Alyssa's Choice (7 page)

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Justin rubbed soap all over Alyssa’s body, massaging and cleaning her with care while she slept in Grant’s arms. It did amazing things to him being able to care for her, having her trust in them enough to let herself fall asleep. He shook his head, surprised at how the night had changed so rapidly. He really thought that she would leave with her friends. He never even considered that they would have a chance.

“What are you thinking? You have a serious look on your face,” Grant said. He sat back against the wall of the Jacuzzi tub and let the jets massage his body.

“I–I’m…” He shook his head. “I can’t believe that we’re sitting here with her. Tonight, wow, it’s never been that good.” He had a hard time finding the right words to say.

“You’re scared?” Grant cocked his head to the side and studied him, but Justin tried to mask his emotions. He didn’t want to give anything away too soon. Yes, he was a little nervous. He didn’t believe for one minute that Alyssa would just fall into their arms and they would live happily ever after. He didn’t want to share that with Grant, though.

His brother would push her away emotionally, and they would be in even more trouble. Grant had always been more standoffish, not willing to open his heart, afraid of someone else leaving him. Justin just smiled and pretended that he believed everything would be fine, hoping that Grant wouldn’t be able to read him.

Their story was unique. They had both been adopted and brought to live in Coltmann County when they were just boys. They had clung to each other and became more than just brothers. They were best friends. When their parents had died in a car accident, they had decided to take each of their fathers’ last names, out of respect and to remember them forever. Most people didn’t understand, and they didn’t waste time explaining the reasons to them.

He shrugged. “Maybe a little scared.” He climbed out of the bathtub and grabbed a towel, drying himself off before walking to the edge of the tub and waiting for Grant to hand him Alyssa. It took a few minutes for his brother to maneuver, not wanting to jostle her too much and wake her. She groaned unhappily as she was moved from Grant’s arms to his and he wrapped the towel around her. He dried her the best he could, but he was glad when Grant grabbed a towel and started at her feet. They worked together.

Justin walked back into the bedroom and slowly lowered Alyssa onto the bed, covering her quickly with blankets. She moved slightly, snuggling under the covers, and he stood by the edge of the bed, staring at her beautiful face. She looked so innocent sleeping in their bed, her skin glowing under the soft light. He watched her moan, shift, and wondered what she was dreaming about. Was she thinking about them? Was she dreaming that they were making love?

The lights went out and Justin climbed into bed and lay next to her. He reached out and traced his fingers along her jawline, feeling her soft skin. She turned toward him, moving her face into her palm. He moved closer, grabbed her right leg, and pulled it over his hip, wanting to feel her warmth.

He felt the bed dip and knew that Grant had joined them. He could hear him moving around, trying to get comfortable lying against her back. He held her tighter, closing his eyes, feeling more relaxed than he had felt in years. He closed his eyes and concentrated on her breathing. He let the quiet sound of her snoring lull him to sleep. This was the only place he wanted to be, holding her in his arms as he fell asleep.

The sound of rushing water had Alyssa slowly opening her eyes. She looked around the room and knew instantly that she wasn’t at the guesthouse. She could hear low voices talking and slid out of the huge bed. She stood there for a minute, unsure if she should go into the bathroom or if she should get dressed and head home. The whole morning-after thing never worked out well for her. She had some pretty awful memories, and the stupid brush-offs ran through her mind in vivid clarity.

She remembered them all in detail. “I’m sorry to wake you, but I have an appointment. You need to leave. I’ll call you.” She never received a call, never heard from that jerk again.

“I hope you don’t think you’re my girlfriend.” That smacked her across her face. She’d thought that maybe she had met a nice guy.

“I don’t have anything to make for breakfast or even coffee. You can grab something, though, on your way home, right?” That brush-off had at least been slightly nice.

“You know where the door is?” Yeah, she knew. She had walked in with him, after all.

Her favorite morning had been waking up next to a model-perfect body. “I’d love to fuck you again, but this can’t be any more than that. You’re not the type of girl I can take home to meet Mom.” Even though she had been with some hot guys in her time, none of them had been more than a rush to the bedroom with a harsh morning after.

She ran around the room on silent feet, grabbing her clothes and quickly getting dressed. Nope, she wasn’t going to hang around to hear what awful thing Justin and Grant might say. It had been fun. Actually, it had been the best experience of her life. They were kind, gentle, and sweet. They had bathed her and cuddled.

Alyssa walked to the front door and slid out, her heart hammering frantically in her chest. She needed to get back to the house. She ran down the stairs and through the pub, hoping that Justin and Grant didn’t notice she was gone yet. She went out the front door of the pub, and the morning air felt good against her hot skin. She looked around, trying to judge what time it was, but she had no idea. Alyssa headed toward the store first, knowing that she wouldn’t be able to walk back to the ranch.

She looked down at the street, trying to move quickly so that people wouldn’t notice her. She knew she looked horrible. She wasn’t able to brush her hair, and she was wearing the same clothes from the day before. She felt a little sick to her stomach, wondering what they would’ve said to her this morning. She stopped that train of thought, knowing that it would end badly for her. Nobody seemed to want her, especially when she was all too willing to have sex. That’s what it was, just sex. She had to grow up and stop romanticizing things.

She walked up the stairs to the store and walked in. Bella, Hannah, and Jessica were working already, and she really didn’t want to have the talk she knew was coming, but she didn’t have a choice. She didn’t have a car or her own place, so she couldn’t hide out and pretend that last night didn’t happen.

“Well, look what the cat dragged in.” Hannah giggled.

“Walk of shame, bad girl, Alyssa.” Bella tsk-tsked at her, wearing a broad smile.

“Did you have fun last night? Are two men better than one?” Jessica asked. She knew her friends were just playing with her, but she really didn’t want to deal with their jokes. She pasted on a fake smile.

“Can I get your car keys please? I want to go to the house, shower, and change,” she said to Bella, not bothering to answer any of them or give them any details.

“Of course. Take your time. We’ll be waiting to hear all the details when you get back.” Bella handed her the keys, and Alyssa grabbed them, walking back out of their store. Her goal was to get to the house. It wasn’t her home. It was just a place she was staying temporarily. She needed some time alone, and staying at the store wouldn’t give her the time she needed. Bella, Jessica, and Hannah wouldn’t drop it and she knew that.

She slid into Bella’s Nissan cube and drove out of town, headed for the ranch. She really liked being in Texas. The air was cleaner, and the wide-open spaces were amazing. She had always lived in apartment buildings surrounded by faceless, nameless people. Here in this beautiful country, people always smiled and waved, sincere, wanting to know each other. She understood why her friends liked being here, why they wanted their business here.

Alyssa turned down the dirt road and headed toward the guesthouse where she lived with Jessica. It was a nice place, and she was grateful that Bella’s men let them live on their land free. That was probably the best thing about this place. She wasn’t earning any money yet. Alyssa parked the car and walked up the porch steps, looking around.

The place was virtually silent. She could hear the wind blow through the trees, and in the far-off distance the sounds of cows and horses. She closed her eyes and let the stress from the morning melt away. This place had a calming effect. She heard a horse whine loudly and whipped her head to the side to see Clint sitting tall.

“Oh, Alyssa. I’m sorry. I saw Bella’s car and got worried for a minute. I didn’t mean to startle you.” He dipped his head down and she smiled. The man was such a gentleman.

“No problem. I just borrowed her car to come take a quick shower and change. I’ve got to get back to the store and help. It’s almost time for the grand opening.” She turned to head inside.

“Wait. Where are Grant and Justin? Why didn’t they drive you home this mornin’?” She didn’t want to answer him, but she figured gossip would probably start soon enough.

“I’m not sure. I suppose they’re both at home. You know how those awkward morning-afters go.” She tried to laugh it off, but she felt like crying. Her eyes filled with tears.

“No. I don’t know.” He shook his head, looking concerned, and she really wished that she would’ve kept her mouth shut.

“It’s no big deal, just a one-night thing. Don’t worry. I’m good,” she said, wanting to escape this conversation.

“One-night stand? That doesn’t sound like them.” He shook his head.

“It’s no big deal. I really need to get ready.” She knew she sounded rude, but the truth was she really didn’t want to have this particular conversation with one of Bella’s men. She had avoided the conversation with her friends. The last thing she needed to do was spill her guts.

“Yeah. Okay,” he said, and she walked into the house, not giving him a moment to say anything else. She leaned against the front door and waited until she heard the sound of horse hoofs retreating away from the house.

She walked around the small house then went into the bedroom to grab some clothes. She just needed to get to work and stop thinking.

* * * *

A few days later

When Grant had first walked out of the bathroom, an empty bed greeted him. He looked around their apartment, hoping that he would find Alyssa, but of course, she was gone. He wasn’t sure how he should feel. It had been a few days since they had seen her, and he missed her more than he wanted to admit.

He walked around the pub, cleaning and taking stock, not wanting to think of their night together. He didn’t want to be sad. The pain in his heart was almost too much to bear.

He wasn’t sure if they should go after her and confront the situation or if they should just try to be patient and wait for her to make the next move. The whole situation felt weird. She didn’t seem like the type of girl who would just walk out in the morning without breakfast or an explanation. Did she want this to be a one-time thing? Did she think that they didn’t want her anymore? The questions flew through his mind, and he tried to ignore them.

Grant went through their stock bottle by bottle, ignoring the conversations around him. He wasn’t in the mood to discuss the weather, the grand opening of the new women’s store, or the upcoming farmers’ market. None of those things mattered to him at this moment.

“Hey, Grant.” He heard Justin’s voice but refused to leave the storeroom. He didn’t want to have the conversation that Justin obviously wanted to have. For the last couple of days Justin had been harassing him, cornering him, and trying to make him talk about his feelings. “Grant! Jessica is here. She wants to talk to us.” He let out a loud sigh and put his clipboard down. His heart beat rapidly as he made his way toward the front of the pub. Would Alyssa send her friend over to let them down? He shook his head. No, he wouldn’t assume anything. He would sit silently and let Jessica talk.

When he finally reached the front of the pub, Justin and Jessica were seated in a booth. He made his way toward them, wanting to know what they were talking about and hoping that he didn’t miss anything worth hearing.

“Hey, Grant. I’m sorry to bother you. I know you must be very busy.” Jessica smiled and he only nodded, feeling bile rise up in his throat. He just wanted to get it over with. He wanted to hear what she had to say so that he could move on with his life, move on from Alyssa.

“As you both know we’re having the grand opening soon. We pushed back the date. We needed more time to get ready. So now, we’re looking at two weeks. I don’t have my assistant here yet, but I’m glad to say she should be on her way here soon. I need some help, and I know this is last minute but I’m hoping you’ll say yes. Of course, I’ll pay the both of you for your time,” Jessica said, and Grant relaxed a little. She hadn’t come to talk about Alyssa. He finally moved and sat down next to Justin.

“What do you need?” Justin asked before he could open his mouth and say a word. At least one of them was on the ball. Grant couldn’t focus, he couldn’t think. He didn’t know what to do. They had finally met a woman that they both cared about and wanted to share and she had ditched them. He closed his eyes, letting the events run through his head.

A sharp elbow hit him in the gut, and Grant jolted, rubbing the slight pain. He scowled at Justin. “Jessica would like us to make appetizers for the party. She was also hoping we could set up a small bar area for their event. What do you think?” He was barely paying attention. Maybe this would be their chance to talk to Alyssa, and maybe they could confront her.

“Yeah. That’s fine. We can get Beau and Chase to help us, and if we need more help, I’m sure Clint, Clay, and Cody can pitch in. Shouldn’t be an issue.” It was time to come up with another plan, and with Justin’s help they might be able to find out what Alyssa was running from.

“You both are lifesavers. Thanks. I completely forgot about the food and drinks, with the store cleaning and organizing. Thank you. Any appetizers will be fine. I’m not picky. A signature drink would be great, something pink that we can name ‘Love Song’ after the store. Alyssa has been taking care of the RSVPs, and so far, she said we should expect around one hundred. We’ve been spreading the word far and wide to every women’s club we can think of, and of course we are inviting men to the grand opening, mostly to serve the ladies but also to tell them what they think is sexy.” She winked at them, and Grant shook his head. Although, he thought again, he would love to serve Alyssa.

“Grant and I will figure it out, so don’t worry. We can also talk to the other guys and get them on board to help.”

“Thanks. I appreciate it.” Jessica stood up and shook their hands. She headed toward the exit and Grant really wanted to stop her. He wanted to say something.

“Hey, Jessica. How’s Alyssa? We haven’t seen her in a while.” Justin asked, and Grant watched her, waiting patiently, hoping that Alyssa was okay.

“She’s okay. Just working at the store, trying to help us get ready. I think she might be a little stressed out. She’s been feeling under the weather. I think we are all just a little anxious, though. Should blow over after the store opens.” She headed out the door, and Grant let out a breath he hadn’t known he been holding.

“See, she’s fine. She just doesn’t want to see us.” Grant started to walk away, and Justin grabbed his arm, stopping him, preventing him from moving.

“Don’t. We will talk to her at the grand opening. We will figure this whole stupid thing out, and then the three of us will be together. I really need you to be at the top of your game. We need to work together. Stop pulling away.” Justin dropped his hand and moved past him, heading back to the pub to serve some of their regulars.

Grant stood there for a moment in silence. He went through that night in his head, trying to figure out where they went wrong with her. He went to the back and grabbed his clipboard, resuming his task for the afternoon. He needed to stay busy, to keep his mind occupied and off of the woman who was haunting him.