Good Stepbrother (Love #2) (16 page)

***

Unfortunately, I’ve always had terrible luck. Happiness never lasted long. No matter how good it felt. I had a feeling things were about to go wrong when Carter wanted me to go with him to Kirby and Mindy’s house. Apparently, they’d gotten married, had a kid he adored, and she was pregnant again. Things had really changed in five years. I just worried Mindy would still hate me.

I had to prove I was a different person. I had to. I went in disguise to the thrift store and found this hideous lavender dress with a cardigan. I thought it made me look sweet. Carter said it made him hot. There may or may not have been some over-the-desk sex before we left the garage.

Newsflash. There was.

We were late. I was embarrassed because he’d messed up my makeup and my hair. I worried they’d know what we’d been doing. Carter drove like a bat out of hell and I had to grip my quinoa and red pepper salad with my feet to keep it from tipping over in the floorboard. A small part of me wanted to tell him to drive safely, but he was having fun…I guessed he was being safe, but it made me nervous. As he pulled up in the drive, I swiped at my brow. I needed more deodorant. Soon, I’d be able to wring out my cardigan.

A tiny red haired girl came running down the steps of the trailer, screaming, “Unca Carda!”

My eyes widened as he climbed out of the car and tossed the tiny girl into the air before kissing her cheek. He looked incredible with a kid. My heart squeezed.
Will we ever have children?

“How’s my favorite girl in the whole wide world?” he asked the tot.

“Who dat?” she asked, pointing at me still sitting in the car.

“That…my sweet girl, is my favorite woman in the world,” he said, and I warmed, my cheeks pinking.

“I’m favorite!” Her lower lip jutted out and I chuckled.

“You’re my favorite girl. She’s my favorite woman. I love you both,” Carter tried to explain.

“No. Daisy’s Unca Carda!”

“Okay, Daisy’s Uncle Carter.”

Climbing out of the car, I adjusted my dress. “I got you a present,” I told the tiny girl, who eyed me suspiciously.

“Yeah?” she asked sullenly.

“Uncle Carter said you like baby dolls.” I held out a little pink bag in her direction and shook it. “Do you like baby dolls, Daisy?”

Her cornflower blue eyes widened slightly. “Yeah.”

“Well, come get it.”

She scrambled out of Carter’s grasp so quickly he almost dropped her. “Mine!” she squealed, grabbing the bag from me and darting up the stairs and into the house.

I giggled and picked up the bowl of quinoa from the floorboard and another bag, which held a gift for Travis, the new baby. It was a blanket I’d ordered offline with his name embroidered on it. I hoped they liked it. I really wanted them to see I wasn’t who I used to be. I wasn’t Bri Harper, not anymore.

“Relax, babe,” he whispered in my ear as we walked up the stairs.

“I can’t. I’m not the same girl I was in high school and I don’t want them to think I am.”

“Pretty sure they won’t…”

Mindy opened the door for us and she smiled brightly. “Hey, Carter!” He kissed her cheek and she turned to me with a smile. “Hey, Bri, it’s real good to see you. How are you feeling?”

I relaxed instantly and smiled weakly, “I’m okay, thanks for asking.”

“What did you bring?”

“I brought a strawberry with my shortcake, but she ran away.” Carter sighed.

Mindy laughed. I was totally lost. “I brought a quinoa red pepper salad.”

“That just sounds amazing!” Mindy cooed, taking the bowl. “Come on in and let’s get you some tea.”

I followed her into the kitchen and turned around to see Carter disappearing into the back of the house.
Shit, I’m alone with her now.

“Have a seat, Bri,” Mindy offered, waddling to the refrigerator to pull out a pitcher of tea. “You do like sweet tea, right?”

“Sure, I do.”

“So, Carter told me today you’re vegetarian. I made chicken. I’m sorry.”

“That’s okay. I’ll eat the sides and stuff. I’m not opposed to meat, I just feel better not eating it.”

“Girl, you look fantastic. I’m jealous. I look like the side of a barn!” Mindy rubbed her still swollen belly. “I swear, I gained too much weight with Travis.”

“You look great,” I promised and took the glass of tea she handed me.

“Thanks, you’re sweet.” She sat down beside me and eyed me. “You’re different.”

Choking on my tea, I coughed, “Yeah, I’m trying.”

She turned her glass on the table, leaving small water rings. “Do me a favor, yeah?”

“Sure, what is it?”

Her eyes met mine and she smiled tightly. “Don’t break his heart again.”

“I don’t plan to. I love him. I’ve always loved him. I had a hell of way of showing it, but I had a lot of things going on when I was a kid. I’m not her anymore.”

“I see that. I like your church lady get up.” She snickered and I flushed hot.

“It’s pretty awful, isn’t it?”

Daisy ran into the room, swinging her new red-haired mermaid doll. “Mama!” she shrieked, showing her the doll.

“I see! She’s beautiful!”

“You come play,” Daisy insisted, grabbing my hand.

“Do you mind?” I asked Mindy, worried she wouldn’t want me around her child.

“No, go ahead, I need to feed Travis. The guys are gonna be playing music soon anyway.”

“Music?” I asked, my ears perking up. “They play music?”

Mindy’s brow furrowed. “Sure they do. Every Thursday night.”

That was news to me. I followed Daisy to her room and robotically played dolls with her. I kept one ear tuned to the back of the trailer for their music. Soon, I wasn’t disappointed. Carter’s voice melded with Kirby’s and they strummed guitars. I knew the song instantly. She is Love by the band Parachute.

Chills coursed through me. They sounded phenomenal.
Why didn’t he tell me he was playing? Why didn’t he say they sounded that amazing?
Oh my God, with them backing me, I could record again!
Excitement bubbled through me and I stood, hurrying to the doorway of the spare bedroom. Carter sat in an ugly orange chair with his back to the doorway, singing and strumming. Kirby looked up and winked at me while he sang.

I was transfixed, mesmerized, and drowning. They were incredible. I had to have them back me. “That was beautiful,” I whispered, “I need guitarists…I really do. If we could do something like that, I could pitch it to a record label. I’ve got songs, I just need music. I’ve been trying to find someone to help me but it’s like trying to find a needle in a haystack out here. Carter, why didn’t you tell me you were that good?”

Carter shifted in the chair and glared at me. “I’m not ‘that good’...I just strum a little.”

“Your voice gave me chills.” I rubbed my forearm.

“And I’m just like a fucking ogre over here,” Kirby pouted.

“No! Kirby you were great! I loved it,” I insisted.

“I’m not interested in recording anything,” Carter sighed.

“Carter, I need your help. I think I have a song that would be a great demo to send to these smaller labels. Please.”

Turning to look at me, he shook his head. “This is one of those cases I’m saying no.”

My heart plummeted into my stomach. “Why?” I gasped.

“I don’t want you to get burned out again and collapse.”

He was worried about nothing! I would be fine. “Carter, I feel so much better. If I could just record and release albums, I’d be fine. I need your help, though.”

“Surely you can find another guitarist.”

“She sure can.” Kirby jumped up and extended his hand. “Kirby Lowell, at your service.”

Shaking his hand, I grinned. “I look forward to working with you, Kirby. If you want to do something now…maybe hear what I’ve got planned?”

“Really? You’re going to help her?” Carter yelled, jumping up from the chair.

Kirby shrugged. “Why not? It’s just some music, man.”

“No, it’s not just some music.” He threw down his guitar and stalked out of the room.

“What the hell?” I gaped at Kirby, who shrugged and stood up from the couch.

“He loves you and you’ve run away too many times. He’s scared you’ll run again. I’ll only help you if you swear to God you’re not going to leave him again. I can’t pick up the pieces of him again. I can’t. If you hurt him, I’ll hunt you down and make you pay. Do we understand each other?” Kirby narrowed his eyes and held out a hand for me to shake.

“I’m not going anywhere,” I promised, sliding my hand into his beefy mitt.

“Better go get hothead and tell him to come in and eat because I’m starving.” He pulled me in for a hug and I nearly drowned in his embrace. It was nice, though. Kirby had never shown me any affection. Then again, I hadn’t been exactly loveable then.

Releasing me, he patted my shoulder and scooped up Daisy, who tottered into the room. “Go get him,” he reiterated, and I took off down the hallway. Opening the front door, I froze as I heard him talking to Mindy. Neither of them noticed me in the doorway, and the sharp words tumbling from his beautiful mouth cut me to the core.

“Kirby is going to help her run,” he said sadly.

“What? He’s going to play some guitar on a demo that may or may not ever be seen. I wouldn’t worry about it.” Mindy shook her head.

Thanks for sticking up for me, Mindy!

“Come on, Mindy. She’s famous. Labels will be angling to pick her up. Then she’ll succumb to pressure and leave. Again.”

“I see.” Mindy sighed.

“It’s like, I knew it was too good to be true. I knew she wasn’t going to stay. She doesn’t know how to stay. I’ve been waiting on the other shoe to drop, and here it is. She’s going to make music and leave. I’m such an idiot. She hasn’t changed at all...”

Mindy looked up at me and grimaced. “Shit,” she whispered.

He turned to look at me, and his eyes widened.

“Why don’t you tell me how you really feel, Carter?” I asked, propping a hand on my hip. My eyes burned with unshed tears and my throat ached.

“Look, I…” he started

Holding up my hand, I cut him off. “No, that’s just fine. I won’t waste any more of your time, since I’m just going to leave you high and dry again.”

“Guys, this is all just a big misunderstanding, I think you two should go talk,” Mindy tried to reason with us, but the argument was already in full flame. It was too late.

“No, I don’t think we should go talk. I think everything was just said,” I crossed my arms over my chest and glared at him.
How dare he?

“Fine. Go make your music and leave. That’s all you were waiting on, right?” Carter yelled.

“You won’t listen, so why do I even bother trying to tell you anything, you stubborn asshole?”

“I guess it takes a bitch to know an asshole,” he snapped back.

I sucked in a breath. That one hurt. Deeply. “Go to hell, Carter. Just go straight to hell.”

“Oh, what’s that? Hell? I have only lived in hell since the moment I met you in the sandbox when we were five. You always made sure I was miserable. Your game is pretending to be sweet so you can get me comfortable then rip my heart out. Were you just waiting to get me relaxed enough to help you with your music? Make me fall completely in love with you then walk away and laugh?”

I lost the war with my tears and I chuckled as I wept. “You have me pegged, Carter Travis. You know everything about me.”

“That’s right. I do. Mindy, I’m going home.” He jumped up from the table and stalked to the car I’d given him. “I don’t want to see you again,” he roared, pointing at me as he slid behind the wheel.

“Good, you won’t.” My heart shattered into a million pieces.

“Carter, you’re overreacting!” Mindy yelled as he peeled out of the driveway.

I collapsed to the floor of the trailer and Kirby swept me up in his arms. “Ah hell,” he muttered, laying me out on the couch. “You okay?”

“I’m okay,” I hiccupped through my tears. “I’m sorry.”

Mindy came up the stairs and sighed. “Carter’s hurt, Bri, but he didn’t mean what he said. I know him too well.”

Kirby sat down in the recliner with a heavy groan. “My man’s been burned twice by you, babe. He’s leery of being burned again.”

“I know. But I’m not the same person and it sucks to be painted with the same brush over and over.”

“You weren’t exactly the nicest person in the world,” Mindy reminded me.

“I know.”

“Give him a few days. He’ll come around. I guarantee it,” Mindy reassured me. “Come eat some dinner. I’m dying to try your quinoa salad. When dinner’s over, we’ll take you home. I need to go get some milk anyway.” Mindy smiled warmly my way and Kirby winked. Sitting up slowly, I dried my eyes and pasted on my prettiest smile.

“Dinner sounds lovely.” I managed to eat a few bites of food and sip some tea. Mostly, I played with Daisy and helped her eat.