Page 90 of Brooke's Bliss
“What the fuck is that supposed to mean?”Shane asked.
But she was walking away.
“Go after her,” Bay said.
Shane simply watched her.
Max looked to Nate.“Come on, man.We need to go talk to oursister.Look, I’m usually the one in the cell.Can’t we pretend you think I’mRye?If you’ll turn away for a second, we’ll change shirts and no one will bethe wiser.”
“She didn’t fight it because she was protecting you.”Gemma’s eyes had gone hard as she stared at Rye.“Also, I don’t think Ryeshould be the one talking to her at this point.”
“What do you mean she was protecting me?I don’t needprotection from that little asshole, as he so recently learned,” Rye shot back.
“Because they threatened her with a counter suit.Creating ahostile work environment by talking about her brothers and their unusualmarriage,” Gemma explained.
“We don’t care about that.”Max’s head shook.“Like we carewhat a couple of people in New York City think of us.”
He wasn’t thinking at all.“And Paige?How about your kidswhen the press gets wind of a weird and juicy story?You’re connected to somepowerful people.Brooke wasn’t thinking about you.She was thinking about yourwife and kids and was willing to sacrifice her dream job to keep them safe.Doyou think she didn’t want to fight?The first thing she did when she came homewas consult with Gemma.”
Shane stood tall next to him.“She was doing it out of love,and you called her a coward.Rye Harper, if this was a hundred years earlier, Iwould challenge you to a duel.”
Gemma frowned Shane’s way.“Dude, that would be the 1920s.No duels then.Knife him in a back alley.It’s the smartest way to getrevenge.”
Rye sighed and looked haggard.“I didn’t think about that.Damn it.I have to go talk to her.”
Nate’s head shook.“No.You have to hop in that cell until Iget this sorted.Bay, you, too.Just because I took those cuffs off doesn’tmean you’re not spending some time in the cell.Unless this guy doesn’t presscharges, I’m going to have to book you both.”
Trev had been standing silently in the background.He hadn’teven seen the man.It was good to know his boss had witnessed his descent.“I’ll bail Bay out.”
“Trev, I…” Bay began.
Trev shook his head.“No.I get it, man.I don’t think Iwould be able to stay calm if someone was putting hands on my wife.Hell, evenBo.I’d have lost it, too.Shane, stay here and deal with your girl.I don’tneed you until late this afternoon anyway.I’m meeting with Nell and Henry overlunch, and then they’re working with Noah.I have to interview the new guys.Try to be back around four.”
Shane shook his head.“I’ll come with you now.I don’t havea way to get back, and honestly, I don’t think there’s anything to deal with.Ialways knew if she had to pick between us and her dream job, we were going tolose.Maybe she can talk him in to not pressing charges if he wants her back sobad.”
Max’s hands fisted.“You want to send her back to the manwho tried to harass her and apparently wanted to do it again today?”
“Of course I fucking don’t.”Shane sounded tortured.“I loveher.I love her so much it’s killing me, but I can’t give her that life, and Idon’t think I can live it with her.What the hell am I supposed to do when herrich friends come for dinner?At least Bay’s an artist, and he’s about to goreal big.I’m nothing.”
He’d done this to his brother.He’d done it.Bay got in hisbrother’s space, putting a hand on his neck and looking him directly in theeyes.“You are everything, Shane.Me and Brooke depend on you for fuckingeverything.If you want to tell some truths about your life, start there.Startwith how you taught yourself to take care of the people around you when therewas nothing in your life that told you it was a good idea.”
Shane softened.“But there was.There was my brother.”
Bay heard a sniffling sound and worried they were makingGemma emotional.“And you make our world work.The same as you do for Brooke.If we have to live in damn New York City because it’s the only way she can behappy, then you’re going to figure that out, too.We don’t work without you,Shane.”
“But I…”
He shook his head.“No fucking buts.She’s it.She’s theone.I know she’s pissed that I lost my shit, but she’ll get over it becausewe’re good for her, too.I understand her and give her space to be who shewants to be.You make it possible for both Brooke and I to do what we love.Nomore roaming.All that time, all that searching, and it was for this.Homeisn’t this place.Home isn’t some building we can buy.It’s her.It’s alwaysbeen her.”
“That was beautiful.”Nope, not Gemma.Max was the onewiping away tears, and Rye didn’t look all that far behind him.He put a handon his twin’s shoulder.“I’ll pick up the kids and I’ll take care of themtonight.You know how much Rach loves a jailhouse quickie.”
“Absolutely not,” Nate was saying.“Bay, come on.I thinkShane needs to handle this.If he can’t handle this, then you’re both introuble.”
Rye looked to his brother and nodded.“You have to both beable to talk to her.You have to figure out how to give her what she needs evenif the other isn’t around.Which is why we’re either going solo on our businesstrips from now on or one of us is staying home with the kids and Rachel canhelp with clients.I think she would make a hell of a salesperson for ourfarm.”
Max got the most peaceful smile on his face.“I agree.Idon’t want our daughter thinking her place is at home with kids.Not when she’sprobably going to have two husbands who can handle their share of the load.Shane, talk to her.Please let her know we love her.”
“I think Shane can handle this nicely,” Trev said with anod.“We’ll sort all of this out.I promise.And if things work out, we’ll haveanother couple of hands.Hopefully you can train them before Brooke decides shewants to roam the country with film crews.You know it’s not unlike cowboyingexcept the cattle are way more dramatic.”
