Page 107 of Hard to Love
“Shit,” Nic said. “You got a place for us to live?”
“Maybe.” If he could figure out how to pay Greer to stay in her dad’s house. He shot a hard look at his brother. “And yours and Maria José’s bedrooms will be at opposite ends of the house.”
“I’m not stupid,” Nic said. “You gonna settle your girlfriend in this little sunshine-and-flowers place?”
God, that was one of those hard-skating thoughts that had been bouncing off his skull in the early morning hours. Greer deserved a hell of a lot better than an ex-gangmember and his ragtag family. But what she deserved and what he wanted were on two different ends of the spectrum.
Nic laughed. “So you’ve got my life all worked out, but yours is completely fucked-up.”
Why deny it? He was right. He was in love with a woman he’d let down and pushed away. “That’s pretty much it.”
“Well.” Nic dug around in the front pocket of his long shorts and pulled out a fistful of something. “Raylene said this might help you unfuck it.”
“Raylene said that?”
“I’m paraphrasing.” If the kid knew that word, he’d obviously hit an English class more than once. He stuffed a wad of paper into Alex’s hand.
The weight. The texture. He’d felt them before. He stared down at the balled-up envelope clutched in his fist. “Where did Raylene get this?”
“Told me some chick named Delaney dropped it off earlier.”
How the hell had Delaney known he’d be back? Whatever happened in that boot shop would be spooky if it wasn’t so fucking cool.
“What is it?” Nic asked.
Alex felt his mouth curve, and he ironed out the crumpled and bloodstained envelope on his thigh. “The rest of my life.”
Chapter Thirty-One
But when Alex strode back into the B&B to wake Greer and tell her he was ready for whatever their future—together—held, Raylene met him at the base of the stairs.
“She’s gone,” Raylene said.
His heart went still inside his chest. He had two women in his life now and either of them leaving was bad news. “Which she?”
“Greer.”
“Did she say where she was going?”
“I imagine to work. Wild Card won’t run itself, you know. And now that the word’s out, people are clamoring not only to visit but to grab an artist’s spot.”
If that was the case, she didn’t need him to round out her stable. But Maria José had promised Greer a sign, and Alex would see that she delivered. “Maria José up yet?”
“She’s already had two stacks of pancakes and half a pound of bacon. For such a little bitty thing, she sure can put away the food.” Raylene grinned. “She’s my kinda gal. You’ll find her in the Calamity Jane room.”
Alex vaulted up the stairs to knock on her door. “Maria José?”
She swung open the door and stuck her head out, her short, glossy dark hair unmistakably feminine without the baggy hood drawn over her head. “You can just call meMaria.”
All the muscles inside Alex’s chest crumbled. He might not know what the hell to do with a couple of teenagers, but this girl clearly hadn’t lost her faith in people. They would all be okay. “You feel up to painting that barn today?”
“Oh, yeah.” The smile that overtook her face gave Alex a glimpse of the complete knockout she’d be in a couple of years. He and Nic would have another long talk about this girl. Maybe he’d yank out the water heater because Nic would need a cold shower every damn day.
But for now, he’d have to go without. “Meet us downstairs.”
Alex was halfway to the first floor when she called after him, “He said I could trust you. That you’d give me the life he couldn’t.”
He could barely breathe for the boulder in his throat. His hand on the stair rail, he turned slowly. “I haven’t always been a good man, Maria. Hell, I’m not a particularly good man now. But you can trust me to keep you safe. To give you a home.”
