Love and Chaos: A Growing Pains Novel (10 page)

He took three graceful steps to the open seat and settled in.
The two-seater chair groaned under the weight.

“
Ooooh, fatty, maybe that was a bad idea.” Cassie got ready to hop up if the seat broke.

“Such sweet words.”
Jace’s hand flicked up, holding a bar of chocolate! “Figured you needed it. Now it looks like I was right.”

“Oh my god, you just made yourself my favorite person!” She snatched at the chocolate in glee. “Thank you! This’ll make the ogre into a normal person. Almost.”

“Strange thing for the morning.” He crossed an ankle over his knee and clasped his hands behind his head. A large bicep loomed just behind her head as his elbows went out like wings. A muscly torso, displayed in a white cotton shirt, became easy access. All she had to do was reach over and run her hand down his fabulous chest.

Her groin tightened, wanting to touch it—wanting to fee
l if it was as hard as it looked. She bit into the chocolate, trying to ignore the gorgeous man beside her. “Some people need coffee, I need chocolate. Well, I don’t
need
it, but it sure helps my mood.”

“You need it.”

She laughed. “Maybe. Want some?”

He glanced at the package
, then shook his head.

“Have some.”
She couldn’t help herself—she nudged his side with her elbow.

As if he’d been shot, he jerked, ripping his arms down to his sides. The bench groaned miserably with the movement.

“No, I’m okay, thanks,” he said with a slight wheeze, covering his sides.

A chuckle bubbled up as
Cassie sat forward slowly and turned her body to face him.

His eyebrows furrowed as he noticed her scrutiny.
He dropped his hands into his lap, trying to cover the moment before. “What?”

She wasn’t buying it.

With an evil grin, she jabbed his side with two fingers. As expected, he jolted, the bench whining beneath them. His lips quirked into a suppressed smile as he said, “What are you—stop!”

She jabbed him again, just to make sure.

“Stop!” he said with a laugh, coming as close to a giggle as a masculine man could. “Don’t.” He sobered. “Don’t, seriously.”

“Wow,” she said, laughing. “Never grew out of that ticklishness, huh?”

Arms firmly covering his side, he faced the valley. He couldn’t get rid of the grin. “Shut up.”

She watched him for a moment longer, wanting to jab him again. Wanting him to jerk and laugh. The man was much too serious all the time. He just didn’t have fun
most of the time, it seemed like. His woman must’ve done—or was doing—a number on him. He’d probably forced down all his joy in life so she couldn’t get to it, and in the meantime, he braved his days instead of living them.

Cassie knew this
because that’s what Sean had always done when their parents were picking on him. He’d bury all the things that made him happy way down deep so they couldn’t get at them, and consequently, he’d lose sight of them. He’d struggle through life with a frown and a grimace.

That was, until Cassie came along, noticed his sour face, and started pestering him. She’d act the fool until he loosened up and started laughing. With him to keep her ground
ed, and her to lift him up, they’d survived childhood.

And in light of that, she figured she might as well just
share a little crazy with Jace. He’d thank her eventually.

She jabbed him again, and then two more times in quick succession, dodging his large arm as he tried to cover his vulnerable spot.
Coffee spilled over the side of her cup, sprinkling her pants and the bench as she jabbed him one more time.

“I came for a pleasant morning!” Jace
laughed as he jumped up, rubbing at his side. “Jesus, woman, you have pointy fingers!”

She laughed at him. “Okay, okay, I’ll stop.”

He leveled a sparkling glare at her, trying to suppress a smile and failing miserably. “I’m serious—stop.”

“I said I would.”

He held out a finger, his other hand still covering his vulnerable area as he settled back down. The bench groaned.

“Jesus, fatty. Want some chocolate?” She held up the package.

“What?” he huffed out, his whole body starting to shake with chuckles. “You are cracked, you know that?”

“
Shut up, you like it.”

“How does Peter deal with you?”

“Ten foot pole. We have a few. Keep them around the place.”

Still laughing, he settled back down, glancing at her to make sure she wouldn’t jab him again. She almost did, just to show him who was boss, but they were skirting a line that neither wanted to cross. Tickling a kid was fun—as fun as tickling a grown man, it turned out—but the implications were a little different.

“So, anyway,” Cassie waved the package under his nose.

“I feel like I’m fifteen.” Jace snatched the chocolate out of her hand and took a square.

“I have that effect on people. I never grew up.”

“Yes. Apparently.” He put the chocolate to his
lips.

“There. See? Delicious.” She sat back and stared out at the valley.
“Thanks for getting it. You didn’t have to.”

“I got more beer and some stuff for the kids. As the only really mobile person here, it’s easy enough to run to the store.”

“I’m mobile.”

“Not without chocolate.”

Cassie had to concede that point. Sad, but true.

They sat for a while, letting the soft breeze tickle their faces, the silence comfortable and easy. After she’d shared another few squares, and sighed into the morning, Jace got up slowly. Almost stiffly. “Well, I’m going to go help my brothers. We’ll probably start playing in a little while. The winner gets the ugliest trophy money can buy.”

“You get something if you win?” Cassie asked, eyes sparkling with excitement.

He
honed in on her face again, his gaze touching each feature before nodding. “You’re competitive, I take it.”

“What gave it away? Was it the offer to spank you?
To destroy your ego?”

His smile bubbled back up, that dimple transforming his face from pretty god damned att
ractive, to a handsome bastard with too much of a good thing. She might have to slap the handsome off that face just for kicks.

“We’ll have to
see about who does the spanking,” he said darkly.

Before she could see his expression, he was striding away.

Oh, they’d see. She’d knock that stupid confidence down a peg—that’s what she’d do.

Unperturbed
, Cassie had another bite of chocolate.

Jace stalked onto the grass, seeing the whiffle ball field, which was supposed to look like a small baseball diamond, laid out to his right, as crooked as every other year. Peter and Demetri struggled with the net for badminton, not able to get it far enough in the ground to keep it erect.

“Need some help?”
He took hold of the top of the pole Demetri was working on and helped push it into the grass.

“I don’t remember working so hard to get this going.” Demetri huffed, straightening up. He wiped his slick forehead.

“It’s just as hard this year as every year. Why don’t we have permanent holes?” Peter straightened up, too, wiping his face. He wore a crisp white shirt with an orange splash at the collar, and khakis perfectly contoured to his thin frame. Amazingly, and somehow, his tan shoes had a line of orange to match his collar.

“How do you find your clothes?”

Peter glanced down at his immaculate appearance. A tinge of worry came into his face as he glanced back up. He widened his stance. “I’m in the fashion industry—my job counts on looking good.”

“But now you’re in the country,” Demetri said, staring at his brothe
r with his hands on his hips, panting tiredly. “Don’t you have jeans?”

Peter shuffled uncomfortably back to his pole, leaning heavily to the right. “Yes. I brought some, but it’s a nice day. I thought khakis might be better.”

“You’re worse than a girl, son.” Roger walked out at a leisurely pace with a Bloody Mary in hand. Nick followed shortly after. “I’m amazed that young lady puts up with it.”

“Maybe she expects it,” Peter shot back, his back bowing despite his efforts to stand tall.

“Well, I don’t know much about that. I just met her. And she does dress exceptionally, but she seems down to earth. Maybe she wouldn’t mind you manning up. L.A.’s twisted you a bit. Made you soft.”

Clenching his jaw, Jace walked over to his brother. It was always the same fight—Jace was with the wrong woman, and Peter wouldn’t get a woman at all if he didn’t “man up”. Now, even when Jace had ditched the girl, and Peter had a great woman, they still weren’t enough. It got old.

Jace said, “Happy wife is a happy life.”

“Exactly.” Peter smiled gratefully at Jace as he prepared to work on getting the pole deeper into the ground.

Roger grunted, because really, what could you say to that. He meant well, he always did, but his interpretation of what the boys needed only worked for two of the four brothers. The other two were having a harder time of it.

Jace couldn’t help thinking back to Cassie’s appearance last night. She’d worn an old tank and a pair of boxers for bed. And while it was insanely hot, and shouldn’t be allowed out of her room
so he could keep his head, it didn’t match with Peter’s stylish set of pajamas. Or at the grocery store, she’d seemed so comfortable and dressed down. So real. Oh, he had no doubt she could dress up and dazzle a room—she wore the finery like she was born to it. But on a regular basis…Jace wasn’t so sure. It just didn’t seem to fit.

“Right, okay. The tournament begins in T minus…” Demetri checked his phone. “Thirty minutes.”

“Cassie has expressed interest in playing,”
Roger said as he scanned the whiffle ball field.

“Yeah. She’s…sporty.” Peter scratched his chest.

“Are any of the other women interested?” Roger asked. “Your mom will play if she’s needed, but she’d rather not.”

“Rachel won’t be.” Demetri blocked out the sun with his hand. “She wants to sit and watch.”

“What about Jenn? She said she likes badminton.” Roger glanced at Nick.

“She’ll probably want to sit and relax
if Mom takes the baby,” Nick offered without looking at Peter. “She probably would play if she had to, but she hasn’t wanted to any other year. Hanging around is kind of a vacation for her.”

“Will you be
playing with her?” Roger’s gaze swung Peter’s way.

“Oh. Well, I can just sit out. I can let her take my spot.” Peter stared at the ground.

“That’s fine.” Jace agreed. Everyone knew Peter hated playing each year, and they equally knew Roger was dying to play, but since his dad had badly injured his knee skiing one year, his days of running around were long over. “Let him be the hero so she can play. It’ll keep the teams even.”

“Or you could always sit out.” Demetri flashed Jace a smile.

Jace met the smile and winked. “Can’t let you win three years in a row, now can I?”

“You’re trading Peter for a girl, bro. You have no chance.”

“Not just any girl…a city girl.” Peter smiled as he stared at the ground, trying to ignore his father’s displeasure.

Demetri laughed merrily. “Nice.”

“Go get the women. Let’s bring out the trophy.” Roger checked his watch and scanned the seats on the side.

“What am I up against?” Jace asked Peter as
the others took off toward the porch. He tried to force down his excitement about seeing Cassie in action—seeing how good she really was. She certainly talked a good game.

Peter gave Jace a confused expression. “What do you mean?”

“Is she any good? Any handicaps? She talks a bunch of smack.”

Peter laughed, straightening up. He stared Jace straight in the face, more effeminate
and more confident for it. His smile lit up his eyes. “She will rock their world. Just wait. She can throw a remote across a room and knock her brother in the head. I’ve seen it. Don’t piss her off when she has something handy to throw. Or kick—I hear she was an excellent soccer player. Got a scholarship for it.”

“That right?” Jace thumbed his phone in his pocket. He badly wanted to get some pictures of his brothers losing. He’d post the hell out of them. Maybe frame one.
Especially if they got beat by a girl.

“You t
raded a lame horse for a ringer.” Peter smiled.

Jace nodded thoughtfully. “Keep that to yourself, if you would. We can get a few easy points while they play easy on her.”

“Think they will?”

“She’s a girl. Dad and them are just humoring her because she’s new and they want her to stick around.”