We kept quiet, letting her spill. Sometimes, that's just what a girl needs.
"When he took over the parlor it was shit. A total mess. He worked his ass off to get it to where it is today and I supported him. I thought when we opened the bar that it was my turn, my thing. I figured he'd understand. But it didn't work that way." She held out her glass and Rosie filled it up again. "We were hardly ever seeing each other and we just ... we drifted. One day he got up and said, I don't know why we're even bothering. What can you say to that? How the fuck are you supposed to react? It was like every bit of emotion had drained right out of him. His body was there, but his head and his heart were on another planet."
Her mouth opened, but for a moment nothing came out. Nell looked ruined. Christ, if this was marriage, if this was trusting another person body and soul, it scared the living shit out of me.
Suddenly, her chin lifted, her shoulders squared. "Like I'm supposed to smack him around the head with our marriage certificate? I told him if he didn't want to be there then he should go. I wasn't going to stop him. Fuck, I didn't think he'd actually leave."
Outside there was shouting, laughter. It seemed so out of place. Wrong. But I guess life went on, even when it shouldn't.
Nell flipped her hair back, licked her shining lips. "Anyway..."
"I'm sorry," I said, not that it helped.
She turned her splotchy red face my way, tears trailing down her cheeks. "Can't you just accidentally get pregnant and make Vaughan stay in Coeur d'Alene? I want some family around."
"Um, no. Sorry."
She barked that signature laugh. "Fine. Ruin everything, Lydia. See if I care."
"Gosh, Lydia," chided Rosie with a smile. "She's not asking for much."
I laughed and drank more wine. Everything would make more sense inebriated. I just knew it. And boy, was it going straight to my head. I guess having eaten only a piece of pecan pie today wasn't the best way to start a night of wine drinking.
"I'm not being funny."
"I know," I said. "I'm a selfish ho."
"Yes. You are." Nell blew her nose and refilled her glass, attempting to pull herself together under our watchful eyes. "You should just let me do what I want with your uterus."
The woman was nuts. Children weren't even on my radar yet. Let alone with Vaughan.
"Your brother and I are just friends, Nell," I said.
Both women laughed so hard it was a wonder they didn't fall off the couch. I stoically ignored them as best I could. Female friends, so overrated. Though also kind of wonderful in all the ways. Damn Coeur d'Alene for getting so great just as I was about to leave.
"A toast!" Rosie held her wine glass high. "To bullshit and broken hearts."
"Ha. Nice one." I grinned.
"Here, here," said Nell, drinking deep.
"To bullshit and broken hearts," I said. Then I drank too.
Hours later someone knocked on the door. Hours and hours and many bottles of wine and slices of pizza later. Nell slowly got to her feet and stumbled on over to answer it. I'll admit, it kind of surprised me when the person didn't just charge inside the same way everyone else did.
"Oh. It's you." Nell turned around and returned to the couch.
Behind her was Eric, his anger from last night missing. Well, mostly. His lips were pressed tight together, but his eyes were completely devoid of the fire and rage. "You've made your point."
"Glad to hear it," said Nell, picking up her wineglass.
"It was a shitty thing to do, leaving me to run the bar on my own," he said. "But I get why you felt the need."
Nell just watched him with eyes slightly glazed.
"We're lucky we weren't nearly as busy as last night. As it was, we had a few complaints about the slow service. More than one table left without tipping."
"Hmm."
Eric studied his shoes, and shoved his hands in the pockets of his pants. He looked like a schoolboy called to the principal's office.
He really was a good-looking man, I thought, as I eyed his long dark hair and sculpted face. Some expensive underwear company could have put him on a billboard. He didn't dress casual like the other guys. He wore a white button-down shirt that was rolled up to his elbows, and nice black trousers instead of jeans.
"Where's Vaughan? I better talk to him," he said. "Set things right."
"He's busy," blurted out Rosie, sitting up straight, all of a sudden at full attention.
"We can tell him." Again, Nell clambered to her feet, red-tinged eyes suddenly far more open. "But I appreciate you offering to smoke the peace pipe."
"No, I've been thinking," said Eric. "There's something I want to say to him."
"But--"
"Vaughan!" Eric craned his neck right and then left, checking out the hallway and the dining area. "Hey, Vaughan, you got a minute?"
"Eric, don't." She grabbed at his arm, yanking him toward the door. "Later. Talk to him later."
"Relax, Nell. I'm not going to cause any trouble."
The kitchen door flew open, banging against the wall so hard you could hear the glass shudder. Though it wasn't Vaughan who stood there, fury etched into the skin of his face, above the mammoth beard.
"What are you doing here?" Pat growled, taking several large steps into the room.
Nell released Eric's arm, taking a hasty step back. "Patrick..."
"It was a work thing," said Eric, tone calm, placating, even. "I just stopped by to tell her something. I'll leave now."
"Shit," Andre mumbled, looking far from happy. The other guys had come inside too, Vaughan hanging back by the dining table, confusion in his eyes.
But Joe hustled ass around the room, getting over to his brother's side, pronto. "Come on, Eric. Let's go. Catch you guys later."
"What is this?" Vaughan stepped up beside Pat, brows pulled in so tight they almost touched.
"I just wanted to say I'm fine with you working at the bar," said Eric. "It's fine with me. That's all I came here for."
Nell stood at the edge of the room, wringing her hands, looking like she'd bolt at the first opportunity. I set down my wineglass. Whatever was going on, the party was most definitely over.
"Pat," said Vaughan. "Man?"
Pat just stood there, steaming. And I'd thought Vaughan's laser beam eyes were impressive. He had nothing on Pat. With the way Pat was glaring at him, Eric should have turned into ashes. Dust.
"Don't," warned Nell, eyes silently pleading with her ex. "Do not bring my brother into this."
"Everyone fucking knows." With some mumbled expletives, Pat offered her a bitter grin. "Did you really think he wouldn't find out eventually?"
"Find out what?" asked Vaughan, voice beyond tense. "Nell?"
"They screwed," said Pat. "Your sister and him. Can you believe that shit?"
"What the fuck?" said Vaughan, eyes huge as he turned to his sister. "Nell?"
"Don't you look at me like that, Vaughan. You weren't here, you have no idea what this has been like for me." Fists tight against her stomach, Nell struggled to stay calm. "It only happened a few weeks ago. Pat and I have been separated for over a year. I am not a cheater."
"Sorry," muttered Vaughan. "Didn't mean to accuse you of anything."
Nell just shook her head. "And you ... you were at the goddamn Iron Horse every night tapping all that ass, weren't you, Pat?"
His jaw trembled with rage.
"You hypocritical bastard," she said.
"I didn't fuck your friend, Nell!"
"I made a mistake. I got drunk, and I made a mistake." Again, her eyes welled with tears.
Hand outstretched, Eric stepped forward. "Pat--"
"I don't want to hear a single thing from you." Beneath his faded black shirt, Pat's shoulders heaved. "Not a single damn thing ever again."
Mouth hanging open, Vaughan didn't seem to know where to look. All of his family and friends gathered around him and now this. What should have been a positive experience had hit the wall.
> "I trusted you," snarled Pat. "I trusted both of you."
"Enough," said Vaughan, shoving a hand through his hair, obviously struggling. "Leave, Eric. Now."
"Christ." Eric hung his head, giving a harsh laugh. "I came here to smooth things over with you. To bury the hatchet. This is such bullshit."
"Man, c'mon." Joe grabbed at Eric's shoulder, but he shook it off.
"Bullshit is it?" Pat took a step forward. "You fuck my wife and that's bullshit?"
"You know what I don't get," said Eric. "You walked out on her, man. So why are you so bitter about this? Got some regrets, Pat?"
"Stop it." Nell groaned, tears coursing down her face.
"She wasn't your wife," continued Eric as if he hadn't heard. "You heard her. You two had been separated for ages. It isn't like you've been waiting for the divorce to come through before moving on, is it? More like making up for lost time if you ask me."
"Both of you assholes, shut up now," yelled Vaughan. "You don't make my sister cry. Not here, not in this house."
Lip curled, Pat glared at Eric. Neither of them moving.
Vaughan took a deep breath, visibly reaching for calm. "I think it'd be best for now if both of you left."
A sobbing sound came from Nell and she turned her face away, obviously distraught. Funnily enough, the fury in Pat's eyes faded when he saw her in that state. But I don't think Eric noticed at all, cruel gaze and handsome face warped with anger.
"You know, Pat, I thought you were crazy sticking with the one woman all these years," said Eric, holding his face up. His smile was more of a sneer. "But now I understand. Fuck me, if Nell isn't the hottest piece of--"
With a roar, Vaughan suddenly launched himself at the man. Fists flew, sickening thuds. "You don't talk about her that way!"
Feet kicking, voices shouting, wood splintering as the coffee table exploded beneath the brawling men. Things moved impossibly fast. Someone was screaming. Nell, I think. It was all too much for my drunk dazed mind to comprehend.
Rosie grabbed my arm, hauling me as best she could over the back of the couch. I scrambled to keep up. To get to safety. The two men were like a hurricane, destroying everything in their path. Warm blood splattered my face, then I was up and over, falling onto the floor, crawling away to stand by Nell.
Both Joe and Pat entered the fray. I think Joe tried to tear the men apart, but Pat seemed to have lost his senses. While trying to land a punch on Eric, he clipped Joe's arm. Joe defended his brother. Of course he did. The couch was shoved back, sliding toward us. I put out my hands, pushing back before it made impact. Rosie grabbed Nell's arm, dragging her into the hallway.
Fuck. I'd never seen a fight before. Not like this.
I wanted to heave. And Vaughan was in there, caught up in that mess. The thought of him getting hurt made me want to do something extreme. God knows, he'd stood up for me more than once.
"Don't," said Andre, pulling me farther back before I could do something stupid. Probably unnecessary, my feet were stuck, frozen. The rest of my body was pretty much stuck too, deep in shock.
On the floor, the four men fought it out. I could only see blood and violence, Vaughan and Eric still struggling on the floor. In the hallway, Nell gave into the impulse to puke. The sound and smell made me swallow hard. I took deep breaths.
Time seemed to be messed up. Because it didn't feel like that long until I heard sirens fill the air.
"Thank god," I said, sagging against Andre.
His arm tightened around my waist, his head leaning against mine. It wasn't sexual in the least. We both needed the comfort.
"It'll be okay," he said. "They've all been friends for a long time. They'll work it out."
"You really believe that?"
He puffed out a breath. "No."
CHAPTER TWELVE
I stood at the foot of Vaughan's bed, slowly looking the half-naked man over. Moonlight shone through the open window, a summer breeze toying with the curtain. The things he did to me. All the emotions and effects of just being near him. Crazy. It was crazy.
"What?" he asked, voice husky.
"Just thinking." I smiled.
"About?"
"How hot you look lying on your bed with a bag of frozen beans stuffed down your jeans to ice your bruised balls."
One side of his cracked, puffy lips started moving upward. Then stopped. "Ow. Thanks."
"Is there anything else I can get you?"
"No." He patted the mattress beside him. "Sit with me awhile?"
"Sure." I sat by his side, trying not to move the mattress too much and aggravate his sore bits. Kind of hard considering the beating he'd taken.
"Can't believe Eric kneed me in the groin," he said, sounding wounded. "Even for him, that's low."
"You did attack him first."
"Mm." He sighed. "He had no business talking about Nell like that. I don't care what's gone down between them or how long I've been away. I'm still her brother. No way could I just stand by and let him say those sorts of things."
"I get that you needed to defend your sister."
He made a noise. God only knew what it meant.
"I thought it was nice of Officer Andy not to throw you all in jail."
Vaughan snorted. "He would have if Nell hadn't been here. Schmuck. Couldn't believe the way he was crawling up her ass."
"It's just as well she could talk him into walking away."
He watched me from his one good eye; the other was hidden beneath an ice pack. Shadows and lumps marred his beautiful face and one side of his ribs.
"I better let you get some sleep."
"You okay?" he asked.
I halted, searching for the right words. Thing was, there were none. "The fight scared me, Vaughan. Hell, it terrified me. You could have been seriously injured."
"Lydia," he said, then stopped. With various pained noises he moved himself over, making more room. "Lie down."
With nil grace, I did as asked, kicking off my shoes and lying down on the bed beside him. Head on the pillow, I immediately started to yawn. It had to be three, four in the morning at least. Any alcohol-induced happy buzz had worn off hours ago. Soon enough the sun would be rising. What a night.
"Hey." He hooked my pinkie with his, holding on tight. "Thanks for worrying about me."
"I was worried about all of you."
A pause. "That's not what you said."
"Yes, it was."
"No. You said, you could have been seriously injured. 'You' meaning me," he said, carefully turning his head to face me.
I just sniffed tiredly.
"You were worried about me."
"Whatever."
Shadows shifted across the ceiling, dark and mysterious. Outside, with the exception of the occasional horny bug sending out its booty call, silence reigned. Everyone was asleep. Or at least everyone in our little corner of the world.
"Is that why Andre had his arm around you," he asked out of nowhere. "Cause you were scared?"
I rose up on one elbow. "You and Eric were trying to kill each other and you still somehow managed to notice this?"
No answer.
Amazing. The man was simply amazing. I lay back down, resumed staring at the ceiling. My ribs felt a size too small; all the important organs in there were overexcited. I tried not to smile, but failed.
"You going to say something?" he asked eventually.
"You like me." The knowledge sank deep, soaking into my bones and settling. With it came a strange sort of calmness, a rightness, even though I should have been freaking right out about how transient we were. Sensibility dictated I keep him at arm's length. Sense wanted to stick its hand down his pants, bury its nose in his neck, and get something going. Now.
"Didn't we cover this already?" He gave my pinkie a squeeze.
"I don't know. Somehow it feels more real now. Or maybe I wasn't listening properly before." I grinned. "Or maybe I'm just having a moment."
"You're always having moments."
/>
True. "Deal with it. If you hadn't gotten involved in the fight we could be getting biblical."
A long and loaded moan. "Do not talk to me about sex right now."
"I'm just saying..."
"Well, don't."
"Fine. I won't." I shut my eyes tight, took a great big breath then slowly let it out. Disappointment. It sucked. Things low in my belly leading to my loins were aware they'd been very badly treated.
Completely denied.
Christmas lay right beside me, but I couldn't touch my present for fear of hurting him further. I might just beat up Eric myself. Slap him around the head a few times with a handbag, something like that. It would be fitting.
Vaughan's hand slid over mine. Care of the calluses on his fingers from playing guitar, they weren't soft. The skin there was harder, jagged, even. But I didn't mind. He could touch me as much as he liked. Hell, mood I was in, I'd tape myself permanently to his side if I could get away with such a thing.
"Did you hear from the real estate agent?" I turned my hand over, palm side up. All the better to catch his fingers with mine and hold on.
"He's bringing through some people tomorrow. Guess the trashed sitting room isn't going to look so great." He swore softly.
"It's fine," I said. "Nell and Rosie and I cleaned up the worst of the mess. If they ask, he'll say you're a minimalist who doesn't believe in having much furniture or something. It'll be fine."
A sigh. "Yeah. Well, it'll have to be. Thanks for helping out."
"No problem." I gently lifted his hand to my lips and kissed it, careful to avoid the two cracked knuckles. "Can I ask a personal question?"
"Shoot." He didn't even hesitate.
"What's the deal with Eric and you? Why did he react so badly to you working at the bar in the first place?"
The groaning was back, but it soon turned into laughter. The sound was not a happy one. "Thought you'd have asked about that before now, actually. After that damn scene at the bar last night."
"I didn't want to pry."
Without a word he lifted my hand to his lips and kissed it. Oh, god. I was melting. All they'd find of me come morning was soppy goo on the bed and it was all his fault.
"I like you, Lydia."
"I like you too, Vaughan. Now give me the gossip."
His laughter turned to an altogether more acceptable sound. "Eric was in the band all during high school. Helped me put it together, actually. We were tight back then. His parents only live a street over, so we pretty much grew up together..."