where is he? Is he with you?” She looks all around me, behind my back, around Brand and all through the vendor tent. “Where is he?”

  She didn't see us kiss. She couldn't have. There's no way she would just ignore the fact I was kissing my father's employee. A man who she sees as beneath her and our family in every single way.

  “Who? Who are you looking for?”

  She's all over. Her body is fidgety, on the verge of frantic. It's like she didn't even hear me. She's just all over the place.

  “Have you seen him? I can't find him. I can't find him anywhere.”

  “Mom,” I say again louder. “Who are you looking for?” I grab the outside of her arms and force her to look at me.

  “Your brother. I can't find your brother and the car is gone.”

  “Wait—what?”

  He did it. I knew it immediately the second she said it. Seth took the car. Where? I don't know. When? I don't know. He was there when I left to find Brand, but that was almost half an hour ago.

  That fucking kid. What the hell is he thinking? Why would he do this now?

  I can already answer myself. It was a moment of opportunity. A perfect storm. No one was there watching him. The car was left with the keys inside. Why wouldn't he jump on this?

  There's a pit in my stomach now. I know something no one else does. Seth isn't here, not anymore.

  Her eyes are wide and her hands are shaking. “The car's gone. Jesus, your father is going to have a fit, and your brother is missing.” She turns her attention to Brand. “Where were you, huh? Why weren't you at the car where you were supposed to be?” She steps in and pokes him in the chest.

  “Mrs. Klein, I'm here looking for a part for Mr. Klein. He asked me to try and find one while we were here. Seth said he'd stay with the car. I don't know where he is. Maybe Mr. Klein has the car.”

  “No, he doesn't. He's inside getting his number for the show.”

  “Mom, Brand didn't do anything wrong.”

  Her eyes grow wide as she glares at me. “He did everything wrong. He was supposed to be with the car,” she snarls. “That's his job. That's his one fucking job.”

  “Mrs. Klein, don't worry, I'll find your son. I'm sure he's around here somewhere. Maybe there was a flat tire and he's just getting it filled. That stuff happens.”

  “You better find him, and you better right.” Her jaw jets out to one side, her lips tight and thin as she storms off.

  “Fuck,” I say under my breath.

  Brand grabs my shoulder and squeezes. “Don't worry, we'll find him.”

  I nod quietly, but the pit in my stomach is now as big as a boulder. I think I'm going to throw up.

  “He's definitely not here,” Brand says.

  “What? How do you know? Maybe you're right, maybe he's just putting air in the tires or something?”

  I'm trying so hard to believe that thought. It's possible, right? Could my brother be this stupid to take the car right now? I know he's young, but he has to know better. He's smarter than this.

  Please tell me he's smarter than this.

  “I made that shit up. The tires are fine. I checked them myself. But I was seventeen once, and I know if I had access to that car, I'd take it out and open it up somewhere.” Brand dangles the keys my mother threw him when he went to help get the chairs out of the back. “Let's go find your brother.”

  He grabs my hand and starts to lead me back toward the SUV.

  The feel of his fingers around mine soothe me. They're strong, firm, and comforting. He runs his thumb over mine, settling the nerves that are taking me hostage. His calm demeanor and ability to act instead of panic is a turn on.

  He isn't just what I need, he's everything I need.

  6

  Brand

  Kelsie is sitting next to me. Her hands are in her lap, and she's nervously picking at her nails. She keeps nibbling on her bottom lip, her eyes open so wide I can see all the white.

  The look on her face is telling me this isn't just nerves over her missing brother. Seth is almost an adult, it's not like he's six or seven and possibly got coaxed by a stranger into a van. Her nerves are more pinpointed, more directed at her thoughts.

  “What are you not saying?” I ask.

  “What?” She looks over at me, her fingers worrying the skin around her nails.

  “You obviously know more than you're saying. What is it?”

  Kelsie lets out a weighted breath, dropping her eyes to her lap. “I don't know what you're talking about. I don't know any more than you do.”

  “Yes, you do. It's written all over your face. So, tell me already.”

  “All right,” she says sharply. It didn't take much pressure from me for her to speak up. She cracked like an egg falling on concrete. “Seth told me he wanted to take my dad's car for a ride. My father barely lets him look at any of his cars, let alone drive one. I just didn't think he was going to do it here and now. He's so fucking stupid.” She grunts, throwing her head back against the seat and closing her eyes. “Why the hell did he decide to do this now? Today of all days?”

  “Because the opportunity was there, that's why.” I reach over and take her hand, bringing it into my lap and holding it tight. “He's not thinking, but what kid does think at seventeen? I know I made mistakes at his age.”

  “I'm so damn mad at him, though! There are plenty of other times he'd have a chance to do it. Today is not one of them.”

  “Yeah, but again, he saw the chance and he took it. Isn't that what life is about anyway? Taking risks? If we push things off, waiting to find that perfect moment, it'll never come. We'll always make excuses as to why it’s not the right time. Seth saw his chance and he acted. Maybe it was dumb, but he went for it.”

  Kelsie stares at me for a long second. She wiggles her fingers deeper into mine and squeezes me back. Her lips thin and she gives me a weak smile. I can see the wheels turning in her head. What I'm saying isn't just about her brother, it's about us, too.

  We can sit around and wait for the perfect time, for the perfect moment to present itself, and in the end, that moment might never come. It really is a matter of now or never.

  “I'm just worried, is all.”

  “I know, but I promise you, we'll find him.”

  We drive in silence, both of us keeping our eyes out the window, looking for him. The main stretch of road is fairly busy. Cars are coming and going, but neither of us see a bright red Ford Fairlane. And you'd see it; it sticks out like a sore thumb.

  “I don't see him anywhere. Maybe we should try a few side streets. What do you think?” she asks.

  “Yeah, we can try.”

  I take a right down a long, curvy road. There are trees lining the sides, but not much else is around. There are no houses or businesses, just forest. We follow it for a few minutes, then turn around, and try a different road off the main street.

  I start to lose hope that we'll find him. I don't want to give up, but how long are we going to do this? It's not like the kid ran off, I know that much. He's just out for a joy ride, maybe getting his kicks from a few cute girls who might look his way.

  It's harmless in my eyes, but I get it. He doesn't have permission. No one knew, except for Kelsie, that this was his plan.

  “You see that?” Kelsie asks, sitting up higher in her seat and pointing out the windshield.

  I look out and down at the pavement. “Yeah, I do.”

  There are thick skid marks on the road. A set of tires that create a snake like squiggle that crosses the double yellow line and comes whipping back. Th
e marks fade, but you can see them again a little further up. The second set is wider, more erratic, and ends with a full circle.

  “Oh my god, Brand. Pull over! Pull over!”

  There's a car upside down in the ditch. Smoke is pouring out from the undercarriage. I don't even have the car in park when Kelsie throws her door open and jumps out.

  She takes off running. “Seth! Seth!” she screams. Her voice screeches, echoing off the trees around us.

  I quickly follow and run to the car.

  “I'm in here!” Seth calls out.

  I drop to my knees and look in the passenger window. Seth is upside down, still buckled in his seat, the airbags deployed and deflated. The windshield is smashed, and there's glass littering the roof around his head.

  “I'll get you out, hang on.” I sit back on the ground and place my feet against the passenger side window. “Cover your face,” I tell him.

  Seth uses both his arms, covering his entire head. Pulling back my legs, I drive them forward, kicking hard against the glass. It's already cracked from the crash, so it busts open easily with a couple well placed kicks.

  The glass shatters, spraying Seth with a million tiny pieces. I grab a stick off the ground and clear the sharp edges from the window trim.

  “Here I come, buddy, hold on.” I crawl through the window, and squeeze through the bars of the roll cage to unbuckle his belt. Seth falls onto his back with a loud thud.

  “Oh my god, are you okay? Are you all right?” Kelsie is a mess. She's up, she's down, she's pacing, she's yelling.

  I grab his arm and help pull him out through the window. Seth crawls across the ground, and slowly tries to rise to his feet.

  “Hold on, don't get up yet, just sit for a second.”

  He falls back on his ass, bringing his knees up to his chest and resting his arms on his legs. Kelsie runs around the car, tears streaming down her face.

  “Are you hurt? Let me see you?” She grabs his face and lifts it up. “You're bleeding. We need to clean it. I think there's a first aid kit in the car.” She's back on her feet and jogs to the car.

  “What the hell happened?” I ask.