Broken Ground: (Broken Series Book 1) (28 page)

He jumped down and put his hands in his pockets, avoiding her stern expression and reminding me of Daniel when Vanessa caught him cussing. I barely fought back a smile.

He was wearing my favorite shirt. He could have taken any shirt in the closet, but he went straight for the one he knew I liked the most. The jackass.

That shirt was the softest most comfortable thing I owned, and I'd been picturing it on Ali for weeks now, just the shirt – nothing else. Dammit. Seeing him wearing it ruined the whole fucking fantasy.

Ali looked between us and using that take-charge tone in her voice that always got me hard she continued. "Look, I realize that men are emotionally constipated but you two need to get it together and work this out. So you're both pissed off..." She caught Spencer glaring my way and pinned him with a withering stare, "All I can tell you is get the hell over it and act like grown-ups. Friendships like yours are worth fighting for, so you better damn well do it."

I couldn't hold back my smile any more when Spencer cowered slightly under her gaze, eyes hilariously flashing to the door of his truck as if he was contemplating a quick get-away.

She turned that look on me, and I kind of wanted to tell Spence to leave the door open for me if he decided to make a run for it. Ali rose on her tiptoes and briefly kissed my lips saying soft enough so only she and I could hear, "And do it without any more bloodshed, okay?" She winked at me and rounded the truck, taking an incredulous Gran by the hand and escorting her to the far side of the house as she introduced herself. A minute later, I heard the sound of Gran's laughter and couldn't help smiling.

Spencer watched them disappear around the front of the house with a blank expression. He turned back to me and furrowed his brow. "Shit. I think I might love her too."

Just like that, we were smiling, and I knew there was a chance I could fix things. I felt like I could breathe again for the first time since hearing the knock at my door this morning. "Careful, I'm pretty protective of her in case you haven't noticed."

He cocked his head and gave me a 'no shit' look, reaching into the bed to close the toolbox. "Ya think?" He flipped a thumb toward the house. "You sure you want the two of them hanging out? You never know what Gran might say."

Only Spencer would still be worried about the guy who just punched him out. "I'm not stressing it. Gran is wide open, but she knows what she can and cannot discuss when it comes to my personal business." I gave him a tentative smile. "But thanks for being concerned. I wouldn't blame you if you hated my guts after everything that's happened."

He blew out a breath. "Honestly? I wanted to crack your skull for a while there, mostly while the blood was pouring down my face. But after I calmed down, I realized what you'd said." He studied me. "You meant it, didn't you? You really do love her." I nodded, holding his gaze. "That's what I thought. Holy shit. I never thought I'd see the day." He considered a moment. "Okay, here's the deal. That was your freebie; your one get-out-of-an-ass-kicking-free card. Don't ever take another fucking swing at me unless you're prepared to get your teeth kicked in, friendship be damned. Comprendé?"

"Understood." I knew damn well that he didn't mean it but I let him make his point. I owed him that much. He looked like hammered shit, his face swelling more by the minute. Eating a little crow was the least I could do.

How did I end up surrounded by so many extraordinary people? Ali, Gran, Spencer, Talia... all of them so amazing that I couldn't fathom what any of them saw in me. I didn't deserve any of them but I damn sure wouldn't let them go. I smiled at my friend and held out my hand.

He slapped it away, pulled me in for a hug, and chuckled. "And you're not getting your fucking shirt back."

ALI AND GRAN rejoined us a short while later, laughing and chatting like old friends. They both studied us as they approached, and I whispered to Spencer, "Why do I feel the urge to run and hide?"

He chuckled. "No idea, but so do I if it's any consolation."

Gran saw the two of us smiling, she playfully poked Ali's arm. "Damn. Nice work, young lady. Couldn't have done it better myself."

Ali bumped her shoulder. "These boys just need a little nudge every now and then. I'm sure we can keep them in line between the two of us."

Spencer leaned in and whispered, "Run, dude, run."

Ali stepped into my arms, and I pulled her close as I told him, "Not this time, Spence. Not this time."

An hour or so later, we all stood in the gravel driveway chatting and enjoying the way Daniel mooned over Ali. Spencer grudgingly mentioned needing to get on the road and Gran jerked her head toward me, snapping her fingers. "I just remembered. There's a box in the back of the truck that I wanted to drop off." She glanced over at Spencer. "He was trying to get it for me when you came over and interrupted." She winked to let me know she was teasing. "I should probably explain what I want done with it all, while I'm at it." She seemed hesitant to continue.

Ali picked up on her meaning and offered, "I'll take it. I need to go to the basement and grab some of my art supplies anyway. I can put it down there until Clay gets a chance to go through it."

Daniel's face lit up when Ali reached for his hand and asked if he could help. He was smiling ear to ear as she followed Spencer to the truck to get the box.

Watching them, Vanessa turned to Gran and frowned. "I didn't know you brought anything."

Gran waved her off. "Spencer put it in the truck while you were getting Daniel ready. It's no big mystery, just some of Rebecca's things. Sketches of things she wanted to do to decorate the house, some antique door knobs she collected, nothing all that interesting." Turning to me, she said, "She had big plans for this place, some of them probably won't work, but I thought you might want to go through her papers and see if any of it can be done. I haven't looked through all of it, so I'll leave the decision to you." She touched my cheek. "I trust you to know the right thing to do."

Her expression said the words were meant for more than what was in the box. She knew I hadn't been honest with Ali, and she was saying she expected better than that from me.

I nodded and opened my mouth to ask what she thought of Ali when Spencer shouted from the driveway. "Hey, dickhead. Your phone is ringing."

Cursing under my breath, I jogged over to my truck and told Spencer, "Better answer it. Look how things turned out the last time I missed a call." He flipped me off as I looked at my phone. Blake. He was one of the crew leaders doing construction here in Denson. I frowned, why was he calling me? Ali sent them all home hours ago. "Hello."

"Hey, Clay. I um," he sputtered, "I wanted to call and check on Miss Ali." His discomfort was palpable and I smiled at the thoughtfulness of his calling.

"She's just fine now. Thanks for checking in on her. I'm sure she'll appreciate it." He was one of the best workers on the project and a super nice guy. I wasn't surprised that he took the time to make sure she was alright.

He sounded relieved. "Oh, good. I didn't want to argue with her, but I hated leaving with her in such a state."

"No, you did the right thing."

Spencer gave me a questioning look, and I shook my head, giving a quick thumbs-up to let him know everything was alright.

"Well, it didn't feel like it at the time but I learned long ago not to mess with a pissed off woman." I smiled, nodding in agreement even though he couldn't see it. "I thought I should at least make sure she was okay. Also, I'm willing to step in for a few days if you guys need a break. I'm not sure what's going on, but I'm more than willing to run the site if that's what you need."

I had no doubt that he could handle it. I had considered asking him to take over if the Marissa thing required me to go to Richmond for a few days. "Thank you, Blake. I really appreciate that. I think we're alright for now, but I'd like to reserve the right to call in that favor at a later date."

"You got it. Just say the word."

I hoped not to need him, but it was nice to have options. Maybe I'd bring him in to supervise so I could whisk Ali away for a few days. Hmm...

I ended the call, mind still on the possibility of escaping with Ali.

Spencer waved a hand in front of my face, amused. "Damn, you have it bad. You should see the stupid grin on your face. I've been talking to you for five minutes, and you haven't blinked." He shook his head. "As I was saying, I'm still getting calls from that jackass, Holden Shepard. Have you gotten a call from him yet?"

"No, and it's in his best interests to keep it that way. We are not for sale. Period."

"I agree, but something has lit a fire under him and I'm starting to wonder if word of the lawsuit has been leaked, and he's looking to snap up the company cheap because he thinks we may fold." His tone of voice indicated concern but no judgment, which I appreciated.

"Where would he have heard that?"

Spencer just shrugged and rolled his eyes. "You know how he loves to swoop in and snatch up vulnerable companies. He's made a career of turning floundering businesses into Fortune 500 material."

"We're already Fortune 500 material. Fuck him." I was getting pissed.

"I agree. I was just giving you a heads-up so you wouldn't be surprised if he calls. He's getting pushier by the day."

I gave an answering grunt and let it drop. I kind of hoped he did call. There was a lot I'd like to say to that fucking vulture, and all I needed was an opening.

"Don't stress Shepard. We have enough going on, and he's just a nuisance anyway. He's never getting his hands on this company." He jerked a thumb toward the truck. "I'm taking Gran and Vanessa home then I'm going to check in with a few of my sources to try and find a way to avoid using the video... as soon as I get rid of this fucking headache." He touched the bridge of his nose, and I feigned like I was going to punch him again. He showed me both fists, smiling. "Careful, manwhore. You already used up your free shot."

"What did I tell you two about fighting?"

I turned at the sound of Ali's voice, grin widening as I watched her approach. She shook her head at me as she stepped into my arms. "Haven't we had enough drama for one day? Anything that still needs settling can be dealt with over drinks. Several drinks."

Spencer met my eye over her shoulder, grinning. "I could use a drink or two, myself. Too bad I have to drive everyone home."

Ali chuckled. "There's plenty of room at the cabin if everyone wants to stay." She looked up at me, her eyes full of humor at my less than enthusiastic expression. "I don't think Gran will want to, though. She mentioned that she and her friends were meeting up later for karaoke at some biker bar."

When Spencer and I groaned in unison at her antics, Ali laughed even harder. "You'd never believe some of the songs on her set list."

I wasn't all that worried about Gran, but I felt kind of sorry for those bikers.

Poor bastards.

SPENCER AND COMPANY
left for home a little while later, after Daniel forced Ali to walk the entire property with him, holding onto her hand like a toddler while he beamed up at her in adoration. He was already smitten but, when Ali showed him the bank of vending machines we'd tucked into one of the old tack rooms, he went head over heels for her. She bought him a snack and asked about school, making him blush when she asked if he had any girlfriends back home.

He fell harder and harder for my green-eyed girl as the afternoon wore on, and so did I. She was amazing with Daniel, which I loved, but the way she fell right into step with Gran and Vanessa, it was like she was already part of the family. I wasn't sure if it was thrilling or terrifying to watch them all embrace her as one of us.

They each embraced her in the literal sense as they prepared to leave, chattering about getting together for dinner and, in Daniel's case, practically melting into the driveway when she gave him a peck on the cheek. Spencer slapped me on the back on his way to the truck, wisely not rubbing it in that Ali had pecked his cheek too. I wasn't concerned, I knew who she was leaving here with, but Daniel cut his eyes at Spencer like he hadn't appreciated sharing Ali's affections.