Page 60 of Shades of You

My temper flared, and I drew myself up to my full height as I squared my shoulders. “Like you were, you mean? Before you got your shit together?”

Ben recoiled as if I’d slapped him, hurt flickering in his eyes. Regret twinged inside me, but I pushed on, determined to make him understand. “If you can turn over a new leaf, why is it so hard to believe Hunter might be trying to do the same? That he might be more than his reputation or his family name?”

Ben’s stony expression wavered—a crack in his armor. He looked away, and his throat worked as he swallowed. “I just… I don’t want to see you get hurt again. You’re my little sister, you know?”

My heart clenched at the raw concern in his tone even as frustration simmered under my skin. Why did our families’ feud have to taint every aspect of our lives? I took a deep breath and let the salty air fill my lungs. “I know you’re trying to protect me, and I love you for that. But I need you to hear me out.”

He crossed his arms, his biceps straining against his sweat-dampened T-shirt. “I’m listening, Bren. But I can’t promise I’ll like what you have to say.”

“I know our history with the Markhams is… complicated,” I spoke slowly, choosing my words carefully. “But we can’t let the mistakes of the past define our future.”

Ben’s jaw clenched, a muscle ticking beneath his tanned skin. “It’s not that simple. There’s too much bad blood between us.”

“But what if it could be that simple?” I challenged, desperation edging into my tone. “What if we chose to see people for who they are, not just their last name?”

I reached out, grasping Ben’s work-roughened hand. “Hunter isn’t responsible for the choices his family made. And neither are we. We have a chance to break the cycle, to be better than the generations before us.”

Ben’s gaze dropped to our intertwined fingers. “I’d like to believe that. But…”

“No buts,” I cut in fiercely. “Forgiveness isn’t weakness. It’s strength. And holding onto this animosity is only hurting us in the end. I’m not asking you to forget the past. I’m asking you to help me build a better future. Can you do that?”

Ben’s broad shoulders slumped as he blew out a heavy sigh. When he met my gaze again, I saw a flicker of acceptance in his eyes. It looked like the first ray of sun after a hurricane. “I’ll try. For you.”

“That’s all I’m asking.” Hope unfurled in my chest like a sail catching wind. After squeezing his hand, I let my arm drop to my side. “We’ve got to start somewhere.”

“Just keep Gabe and me out of jail, okay?”

I laughed as we embraced, and I soaked in his familiar feel. Even during his bad times, Ben always stood up for me.Always watched out for me. As he returned to his landscaping, I marveled at the unexpected ally I’d found in my brother. I’d come here expecting to win over Harper and to attempt to reason with Ben. Yet the opposite had happened. He’d come so far from the lost, angry boy he’d once been, and pride swelled within me.

But Hunter and I weren’t on an easy path, and my family wasn’t exactly rolling out the welcome mat for him. And that made me damn worried. I hadn’t talked to my other brothers yet. What if my siblings couldn’t accept Hunter? What if my mother hated him when she came back home?

What then?

Closing my eyes, I conjured up memories of stolen moments with Hunter—dancing on the moonlit rooftop, his strong arms around me as we swayed to the music of the night. Lounging on my couch, my legs draped over his lap as we lost ourselves in the pages of our favorite books. The way his eyes crinkled at the corners when he laughed. In those intimate moments, there were no family feuds, no painful pasts, no uncertain futures. Only the two of us.

And just like that, I needed to see him.

Driving away from Siesta Sunset, I headed toward Main Street. And Hunter. The drive passed in a blur as my mind reeled from the tense conversations I’d just had. When I pulled into the parking area behind KeyMark Security, I pushed the encounter with my family away.

I stepped into the building, where Hunter sat alone at his desk, his handsome face creased in concentration as he pored over paperwork. The sight of him, so diligent and focused, filled my heart with affection. And more.

At the sound of my footsteps, he glancedup and his face instantly brightened. “Hello, beautiful. This is a nice surprise.”

I didn’t speak as I crossed to him, needing his arms around me, to breathe in his familiar, comforting, and very male scent. With that unconscious grace, he stood and pulled me close, and his strong arms enveloped me. I melted into his embrace, tension draining from my shoulders.

His lips found mine in a sweet, soft kiss hello. Pressing my hand to his face, I drew it out, soaking in his nearness.

“Everything okay?” he murmured as he searched my face.

I nodded, not trusting my voice. How could I burden him with my family’s disapproval when we were still finding our footing as a couple? I needed to protect this precious, fragile thing blossoming between us.

Hunter brushed a thumb across my cheek. “I’ve been thinking… I told my siblings about us, and I want to introduce you. What do you say we take a trip to Calypso Key this weekend? I’ll work out something low-key and fun. No pressure.”

My heart stuttered. Meet his family? After the reception I’d gotten from Harper and Ben, the prospect filled me with equal parts longing and dread. Could I handle more skepticism about our relationship? Judgment over our families’ bitter history? Judgment about me?

But the hopeful gleam in Hunter’s big brown eyes melted my defenses. I couldn’t deny him, not when he was trying so hard to show how much I meant to him. So I pushed down the doubts churning in my stomach and plastered on a bright smile.

“I would love that,” I said brightly, praying my voice didn’t waver. “It’s gotta happen sometime, right?”

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