Page 64 of Stolen Voices
Mason’s jaw twitches as he catches my eye.
Don’t,I plead silently.
He tosses me an almost imperceptible nod, promising to stay quiet.
Cam, determined to uncover the truth, puts me in a headlock. “You’re a horrible liar, E.”
“Enough. Let’s put a pin in this for another day. If there’s a girl, Eli will tell us about her when he’s ready.”
“Thanks, Pops.”
“Fine.” Cam lets me go with a shove and I trip over my feet, catching myself on the back of a dining room chair.
“You big oaf,” I grumble. “I miss the days when I was strong enough to kick your ass.”
“I bet you do.” Cam grins, and it’s good to see the light back in his eyes. He needed to get some things off his chest, and we needed to remind him we know he’s more than just our jokester baby brother. He’s a badass baseball player with an unrivaled work ethic, an amazing uncle, and a great brother. He deserves his happily-ever-after.
If only it were that easy for me.
I enter the airport and follow the line of cars to the departures gate. Even though it was a quick visit, it was great seeing Jace and Mason. Since they both moved to Oregon, the time we spend together is limited and while I miss those days, I like these more.
Both of my brothers are the happiest they have ever been. Jace has the gorgeous wife and big family he always dreamed of, and Mason is right behind him, following in his footsteps.
The hollow ache in my chest deepens. A part of me wants what they have, but I’m stuck. I’ve been avoiding relationships for the last couple of years, and I can’t remember the last time I took a woman home and spent the night with her.
Callie’s forbidden black-coffee brown eyes pop into my thoughts. Everything about the woman has me in a tight grip. I’m under her spell, and I’ve never laid a finger on her.
I’ve tried to get her out of my head by going on dates or flirting with other women I meet at events. But no matter who sits across from me, it’s her face I see. No matter whom I talk to, it’s her voice I hear. Without her knowledge, she crawled under my skin and burrowed into the cracks.
Before Hudson left, I could pretend she didn’t affect me the way she does. But now that we’ve started working together more closely, I can’t even go a minute without thinking about her.
I shake my head clear. Mason catches my eye in the rearview mirror. The perceptive bastard has been watching me. I give him a wink, and he frowns. I look over at Jace, who sits quietly in the passenger seat beside me, texting on his phone.
I glide into a spot along the curb in front of automatic doors that lead to the ticketing desks. “That will be a hundred bucks.”
Jace doesn’t bother looking up from his cell or laughing at my joke. “What?”
“We’re here.”
He smiles. “Fucking finally. It was good to see you, E. I hope you can come visit in a couple of weeks when the baby is born.”
“Wouldn’t miss it.”
Jace grins ear to ear before slapping me on the back. “See you soon,” he says, climbing out of the car.
I release the trunk for him to grab his bag.
Another glance in the mirror, and I find Mason still sitting in the back seat, staring off in the distance.
I twist around. “Mase, we’re here.”
He hums, scratching his chin, and turns his green gaze to mine. His stare penetrates me down the recesses of my being. Jace was too distracted by his heavily pregnant wife to pay any attention to me, but Mason hadn’t missed a thing.
“Do you remember what you told me when we were at the baseball game last Fourth of July?”
“Vaguely.” I recall a conversation about his feelings for Emery and encouraging him to go after her. “Why?”
“‘If you want her, make it happen.’ That’s what you said.”
