Pretty Pink Ribbons (5 page)

“What the hell is that?”

Turning in my seat, I look at a pale-faced Mia. I can’t help but giggle at the look of horror in her eyes. “It’s Mace.” I wiggle the can in front of her face and a hysterical burst of laughter rips from her lips as she runs a shaky hand through her hair.

“Well, no shit, Sherlock. What concerns me is that we need it . . . why the hell do we need it, Lane? Let’s just go.” Her frantic eyes are pleading with me to start the car and drive away, but I can’t. What Mia doesn’t know is that I don’t need her to help me find a place to live—thanks to Benny, I’ve already found one. I’m not a complete bitch so I do feel bad that I led her to believe we would be doing some house-hunting. But my idea of house-hunting and Mia’s idea of house-hunting are
way
different. Although she has been my best friend for the past several years, there are still quite a few things Mia doesn’t know about me—about my life. For instance, she doesn’t know that the man peering in through her window is not a thug, but my new neighbor and a huge teddy bear.

The gentle giant taps twice on the window and I watch in slow motion as Mia turns around in her seat, taking in the man standing outside of the car.

“Ohmigod,” she squeals, whipping back around, pinning me with terrified eyes. “Ohmigod, ohmigod, ohmigod. Please. Please move. Go, Lane.
Please.
” I wish I had the strength to compose myself, but I don’t. I can’t help the giggle that bubbles up from my throat, or the way I push her hand away when she tries to start my car. I’m a horrible friend—well, not really, but I’m sure she thinks so right about now. Pushing open my door, I slide from the car. I effectively mute her pleading screams as I close the door and then run at full force into a set of strong, waiting arms. Arms that I’d grown to love over the years. Arms that I trust and miss.

“BENNY!” MY BODY SLAMS into his hard chest and he doesn’t waste any time gathering me to him. Benny has never been an affectionate person—he’s more a fighter than a lover—but I learned early on that it’s only because he was never really loved. No one took the time to show him affection. I inhale deeply, reveling in my first taste of home. “I missed you,” I mumble, my face smashed in the crook of his neck.

“Christ, Laney, it’s so good to see you.” His rough voice is thick with emotion and I squeeze him a little bit tighter, thankful that we’ve kept in touch over the years.

“Me?” I pull back to look at his face, but he doesn’t put me down. “It’s good to see
you.
Look at you, Benny.” His grip loosens and I drop to the sidewalk, my eyes roaming his body, taking him in. “You’re such a handsome devil”—he flushes and I nudge his arm—“but that’s nothing new.” He glances down, rubbing a hand on the back of his neck.
I embarrassed him.
His eyes shift to my car and he jerks his thumb.

Mia is watching us, but I can tell her eyes aren’t on me. Her bottom lip is tucked between her teeth, her telltale sign that she’s found something she likes. She’s sizing Benny up, probably trying to decide if she should jump him or run away. Mia has always been able to get whatever man she wants. With her golden blond hair, ice blue eyes and killer curves, she’s never had to ask and she sure as hell has never had to beg.

I shift my gaze and find Benny staring back at her with a look of confusion, most likely because seconds ago Mia was ready to bolt just at the sight of him. Not that I can blame her . . . Benny is nothing less than intimidating. He also happens to be incredibly good-looking. Every inch of his six-foot-three frame is a chiseled mass of muscle, and a majority of those muscles are decorated in every tattoo imaginable. But if you can look past the bright colors and bulging biceps, Benny is nothing more than a beautiful soul who was dealt a shitty hand.

His head is cocked to the side, brows furrowed, as Mia’s wandering gaze roams up his body and back down before she catches my eye. Her eyes widen in embarrassment, no doubt because I caught her ogling, and I can practically hear her huff before she crosses her arms over her chest and turns in her seat. I slap Benny’s arm and he shakes his head as though I just pulled him from a trance. I have no idea what in the hell is going on here, but if I get a vote, I think she should jump him. Benny might be a little rough around the edges, but he had a difficult childhood and an even harder start to adulthood. The guy could use a good woman to ruffle his feathers a little bit.

He looks at me for a beat and then shifts his attention back to the car. “I should probably go apologize to Cinderella.” I snicker, knowing that not only does that nickname fit Mia to a T but also how much she would utterly despise it. Waving my hand in the direction of my car and the seething woman inside it, I give him my permission to go right ahead. He saunters across the sidewalk and I turn to look at my new home.

Home.

Eagerly, I make my way up the sidewalk. Black faded shutters frame the windows, paint is chipping from the front door, and when I reach for the knob, it wiggles loosely in my hand. But all of that is superficial. Unlike me, all of that can be fixed. Pushing open the heavy door, I walk in and smile at the sight that greets me. Dark hardwood floors as far as I can see are scuffed and worn, but I smile because it’s a testament to how much this house has truly been ‘lived’ in. Someone, most likely Luke or Benny, has polished the tattered wood to near perfection and a soft blue rug sits in the middle of the living room.

“I’ve got new furniture coming, but it isn’t here yet.” I freeze, excitement bubbling up inside of me at the sound of his voice. Spinning around, I find Luke leaning casually against the doorframe leading into the kitchen. His hands are tucked deep in his pockets and his knowing eyes are watching me. I haven’t seen my brother in two years and he’s definitely changed in that time. His eyes are hardened and his hair is longer, now sweeping across his forehead.

When I first moved to California, Luke and I went three years without seeing each other. We were both in college and neither one of us could afford a plane ticket. But nothing—and I mean nothing—was going to keep me from my brother. He was all I had left. We talked on the phone almost every day and decided that once we were able to save up enough money, we were going to meet and go on vacation together somewhere since we never took vacations as children. Our first trip was on my third summer away, and we met in Chicago for five days of much needed reconnection. Since then, we’ve been to Florida and Colorado, and thanks to my little friend that has decided to take up residence in my body, our next destination has yet to be determined.

“You didn’t have to get me new furniture. I’ve got a couch and chair coming here from . . . home.” It’s weird referring to California as my ‘home,’ even though it has been for the past eight years. St. Louis has been and always will be my
home.
It holds all of my memories, both good and bad, and it’s the one place that I will always come back to, no matter where I am in life.

Pushing away from the wall, Luke takes three long strides, putting himself directly in front of me. To an outsider, we probably look like complete idiots. Here we are, brother and sister, and we haven’t yet made one move to hug. But to us, it’s normal—it’s what we do. We size each other up, reminding ourselves that the other one is, in fact, real . . . and here. Which is what I’m certain Luke is doing now, considering he hasn’t seen me since my diagnosis. “I know I didn’t have to get you furniture, but I wanted to. Both the couch and chair were old when Dad had them. Plus, I figured a new set of furniture for your new home . . . it was the least I could do for the girl who practically raised me.” And this is exactly why I have the best brother in the entire world.

Luke reaches for me at the same time I reach for him. We cling to each other for several minutes, neither of us saying a word or making a move to pull away. Sometimes you just need this. You just need to know that there is someone in your life that will love you, no matter what—someone that you never have to worry about leaving. Because that’s what most people do, don’t they? That’s what I did anyway. “I love you, Luke.” I fight back the tears, determined not to let my emotions taint what should be a happy reunion.

“I love you too, Laneybug.” I hear the front door open and then shut, but I refuse to move. I have two years’ worth of hugs to make up for and there is no way I’m ready to let go.

“She sure does have a thing for hugging hot men today, doesn’t she?” Leave it to Mia to find my brother attractive. I smile into Luke’s chest at the same time he lifts his head to see who the sassy mouth belongs to.

“You think I’m hot?” Benny’s voice sounds smug and I can just picture him staring at her with his typical ‘bad boy charmer’ look.

“No. Not at all—”

“But you just said—”

“I’m sleep deprived,” Mia quips, “leave it alone.” Luke laughs a deep throaty laugh and I pull away from his embrace in time to find Mia sizing him up—only this time she’s met her match. Luke takes a step toward her and offers her his hand.

“You must be Mia.” Her eyes flash with joy and she slips a perfectly manicured hand into Luke’s. He lifts her hand to his mouth, never breaking eye contact, and places a single kiss to her knuckles. My brother, forever the charmer.

“And you must be the man I’m going home with tonight.” Luke barks out a laugh and Benny rolls his eyes, pushing past us. I watch his retreating form walk into the kitchen before turning my gaze back to Mia.

“Mia, stop hitting on my brother.” Her eyes flit between me and Luke, a seductive smile curling her lips.

“Laney, there is no way that this is Luke. The Luke that you’ve shown me pictures of is nothing but a boy. This guy here”—with one hand still clutched in his, she lifts the other to his chest—“is all man.”

Luke’s head twists in my direction, a shit-eating grin plastered across his face. No. There is no way that this is going to happen. “Down girl. He’s my brother, for Christ’s sake.”

“Chill, Mama Bear,” Luke says, letting go of Mia’s hand. “I still remember the rule.”

“Rule? What rule?” Luke and I laugh. Mia stares at us, waiting for an explanation.

“Luke here isn’t allowed to touch any of my friends,” I answer, giving her a cheeky smile.

Mia’s eyes roll in disbelief, but I don’t expect anything less from the girl who has never had to follow a rule a day in her life. “Well, that’s no fun.”

“Well, that’s Laney, forever the fun sucker.” I slap Luke in the chest and he laughs, bending down to kiss my cheek. “Just kidding. You know I love you.” I grunt in response. “Okay, I’ve got to run,” he says, digging his keys out of his pocket. “I have a meeting in twenty minutes, but Benny has everything else taken care of. If you need me, call me. Got it?”

“Got it,” I nod.

Luke turns to Mia just as Benny walks back into the room. “Mia, it was a pleasure meeting you.” Her answering smile drips with sweetness. Luke turns back to me. “I’ll see you tomorrow, and please don’t forget to tell me when you schedule your first appointment. I want to be there with you.” I know he means it; I can tell by the pleading look in his eyes. Plus, I know how much it killed him when he couldn’t be with me during my surgery. As much as I would prefer to do this by myself, I know Luke wants to support me however he can. It’s hard because he wants so badly to wave a hand and make all of this go away, but the truth of the matter is that he can’t.

No one can.

“I’m calling first thing in the morning. I’ll let you know as soon as I have an appointment.”

“Perfect.” With one last peck on the cheek for me and a quick wave ‘goodbye’ at Benny, Luke is out the door. Spinning around, I find Mia lounged on the blue rug, messing with her phone. Benny is poised on a step stool screwing a new light bulb into my ceiling fan, and I take a moment to look around. I’m not sure how I got here, figuratively speaking, but now that I’m here I have no intention of leaving. The thought of endless possibilities puts an enormous smile on my face.

“What are you grinning at?” Benny’s warm smile flashes at me from up above.

“I’m happy.” I move across the room to unpack one of my bags that mysteriously made its way into the house. “I can’t wait to decorate my new home, and I’m excited that I can see you and Luke whenever I want.” I shrug, loving that I have Benny next door and Luke just a few miles away. Ideally, I’d love to buy a house, but for now I’ll have to settle for renting. “I’m just happy to be home.” And it really is as simple as that. No matter what life throws at me, no matter where it takes me, right here and right now I am happy, and that’s really all I can ask for.