Page 10 of Brooke's Bliss
Cleo smiled brightly, an air of odd relief about her.“Excellent.Drinks are totally on me.We’re going to meet around nine.Comewith an open mind.It’s good to see you.”
And she was gone.
Why did she need an open mind?
It was a mystery and one she could solve.
She washed her hands and took a long breath.Smile.
Everything was fine.
* * * *
Shane sat back and tried not to give away the factthat his whole body had gone on full alert the minute that girl walked into thecafé hauling that big old suitcase behind her.
Really big suitcase.The last time she’d been in town she’dused a carry-on.
It was creepy stalker shit that he knew that, but hecouldn’t help it.He’d been looking for any excuse to get close to her, and hehad been prepared to carry whatever luggage she had.
Thanks so much.That’s so sweet of you, but I’m leavingfor home in a couple of days.I need to spend as much time with my family aspossible.
And yet he’d caught her watching them.Even after she’dturned them down at the Christmas party.When she’d danced with him, he hadn’tfelt like she was trying to stay away from him.Her body had brushed againsthis, and they’d had a magical moment when she looked up and her mouth hadopened slightly and he’d almost kissed her.
Brooke Harper didn’t look toward the back of the café.Herwhole attention was on her brothers, who sat on the other side.
“What exactly are we going to do until they finish up?”Bayhad his back to the door.“I can’t drink anymore coffee, and if I stuff anotherpiece of pie in, Trev is going to make a joke about me being tubby.You knownot all of us have ex-NFL quarterback metabolisms.”
Trev McNamara was actually the best boss they’d ever had.Well, he and his partner were.The Circle G was run by Trev McNamara and JamesGlen.Trev had bought into the ranch years back after his NFL career had endedin scandal and he’d moved from Texas to Colorado, bringing along his wife,Beth, and partner, Bo O’Malley.Bo preferred working the ranch to dealing withthe business side of things.Bo was great, but Shane wouldn’t call him a boss.
When the Harper brothers had walked in and taken a placenear the big windows, he’d known he would try to wait them out.Or at leastsneak by without Max Harper starting something.Bay couldn’t help but take thebait every single time.Now he had a different reason.Now he wanted to sithere and watch her.
She was smiling, but it wasn’t her goddess of the worldsmile.There was a tightness to her whole body that gave her away.He’d made acareful study of the woman who would fit so perfectly between him and hisbrother.He was starting to think she might be the only woman in the world forthem.
And wasn’t it the story of his life that she didn’t want towant them.
The chemistry was there.She was curious.She watched themboth but she was…scared?Disappointed in her own needs?Disgusted that she wasattracted to a couple of lowly cowboys?One he could fix.The second he couldpossibly turn around.
He was deeply worried it was the third, and he couldn’t makehimself more respectable.
Bay, he could talk up.Bay was a real artist.He was quirky.Bay was Stef Talbot’s student.
Shane was just his bastard brother.
“I know you think it’s a funny rivalry, but the Harperbrothers are cornerstones of this town.”His brother rarely thought aboutanything but his art.He was brilliantly talented but could be short sightedwhen it came to…well, anything else.“If we irritate him and he wants us gone,he can do it.”
Bay sat back with a long sigh.“Somehow I think Stef wouldhave something to say about it.He’s happy with the work I’ve been doing.He’splanning a whole… What did he call it?”
“Showing.”Sometimes Shane was sure he listened to Talbotmore than his brother did.Sometimes he was sure he knew more about the damnart world than the actual artist.“He and Jennifer are going to do a showing atthe end of the summer, and they’re inviting a bunch of people they know whohave influence in that world.He thinks you’ll be able to make some serioussales.”
Bay nodded.“See.There’s no way he’s going to pick Max overhis star pupil.”
Short sighted.“Max, who he views as his brother.Max, who’sthe godfather to his son.That Max?”
Stef Talbot didn’t have any blood siblings, but heconsidered the friend group he’d grown up with to be his family.Max and RyeHarper and Callie Hollister-Wright were his siblings, and he would never turnhis back on them.Rachel Harper was Jennifer’s best friend.The billionaire didnot need to make money off of them.It was pure kindness that he was doing allthis work for Bay.
Bay sighed.“Fine, but I don’t think you understand.I knowhe seems like we annoy him, but Max enjoys being annoyed.He’s one of thoseguys.He likes the banter.Especially now that he’s married with all thosekids.It reminds him of when he was young and could fuck around with people.”
Shane worried the “banter” reminded Max that they wereassholes who’d hit on his wife before they got married.
