Break the Rules (The Flanagan Sisters Book 1) (13 page)

“But
that still leaves Bridget,” Hal said. “We thought it would make sense for you
to trade places with Tanya.”

Jack
grinned. “I’m not marrying you, bro.”

Hal
laughed. “No. You move in with Bridget. Take Tanya’s room. You can share the
bills.”

The
idea held a lot of appeal, but he was reluctant to suggest it. Bridget would
feel trapped.

Had
Tanya considered that? Had she considered her friend might not be ready to take
the next step? Or had she only wanted to assuage her own guilt? Jack was pretty
sure it was the latter.

“I’m
not sure Bridget would go for it.”

“You
should ask her at least,” Hal insisted. “She might be stressed about how she’s
going to pay the bills. It would give her another option to consider. She might
not want to ask you herself.”

So
now he was going to be the bad guy if he didn’t make the suggestion.

Feeling
manipulated himself, he sighed. “I’ll talk to her tomorrow.”

* * *

Jack
waited until almost everyone had gone home the next day before he approached
Bridget.
The less people around to hear the argument, the
better.

“Got
a minute?” he asked as he walked into her office.

“Sure.
I wanted to thank you for the work you did while I was away and over the last
week. The project’s still on schedule.”

He’d
made sure of it. The last thing he wanted was for Bridget to come back from her
days off to find the project at the same stage as when she’d left. He wouldn’t
be able to convince her to take any more time off if that had happened.

“Don’t
mention it,” he said. He shut the door behind him and she frowned. “I know you
want to keep work and our private life separate,” he began, “but I need to run
something by you.”

Bridget
looked to the closed door and sighed.
“All right.”

“Now
Hal and Tanya are married, I was planning to move to my mom’s place, but Hal
suggested you need a roommate.”

Bridget’s
eyes narrowed to slits. “
Hal
said that, did he?”

Jack
recognized barely concealed anger when he saw it. “He did. He said Tanya felt
guilty about the whole situation and he thought this would be a good solution.”

“When
did he suggest this?”

“After Tanya told you about their wedding.”

Bridget
hissed. She got to her feet and paced to the window and back again. “I told her
not to say anything. She promised me she wouldn’t say anything to you.”

“Tanya
already made the suggestion to you?” he guessed.

She
nodded once, her whole posture stiff and angry.

“You
told her not to say anything so she got Hal to say it instead.” That was pure
manipulation. Surely Tanya would have realized how upset the suggestion made
Bridget, but she’d had to appease her guilt.

“It is
a practical solution …” He held up a hand as Bridget whirled around, her
eyes full of hurt. “I’m just saying. It doesn’t mean it’s the right solution.”
He’d known Bridget wasn’t going to be enthusiastic with the idea, but she
didn’t need to be quite this upset.

She
collapsed into her chair. “It’s not you, it’s –” She waved her hand around the
office, “– this.”

He
understood, or at least tried to tell himself he did. She’d lost her job,
credibility, and boyfriend all at once. But she needed to move on. What would
it take for Bridget to stop worrying about them being colleagues and embrace
what they had together?

“It
could be a temporary measure,” he said. “I move in, help pay the bills until
you find someone else to share with, or until the lease runs out. Then you can
find somewhere smaller.”

“What
do we say to people at work?”

“We
tell them about Tanya and Hal, explain their impulsiveness and say we’re doing
each other a favor. I’ll take Tanya’s bedroom.”

“We
stick to our weekend thing?”

He
didn’t want to have to keep a distance from Bridget if he was living with her,
but right now he’d agree to anything to make her happy. “If that’s what you
want.”

She
looked away, but not before he saw the confusion in her eyes. Lionel had really
done a number on her.

“Why
don’t you think about it?” Jack brushed a hand down her arm before opening the
door and letting himself out, hoping she would let her practical side win.

* * *

When
Jack left her office, Bridget slumped down in her chair and put her head on the
table. She could kill Tanya. If her best friend walked through the door she’d
have to plead temporary insanity when accused of the murder.

She’d
told her not to tell Jack, had made her promise. She hadn’t considered Tanya
would be sneaky enough to work around the promise by getting Hal to do her
dirty work.

Now
Bridget had to make a decision. Jack was waiting for it.

And
hadn’t he been so rational and pleasant about the whole thing?

He
didn’t understand what it was like – the looks, the comments, the insinuations.
It would happen if he moved in with her, whether they were sleeping together or
not. There were always people ready to spread rumors and believe the juiciest
gossip. Was she willing to put up with that for the sake of practicality?

The
worm of insecurity that she normally kept locked down, wriggled its way into
her thoughts. Once the rumors started, how long would it be before someone
began questioning her commitment and her projects?

The second she made a mistake, if not sooner.

But maybe
people knew her better here than they had in her last job. Maybe people would
ignore the rumors and give her the benefit of the doubt. She just didn’t know.

Bridget
visualized the spreadsheet she’d made up last night. She could manage on her
own for the rest of the month. The bills had been paid and nothing was due.
This morning she’d asked a few people at work if they knew of anyone looking
for a place to stay. She’d explained about Tanya and received some pity but no
one knew of anyone.

Bridget
closed her eyes. What would it be like living with Jack, even if they did have
separate rooms?

It
would be difficult if they were continuing their weekend deal. She was honest
enough to know having Jack around every evening would be like having chocolate
within arm’s reach that you weren’t allowed to eat. The thought of having him
there every night was appealing as hell.

Which was another reason to say no.

She
sighed. She had to make a decision. It wasn’t fair to get Jack to move to his
mother’s and then move again to her place if she agreed to his suggestion.

Jeremy
stuck his head around the door. He opened his mouth to say something and then
he frowned. “You all right, Bridge?”

He’d
be the perfect person to ask. She took a deep breath. “No, I’ve got a bit of a
problem.” She told him about Tanya moving out and how Jack needed to find
somewhere else to stay. “I thought of suggesting Jack take Tanya’s old room,
but I’m worried about what people might say.”

Jeremy
pulled out the other chair and took a seat.
“The Lionel
affair.”

“Yep.
What do you think? Is it a bad idea?”

Jeremy
rubbed his chin. “It’s been a couple of years. Everyone here knows how capable
and dedicated you are. It might not matter. Particularly when it’s just a favor
and you’re not sleeping with Jack.”

Bridget
didn’t address that comment. He didn’t need to know. “You don’t think people
will talk?”

“People
will always talk, Bridge. Not many people will listen to them though. You’re
tough enough to ignore the few.”

Was
she? She wasn’t entirely sure.

“You’ll
be fine,” said Jeremy. “Listen, I wanted to talk to you about next week’s
training session. I’ve got a thing I’ve got to go to. Could you run the
training without me?”

Bridget
hadn’t run any of the emergency response training sessions by herself before,
but she had all the qualifications now. “Sure. Is everything all right?”

“Yeah.
I’ll be at the team-building session on Tuesday.”

She’d
forgotten that was next week. Jack had arranged it while she was away. She might
have to put in some extra time on the project this week to make up for those
days.

“Thanks.
I’ll see you tomorrow.” Jeremy left and Bridget swiveled her chair around to
face her desk.

If
Jeremy didn’t think it would be a problem, and he knew how bad the Lionel
affair had been, perhaps it would be all right. She’d consider it some more
tonight, maybe give Carly a call. Carly always knew what to do.

Chapter 13

When Bridget got home, the house seemed quieter
than usual. She walked through to the kitchen, and as she passed Tanya’s room
she stopped and stared.

It
was empty.

Tanya
had used her day off to move out.

In
the bathroom they shared, Tanya had cleared out her shelves of beauty products,
leaving just Bridget’s things: a toothbrush, toothpaste, and can of mousse. In
the living room, the cushions and paintings Tanya had bought were gone, as were
the stools from the breakfast bar.

Her
phone rang and seeing it was Tanya she answered it.

“Hey Bridget.
I moved out today.”

“So I
see.”

“Oh, are
you home already? I didn’t think you would be. I just took a few things. Hal’s
place needs a woman’s touch.”

“I’m
surprised you didn’t take a sofa and half the kitchen table.” They’d bought
them together.

Tanya
laughed. “Don’t be silly. Hal’s got those things. You can pay me my share of
the sofa and table when you have it.”

Bridget
let out a long, slow breath. It was another expense.

“Is
there anything else you need to take?” she asked.

“Not
as yet. I didn’t want to leave you without any dishes so if you tell me when
you buy yourself a
set,
I’ll come and pick mine up.”

Of course.
Tanya had brought a lot of things with her when they’d moved out together
because she’d had a big twenty-first birthday party and people had given her
things for her house. Which meant on top of finding someone to share the bills,
Bridget would need to buy dishes and silverware. Anger and frustration simmered
in her stomach.

“Why
don’t you give your key to Jack?” Bridget suggested. “He can give it to me in
the morning.” Right now she didn’t want to see her friend.

“Oh,
is he moving in? I knew you’d ask him once you stopped worrying.” Tanya sounded
delighted.

That
was the last straw. Her anger bubbled out. “I haven’t made a decision yet,” she
said. “But how dare you go behind my back that way? I trusted you, Tanya. You
promised me you wouldn’t say anything to him about it.”

“I
didn’t. Hal did.” Tanya defended herself.

“Don’t
pretend you didn’t ask Hal to say something. I know you did. That’s as bad as
telling Jack yourself.”

“Bridge,
don’t be mad,” Tanya wheedled. “I know how much you care for him. It’s the
perfect solution.”

“For
you,” Bridget said. “Did you even consider my feelings while you were
convincing Hal to talk to Jack? Or did you only think about how much easier it
would be for you?”

Tanya
was silent.

“That’s
what I thought.” Bridget hung up before she said something that would truly end
their friendship. Right now she wasn’t sure whether that might be the best for
both of them.

With
a sigh she placed her phone on the table. The living room was rather bare now
without all of Tanya’s finishing touches. Bridget had never bothered with
knick-knacks because Tanya had enough for the both of them. But now the house
was soulless.

She
opened the kitchen cupboards and wrote down what she needed to buy. It would
have to wait until her next pay day, and then she would have to choose the most
important things.

Did
Jack have any of this stuff?

She
shook her head. She hadn’t made a decision about that. With that in mind, she
called Carly.

“What’s
wrong? We only spoke yesterday,” Carly said as she answered.

Bridget
sighed. “Tanya got married and moved out.”

“What?”
The disbelief in Carly’s voice made Bridget laugh.

“She
and Hal went away for the weekend to celebrate their engagement and eloped.
She’s moved her things in to Hal’s place today and I’ve arrived home to a
half-empty house.”

“That
was quick,” Carly said.

“Yeah.
She always charges ahead when she’s got a plan,” Bridget said.

“So what
do you need from me?” Carly asked. “Do you need some furniture? I can transfer
some money into your account.”

“No,”
Bridget said firmly. “I’m after some advice is all.”

“That
doesn’t come cheap,” Carly joked. “Hit me.”

Bridget
explained about the Jack solution. She didn’t need to voice her concerns about
the Lionel affair because Carly already knew all about that.

“Is
he worth the potential heartache?”

The
question made Bridget stop. Not once had she wondered whether Jack was worth
it, whether what they had started between them might actually be really good.
She wasn’t certain she trusted her judgment about men.

She
did enjoy spending time with him when she wasn’t worrying about what other
people might think. Even at work they had a good rapport.

“Birdy?”

Bridget
smiled at the childhood nickname. “I’m still here. I don’t know. I’ve been too
busy worried about the work consequences to think about it.” But perhaps that
was the key to her decision.

“Mama
once said Papa had three traits that made her know instantly that he was the
one for her,” Carly said.

“What
were they?”

“He
made her laugh, he had a kind heart, and he made her blood heat.”

Bridget
smiled. She had some memories from when her father was still alive, of the
music and laughter that filled the house.

“He
does make me laugh,” she admitted.

“Is
he kind?”

He’d
given her those days off, he’d noticed her hard work, and she’d seen him
working with others on site to help them. “Yes.”

“So
that leaves the third point, which I don’t need to know about.” Carly laughed.

There
was no question he made her blood heat and her heart pound.

Should
she allow herself to explore what they had between them? Should she ignore all
of the rumors when they came her way? Was she strong enough for that?

“Thanks,
Carly. You’ve given me some things to consider.”

“Anytime, little sister.”

Bridget
hung up and sat on the sofa with her knees pulled up underneath her while she
thought things through.

Finally
she picked up her phone and entered a number. “Jack, can you come over so we
can talk?”

* * *

Jack
knocked on Bridget’s door. There was a little bundle of nerves in his stomach
that fidgeted while he waited. He wasn’t sure what to make of Bridget’s request
to talk. She sounded so serious.

Was
she going to break up with him?

He
hoped not. He enjoyed spending time with her and the weekend deal was better
than nothing.

The
door opened and she stood there in a bright red dress which showed off her
curves. Her toenails were painted red today. She looked sensational.

“Thanks
for coming.” She gestured him inside and took him into the living room.

As he
walked past Tanya’s room he noticed its emptiness. “Tanya doesn’t waste much
time when she decides on something.”

“No, she
doesn’t.” Her tone was aggravated. “Do you want a drink?”

Jack
risked stepping closer, touching her hand. “I just want to know what’s
bothering you.” He had a fairly good idea but he wanted it out in the open.

“Have
a seat.” She pointed to the sofa but remained standing after he sat. She hugged
herself, opened her mouth to speak, and then closed it again.

“Bridge,
just say what you need to say,” he said gently, his nerves still swishing
inside him.

“This
has happened so fast,” she said. “When we met and I didn’t know you were my
boss, I was so excited. I’d met someone who seemed like such a decent guy and
he liked me back.”

“I
felt the same way.” And every day the feeling grew.

Bridget
perched herself on the arm of the sofa opposite. “I was so gutted when Anthony
introduced you, when I realized you were my boss, that we couldn’t explore what
was between us.”

Jack
didn’t speak, didn’t want to interrupt her.

“But
Tanya and Hal kept pushing us together and I couldn’t ignore the attraction.
The weekend deal was a reasonable alternative.” She stood up again, pacing.
“But the idea of you moving in … that’s on a whole different playing
field. There will be speculation at work, gossip will spread, and whether it’s
fair or not it will affect me more than it will affect you.”

He
didn’t deny it.

“So I
need to know two things if you’re going to move in here.”

The
first spark of hope fired in Jack’s chest.

“That
you will stick to whatever reason we give management about the move and you
will defend it when necessary.”

He
nodded.
“Of course.”

She
stopped pacing. “And I need to know whether you think what we have is worth it,
that this isn’t just a fling for you.” She stared him straight in the eye,
defiant with a hint of vulnerability.

Jack
was across to her in two steps, his arms around her. “Bridget, you are most
definitely worth it. I hate that this is an
issue, that
neither of us are in the position to find another job, that you’ve been treated
so badly in the past. I want to explore what we have and see where it leads.”

Her
eyes were uncertain.

He
kissed her gently. “Bridget, no matter what decision you make, I will respect
it and stand up for you.”

“We’d
need to have separate bedrooms,” she said. “I’m not sure whether we’ll use them
both, but in case we have visitors, or we need a break from each other, we need
our separate spaces.”

He
nodded, the hope flaring into flames.

“It
will be just until the lease runs out here. Then we can reassess and make a
decision about where to go from there.”

“Absolutely.”
He’d agree to anything.

Bridget
let out a deep breath.
“All right.
Do you want to move
in?”

“I
thought you’d never ask.” He hugged her tightly and kissed her again. “I’ll do
right by you, Bridget. Don’t worry.”

She nodded,
but he could tell she wasn’t entirely convinced. He’d show her he meant it.
Somehow.

* * *

Jack
moved in the next day. He went to Anthony, gave him his change of address and
explained about Tanya and Hal. He didn’t mention he and Bridget were in a relationship
and Anthony didn’t ask. The situation between Tanya and Hal was clear enough.
No one thought it was strange he didn’t want to live with newlyweds.

He
left work an hour early to retrieve some of his things out of storage: his bed,
a chest of drawers, and his bedside tables. He hadn’t had a chance to ask
Bridget what else Tanya had taken, but he’d ask her tonight.

When
Dionysus had said they were paying for the relocation, he hadn’t bothered selling
anything,
he’d just packed up his whole house and
shipped it to the US.

Hal
met him at the storage company, helped him load up the trailer he’d hired, and
then followed him back to Bridget’s to unload.

“I
appreciate you moving out,” Hal said when they were finished and drinking a
beer in the kitchen.

Jack
shrugged. “I appreciate you letting me stay.”

“Are
you and Bridget …” Hal searched for the word, “cool with the situation?”

“We’ll
make it work.” He’d be much happier if Bridget had asked him because she wanted
him to live with her, not because she had little other choice.

“Tanya
feels really bad about it,” said Hal.

Jack
raised an eyebrow.

“Bridget
was pretty unhappy with her.”

“Then
she should learn not to manipulate people.”

Hal
frowned and then sat back. “She just wants Bridget to have what she has.”

Jack
let it lie. “When’s the party?” Jack’s mother had been upset to learn her
youngest son was married and had insisted they have a celebration.

“Soon.
We’re going over to Mom’s tomorrow to arrange the details.”

“What
about Dad?”

“He
was more concerned about whether we knew each other well enough.” Hal got to
his feet. “I’m going to head home. Tanya will be there soon and I want to have
dinner ready for her.”

Jack
smiled and stood to walk his brother to the door. He was pleased for him, even
if the speed with which it had happened was unbelievable.

When
Hal left, Jack looked around the house. Making dinner was a good idea. With
that in mind he got to work.

* * *

Bridget’s
day had been full-on. The contractors had been on site to implement the crucial
part of her project and when she went to check on them an hour after they
arrived, she discovered they were waiting for a permit.