Read Chance of a Lifetime (Anderson Brothers) Online

Authors: Marissa Clarke

Chance of a Lifetime (Anderson Brothers) (16 page)

BOOK: Chance of a Lifetime (Anderson Brothers)

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She sat back, hoping he had heard her finally. “You need to pull your head out of your ass and use those oh-so-superior eyes and take a look at me, Walter. You also need to look at Chance, who has suffered for ten years because of something that was a total accident.”

“That was not an accident. He got arrested in a drug deal gone bad.”

“Do you honestly believe that? He didn’t even do drugs back then and you know it.”

“He’s always loved living on the edge, so drugs weren’t a far leap. There’s a first time for everything, and obviously that night—”

She held both palms up to cut him off. “Wrong. So wrong. He got arrested because Phoebe and I made stupid mistakes. He got arrested because he punched a cop trying to get to me. There were no drugs involved. Did you ever ask him about it?”

His chair creaked as he shifted position. “No.”

“You just jumped to conclusions like I did. I thought he didn’t want to see me ever again. That he hated me because he didn’t defend me to you. But I’ve figured something out. Maybe he’s the one who needs defending.”

“Of all the people in the world who don’t need defending, it’s Chance Anderson,” he said, voice muffled, maybe by his hands.

She crossed her legs and relaxed back against the cushions. “Do you know he can read braille? He learned it so he could understand me better. Can you read braille, Walter?”

“No.”

“He came to my graduation. Did you come?”

Agitation tinged his tone. “So this entire push for independence is all about Chance Anderson.”

“No.” But it was because of him. He’d given her the power to finally break free. She uncrossed her legs and gripped her knees. “This is about me.
Me
, Walter. I want your power of attorney over me revoked. You guys did that when I was eighteen, and I was still so codependent and brainwashed I went along with it. But I’m not a lemming jumping off a cliff anymore.”

She dug the paper folded in quarters out of her jacket pocket and held it out toward him. He didn’t take it, so she flattened it on the table between them. “I printed out a revocation form I found online and signed it. I want you to sign it, too.” She pulled a pen out of her pocket and slammed it down on top of the paper. “I want control of my bank accounts and the money Granny and PawPaw left for me.”

Heart hammering, she scooted to the edge of the sofa until her knees touched the coffee table. “I want to call you to chat, not because I have to check in at prescribed times. I want to sit down at dinner with you, Mom, and Dad and talk about something other than how we can adjust my accommodations to increase my safety. I want to meet up for pizza, not a lecture.”

When he remained silent, she leaned forward. “I want my big brother back.”

The air moved as he stood. Defeated, she slumped against the soft leather of the sofa. She’d said everything she knew to say, and it hadn’t worked. That would mean getting a lawyer, which she was willing to do, but had hoped wasn’t necessary.

Across the room a drawer opened and closed, and still, her brother was silent. The sofa cushion tilted as he sat next to her.

“He texted me earlier today,” Walter said. A scratching sound accompanied the rustle of paper. “Chance, that is. He wants to meet up with me tomorrow.”

He placed something in her lap, and she explored it. “What’s in the file?”

“Your insurance policies, bank information including the trust fund paperwork, my copy of the power of attorney, and the signed revocation form.”

Stunned, she reached out toward him. She found his face and traced her fingers over a single tear drifting down his cheek, and all the resentment and anger she’d bottled up for years drained away in an instant.

“When did this happen?” he asked, taking her hands in his. “When did my baby sister grow up?”

“When you weren’t looking. Hazard of sighted people.”

He released her hands, and there was a pause before he spoke. “You love him, don’t you?”

She couldn’t help but smile. “I’ve loved Chance my whole life.”

“He really wasn’t buying drugs that night?”

“No. Wanna hear the story?”

“Do you still like sausage and mushroom pizza?”

“Yep.”

His phone clicked as he dialed. “Tell me a story, Gen.”

Chapter Twenty-Three

C
hance was surprised that Walter had picked this bar when he confirmed their meeting by text late last night. He hung his raincoat over the back of a stool and ran his hands through his damp hair. Gen was still at work, but the memory of that first kiss in this bar affected him more than he’d anticipated. Heat and sadness blended in a painful ache in his chest.

He’d thought a lot about what Will had said on the pier, and he was right. Even though she needed to have the ultimate say, as a friend he should have always had her back.

“Hey, Doc. Good to see you.” Andy, the bartender, placed a Dr Pepper in front of him. “You’re not at your usual table.”

“I’m meeting someone.”

When he turned to check the door, he found Walter striding toward him, wearing his suit from work, expression grim.
Fuck.
This was going to be hard, but it was the right thing to do. No excuses, just facts.

After a stiff handshake, he introduced his former friend. “Andy, this is Walter Richards, Gen’s brother.”

The men shook hands, and Andy’s blond eyebrows rose. “Ah. The big brother. Glad to meet you. Your sister’s amazing.” He placed a basket of pretzels in front of them and took Walter’s order for a draft beer.

“Gen
is
amazing,” Chance said, staring straight ahead as Walter settled onto his stool, leaning his umbrella against the dark wood of the bar. “Genny… Gen is extraordinary, Walter, and it’s past time you realize exactly how special she is.” He’d memorized this speech and had practiced it in his head for years now, but somehow, it didn’t seem to flow like it did in his head.

He slid a glance over to find his friend staring openly at him, face neutral. Andy delivered the beer and moved to the far end of the bar.

“Gen’s smart and capable and…” The speech seemed ridiculous to him now and didn’t even come close to how he really felt, so he decided to ditch it.

A woman sat to his left and Andy took her order, glancing up when the bells on the door jingled.

“I love her, Walter. I’ve loved Genny since I saw her on that bench at T-ball practice when she was five years old telling her doll not to cry.” A glance at his onetime friend revealed no reaction other than a raised eyebrow. “I love her… No. I don’t just love her, I’m
in
love with her. You say I’m not worthy of her, but I’m trying to be. My whole life, I’m going to try to be.”

Still, the man next to him said nothing. No anger, no rebuttal, nothing at all. Outside, thunder crashed and the bell on the door tinkled as people came in to escape the rain.

“What you’ve done is wrong. You can’t take something you love and hold it to your chest, never letting it loose for fear it might get hurt. You told me I’m bad for her and that my sports and love of adrenaline will put her in danger, but you’re wrong. I’d never intentionally put her in harm’s way, but you have. In keeping Gen this close,
you
are hurting her. Let her make her own mistakes just like everyone else.”

Walter propped his head on his elbow as if fascinated, which was unnerving.

“Let her go, Walter. She loves you, and if you let her fly, she’ll come back. It’s so hard to let go, I know. But it’s the right thing to do.”

“You don’t seem to have much trouble letting her go. You’ve done it twice so easily.”

He ran a hand through his hair. “Nothing. Absolutely nothing in this world has been harder than letting that woman go. But I’ll never smother her. Because I love her, I can let her go, knowing it’s the right thing to do. And you need to do the same. And maybe, just maybe, she’ll come back to us. And you know what? If she does come back, we’ll be the luckiest bastards in the world.”

His phone vibrated in his pants pocket. It was probably Michael wondering why he wasn’t at work. Nothing was more important than this conversation, so he let it roll over to voicemail.

“I didn’t speak up both times, because I believed it was not my place. That Gen needed to fight her own battles in order to win them. But now, I think I made a mistake. Not because she needs a caretaker or a defender, but because she needs a friend. And that’s what friends do. They get each other’s backs. They believe in each other.”

“That’s what friends do?”

“Yes.”

“What does a friend do when all the rumors and evidence show his friend to be something entirely different than what was originally believed?”

Where was he going with this? Chance’s throat tightened and another roll of thunder sounded from outside. “You follow your gut and heart.”

Chance met Walter’s eyes.

“I haven’t been a very good friend, then, have I, Chance?”

“No, you haven’t.”

Walter took a pull on his beer. “I’ve been a shitty brother, too, huh?”

“Your heart was in the right place.”

He set his beer down and swiveled on his stool to face Chance. “When Genny came and talked to me last night, she said I needed to pull my head out of my ass and look around.”

Chance laughed and picked up a pretzel. “Yeah, that too.” His heart kicked up a notch. She’d actually done it. She’d confronted her brother.

His phone buzzed again, and he let it roll over to voicemail. The woman next to him paid her tab and left.

“She also demanded full control of her finances.”

“She can do that stuff herself. You know that, right?”

“I do now. She was very…direct. On more than one occasion before she left my place last night, references were made to shoving large objects up a specific orifice on my body.”

Chance busted out laughing.

“I hadn’t realized she was quite so passionate.”

Passionate, yes. Passionate, giving…amazing.
Chance took a sip of Dr Pepper to wash down the pretzel while Walter finished off his beer. “So, what do we do from here?”

“What do you want to do, Chance?”

“Well, I’d really like to spend time with your sister without having to kick your ass in order to do it.”

“I’d really like to not get my ass kicked. She did a good enough job of that already. Do you plan on taking her with you on your crazy adventures?”

His phone rang again.
Fucking Michael.
He was supposed to be on his honeymoon. Without checking the screen he answered. “What the hell do you want?”

“You.”

Genny.

There was a long silent pause where his heart hammered so hard, he was sure she could hear it over the line. “So, answer my brother’s question. Are you going to take me with you on your adventures?”

“Yes, I…”
Thank God.
He sagged in relief and set his glass down. “Hell, yes.”

“Hey, Doc!” Gen’s brunette friend slid onto the stool next to him. Andy grinned and placed a beer in front of her. Before he could answer, his body buzzed to life with awareness. She was near. Without seeing her, he knew. He could actually feel her presence—just like Gen had described when they were younger.

He spun on his stool to find her only feet away, one arm extended in front, the other bent slightly to protect her face as she moved toward him.

Exactly like before.

The hood to her raincoat was tipped back and her wet bangs matted against her forehead. Before her fingers made contact, she stopped, and so did his heart. She tilted her head and took a deep breath through her nose.

“Walter.”

“Gen.”

And instead of the stiffness Chance had expected, both siblings smiled. They were in on this together. Walter hadn’t picked this bar, she had.

“How long have you been standing there?”

She smiled, and his whole body became lighter. “Long enough to know you’ve got my back.” And then, she did the most amazing thing. Just like before, she reached forward and touched his chest, then worked her way up his neck to his face while he held his breath.

He closed his eyes, reveling in the feel of her touch on his face. Like before, she ran her thumb over his lip. And then she kissed him. Sweet and gentle at first, as if telling him everything was okay. Soon, the sweetness turned heated, and everything was better than okay. It was phenomenal, like her hands digging into the hair at the nape of his neck to pull him closer.

A whoop from her friend was followed by some applause and whistles from other bar patrons. She pulled back and grinned. A look over his shoulder confirmed Walter was grinning, too.

Tilting her head, she arched a brow. “So, you let me down, Anderson.”

“I’m more than happy to try that again, Richards.”

“I’m talking about the bucket list.”

“On exactly which item did I let you down?”

“Well, certainly not on number ten,” she said, looping her arms behind his neck.

Her friend snorted, then coughed as her beer went down the wrong way.

“We didn’t finish the list,” Gen said.

“No, we didn’t.” She moved with him as he slid off the stool. “And that was very remiss of me. Let’s take care of that right now, shall we?”

The group of people huddled inside the door to escape the rain parted as he led her out. And right there, in the middle of the street, he took her in his arms. A cab honked as rain poured down. Wrapping his arms around her, he pulled her hard against his body and swayed in time to the music in his head. “I love you, Genny.”

She stopped swaying and held his face in her hands, cars switching lanes to go around them in the pounding rain that had brought traffic to a near standstill. “I’ve loved you my whole life. Ever you since you took on those bullies at the ball field, and taught me to ice skate. Since you punched a cop to get to me… Since you gave me the power to stand up to my brother and take my life into my own hands.”

“Kiss me, Genny.”

And she did. From inside the bar, cheers erupted, and all around them, cars honked.

She pulled back and placed her hands on his face to feel his expression. “What do you see?”

He stared into her beautiful face, and with strangers cheering, and traffic honking, and the rain pouring down like forgiveness, he answered honestly. “My future.”