Drawn to You (A Beyond the Cove Novel)

by Jaclyn Quinn

  “Come here, kid.” Jake laughed and pulled him back in for a hug. He hoped like hell Dylan would stay this way. He wasn’t stupid; he knew it wasn’t going to be easy, but he’d missed the kid’s sense of humor. He’d missed his uninhibited laugh and huge smile.

  Jake released his nephew then looked toward the kitchen. “You ready to eat? Eli’s making dinner.”

  Dylan nodded his head, stood up, and took off toward the kitchen with Jake not far behind. They were almost to the foyer when Dylan stopped. He turned and looked at Jake nervously. “I don’t have to worry if Eli’s here either, right?”

  Jake’s heart beat a fucking tattoo in his chest. “Right.”

  “Cool,” Dylan replied as simply as a ten-year-old could and headed to the kitchen.

  Eli found himself with no clients the next afternoon and an open Saturday. So, instead of sitting around, staring at his friends and the dark gray and burgundy walls of the shop, he left late Friday afternoon and headed up to see his parents. Jake seemed almost panicked when Eli announced he was leaving for the weekend.

  Which was exactly why he needed to go.

  He was becoming someone Jake was depending on, and with their past, it was getting to be too damn hard on Eli. He knew, if it wasn’t for this awful thing that had happened, Jake would still be set in his ways. Nothing would be different between them. Eli would still want more, and Jake would still push him away. So, the fact that Jake was leaning on him now was fucking with Eli’s head too damn much.

  “You want another one?” Zach asked Eli from behind the bar as he pulled the tap, filling a glass and then sliding it over to a guy to Eli’s left.

  Eli had been sitting at the worn, wooden bar with Micah for a few hours, nursing a few beers. The place was Zach’s and aptly named Zach’s. They’d all had so much fun ragging on their brother for naming the bar after himself. As narcissistic as it was, it was an easy name to remember. Eli looked down at his half-filled glass. “Nah. I still have to drive back to Mom and Dad’s.”

  “A whopping three miles, you mean?” Zach mocked. He leaned on the bar and stared at Eli then looked at Micah. “What about you?”

  “Yeah, I’ll take another one.”

  The three of them couldn’t have been more different as brothers went. Zach resembled a giant lumberjack, Eli was covered in tattoos, and Micah was as clean-cut as you could get. Still, it helped, being around them.

  Zach stood back up and grabbed Micah’s glass, replacing it with a full one. “So, you gonna tell us why you’re here?”

  Okay, so it helped being around Micah. It was inevitable that Eli and Zach would butt heads like they always did. Sometimes it sucked being one of the youngest. Zach had some fucking blinders on when it came to Eli. No matter how old he got, Zach would always treat him like he needed to be protected. He knew Zach meant well, but it infuriated the fuck out of Eli.

  “There’s nothing to tell. I just wanted to get away for a bit.” Eli wouldn’t make eye contact with his brother. Zach wasn’t as forgiving as Jonah, and even Jonah thought it might be best if Eli had some time away from Jake.

  Zach studied him skeptically. “Right. Like I’m buyin’ that line of bullshit.”

  “Zach—”

  “No, Elijah. Don’t bother fucking lying to me.” Zach’s deep baritone carried, and Eli looked around in embarrassment.

  “Fuck this,” Eli grumbled and began to stand up.

  “Wait, Eli.” Micah grabbed his wrist then turned to Zachariah. “Stop being the asshole big brother.”

  Zach put his hands on his hips and exhaled loudly. “Sit down.” But when Eli didn’t listen, Zach added, “I’m sorry. Sit back down, please?” Eli reluctantly nodded his head. Zach blew out a frustrated sigh. “Jeez, when the fuck did you stop listening to me?” He smirked, and Eli let out a small laugh.

  “At least ten years ago, if not more. You’re just too stubborn to see it.”

  “What I see is you running away from your problems. Again,” Zach fired back.

  “I am not—”

  “Jesus, Zach,” Micah groaned. “Can you back off?”

  “It’s the same thing he did a few weeks ago.” Zach spoke to Micah as if Eli wasn’t even there.

  “I know I’m one of the youngest, but I’m not a fucking kid anymore, Zach.” Eli settled back on the barstool next to Micah. “No wonder you can’t see what’s right in front of you. Too damn busy getting in the middle of everyone else’s shit.”

  “What the hell are you talking about?” Zach held up his hand. “If you say Drew, I’m gonna kick your ass.”

  Eli and Micah both snickered.

  Eli turned his head, searching the room until his eyes landed on Drew. The raven-haired man had started working at Zach’s bar right before Eli moved to New Jersey. Zach liked to think of hiring him as something he was doing for an old friend…Drew’s older brother. But Drew made no secret about wanting Zach, and Zach seemed to fight it tooth and nail.

  “He’s a good guy, Zach,” Eli said, taking a sip of his beer.

  Zach glanced to his right, watching Drew across the room. “Yeah, he’s also your age.”

  “So?”

  Zach’s attention shifted back to Eli. “So, he’s a—”

  “If you say kid,” Eli cut him off, “I’m gonna jump over this bar and throat punch you.”

  “I’ve still got five inches on you, kid,” Zach reminded Eli mockingly.

  “Then I’ll nut punch you. I can guarantee that will shut you the hell up.” Eli held up his beer and clinked it with Micah’s as Micah laughed.

  “And you say you’re not a kid. What kind of threat is that?” Zach laughed. “So, what shit do you have going on in Jersey that you can’t deal with.”

  The smile fell from Eli’s face. “The shit I’m dealing with isn’t a joke, Zach.”

  Zach’s face grew serious. “I didn’t say it was, but sometimes pissing you off is the only way to get you to talk to me. I know when something’s wrong, and I know how to get it out of you. So, talk, little brother.”

  Ultimately, Eli knew in the back of his mind, this was why he was sitting at Zach’s bar tonight. He always went to Jonah whenever things were bothering him, but sometimes, he just had to release some pent up anger and have someone be brutally honest with him. No one could piss him off like Zach could, with the exception of Jake. He looked at Micah and saw the same willingness to sit there and listen. Eli shifted his eyes to the worn wood of the bar and exhaled. “Do you know what I would do if I ever lost any of you?” He glanced quickly up at Zach, saw the sympathy in Zach’s eyes, and quickly shifted his own eyes back down. “I don’t even want to know what Jake is going through right now. He doesn’t have a family like ours, and all I want to do is be there for the guy, you know?

  “But I promised myself I wasn’t gonna let my guard down around him anymore because the bastard has this way of getting under my skin. He’s made it clear that he wants nothing to do with me in the long run. I feel like he’s full of shit, but what the hell do I know?”

  “Then I say fuck him.” Zach whipped a towel over his shoulder. “Let him figure his own shit out. You’re the one who’s gonna get screwed here.”

  “Zach…” Micah warned.

  “No, I’m serious.” Zach shrugged his shoulders. “Why is this your problem?”

  “Why are you such an asshole? How can I do that? How can I let him deal with all that on his own? No one should have to go through that alone.” Rage was coursing through Eli’s veins, and he was seconds away from making good on his threat from earlier.

  Zach leaned his arms on the bar, right in front of Eli. His shrewd brown eyes forced Eli back into his seat. “So, let me ask you again. What are you doing here?” When Eli didn’t respond, Zach added, “We weren’t raised to sit on the sidelines, Eli.”

  “He’s right,” Micah said.

  Why, that son of a bitch. “You set me up. You pissed me off just to—”

  “Just to make you rea
lize that, whether you’re physically here or there, your mind is with Jake and those boys.” Zach reached a hand across the bar and gripped Eli’s neck, pulling him until their foreheads met. “You are one of the strongest people I know, and I don’t tell you that enough.” Eli was too taken aback for words, so he grasped Zach’s wrist and nodded his head. “No second-guessing…where do you want to be right now?”

  “With them.”

  “Then there’s your answer. It doesn’t have to make sense.”

  “Here, let me help you with those,” Nina said, taking a couple bags out of Jake’s hands.

  “Thanks, but you don’t have to,” Jake responded, but she was already walking into the kitchen with the bags. Food shopping with Dylan was an experience he wasn’t sure he could handle again. He’d spent half the time taking junk food back out of the cart that Dylan had just put in. The other half of the time, he’d tried to get Dylan to tell him what he and his brother brought to school for lunch. Did all parents need a nap after that? Because he was exhausted. Jake suddenly stopped short.

  Parents. He was technically a parent now. It didn’t really hit him until that very moment.

  “Oh, good, you found the pork loin.” Nina held up the meat. “I’ll just get this ready.”

  “You don’t have to do that. I’m sure I can YouTube it or something.” Jake walked over to the counter with the last of the bags.

  “Nonsense. Why would you do that when I could cook this with my eyes closed?” She brushed him off and began gathering the things she needed to make them dinner. Again. He really had no idea what he would do without her and Eli.

  Eli. Jake wasn’t stupid. He knew Eli fled again to his parents’ house because he’d been asking too much of him. He couldn’t even explain why he was turning to Eli so much. Hell, the boys knew Avery better than they knew Eli. But I don’t.

  “Have you boys ever had pork loin?” Nina asked.

  “I think my mom made it when I was little,” Jake answered as he began emptying food bags.

  Dylan shrugged his shoulders. “Probably.”

  Nina and Jake both laughed. “Knowing Maggie, you probably have.” Nina sucked in a breath as she looked at Dylan and paled. “I’m sorry. I—”

  “You have nothing to be sorry for.” Jake walked up behind Dylan who was sitting at the counter. “There will never be a time when we can’t talk about your mom and dad. Right, kiddo?” Dylan nodded his head, and Nina released the breath she’d been holding. She smiled softly at Jake before giving a small nod and going back to her dinner prep.

  “Uncle J?”

  “Yeah?” Jake pulled a cereal box out of a bag and turned to put it on top of the fridge.

  “How come Grandma and Grandpa don’t love you?”

  Jake and Nina both stopped what they were doing and looked at Dylan. “Um…” Jake started to say and felt his pulse kick up a notch. He took a deep breath. “I…” But the words caught in his throat.

  “Because, unfortunately, some people don’t know how lucky they are,” Nina told Dylan firmly. “Some people can’t see all of the things you should love about a person. They wanted your uncle Jake to be someone he isn’t, instead of loving him for the amazing person he is.” Jake took a deep, shaky breath and stared at this woman, who hardly knew him, yet was willing to see beyond the tattoos and stereotype. “Those aren’t real parents in my book.” Nina turned back to the pork loin with an indignant hmf.

  Jake was floored. What he wouldn’t have given to have a mother like Nina. How it ended up that two people like Nina and Stan couldn’t have kids, but people like his parents could, he would never understand. Jake leaned down and gave Nina a kiss on the cheek. “Thank you.” She blushed and swatted him away playfully.

  “My mom and dad loved me and Nick no matter what,” Dylan said in a small voice, making both Jake and Nina look at him again. “I know Uncle J does, too.”

  Jake pointed at Dylan with a stern look. “You’re damn right I do, kid. Don’t you forget it.”

  Dylan just grinned and took the milk off the counter to put away in the fridge.

  Eli walked into Inkubus on Monday morning and felt relieved in a way. He had a new sense of purpose. He loved working there and loved living in Brighton Pier. He’d make it work somehow, with or without Jake in his life.

  The last person he was expecting to knock some sense into him was Zach. To hear his brother tell him that he was one of the strongest people he knew? Those were words he never thought Zach would say, but man, it felt good to hear.

  “Eli’s back,” Kenz announced before pulling him into a hug.

  “I only took a day and a half off.” He chuckled and hugged her back.

  “Doesn’t matter.” She pulled back and stared at him, and she looked genuinely nervous. “You know this is your home now, right?”

  He knew what she was asking. It was the second time he’d gone back to Riverside Falls in less than a month. “I’m not goin’ anywhere, Kenz.” She nodded her head, stood on her toes, and hugged him again. “Is he here?”

  Kenz finally let go of Eli. “Yeah. He’s in his station cleaning up after a client.” She looked back in that direction, tucking her bluish-green hair behind her ear. “He’s been quiet.”

  Eli gave her a half-smile then walked back to Jake’s doorway. When he looked in the room he saw Jake leaning back against the counter. He looked like he was in a fog and jumped when Eli knocked on the doorframe.

  When Jake looked over, and his eyes connected with Eli’s, there was a moment where Eli couldn’t breathe. With the way Jake was staring intently at him, Eli wondered if he was feeling it too. “Hey.”

  “You’re back.”

  “Why does everyone keep saying that?” Eli laughed and moved into the room, leaning on the counter next to Jake.

  Jake shrugged a shoulder. “I wouldn’t blame you if you didn’t come back.”

  Eli looked down at the floor, scuffing his sneaker over a black line on the tile. “Is that what you want?”

  With Jake’s silence, Eli looked up and was immediately caught in those chocolate brown eyes. Jake looked completely offended. “That would never be what I’d want.”

  It was Eli’s turn to shrug now. “Half the time, I’m not sure you know what you want.” Jake opened his mouth, but Eli continued, “But what I am sure of is how much you want to do right by those boys. I know what they mean to you. And I know I want to help you.” Jake’s eyes studied Eli’s as if he was searching for a catch. He wasn’t going to find one. The air between them grew dense. Eli felt like the world was closing in, but it wasn’t until Jake’s lips met his that he realized what was happening. He froze for half a second before kissing Jake back. It only took a few seconds more for him to realize how stupid this was and pull back. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

  “Shit,” Jake rubbed his eyes with the heels of his hands. “You’re right. I’m sorry.”

  Eli had no idea what he should say next. So, he pushed off the counter and took the easy way out, hiking a thumb over his shoulder. “I have to go set up for a client.”

  Jake straightened his back and nodded. “Yeah, no problem.” When Eli was almost to the door, Jake said, “Eli.” Eli looked over his shoulder. “I’m glad you’re back.” Eli nodded in return and left the room, walking down the hall to his station trying to fight the smile forming.

  “Your parents are contesting the guardianship in Kevin and Maggie’s wills.” Avery tossed some papers on his desk. He took his glasses off and dropped those on top of the papers.

  “Shit.” Jake’s knee was bouncing, and his blood was pumping overtime. Were they out of their damn minds? To put the boys through this? It had only been three weeks since they’d lost their parents.

  “I’m not worried, Jake. The judge has no reason to go against their wishes. They chose you as guardian of the kids and the estate. It’s just a fucking pain in the ass.” Avery clasped his hands and leaned forward, resting them on the desk. “The cou
rt date is set for a little over a month from now. Maybe they’ll back off before then.”

  “Yeah, right. At this point, I’d bet money they’d go through with it just to spite me.” A mixture of anger and anxiety churned his gut.

  Avery sighed and hung his head. “Well, I guess that wouldn’t surprise me either the way Kevin always talked about them.” Avery lifted his head and looked at Jake. “I always assumed Kevin was exaggerating. I mean, what kind of parents cut off all ties with their own son?”

  “Shitty ones. Now they think they’re gonna raise my nephews? Hell, no.”

  “Like I said, I’m not worried. Just keep doing what you’re doing and—”

  Jake’s phone rang, and he tensed when he looked at the screen. “Shit. It’s Nick’s school. I gotta take this.” Avery nodded and sat back in his chair. “Hello?

  “Mr. Novak? This is Ms. Stein from Brighton Pier Middle School calling about your nephew, Nicholas Novak. He and two other boys got into an altercation, and we’ll need you to come pick him up.”

  Jake bit his tongue, holding in a stream of curses. “I’ll be right there.” He didn’t wait for the woman to respond, just ended the call. He put his phone on Avery’s desk then ran both hands in his hair, gripping it tightly. He didn’t know how much more he could take. How much could a person endure before they fucking cracked under the pressure? “Maybe they chose wrong, Avery.”

  Avery studied Jake for a minute, his face showing no emotion. “We’re talking about Kevin, here.”

  “Yeah? So?”

  “So, there are four things I knew, without a doubt, about your brother. One,” he held up his right hand and began counting with his fingers, “he loved Maggie and the kids more than life itself. Two, he believed in you more than you ever believed in yourself. Three, he was a perfectionist. And four, he never chose wrong.”

  By the time Jake got to Nick’s school, he’d worked himself up picturing Nick getting into a fight. That wasn’t like his nephew at all. Jake walked into the school office and saw Nick sitting in a chair against the wall. His bottom lip was cut and swollen, his brown hair was a mess, and his T-shirt was stretched out on one side like someone had been pulling on it. He wouldn’t look at Jake, even as he walked over and stood in front of him.