Page 12 of My Crush's Brother

“Yeah, I—I guess I wasn’t paying attention. I’m sorry.” He turns me around to face him as he brushes the hair away from my face. He looks intently at the spot where it hit me.

“It didn’t break the skin, but I’m guessing you’ll have a little bruise for a few days.” He’s still holding me; he just spun me to face him but kept his arm around my waist. Both of my hands are pressed against his chest. It feels like his touch is about to burn through my shirt and I can’t make eye contact with him. My breath hitches in my throat and he notices, removing his arm from me and stepping back.

“I’m sorry, didn’t mean to invade your personal space.” I instantly regret it when his warmth leaves me. I don’t know what comes over me, but I have to physically stop myself from reaching out and grabbing his shirt, pulling his mouth to mine.

I shake my head as if that will clear my thoughts. “Did you want a soda or something? I’m going to...” I don’t finish thesentence, just point toward the kitchen of the rec area where everyone’s working on the parade plans.

“I’m good, thanks,” he says before getting right back to work.

A few hours later, I sink into the warm, bubbly water in my tub. I need to soak my muscles after all of the physical labor from today. I also need time to sort my feelings...did I just say feelings? Since when did my thoughts about Blake turn into feelings?

Since Trevor came back to town, we haven’t spent that much time together and when we did, it was different. I expected it to be. We aren’t the same people we were in high school no matter how much I don’t want to admit it. The truth is, I don’t even know him anymore. How would a life with him even work? I love Grand Lake, Colorado. I can’t imagine my life anywhere else.

A smile spreads across my face as I think about how things with Blake and I have progressed. He seems so mean and gruff, but it’s just a façade. I know he’s jaded. He’s bitter about his football career; I still don’t know the details but I know he got injured in college. I also know he’s hurt or angry or both about Tracey. The one who got away.

The song “Almost Lover” starts to play through my phone on the edge of the tub. “Seriously?” I say aloud to myself.

“So long, my luckless romance

My back is turned on you

Should've known you'd bring me heartache

Almost lovers always do.”

Alison Sudol’s haunting voice echoes through my bathroom as the words sink in. A small tear slides down my cheek as I let out a shaky breath...it’s time to let Trevor go.

The next morning, I stop by the Bean and Bun, grab some lattes and fresh croissants, and make my way over to Jade’s apartment to apologize and grovel. She’s going to lose her shit when I tell her I think I’m falling for the other brother.

EIGHT

Blake

Ilook around at the parking lot full of cars and families gathering coolers and lawn chairs as they make their way toward the parade. I still can’t believe Pearl pulled it off. I just renovated the cabins, she put in countless hours, most unpaid, to get the word out about the cabins. We are booked solid for the next foreseeable future.

I’ve come to notice how helpful and caring Pearl is. She takes the time to listen to my mom tell the same story for the third time in a row, she stops and talks in earnest to all of our tenants, often bringing in fresh baked goods to share with everyone. Don’t get me wrong, her incessant nagging about me drinking enough water while I work gets old and she doesn’t seem to understand space.

I I look up and see her on the porch talking to my mom. She’s pointing out the red, white and blue banners adorning the cabins. She sees me and a soft smile spreads across her lips, it’s different than the one she usually has on her face. This one seems genuine and warm, like it’s meant for me.

I shake my head at the thought, I know better. She sees me as another conduit to Trevor and someone to talk to when she’s out here. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t enjoy having her around. She’sbeen a breath of fresh air in this town. She’s always been here, I just never spent any time around her. Doesn’t matter anyway, I’ll be back on the road soon with my business. I’ve been negotiating a big project in Alaska, set to start next month.

I give her a head nod before turning to head back to my cabin. I need to grab a few things for the parade before I make my way to Main Street.

“Hey Blake, your brother still here?”

“Hey Mayor Higgins, na he had to head back to the big city. Apparently his woman needed him. You know how that goes.”

He lets out a hearty laugh and slaps my shoulder, “That I do son. Well next time you talk to that boy you tell him thank you for the budget software recommendation he made to the comptroller’s office. He was always a smart kid.”

The parade goes off without a hitch, the floats look great, the marching band sounds in tune and the fire department managed to not scare any kids with their sirens this year.

I watch as a few remaining children pick up the leftover pieces of candy still in the street. I feel my chest tighten, if Tracey hadn’t left a year ago I wonder if she and I would be having a little one soon. The few times I brought up children she didn’t seem to eager to indulge in the conversation other than to say she wasn’t ready and it was a long way off.

I make my way back to my cabin and strip down before stepping into the shower. I need to sort through my clothes and try to find something semi “nice” for the barn dance tonight. My wardrobe mostly consists of levis, flannels and work boots but I still have some of the clothes Tracey had bought me a few years back.

I pull on my jeans and start rifling through my closet. I pull out a wrinkled blue button down from the back of my closet and the dark blue vest that Tracey had bought to go with it. “Shit,” I mutter to myself realizing I don’t have an iron. A knock on mydoor interrupts my thoughts. Without thinking I walk over and pull it open to see Pearl staring back at me.

“Pearl?” She’s standing with her mouth open staring, that’s when I realize I’m shirtless. I look down to see small beads of water still on my skin before inviting her inside.

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