by Taylor Hart
Parker looked as though he would try to rip off Ryan’s head. “I’ll show you off.”
“Stop.” JJ put up both hands to stop a brawl. He frowned at Parker. Six months ago Parker had left the Bureau and moved to Oceanside, California. He’d been quiet about why he’d left. “I know this is a bad time for you, but you’re really going to let all of us suffer? Our charities suffer?”
Ryan eased up and flexed. “Someone will want these guns, right? I’ll try to figure something out.”
Seth moved next to them, his fists clenched. “The animals won’t suffer, so I’m in.”
JJ smiled at him. Seth would never let his charity be defunded.
Clark sat at the table, his knee moving up and down in staccato motion. “I don’t know.”
“We can’t do this,” Parker said, stepping back and looking at all of them in turn. “This is wrong.”
Seth cursed. “Don’t you see, there’s no choice? Not if we want to keep all of our charities up and running.”
“I agree. There’s no choice.” Ryan nodded.
Clark faced Parker. “They’re right. We have to do it.”
JJ turned to Parker. “C’mon, bro.”
“No, I can’t. I’m sorry.” Parker started walking toward the door. “I can’t.”
“Don’t be an idiot!” Ryan called after him.
“Parker!” Clark yelled. “Come back.”
Seth threw up his hands and turned to JJ. “What are we supposed to do now?”
JJ put a hand on Ryan’s shoulder and turned to his brothers. “I’ll talk to him. We’ll make this work.” He put his fist into the air. “Now come on, bring it in. We can do this, boys. I know it’s not fair—I know it’s debatable whether the old man was sane or not—but we really don’t have time to worry about all of that.”
Ryan, Seth, and Clark put their fists next to his.
He flashed a grin. “Kelly Brothers on three. One, two, three!”
“Kelly Brothers!”
Chapter 2
Chantel didn’t want to be back at the Kelly Brother Ranch for a funeral. She looked at the line of people, all waiting to shake the hands with the brothers and mourn the death of Jack Kelly. Pain filled her chest, and she sucked in a long breath.
Jack Kelly was like a second father to her. And his sons were like brothers to her. Well, all were like brothers, except JJ.
Dustin, her fiancé, squeezed her hand. “Listen, I know you insisted on coming to Jack’s funeral, and I get it.” He gestured to the house. “You grew up down the road; your father was best friends with the man. All of this was part of your past.”
She didn’t want to talk to him right now. She didn’t want to hear him talk about how much he hated JJ Kelly.
“Listen, I don’t think we should go through the line.” Dustin pointed down the hallway. “We can just bypass the brothers and go to the room where they are having the service.”
Chantel knew she didn’t have to talk to the brothers—but she did. No matter what had happened between her and JJ, all of the Kelly boys had been like her brothers. “I’m going down the line.”
Dustin’s lips pinched into a thin line. “I would think that your future should matter more than your past right now.”
She jerked to face him, tired of his whining. He’d been whining since she’d gotten the news about the funeral. “By ‘future,’ you mean you?” She kept her voice down, but her anger couldn’t be contained.
He let out a sardonic laugh. “If by ‘me’ you mean your soon-to-be husband, then yes.”
Since last week, he had been throwing it in her face that he was going to be her husband and she needed to focus on their wedding and not this funeral. She tugged her hand out of his.
They got to a long row of tables covered with pictures of the family. The first she saw was of Jack and Susan, holding each other and smiling in front of the KB Ranch Sign. They had truly loved each other so much.
Dustin grabbed her hand back. “Don’t do this to me today, Chantel.”
She squeezed her eyes shut, wishing she had listened to the inner voice that had told her to come by herself. When her eyes flashed open, she said as evenly as she could manage, “No, don’t you do this to me today, Dustin.” They fighting had gotten bad since she’d gotten the email from the private investigator two weeks ago.
His hard exterior crumbled and he pulled her closer. “I’m sorry. I’m…Listen, Chantel, I feel like the Kellys are always there, lurking in the shadows of your past.”
Chantel almost got into everything with him right there, but then the line shifted forward, moving them closer to the brothers. “Just go wait for me, please.” There were more pictures of Jack and all of his kids at different ages. She smiled and focused on them, trying to block out the present.
“Fine.” Dustin yanked back his hand. “But you’re selling the property, right? You said we’d talk to a realtor tomorrow.” For three years, he’d been upset about the house and ten acres Jack had deeded to her when her father had passed away. “I hope you remember that the last time I saw JJ, he was the one who punched me.”
Listening to Dustin rant about JJ was far too tiresome. “I know.” She reached out, lightly touching a picture of her, her father, Jack, and JJ standing next to the stables. She had only been eight or nine, laughing as she sat on her father’s shoulders. “Daddy.” Moisture pooled in her eyes.
Dustin stared at the picture, then whispered, “We never should have come. You’re never going to forget them or this place, are you?”
Her hand shook, and she pulled away from Dustin. Why had she brought him with her?
Because he’d insisted on coming.
“Just go,” she said, moving forward in the line. She wiped at the tears slipping down her cheeks. Her father had loved Jack so much.
Dustin hesitated again but still wouldn’t leave.
She stared at a picture of her father and Jack together, standing in front of the house she’d grown up in, two miles down the lane from here. Her parents had come to live on the Kelly Brother Ranch right after Jack bought it. The ranch was huge, boasting 220,000 acres comprised of deeded and leased land. Jack had met her father in Steamboat Springs and offered him a job as foreman, managing the cattle. Her parents had been so proud to work beside Jack Kelly. Her mother had been pregnant with her at the time, so Chantel had grown up being part of the Kelly dynasty.
“Are you sure you don’t want me to stay with you?” Dustin touched the engagement ring on her finger. “Ten days,” he whispered softly, trying to smile at her.
She was in no mood for his games. “Go.”
“Fine. Just remember, I’m the man who’s been with you the past six years. I helped you through the fallout JJ left you with.”
Anger pulsed through her and she whirled to face him, noting she was only three people away from JJ’s youngest brother, Clark. “I mean it, Dustin.”
Dustin cursed under his breath. “I don’t know why you’re acting so bossy. You used to be so much nicer.” He finally took off down the hallway and disappeared into the room where the service would be held.
Chantel stared at the ring on her finger. It had been his grandmother’s ring, and it was large, heavy, and too gaudy. She didn’t like it that much, but how do you refuse an heirloom?
She wiped a stray tear coming down her cheek, trying to ignore Dustin’s tantrum. Ahead, a woman she didn’t recognize was laughing at something one of the brothers had said. Laughter felt so out of place here.
In a daze, she turned back to the stream of pictures, taken off guard by a photo of her and JJ dressed in their prom clothes. JJ had his arm awkwardly wrapped around her waist. She instantly remembered that night. He’d come to her house to pick her up, all formal, and her father had made them pose on the porch.
They’d been so young and innocent then. She smiled, remembering that pink off-the-shoulder dress she’d worn—she’d argued with her father over whether it was appropriate.
&
nbsp; The recent picture of JJ on tour flashed into her mind. Chantel had seen the clip of him proposing onstage a few months ago. Of course, she was happy for him.
“Chantel,” Clark said, taking her into a huge hug.
He was six years younger than her, so it was with surprise that she looked up at him and said, “You’re so grown-up.”
Clark smiled. His eyes were red. “Always the little brother, right? Glad you could make it. Dad loved you something fierce.”
She knew that, but hearing it again made her bubble with more emotion, and she leaned in for another hug. “I loved him something fierce, too.”
Clark held her tighter.
“Hey, don’t hog our sister.”
Chantel pulled back, smiling at Seth and moving into his big arms. He held her close. He’d always been quiet, but also kind and caring.
“We’ve missed you,” he said.
“So sorry for your loss,” she whispered.
Seth nodded. “Our loss.”
“Chantel!” Someone yanked her backward into a huge hug only a football star could give.
She laughed. “Ry!”
“You’re late. You should be standing next to us.”
She was grateful for his words of love. “How are you holding up?”
Ryan’s happy face deflated as he let her go. “I’m still coming to your wedding.” He winked at her. “You still releasing those doves at sunset?”
Chantel remembered what he was referring to. They’d had dinner the last time he’d come to L.A. He’d come in for a game against the Los Angeles Wave, and he’d tracked her down. “Yep.”
He pointed finger guns at her, then flashed a smile, trying to cover his grief. “Thanks for coming.”
“Hey, let me have some of those hugs.” Parker said, opening his arms. “Hey, little sis.”
It’d been their joke since they were kids. He always called her little because he was one week older.
“Hey.” She noted that JJ was talking with the older gentleman ahead of her. Her angst grew at being so close to him.
Parker winked at her. “Don’t worry. He’ll behave at this funeral. I’ll make sure.”
Chantel cringed. Five years had passed since the whole incident between JJ and Dustin at JJ’s mother’s funeral, but the embarrassment came back fresh as ever. She played it off with a shrug. “It’s fine.”
“Chantel.”
JJ’s soft voice prompted her to turn to him. Everything around them faded into the background. Her lip trembled. “J.”
Without preamble, he closed the gap between them and held her close. He whispered in her ear, “I knew you’d come. I just knew it.”
She broke into a sob. “I’m so sorry about Jack. I’m so sorry.”
“I know. I know.” He held her tighter.
Being in JJ’s arms again felt like home. This was why she had needed to go through the line: she had to be here for him, comfort him, and be comforted by him.
JJ stepped back but kept her hand, tugging her out of the official line and down the hallway a bit. He smiled, and his red-rimmed eyes swept her up and down. “Look at you. You’re gorgeous.”
She sniffed, still a bit shaken at being so close to him. “You look good, too.” She glanced at his leg.
His face twisted with pain. “I didn’t know about dad’s cancer, Chan. He didn’t tell anyone.”
She broke into another round of tears, leaning into him. JJ was still huge—not just in height, which was six foot two, but in bulk as well. When he was still active military, he’d beefed up even more. Now, he was leaner, but still too big for her to hold.
“I can’t believe Dad. Why didn’t he tell us?” his voice cracked.
Chantel remembered seeing Jack last March, when he’d flown out and demanded a tour of the training center she and Dustin owned. Afterward, he’d taken the two of them out to dinner and acted…well, like a father. “I’m so sorry. He was such a great man.”
JJ nodded. His fingers brushed hers, but he paused when he touched her ring. He stared at it for a few seconds.
Their eyes met, and a thousand memories passed before her.
Gently, he swiped a stray hair out of her face. “I’ve missed you.”
Electricity crackled, and it would have been romantic if the situation had been different. She squeezed his hand, then pulled back. “I better let you get back to the masses.”
“Wait,” he said. “I just need to tell you something.”
Her heart raced. “Okay.”
He frowned, glancing at her ring finger again. “Did Dustin come?”
She nodded. “But you won’t see him. Don’t worry.” She didn’t want to talk about the incident at his mother’s funeral.
JJ sighed, running a hand through his hair. “I regret punching him. I…That was a hard time for me, but I shouldn’t have done that.”
The fact that JJ Kelly had just apologized took her way off guard. “O-kay” was all she could muster as a reply. He’d had an unusually hard time back then, and her eyes drifted back down to his right leg. Everything from the knee down had been replaced.
He flashed her a grin as if reading her mind. “It doesn’t hurt, so that’s good. Just aches when I’m on my feet a lot.”
“I’m glad. I’m really glad your leg is good. And I’m really glad everything else is good, too.” She winced inwardly. Had she just said that? What was wrong with her?
He grunted and flexed his biceps. “Yep, I’m doing great. And the guns are good, too.”
It was nice to see the testosterone-filled SEAL come out. “I’m glad to hear that.” She wondered at this underlying chemistry between them, just like when they were younger. “I’m really proud of you, you know,” she blurted.
His forehead creased, and he nodded. “Thank you.”
“I mean it,” she said. “I never got to tell you, but I think it’s awesome you went after your dream and got it.”
The side of his mouth turned up.
She couldn’t stop. “After everything happened,” she said, looking at his leg again, “you reinvented yourself and became a star. That’s impressive.”
“That means a lot to me, coming from you.” He grinned. “I’m not a star yet. Montana Crew told me last month that if this tour goes well, I’ll have my own tour next year. And other people will be opening for me.” His eyes widened dramatically.
She couldn’t help teasing him. “So all those days you tortured me in the tree house weren’t for nothing.”
His face softened, and he took her hand again. He swallowed. “I meant to thank you for that. Those were good days, weren’t they? And I hope you know that Dad loved you so much.” His green eyes brightened with emotion, and he stared at her lips. “And I never forgave myself, Chan.”
Their breath mingled for a second. She couldn’t do this any longer. Quickly, she stepped back. “I’d better get in there.”
He let go of her hand. “Thanks again for coming.”
Staring into his eyes, she suddenly wanted to tell him everything. “JJ—”
“JJ, we need you,” Parker called out from down the hall.
JJ put up a hand. “Just a sec, bro.” He swung his gaze back to her. “What were you saying?”
She blinked, reminding herself that the time for all of that was over. It had been over for years. “Um.” She swallowed. “Yeah, I just wanted to tell you that I’m so happy for you and Tonya.”
“Oh. Thanks.” He gave her a sad smile.
Something was off, but she didn’t have time to figure it out.
He jerked his thumb to the line. “Better get back or the guys will never let me hear the end of it.”
She sucked in a breath, half grateful, half sorry that the moment had passed. “Okay.”
He was quiet for a minute; then he pointed to her shoes. “Still trying to gain inches on me, huh?”
He’d always teased her mercilessly about wearing high heels, and she’d wondered if he would notice today. “Yep
, always trying to one up ya.”
“Thanks again for coming.” He kissed the back of her hand. “And congratulations on the wedding and all of that. I wish you the best.”
Her heart went into this wild, erratic rhythm at the feel of his lips, and she thought about how it felt to kiss him on the mouth. No. They were way past that.
He moved back toward the line. “Bye, Chan.”
Stupidly, she wanted to reach for him, hold him, and cry with him some more. Instead, she only nodded. “Bye, J.”
He was already shaking hands and talking to someone she didn’t know.
She moved toward the room the service would be held in, scrubbing a hand over her face. JJ Kelly looked better than ever.
Chapter 3
The next day, JJ drove back to the Denver airport. He parked his rental car at a gas station in Steamboat Springs. He and his brothers hadn’t needed to stay and sort stuff out, because as usual, his father had planned for everything.
Ever since JJ learned that his father had chosen not to tell any of them about his cancer, a hollow feeling had settled into the center of his chest. What the crap? JJ slammed his hand against the steering wheel and cursed. “Why, Dad? Why?”
Of course, there was no answer. His father—the man he’d admired and respected his whole life, the man who had taught him about living, giving, and caring—was gone. He blinked, hating that he couldn’t control his emotions.
His phone buzzed with a call from his agent, Mike. Reluctantly, he pressed the green button. “Hey.” His voice sounded rough to his own ears.
“JJ? Hey, I honestly didn’t know if I’d get you. Look, I just wanted you to know that I spoke with Sloane, and he said to tell you to take all the time you need. We can get a fill-in lead singer for a couple of weeks, so if—”
“I don’t need any time. And I don’t want a fill-in.”
Mike hesitated. “The funeral was yesterday.”
“You think I don’t know that? You think I don’t know how these things go when someone ‘takes time,’ and then they are out of the band and out of the tour?” It happened recently to the lead singer in the other band that opened for Sloane. “No way.”
