Page 34 of Brooke's Bliss
Rye actually looked a bit shaken at this point.“AfterChristmas.”
After she’d talked to Rachel about being lonely.After she’dtold a couple of people around town how hard it was to feel like she wasn’tgoing anywhere.She might have mentioned to one of her friends that she wasworried her boss didn’t like her and was keeping her from taking the lead onprojects.She’d been a little drunk, talking to Lucy and River, who had greatrelationships and were doing well in the workplace.Lucy and River had it alltogether.River had the cutest dog, and Brooke wasn’t even allowed to have acat because Ami was allergic.But then she was allergic to everything,including acting like a decent human being.She was pretty sure she’d toldRiver and Lucy that, too.
Had her friends… Nope.She knew exactly who it was, orrather she could narrow it down to a group since she’d been sitting at the barat Trio.Neither Lucy nor River would have gone to her brothers, but nothing inthe world would have stopped Callie Hollister-Wright if she thought Brooke wasin trouble.
They had called the week after it all fell apart.The veryday she got fired.
“Who’s paying the PI?”It was the only explanation.
“PI?”Bay asked.“As in private investigator?Why would yourbrothers hire a PI?”
She ignored him because she knew exactly why they would.They were deeply nosy and way overprotective.The question was how since theywere also completely miserly when it came to money.
“I think it’s Uncle Stef.”Paige was the only one who seemedto be enjoying this altercation.She sat down in the chair Max had recentlyoccupied and took a piece of toast for herself.“They talk about you a lot, andthere’s that big guy who seems real mean but he’s actually nice.Big Tag iswhat they call him.His kids are cool.I like the girls.”
She felt her jaw clench.“You hired McKay-Taggart to followme?”
“No,” Max said with the calm assurance of a man who knew howto lie.
Rye stayed quiet because he wasn’t as good a liar as histwin.
Now that she thought about it, there was only one person whowould tell her the truth.She could march right over to the big house and tellher sister-in-law everything.Including how herhusbandsate her bacon.
Her pregnant sister-in-law.Who was under an enormous amountof stress.Who didn’t need more.
She wasn’t about to cry in front of them.It was obviousthey thought she was a pathetic girl they had to watch over because shecouldn’t take care of herself.
Rye’s jaw went tight, and she watched as he moved intostern-dad mode.“Brooke, go get dressed.We’ll have this discussion at the bighouse and we’ll talk about some of your more reckless choices.”
There it was.
What she’d always been afraid of.
“Bay, I think it’s time you got on with whatever it is youneed to do with your day,” Max said with a frown.
She felt like she was fifteen and caught doing somethingterrible, and here she was alone in front of the two men she’d tried so hard tomake proud all of her life.
She’d screwed it all up, and now they would find out she’dpossibly screwed them over in the process.
Except she wouldn’t.She would let it all go if it meantprotecting them, and they never had to know.
She was alone, and if she pissed her brothers off enough,they might decide they didn’t need her drama.
“I’m not going anywhere,” Bay said in a deep, no-nonsensetone.“Look, I wish Shane was here because he’s way better at this part than Iam.”
“There is no part, son,” Rye began.
Bay held up a hand.“Don’t.I am not your son, and don’t usethat word on my brother.This is the part where I explain to you that I’mtaking Brooke out of here.I can do that in a civilized way by waiting forShane to return and packing her up in our truck.Or I can have her get dressedand I’ll carry her out of here, but what I will not do is allow you to make herfeel like shit when she’s already going through a tough time.”
“That is not what we’re trying to do,” Rye argued.
Bay pulled her hand into his and brought it to his lips.There was such certainty in his eyes.Like he could handle this.He wanted tohandle this.“Go get dressed.We’ll find a place to stay.You and me and Shane.I got some money saved.We’ll check into the motel until we find a cabin torent.”
“Okay.”The word was out of her mouth before she could thinkabout the wisdom behind them.Was she going to play house with Bay and Shane?It would annoy the hell out of her brothers.They’d been watching her.She knewthey’d done it because they were worried, but they hadn’t even asked her beforethey’d started spying.
Yes, that was why she was doing this.It wasn’t about theway they made her feel the night before.
What was she doing?She should tell Bay this was all amistake.She could apologize to her brothers and promise not to cause any moretrouble.They weren’t monsters.They were good brothers.They were just… Itwasn’t fair that they would spy on her and not give her any space to figurethings out on her own.
