He sighed. “I know she means well. I’m sorry if she made things uncomfortable for you.”
“She didn’t, not really. I told her we were just friends but I’m not sure she believed me.”
He leaned sideways, playfully bumping her shoulder with his. “A friend would come to my birthday party.”
Aha! Her inner self crowed. Told you!
“You want me to come?”
“Sure.” He shrugged. “I’m a boss on the grill. Plus you’d be doing me a solid. If you’re there, my mother and sisters might stop trying to set me up with every unattached female within a twenty-five-mile radius.”
A spike of jealousy flared through her. “Yikes.”
He laughed. “Exactly. So, what do you say?”
“Well, when you put it that way, how can I say no?”
“Great! Saturday, two o’clock, rain or shine.”
“Can I bring anything?”
“Just yourself. And your sense of humor,” he said wryly. “You’re going to need it.”
He got up. Once again, her eyes latched onto the flex of muscles beneath the Levi’s and plain working man’s T. “And Tori?”
She lifted her eyes, feeling the heat in her cheeks because she’d been caught ogling him. “Yes?”
“I know where you live. If you don’t show, I’ll come by and get you myself.”
“Is that a threat? Or a promise?”
He grinned and winked, but didn’t answer.
Chapter Eleven
Spending the day among family was nice. The huge elephant that plopped himself down in the backyard along with them? Not so much.
Unfortunately, that’s how most family get togethers had been since his return to civilization. Everyone tried to act “normal”, but there was no mistaking the surreptitious glances cast his way. No overlooking their worry that he was “okay”.
He wasn’t okay, not by a long shot, but he was doing his damnedest to appear as if he was, for their sake. They’d already been through more than enough. They knew he had issues and that he was working on them; they didn’t need to know how hard he had to work.
The guest list was kept small, which he appreciated. Immediate family plus a few close friends. Everyone had a plus one, including his youngest sister, Corinne. With Tori coming, he had one, too.
Sort of.
Before he’d gone to see Tori in Birch Falls, he’d sat down with his mother and his sisters to make several things clear and set realistic expectations. He wanted them to understand that he and Tori were just friends, and new friends at that. That neither he nor she was interested in more, and that any suggestion otherwise would make them both uncomfortable. He also wanted them to acknowledge that inviting Tori was as much for her benefit as his, because she was relatively new to the area and didn’t know a lot of people.
That’s what he was telling himself, anyway. He almost believed it, too.
Tori showed up at five minutes before two. He hadn’t realized how worried he’d been that she wouldn’t show until he heard the rumble of her Jeep pulling into the driveway. Despite his threat the day before, he wouldn’t have driven out to her place if she hadn’t shown. He might have wanted to, but he also understood the importance of letting people make their own choices. She certainly wouldn’t be the first person to agree to something out of a sense of duty or an unwillingness to say no face to face then change her mind later.
He met her at the car, grinning when she handed him a large covered bowl.
“What’s this?”
“Nothing much. Just some strawberries and whipped cream.”
“How did you know I love strawberries?”
She blinked. “I didn’t. I went to a pick-your-own thing at a farm up the road and got carried away. I couldn’t possibly eat them all, and despite what you said, I couldn’t come empty handed.”
Had it been anyone else, Brian would have suspected collusion or at least some thinly veiled hints provided by Lacie so Tori could score a few brownie points by bringing along one of his favorite summer foods, but there was nothing hidden in Tori’s brown-green gaze, only honesty.
“That would be Maggie’s place,” he said. “She has the best strawberries. She’s married to Michael Callaghan, Shane and Kieran’s brother.”
“Another Callaghan,” she murmured. “Can’t throw a stick without hitting one, huh?”
He laughed. “That’s what my dad says. So what’s in there?” He pointed toward the small gift bag in her hand.
“Your birthday present.”
“A present? For me?”
“Well, it is your birthday, isn’t it?”
“Yes, but you didn’t have to do that.”
“I don’t know what kind of woman you think I am, Mr. McCain, if you believe I’d show up to a cookout empty handed or a birthday celebration without a gift.”
He might have felt bad if he hadn’t seen her lips quirk or the glint of amusement in her eyes.
“You’re right,” he grinned, feeling lighter than he had all day. “My apologies.”
She sniffed. “Apology accepted.”
They went around to the back. Brian introduced her to his mother, who beamed with approval when Brian handed her the chilled bowl. Then to his father, who was adding briquets to the ancient grill and discussing the pros and cons of charcoal versus hardwood with Shane. Lacie seemed just as relieved to see Tori as he had been, and Tori seemed to visibly relax when she spotted Lacie.
Kieran, Faith, Matt, and a young woman named Brittany arrived soon after. Things grew a little tense when his younger sister Corinne showed up with her latest boyfriend, Gage. The guy was the sullen, broody type and made no secret of the fact that he wasn’t thrilled to be there. He didn’t stay long, though, citing some prior engagement. The mood lifted again once he was gone. Everyone’s but Corinne’s, that was, who seemed distracted. Brian made a mental note to find out more about “Gage” later.
Any worries he had about things being awkward with Tori around were laid to rest quickly. She seemed to be enjoying herself. She was soft spoken and quiet, but his mother and sisters were experts at putting people at ease. An added bonus: their focus on Tori and the kids (Lacie’s and Faith’s) took some of the attention off him. There were a few moments when he felt the need to distance himself, but not as many as usual.
The afternoon passed in a pleasant buzz of good food, good company, and plenty of laughter. Soon they were lighting torches and turning on the patio lights that had been strung around the backyard.
Little by little, the party wound down. Corinne was the first to leave. After being oddly quiet and distracted, she received a text and announced she was meeting up with her boyfriend at a club downtown. Matt and his girlfriend left shortly after. Kieran, Faith and their little girl Kassidy were next, followed shortly after by Lacie, Shane, and his nephew, Liam. His parents went inside to watch television. Suddenly, Brian found himself alone with Tori on the suspended bench swing. He waited for the familiar impulse to bolt to take hold, but it didn’t come.
It probably helped that Tori seemed to feel the same way about things as he did. She sat with her head against the back of the swing, eyes closed, her legs up and crossed while he kept the momentum going with small pushes of his foot against the ground.
“What’s making those sounds?” she asked without opening her eyes.
“Cicadas. Crickets. Pond frogs. An owl.”
“They make nice music, don’t you think?”
“Yeah. I didn’t realize how nice until I didn’t hear it for a while.”
She opened her eyes, following the path of blinking insects amidst the shrubs and flowers. He held his breath, realizing he’d given her the perfect opening to ask him questions. He knew she had them. Everyone did.
The question she asked wasn’t one he expected. “And what do you call those?”
He looked where she was pointing just above the grass. “Lightning bugs.”
She chuckled. “Not fireflie
s?”
“Nope. Around here, they’re lightning bugs.”
“Lightning bugs. I like that.” She looked around, suddenly seeming to realize they were alone. She unfolded her legs and got up from the swing. “I should probably go.”
He didn’t want her to go. He couldn’t think of a good reason for her to stay, though.
“Thanks for coming today,” Brian said.
“Thanks for having me. It was fun.”
He snorted.
She laughed. “Seriously. This was nice. You have a lovely family.”
“And you’re a good sport.”
He walked her to her Jeep. He couldn’t help but notice how pretty she looked in the moonlight. How her eyes sparkled. He had a sudden, powerful urge to kiss her. In fact, his body was already leaning closer. Then he realized he had no business thinking or doing any of those things and took a step back.
“What just happened?” she asked.
“Nothing, why?”
She stared at him for a minute. Once again, he had the feeling she saw a lot more than he wanted her to. “If you want to kiss me, then you should.”
When he didn’t respond, the soft, relaxed look she’d had all evening faded, then she shook her head slightly and said, “I’m sorry. For a minute I thought...”
He wasn’t going to do it. He knew it was wrong. But he’d no sooner had that thought than he was leaning down, cupping the back of her neck, and pressing his lips against hers. They were even softer than he’d imagined and tasted of strawberries.
He ran his tongue lightly along the seam, pleased when she parted and let him deepen the kiss. She made a soft sound, just enough to return some of his wits. He pulled back slightly, surprised by his own lack of control.
The apology was on his lips a moment later. “I’m sorry.”
Her eyes fluttered open. “I’m not. Wow. You really know how to kiss.”
“I shouldn’t have done that.”
“Probably not,” she agreed. “And I shouldn’t have let you. Still not sorry, though.”
She grabbed the hand hold suspended from the support bar and swung herself up easily into the seat. He didn’t know why, but he enjoyed watching her do that.
“Goodnight, Brian. Please tell your parents I said good night and thanks, okay?”
No anger, no regret, no demanding answers or clarifications. Just acceptance and agreement. He felt oddly disappointed that she had agreed that kissing her had been a mistake so readily.
She turned the key, frowning when the engine failed to turn over.
“Need a jump?”
He winced as the words left his lips, but she didn’t seem to notice.
“No, sometimes it just needs coaxing.” After a few tries, she got the Jeep running. She turned to him with a small yet triumphant smile. “See? It’s all good.”
“Want me to take a look? I’m no mechanic, but...”
“No, thanks.”
“You might want to get that checked out.”
“Yeah, it’s on my list.”
“Sean Callaghan owns the garage in town. He could probably diagnose the problem within a minute or two, and if he can’t, his wife Nicki can.”
“Another Callaghan?”
He chuckled and tossed her words from earlier back to her. “Yeah. Can’t throw a stick in Pine Ridge without hitting a Callaghan.”
She smiled, and that made him feel slightly better about the whole kiss thing. “Maybe you could take it by tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow’s Sunday. Mechanics don’t work on Sundays.”
“Sean does.
She shook her head. “I’m busy anyway.”
“Oh? Doing what?”
She hesitated for a moment, then said, “I’m doing one of the biking trails along the river.”
“Alone?”
Her lips pressed together. “Yes.”
“What time?”
She huffed out a breath in annoyance. “I don’t know. Probably early, before it gets too hot. Anything else?”
“No. Goodnight.”
Tori drove off and Brian turned back toward the house feeling conflicted. He wanted to spend time with Tori, but he didn’t want to send mixed signals. Wanted to kiss her again, but knew a relationship was out of the question. If there was a positive, it was that feeling conflicted was a lot better than the dark feelings that usually began stirring about this time of night.
When he got to the patio, he noticed the small bag tucked underneath one of the chairs. He recognized it as the gift Tori had brought for him and immediately felt like even more of an ass.
He picked it up and took it into the house. Opening the bag, he looked inside and found a birthday card with silly animals on the front and a joke about being another year older. Inside was a URL printed in feminine script. He pulled out his phone and tapped it in, surprised to find that she’d created a playlist for him. The first song on the list? Cotton-Eyed Joe. The next? The theme song from the old Hee Haw television show.
He worked his way through the list, song by song. Tori must have spent a lot of time on this. She’d picked out an eclectic mix. Some he knew, some he didn’t, but there wasn’t one he didn’t like.
Fresh strawberries and cream? Pleasant company? Handmade playlists, a love of Jeeps, and trail biking?
He was going to have to be very, very careful, or he might actually start thinking crazy thoughts—like kissing Tori Donovan again... and more.
“Did Tori leave?” his mother asked, entering the kitchen with two mugs and taking them to the sink.
“Yeah, just a few minutes ago. She said to say thanks and goodnight.”
“She seems like a very nice young woman.”
He looked up from his phone, expecting to see a matchmaking glint in his mother’s eye, but all he saw was concern. “Mom, what is it?”
“Another girl was reported missing today.”
“Where?”
“Birch Falls.”
Chapter Twelve
Tori woke up at the crack of dawn. Her sleep had been restless, filled with a series of erratic dreams. In one, she and Brian were snorkeling hand in hand along a tropical island reef. In the next, they were skiing in the Alps, with her trying desperately to keep up with him as he put more and more distance between them.
No special analysis skills required to interpret that.
Brian was as hot and cold in her dreams as he had been at the cookout. One minute, she’d catch him watching her from beneath hooded eyes while she talked to Lacie and Faith and played with their kids. The next, he was choosing a seat as far across the patio from her as possible.
One minute, he was making her toes curl with an unexpected (but wonderful!) kiss. The next, he was stepping back and apologizing, saying it shouldn’t have happened.
That suggested that Brian was feeling some attraction but didn’t necessarily want to. The question was, why not? Did he have a problem with relationships in general, or with her specifically?
She didn’t know him well enough to say for sure, but her brief observations made her believe it was the former: Brian was as cautious and guarded as she was when it came to getting close to someone. Maybe even more so, if that haunted look she sometimes caught in those expressive blue eyes was any indication.
Oh, yeah, Brian McCain had some demons he kept on tight leashes, and she guessed that he allowed only a select few to see them. Based on the limited interaction she’d observed at the cookout—the pure normalcy of it—it was possible that not even his family knew the extent of what he had going on in there.
If they don’t, it’s because he doesn’t want them to.
But why wouldn’t he? They seemed like a very caring, loving family. The kind who would support each other no matter what.
Then again, that could be exactly why he didn’t. Because they did care so much. Knowing the truth would be a heavy weight on their shoulders, and Brian seemed like the type of guy who preferred to carry the heaviest loads alone. Her hear
t ached at the thought.
You can help him carry the load.
He’s not the type to open up to just anyone.
So don’t be just anyone. Be whoever he needs you to be.
Yes, she could do that. If he wanted a friend, she would be his friend. If he wanted more, well, then, she might be up for that too—provided she kept her feet on the ground and her head out of the clouds. Yes, she knew she was playing with fire. Yes, she knew that despite efforts to guard her heart, she would probably get burned. But she dared any woman to be kissed by Brian McCain and not want to take things beyond the friend zone, demons or no demons.
For now, however, the ball was in his court. She wasn’t going to chase him. For one thing, that wasn’t her style, and for another, she didn’t think Brian would respond well to that. He was too inherently, classically male. If there was any pursuing to be done, he would be the one doing it.
If it’s meant to be, our paths will cross again.
And if not, then nothing had really changed. They would go their separate ways, no worse off than they had been before.
Glad she’d worked that out, Tori made some coffee, took a quick shower, and dressed in comfortable clothes. While she made breakfast, she turned on the early morning news to get a weather forecast. Yesterday’s broadcast had mentioned a chance of afternoon thunderstorms and she wanted to make sure she was home well before they hit.
A woman’s picture flashed up on the screen. She looked vaguely familiar. The somber faced reporter doing the story said the woman had worked as a cashier at a grocery store in Birch Falls, the same store where Tori sometimes stopped on her way home from work.
The newscaster went on to say that the woman was reported missing after several days had gone by and she hadn’t shown up for work. She was last seen leaving the store more than a week earlier and police were asking anyone who might have seen her during that time to call the tip line.
Tori wondered why it had taken a week for someone to notice she was missing. Did the woman live alone? Have family nearby? Friends?
Then she wondered how long it would take someone to notice if she didn’t show up for work.
Not Quite Broken: A Callaghan Family & Friends Romance Page 7
