by Alison Bliss
Although he was still worried about not getting approved for the loan, they both seemed genuinely happy for him and said that, if he didn’t, they would be happy to cosign for him. His chest swelled with emotion. It was nice having family in his corner who believed in him and had his back. The only thing that could make his night any more perfect was—
As if on cue, the entrance door to the bar swung open, and Sidney stepped into view. Brett’s gaze flickered over her, and his throat tightened. She was wearing black slacks paired with a white button-down. He didn’t know how she did it, but she always managed to look like she’d just come from a business meeting. Maybe it was strange, but something about that always aroused him.
But that problem corrected itself when he noticed the guy behind her. His stomach dropped, and the awesome mood he was in went to shit. The last thing he wanted to do was spend the rest of the night watching the woman he loved canoodling with some other guy. Fuck that.
Knowing Logan was in the storeroom breaking down liquor boxes, Brett began making his way to that side of the bar. He made sure to give Sidney and her guest a wide berth and stayed on the opposite line of foot traffic to keep from being spotted. He didn’t need another uncomfortable meeting like they’d had earlier in the day. If you asked him, once had been enough.
But before he made it to the hallway in which the storeroom was located, someone grasped his arm. “Hey, where are you going?”
He glanced over his shoulder at Valerie and then turned to face her. “I’m going to see if your husband needs any help.”
“Oh, he’s probably close to being finished by now.”
Brett shrugged. “That’s all right. I’ll just go hang out with him then. Anything as long as it gets me out of this room.”
Valerie’s eyes filled with concern. “Why? What’s wrong? Did something happen?”
“Yeah,” he said, grabbing her shoulders and turning her toward the area where Sidney was sitting with her date. “That happened.”
“Oh. That sucks.”
“My sentiments exactly.”
His sister glanced back at him. “Did she see you?”
“Not yet. I was trying to escape before that happened.”
Valerie crossed her arms. “Go on then. I’ll cover for you, if necessary. I can always say that I borrowed your truck.”
He squeezed her shoulder and smiled. “Thanks, Val. This is why you’re my favorite sister.”
She laughed. “The competition isn’t real stiff. I’m your only sister, dork.”
Brett grinned at her and then slipped down the hallway to get out of sight. He didn’t look at it as running from his problems. It was more like he was removing himself from a difficult situation rather than reacting to it.
He’d learned that in therapy.
Over the past year, his counselor had given him some great tools that really improved his overall behavior and attitude. Like when he was struggling with a difficult situation, she’d suggested that he head to the gym and take his frustrations out on a boxing bag or work up a good sweat on the weights. He’d taken her advice, and not only had it enhanced his body, but working out had become therapeutic when something was troubling him.
Like seeing Sidney with another man.
Unfortunately, he didn’t have access to a gym this late in the evening. But the good news was that he now knew how to handle the uncomfortable situation like a grown man rather than the immature idiot he once was.
Brett shoved open the door to the storeroom and found Logan sitting on a crate. “Hey, dillhole. Need any help?”
“With what? Sitting on my ass?”
“You’re supposed to be working. I know you don’t know what that is, but I thought maybe by now you would’ve figured it out.” Brett shrugged one shoulder. “Guess not.”
Logan grinned wide. “Says the guy who shows up after the work is done.”
Brett sat down on a crate and leaned back against the wall, making himself comfortable. He would probably be here for a while. “Only proves I’m smarter than you.”
“And lazier too,” Logan said with a chuckle. He kicked his feet up on the box in front of him. “So what are you doing back here? Did your sister get tired of you already?”
“Not this time,” Brett told him, smirking.
“Then what’s up?”
“Nothing.”
Logan gave him a yeah, right look. “I know you better than that, Brett. Start talking.”
He sighed. “Fine. Sidney’s in the bar.”
“All right. What’s wrong with that?”
“She’s on a date.”
“Oh.” Logan rubbed his chin as if he were in deep thought. “So I take it that you’re hiding back here to keep from running into them?”
“No, I’m avoiding them to keep from running into them.”
Logan squinted at him. “Isn’t that the same thing?”
“Probably, but saying I’m avoiding them sounds a lot better. Doesn’t make me feel like such a loser.”
“Oh, come on. You’re not a loser, man. You can’t help how you feel.” He leaned forward, his face serious. “Does she at least know that you’re still in love with her?”
Brett shook his head. “No. I didn’t tell her.”
“What? Why the hell not? What are you waiting for?”
“Logan, she avoided me for almost an entire year, and now she’s on a date with another man. What would be the point? She’s obviously over me and has already moved on.”
Logan’s eyes widened. “So that’s it? You’re not even going to fight for her?” When he didn’t get a response, he shook his head with annoyance. “God, you’re such a loser.”
Brett couldn’t help grinning. “I thought you just said I wasn’t one.”
“Yeah, well, I lied.”
* * *
Sidney should’ve known better.
She had a feeling that coming into the bar would be one giant mistake, and she was absolutely right. She and her date had been sitting at the bar for nearly two hours, and she hadn’t seen a single sign of Brett beyond his truck in the parking lot. And that only made her consider that he’d met someone and gone home with her in her own vehicle. Why else would he leave his behind?
She scanned the entire bar again, hoping to spot him in some dark corner, but he was nowhere to be seen. Damn it. Why was she torturing herself like this?
Charles stumbled toward her, his eyes glazed over. “I still can’t find my keys,” he slurred drunkenly.
Great.
Instead of watching for Brett for the past few hours, she should’ve been keeping an eye on her date, who apparently drank like a fish. After having a few too many, he was now in no condition to drive. Which really didn’t matter since he couldn’t find the car keys that he’d lost somewhere in the bar anyway.
Sidney caught sight of Valerie passing by and flagged her down. “Hey, Valerie. Did anyone turn in a set of car keys? We seem to have lost some.”
“Hmm, I can double-check with my head bartender, but I haven’t heard about anyone finding any car keys. I’ll let you know if I do though.”
“Okay, thanks. But if they turn up, can you just hang on to them until tomorrow? It’s getting late, and I think we’re about to leave.”
“No problem. But how are you getting home? Do you need me to call you a cab? We have the taxi company on speed dial.”
She nodded. “Sure, that would be great. Thanks.”
Charles placed a hand on his stomach and hunched over a little. “I don’t feel so good.”
Sidney glanced at Valerie. “Uh, maybe we should step outside and get some fresh air while we wait on that cab.”
“I’ll go call them right now and tell them to look for you two out front.”
“Thanks, Val.”
Sidney grasped Charles’s arm and led him out the exit. It was still sprinkling a little so they stayed under the covered area and sat on a wooden bench. He immediately leaned forward with his elbows prop
ped on his knees and hung his head. Guess those four Irish Car Bombs he’d chugged had hit him all at once. Idiot.
She was seriously annoyed. Not only had Charles drunk himself to intoxication like a frat boy at a kegger, but he hadn’t seemed at all concerned about how she was going to get home since he’d picked her up. And what really frustrated her and had her stewing in silence was the one thought that replayed over and over in her mind.
Brett would never have done this.
A few minutes later, Valerie stepped outside. “Just checking on you two. I would’ve came out sooner, but I went around asking all the bartenders and waitresses if anyone turned in a set of keys. No luck yet.”
“That’s okay. I’m sure they’ll turn up at some point.” She’d barely finished the sentence when a pair of headlights turned into the parking lot. “Oh, good. There’s our ride.”
Sidney helped Charles to his feet and walked him out to the sidewalk as the cab pulled to a stop in front of them. Light rain pelted the top of her head, but she opened the door and waited patiently as her date stumbled forward and crawled inside.
She turned back to Valerie, who was still standing under the covered area and waved. “Thanks, Val.”
Once Valerie had waved back, Sidney ran around to the other side of the taxi to hurry and get out of the rain. But when she threw open the door, she froze in place. A horrible retching sound came from inside the car, and the rancid smell of hot wiener smacked her in the face. Oh, God.
She’d never been able to handle the sounds and smell of someone throwing up and immediately covered her nose with her hand. She liked hot dogs, but not the kind that had been partially digested and thrown back up. Gross. To make matters worse, Charles had thrown up on her part of the seat. Great. There was no way she was going to sit in vomit, much less smell that odor all the way home. No doubt she would end up puking herself.
She sighed and glanced to the driver, who looked as annoyed as she felt. “Um, I’ll just wait for the next taxi.”
“I am the next taxi, lady. It’s a small town. Not enough business to run more than one taxi a night.”
Ah, crap. “Okay, then I’ll just find another way home.” She pulled out a twenty-dollar bill and passed it to the driver as she rattled off Charles’s address. “This should cover his fare.” Then she handed him another twenty. “And this is for your trouble. Sorry about the mess.”
The driver shoved the money in his shirt pocket and grinned. “Wouldn’t be the first time that has happened. But thanks for the tip. I appreciate it.”
“No problem.” She gazed at her date in the backseat. “Charles, I hope you feel better soon.”
He only groaned in response so she shut the car door, and the cab pulled away.
Valerie looked as confused as ever. “Hey, what happened? Why didn’t you get into the cab?”
“Because Charles decided to throw up all over the backseat.”
“Oh no. Well, you could’ve ridden in the front seat, I suppose.”
“And smell that all the way home? No thank you. I’m just going to walk.”
Valerie shook her head. “But it’s late. And it’s cold and rainy.”
Sidney shrugged. “It’s not that bad. I’ll live.”
“I have a better solution. Stay right here, and I’ll get you a ride home.”
“Val, you don’t have to do that. I don’t want to trouble anyone.”
“No trouble at all. Trust me, he won’t mind.”
She sighed. “Okay, but if Logan’s busy, then don’t bother him. I only live a mile or so down the road. I don’t mind walking.”
“No worries,” she said with a grin. “I promise I won’t bother Logan.”
Valerie disappeared inside the bar, and a few moments later, the door to the bar flew open so hard that Sidney thought it might break from its hinges. Brett stood in the doorway, his face twisted with anger and his hands fisted at his sides.
She didn’t know why he was so mad, but she’d forgotten how intimidating he could look when he was worked into a frenzy. Although she’d never felt intimidated by him in the past herself, she could understand why others would feel that way. And just seeing him like that again only made her doubt his earlier declaration.
Changed man, my ass. Looks like the same old Brett as always.
Annoyed that she had started to believe him, she crossed her arms defensively. “What are you doing out here?”
Valerie stepped out from behind him with a huge grin spreading her face. “He’s your ride home.”
Chapter Six
Damn his sister.
When Valerie had showed up in the storeroom and told Brett that Sidney needed him right away, she’d scared the hell out of him. The panic that had run through him when he thought she was hurt or in trouble had sent him flying down the hallway and through the bar like a runaway freight train. He hadn’t been able to get to her fast enough.
Valerie could’ve just told him that Sidney needed a ride home. It’s not like he minded. “What happened to your date?”
Sidney didn’t reply right away so Valerie answered for her. “He got wasted, lost his car keys, threw up in the cab, and then he left.”
Brett’s eyes narrowed onto Sidney. “He just left you here?”
She shook her head. “Um, not exactly. I volunteered not to go.”
He couldn’t help grinning. Sidney always had a weak stomach when it came to certain smells. She’d once gone through four different car fresheners before she found one that didn’t make her sick to her stomach. “I can take you home.”
She shook her head. “It’s okay. I can walk. It’s not that far.”
“I was heading home anyway. It’s on the way. I don’t mind. Besides, you really shouldn’t be out walking this late at night. Especially in the rain. It’s not safe.”
Sidney sighed, as if she didn’t seem too happy about his offer. “Okay, fine.”
Valerie smiled. “Good, it’s settled then. You two have fun,” she said, heading back inside the bar.
He shook his head. Like it wasn’t obvious what his sister was trying to do. But he didn’t need her interfering in his love life. Especially since she hadn’t appreciated it when he’d done it to her. Guess now Valerie was giving him a dose of his own medicine. The little matchmaker.
Brett and Sidney ran to his truck and quickly climbed into the cab to get out of the rain, which had started coming down faster. He offered to turn the heat on for her, but Sidney told him not to bother worrying about her. He didn’t know why she was so irritated with him for giving her a ride home, but that was definitely the vibe he was picking up from her.
To be honest, he wasn’t in the best of moods himself. While he was still irritated that her date had gotten drunk and left her to fend for herself, he was glad that he was the one who was making sure she got safely home…and alone. He didn’t know how long she’d been seeing this other guy, but the thought of her being intimate with another man was eating at him. Not that he could tell her that.
They drove in silence. When he pulled up at the curb, he shut the engine off, and the heavy rain instantly blurred the windshield with a sheet of water. He gazed over at her. “I’ll walk you to your door.”
She shook her head persistently. “No need. I’ll be fine.”
“All right.”
An awkward tension sat between them, but she didn’t move to get out of the car. Instead, she gazed up at him and said, “Where were you tonight?”
“At the bar.”
“I know that but…where at the bar? I didn’t see you in there.”
Damn it. Why was she asking him that? Did she think he was there spying on her or something? “What does it matter?”
“I just…want to know.”
He hadn’t intended on telling her any of this, but he refused to lie to her. “The moment I saw you and your date come into the bar, I hid out in the storeroom.”
She blinked at him. “Why would you do that?”
&n
bsp; “Because I couldn’t bear the thought of another man kissing or touching you…the way I used to.”
She closed her eyes. “Brett, I…” Her voice trailed off.
His chest tightened, and he cringed. “It’s okay. You don’t have to say anything.” Because hearing her say she couldn’t be with him again would hurt just as much now as it had a year ago. “I understand.”
“Do you?”
“Sure,” he said, trying to soften his voice to hide the pain.
He sighed inwardly. He was pining away for a woman who clearly wanted nothing to do with him. And sadly, it was his own fault. He could kick himself in the ass for ruining things with her, but that wouldn’t make him feel any better about it. So, as a man resigned to his own fate, he instead would do the one thing he really didn’t want to do. He would wish her the best and let her go.
Brett cleared his throat. “Look, I don’t know how long you’ve been seeing this new guy, but if he’s the one who makes you happy, then I wish you both all the best. That’s all I ever wanted for you.”
A look of confusion warped her shocked face, and she shook her head at him. “I…uh, don’t know what to say. I thought—”
“You don’t have to say anything back, Sid. I just wanted you to know that I want the best for you. Always.” He glanced at the windshield. “The rain stopped. You better get inside before it starts up again.”
“Um, okay,” she said, blinking at him.
“Good night, Sid.”
When Brett leaned over the arm rest to give her a peck on the cheek, Sidney turned her face up to his and kissed him directly on the mouth. The gesture was so unexpected that it froze him in place. Her lips were touching his, but he was so stunned by it that all he could do was sit there like a damn corpse. What the hell was wrong with him?
The moment Sidney didn’t get a favorable response, she pulled away and mumbled an awkward apology. He could tell how embarrassed she was that he hadn’t kissed her back, but before he could explain himself, she reached for the door handle so she could escape the humiliation she felt.
But he wasn’t about to let that happen. Not after she’d kissed him.
Brett reached for her and pulled her back to him before ratcheting her up in his arms and covering her mouth with his. Her lips parted in surprise, and he took advantage of the moment by thrusting his tongue inside and deepening the kiss. God, he’d missed this. The taste of her lips. The scent of her skin. The feel of her soft, curvy body pressing against his. Lord help him, he couldn’t get enough of her.
