Unraveling Him: A Small Town Family Romance (The Bailey Brothers Book 3)

by Claire Kingsley

“Note to self. Evan Bailey is a bigger bed hog than me, so make sure our next room has two beds.”

  “I’m not a bed hog.”

  I laughed. “You so are.”

  “I’m just big. I take up a lot of space.”

  I opened my mouth again, about to say something snarky about his size, when my eyes were inexplicably drawn to his groin.

  Evan had morning wood.

  A lot of morning wood.

  Huge morning wood.

  Stop staring at his dick, Fiona. Stop it.

  But I couldn’t. It was massive.

  He was massive. His dick size shouldn’t have been a surprise—kind of like my big boobs always falling out of tank tops while I slept. It was only logical.

  But maybe it wasn’t surprise that kept my eyes locked on his groin for more than long enough for him to see exactly what I was doing. Maybe it was awe.

  Stare in wonder at the majesty of Evan Bailey’s mighty dick.

  “Sorry.” I tore my eyes away. “Bathroom. I mean, do you need the bathroom? Sasquatch probably needs to pee. Are you going to take him, or do you want me to do it? So you can go use the bathroom. Or maybe you need to wait? I guess don’t know really know how that works for guys in the morning. Guys like you, at least. With… all that. Never mind.”

  “You go first.”

  “Are you sure, because—”

  “Fiona,” he snapped.

  “Fine, fine.” I put my hands up. “I guess with all that bed-hogging you were doing last night, you didn’t get enough sleep, grumpy-grump man.”

  “For fuck’s sake,” he muttered.

  I laughed and scooted off the bed, careful to keep my boobs covered. “I know, hurry up, Fiona, we need to get on the road. I’ll hurry.”

  “Good.”

  The scenery flew by as Evan drove down the open highway. We passed farmland, fences, horses and herds of cattle. My eyes were heavy, my body lulled into relaxation by the hum of the tires on the road.

  We’d left the motel early—true to my word, I’d hurried to get ready—and covered a lot of ground already. I shifted a little in my seat and my bladder reminded me that we hadn’t stopped for a pee break yet. There wasn’t much along this stretch of highway. I hoped we’d come to a town soon. Or at least a gas station.

  A new song came on the radio and I idly sang along. I didn’t actually know all the words to this song—or most songs—but I liked to sing anyway. Evan glanced at me out of the corner of his eye a few times, but didn’t complain. So I didn’t stop.

  Not that I would have. I’d have just sassed him back until he grumbled under his breath.

  Riling him up was fun.

  We seemed to have recovered from the embarrassment of waking up on top of each other. Or, more accurately, me on top of him. The drool thing was pretty bad, and him seeing my boobs wasn’t ideal. But we’d moved on. It felt like our fledgling friendship had been tested, and we’d passed.

  It made me wonder if he thought of us as friends or if that was just me.

  My phone rang and one glance at the screen had my stomach in a knot. It was my dad.

  I thought about ignoring the call. But maybe I just needed to get it over with. Rip the bandage off, so to speak.

  “Hi, Dad.”

  Evan’s head whipped around to look at me.

  “Where are you?” Dad asked.

  “I’m on the road.” Perfect. Not a lie, but I didn’t have to tell him any details, either.

  “You’re supposed to be at work.”

  “I told you I’m not coming back to work.”

  “Fiona,” he said, his tone maddeningly patronizing, “you can’t just not show up to work.”

  “You can if you quit. That’s actually the expectation.”

  He let out an exasperated breath. “Quit? Come on, don’t you think you’re taking things a little too far?”

  “No.

  “Fiona, you’re an adult. Maybe it’s time you learned to share your daddy.”

  The stream of words that tried to claw its way out of my throat was too thick and jumbled. My mouth opened, but nothing coherent would come out. “You think… but she’s… that’s not… oh my god.”

  “When you’re done pouting, we’ll talk. And hurry up. I’ll let this go one more day, but I expect to see you at work in the morning.”

  He ended the call and I moved my phone away from my ear, staring at it like it might sprout wings and fly out the window. Anger pulsed through my veins, making me tremble.

  I pulled my legs up onto the seat and hugged my knees to my chest. Evan didn’t say anything, just kept his eyes on the road. Angry tears stung my eyes. I didn’t want to cry, but sometimes I did when I was mad. I hated it. It made me angrier, which made the tears worse. A vicious cycle, especially when I had an audience.

  Evan turned up the volume on the radio.

  Really, Evan? Seeing a girl upset makes you so uncomfortable, you have to drown her out with music?

  I opened my mouth to say just that, but before I could utter a single word, he started to sing.

  His deep throaty voice was low but quiet, his lips barely moving as he mumbled the lyrics. The lump in my throat eased and the stinging in my eyes began to dissipate. Keeping my gaze on the passing landscape—I was afraid I’d break the spell if I looked at him directly—I took a cleansing breath.

  Quietly, my own voice sounding timid in my ears, I started to sing along with him.

  Without looking at each other, we sang softly. It wasn’t an exuberant road trip melody, our voices ringing out in the cab of his pickup. Just subtle nods of our heads in time with the rhythm, murmured lyrics, and mellow voices. I hummed along when I didn’t know the words, joining him again in the chorus.

  A new song came on and Evan kept on singing. Although his baritone stayed quiet, I could practically feel the resonance thrumming through my body. His voice was rich and soothing and oh my god, so sexy. My insides went molten. It was a miracle I didn’t melt into a puddle on the floor.

  Sasquatch poked his head over my shoulder and I gave him a good scratch. And from the corner of my eye, I caught Evan glancing at me, the hint of a smile playing on his normally scowly face.

  And a little voice in the back of my head said, Uh-oh.

  12

  Evan

  The trailer bounced along the road leading up to my place. Fiona was sound asleep, the lurching of the truck doing nothing to rouse her. Of course, it was almost three in the morning, and we’d been up early. It had been a long day.

  I staunchly avoided thinking about our morning in the motel room, but the feel of her ass was imprinted on my hand. I couldn’t get rid of it any more than I could unsee her naked boobs.

  She had really great boobs.

  Stop it, Evan.

  The road flattened and my shop came into view. Fortunately, there was no need to unload the Pontiac tonight. I’d take care of it in the morning. Right now, all I wanted was my bed.

  I glanced at Fiona again. She’d wadded up one of her sweatshirts as a makeshift pillow and curled her legs up onto the seat.

  “Hey.” I touched her arm. “Wake up. We’re here.”

  Gasping, she sat up with a jolt. “Are we home?”

  The way she’d phrased that almost made me chuckle. “Yeah. Come on, let’s go get some sleep.”

  She rubbed her eyes and looked around. “Oh, okay. I figured you’d stop for the night somewhere, but here we are. Um, give me a second, my brain isn’t working. I need my keys.”

  “Why do you need your keys?”

  She was already digging through her purse. “I need to go find a place to stay. Is there a motel in town? I hope their office is open.”

  “No…” I paused and she blinked sleepy eyes at me. “Just come in. You can sleep here.”

  “That’s okay, you don’t have to do that.”

  “It’s three in the morning. Come inside.”

  The corners of her mouth curved upward in a grateful smile. “Th
anks.”

  I didn’t like it when she looked at me like that. It poked at something deep inside my chest. Something I desperately needed to ignore.

  While she gathered her things, I took Sasquatch to do his business, then met her at my front door. She was carrying her plants—because of course she was, the weirdo.

  I unlocked the door and ushered her inside. “You can set those wherever.”

  “Thanks again. Really.”

  I shuffled down the short hallway and dropped my bag in my room. And there was Gram’s voice in the back of my head again, scolding me about manners and being a gentleman. I didn’t want to let Fiona have my room. After days on the road, I wanted to sleep in my own damn bed.

  Fuck. Fine.

  “Fi—” I stopped short. Where was she?

  I found her already sprawled on the couch, an arm draped over her forehead, her eyes closed. She was still dressed, although she’d taken off her shoes, and the blanket Gram had given me was pulled haphazardly over her.

  Sasquatch looked up at me. He’d curled up right next to the couch, instead of on his bed, as if to keep watch over her.

  “Really?”

  He closed his eyes.

  Whatever. She was fine. My traitor dog was fine. I was going to bed.

  The smell of food woke me. Light shone through the blinds but Sasquatch hadn’t gotten me up yet. That was weird. And why did I smell food?

  My sheets were a mess and apparently I’d kicked my comforter completely off the bed. What the hell was wrong with me? I was used to sleeping alone, and I was a big guy so I definitely took up the entire mattress. But this was ridiculous.

  And what smelled so good? Was Fiona cooking out there?

  My stomach rumbled and my mouth was already watering. After a steady diet of fast food and diner fare, a home-cooked meal sounded great.

  I got up, but hesitated. What was she going to be wearing when I went out there? Those fucking blue pajamas again? She’d gone to sleep in her clothes, so probably not. But the thought of Fiona cooking breakfast in those shorts in my kitchen made my morning erection ache.

  Not that I was attracted to her.

  Okay, physically I clearly had an issue. But that’s all it was. Just physical. I wasn’t even sure if I liked her. She’d helped me get the Pontiac and I owed her big for that. But that was it.

  I tugged on a pair of gray sweats, grabbed a t-shirt, sniffed it, and put it on. Then I ducked into the bathroom to take care of business—difficult, given the boner I was sporting. Which was only a case of morning wood and had nothing to do with the girl currently in my house.

  Nothing at all.

  Fiona was indeed in my kitchen, cooking breakfast. Something sizzled in a pan, and I smelled sausage and a hint of coffee in the air.

  Thankfully she was back to her big sweatshirt and leggings. Her hair was up in a messy bun and her feet were bare. Sasquatch sat nearby, casually watching her cook. It was hard to tell if he was paying attention to her or the food. Probably both.

  She glanced over her shoulder and smiled. “Morning, sunshine. I hope you don’t mind me helping myself to your kitchen. And your food.”

  My mouth watered appreciatively. “It’s fine.”

  “How’d you sleep?” she asked, turning back to the stove. “I slept surprisingly well, all things considered. Totally zonked out. I’m surprised I woke up as early as I did, but I guess I’d already been sleeping in the truck for a while before we got here.”

  I went to the cupboard for a mug. “I slept okay.”

  She smiled at me again while I poured my coffee. “Good. I’m sure you needed it.”

  I found myself oddly caught in her gaze. She looked different. With a quick flick of her fingertips, she brushed her bangs out of her eyes, and I realized she wasn’t wearing makeup.

  She probably hadn’t been yesterday morning either, but I hadn’t noticed. To be fair, I’d been trying very hard to keep my eyes off her—for reasons I was not thinking about now. Her normally smoky eye shadow and thick eyeliner were gone, revealing naturally long lashes and eyes that existed somewhere on the spectrum between hazel and green.

  “You okay?”

  I tore my gaze away and set the coffee pot down. “Yeah. Fine.”

  God, she was distracting.

  She finished cooking and we dished up in the kitchen. I had a small table with four chairs, so we each took a seat. Amazingly, she didn’t talk much while we ate.

  Sasquatch looked up, and a few seconds later I heard a car outside. That was weird. It was early, and I wasn’t expecting anyone.

  Which meant it was probably one of my brothers.

  I groaned.

  Fiona raised her eyebrows. “What’s wrong?”

  Great, now one of them was going to walk in—it’s not like they ever knocked—and find me eating breakfast with her. Someone was about to get a hell of a lot of wrong ideas. I was never going to hear the end of this.

  Before I could reply, someone knocked twice, then opened the door without waiting for an answer.

  Gavin strolled in, his mouth already running. Sasquatch barked, but he knew him well enough so he let him in.

  “Hey, you’re back. I figured you were. So I was thinking—” He stopped mid-sentence with his mouth still open, his eyes landing on Fiona. “Oh shit. Sorry, I didn’t know you had a lady guest.”

  “She’s not a lady guest.”

  Gavin tilted his head, looking at her. “Well I don’t think she’s a dude, and you just said she, so I’ll take that as confirmation that she’s a girl.”

  Fiona laughed and put her fork down. “You’re correct about the girl part, but I’m not his lady guest. Which is to say, I wasn’t here to sleep with him. I slept over, but not for that reason. I was on the couch. I’m just here to fix my car.”

  Instead of looking confused, Gavin grinned, like that all made perfect sense. He came to the table and plopped down in a chair. “Hey. I’m Gavin Bailey.”

  Something in his tone made my hackles rise.

  “Fiona Gallagher,” she said. “Very nice to meet you, Gavin. You must be one of Evan’s brothers?”

  “That I am. I’m the youngest. It took them five tries to achieve perfection, but they finally got it right with me.”

  She laughed again.

  I made a fist under the table.

  “Would you like some breakfast?” she asked. “I sort of overdid it, so there’s plenty.”

  Gavin licked his lips. “I’d love to have breakfast with you.”

  I shot him a glare.

  He ignored me.

  “Don’t get up,” he said, rising from his seat. “You don’t need to interrupt your meal on my account. In fact, is there anything I can get you?”

  “What are you doing?” I asked.

  “I’m just asking if she needs anything from the kitchen.” He flicked his gaze back to her, his dimples puckering. “Anything you need, I’m happy to oblige.”

  She bit her lip, stifling a laugh. “No, I’m fine. But thank you.”

  He went into the kitchen and brought back a plate of eggs and sausage. Before sitting down, he adjusted his chair, moving it closer to Fiona.

  I growled at him.

  He grinned at me.

  “This looks delicious,” he said, poking at his food with his fork. “I already ate, but who am I kidding, I’m always hungry.”

  “Why are you here?” I asked.

  He took a bite of eggs and groaned as he slid the fork out of his mouth. “Oh my god. So good.”

  “Thank you,” Fiona said, gracing him with another smile.

  “I hope my brother was appropriately appreciative and made lots of yummy noises and said thank you.”

  “Yummy noises?” I asked.

  She stifled another laugh. “There’s definitely been a lack of yummy noises.”

  “He’s kind of an animal, living out here all by himself, so there’s no telling how he’ll do when forced to relate to other humans.”
<
br />   “Shut up, Gavin.”

  “So, Fiona, tell me all about you.”

  She glanced at me, as if to say she wasn’t quite sure what to make of my brother. “Well, you know my name. I used to work for my dad, but I quit, and now I’m on my way to stay with my mom in Iowa. I guess I’m looking for a fresh start.”

  “I love that,” he said around a bite of sausage. “That’s badass and brave.”

  Her cheeks flushed the slightest hint of pink. “Thanks. I don’t feel very brave, though. I’m pretty scared.”

  “Bravery isn’t the absence of fear,” I said, surprising myself with my reply. “It’s feeling fear and doing it anyway.”

  Fiona met my eyes and there was that sensation in my chest again. A tightness—or maybe it was a fullness. Something pushing against the empty space where my heart used to live.

  “I like that,” she said. “Thanks.”

  “That’s deep, bro,” Gavin said and shoveled more food into his mouth.

  I didn’t want to admit it out loud, but I was curious if that was what Gavin felt. Whether he felt fear and faced it down, or simply didn’t feel it at all.

  “Why are you here?” I asked him again. “Other than to eat my food.”

  “The breakfast was an unexpected bonus, as was meeting you.” He flashed Fiona another smile. “By the way, if you need a place to stay that doesn’t remind you of a creepy cabin in a horror movie, you’re more than welcome to come to our place. I promise none of us would try to see you naked or anything.”

  “That’s very gentlemanly of you. And more than I can say of him.” She winked at me.

  “Evan,” Gavin said, sounding an awful lot like Gram. “Why would you do such a thing to this sweet, beautiful girl?”

  “For fuck’s sake,” I muttered. “I didn’t try to look at her naked. Why am I even talking to you about this? Go home.”

  “Nah, home is boring. Peanut butter and jelly are both on duty today. That’s why I came out here.”

  “Peanut butter and jelly?” Fiona asked. “Is that what you call your roommates?”

  “Not where they can hear me.”

  I rolled my eyes. “He lives with two of our brothers. They’re twins.”