Page 13 of Summer Storm
I shake my head. “I’m not. If there’s a hero here, it’s Rudy. Those boys could still be lost out there if it weren’t for his nose. I’m just the woman who recognized his potential; Canis Majors Search & Rescue program helped him develop what was already there.”
Chapter 11
OM Drama
Aaron
…one week later…
Brielle leans into me. Strands of her sweet-smelling hair catch in my beard as she turns her head, laughing at whatever all theother women are finding so funny. I smile and lift a bottle of beer to my lips. I missed the comment, and it doesn’t matter, because life is fucking good.
My other arm is wrapped loosely around her hip; fingertips tapping out the rhythm of the country western song playing over the sound system against the side-seam of her tight-fitting jeans. I might look like a possessive asshole, but I want all the fucking tourists swarming The Range to know she’s my lady.
By this time next week, hopefully my ring will be on her finger. I haven’t asked her yet because when her parents roll into town tomorrow, I’ll be doing it right and asking her dads for their permission to marry their daughter.
Both of them.
“Dude, what’s with the sappy smile? Are you even listening?” Manny cocks a brow; he knows what I’m thinking. He went with me while we were in Missoula yesterday to look at rings, but he’s been sworn to secrecy. I would have told Ezra, but what Ezra knows, so does Jorie and by osmosis or some evil twin voodoo so does Jolie and ching-chong-wally-wally-bing-bong, so does the rest of the world. I know that’s not how the song goes, but that’s how my mom always sang it, and I think it fits those two.
I want this to be a sweet and memorable surprise for my girl. “No, not really, what were you saying?”
“Man, get your head out of…”
“What the fuck is he doing here?” Disgust and animosity instantly roll off Nolan. He stands placing himself between Brielle and a slick looking dude, or should I say douche, rapidly approaching our table.
“Grant? What in the world are you doing here?” I tighten my arm in support as Brielle leans to the side, looking around her brother.
“I saw you on the news, Brielle. Can we talk? Somewhere in private perhaps?” He glances over our group, his eyes narrowing on me and how close my girl and I are sitting.
I nuzzle her hair, loving how she immediately responds by melting against me.
“You can’t be serious. We’ve said everything we needed to say. I’m sorry you’ve come all this way, but the answer is no.”
Grant stiffens, standing a little taller and pushing out his chest. “You can’t seriously want this…this mountain man rebound over me. I’ve given up my first wife and child for you. Doesn’t that show you how serious I am?” He blurts, uncaring of the attention he’s drawing or the embarrassment he’s causing Brielle.
“It shows me you don’t understand one thing about me and never have. Aaron could never be a rebound because in order for that to happen I would have had to have all of you, I realized over a year ago, what I thought we might be building was nothing. Not one thing was real because you lied. Go home Grant.”
“Humph. He switches his attention from Brielle and back to me. “Did she tell you her mother’s a whore who sleeps every night with two men?”
Brielle’s gasp along with others from our table and those surrounding us are drowned out by Nolan’s roar. Ezra, Manny, and Toby jump between the two men, muscling Grant out of the bar while I wrap my arms around my woman.
“Wait a minute!” Amber whisper-shouts. “Your mom has two men? Now that’s what I’m talking about! Honey, I can see I’ve set my goals way to low…I’m gonna need her number!”
Chapter 12
Manny
…one year later…
“Manny we have to talk.”
Uh-oh, here it comes– the ultimatum. Seriously, I’ve been expecting it for a couple of months now. I honestly don’t know why I’ve been dragging my feet. Jolie is a nice woman. She’s smart and funny. She’s also stylish and smells nice. She’s good company and a good friend even though we don’t have many interests in common, and I guess the sex is nice.
I love Jolie just like I love her twin, Jorie, but… there just isn’t any spark. No fireworks or crazy out-of-control feelings. I love her, I just don’tloveher…
“Manny? Let me start by saying, you’re a great guy. You’re smart and funny. I like your company even though we don’t have much in common. You’re a good friend, and you usually smell nice when you aren’t covered in motor oil or engine fluids. The sex is nice, not great but not bad either… and really, it’s not you, it’s me. God, I’m screwing this up, but even you have to admit there isn’t one drop of passion or excitement between us. We’re easy like a pair of those ugly shoes you see on TV. You know the ones you don’t have to bend over to put on? And Manny, I want to bend over, you know? Because life is too short to wear the fucking ugly shoes! Ah, hell, that came out wrong, too. Don’t think I’m comparing you to ugly shoes, it’s just that there isn’t any sparkle between us. No fireworks or out-of-control feelings, and honestly, I think it’s this place. I’m in the wrong place. Living in Wintervale is slowly leaching the life right out of me. I need action! I need adventure!I needpassion!What I’m trying to say is I’m leaving.”
“You’re leaving? But…”
“I love you, Manny, but I just don’tloveyou, you know?
