Lo squeezed her eyes shut and took a deep breath. Upon the inhale and rise of her chest, peace infused her limbs and mind.
She'd never come home before.
Not in a traditional fashion.
A nomad by birth, she'd never been allowed to put down roots. For a long time, she believed maybe she didn't actually want roots. Or a home. Or anything solid with which to build the rest of her life on.
But one day, without looking, this place had done just that.
Her covers and the light that streamed through the high window above her bed were easily and tangibly the most beautiful homecoming she could have ever hoped for.
She reached for her watch on the floor beside her bed, fingers searching blindly along the wood before connecting with the leather. She leaned over the side of the mattress and peered at the face. Only six hours of sleep. That wasn't so bad. She'd slept a little on the plane during their 20 plus hours of travel yesterday.
Could she say yesterday? What was the date here again? Technically it was still today since they'd crossed the international dateline in the middle of the night.
Movement to her left made her smile and her belly fill with whimsical butterflies.
She was thankful Brady had come home with her instead of driving all the way up the beach to his house. He had gotten less sleep than her, he could use the extra rest.
Her body jolted at the sound of keys in her door. She scooped the fluffy white comforter around her as she sat up right. The door flew open and Tess and Spencer boldly stepped into her little one room studio.
“See?” Tessa said, throwing out a hand towards Lo. “Love nest. Just like I said.”
Spencer moved her sunglasses to the top of her head, pushing her hair back.
“What are you doing here?” Lo hissed, frantically pulling the covers up higher on Brady's back. Brady slept in his boxer briefs. Well, at least, he did with her. She didn't know if that was a regular thing or just a little gift he gave to her. Either way, she didn't need her friends getting an eyeful.
“We came to warn you,” Tessa replied lifting an eyebrow.
“Warn me about what?”
“To put clothes on.” She wagged a thumb between her and Spencer. “We've been spending some time with Brady's homies, and they are on their way here. Now.”
“What?” Lo jumped out of the bed and snagged her jeans off the floor.
“What's going on?” Brady asked, his deep rumble filling her small space. The sleepiness in his voice hit her somewhere near her sternum and vibrated all the way through her central nervous system. It was like waking up from a dream and realizing it wasn't over.
“Good morning, ladies,” Brady greeted, sounding cocky and unsurprised. Lo rolled her eyes.
“Sup, Samson,” Spencer greeted, crossing her arms over her chest. “Your dudes are coming. They've been summoned to collect you for Shane.”
Lo buttoned her jeans and grabbed a t-shirt off the floor. “Doesn't Shane want to see me?” She yanked the cotton over her head and it fell all the way to her thighs. “Shit, this is yours.” She pulled it off and tossed it at her... boyfriend? Her Brady?
Ignoring his pleasant chuckle, she tagged the second t-shirt off the floor. This one fit better.
“Oh, yeah.” Spencer said, lifting her chin. “He's gonna wanna see you too. But Brady first.”
“I take it I'm in trouble,” Brady said, sitting up, the comforter falling around his waist.
Spencer and Tessa's eyes fixed on his gloriously bare chest. Not that Lo could blame it them. The man was a specimen.
“Depending on who you talk to,” Tessa said softly. She cleared her throat and looked to the ceiling as Brady stood up, leaving the comforter behind.
“Brady!” Lo whisper-shouted. “You're in your underwear.”
Brady shot her a lopsided grin and wink before reaching for his jeans on the floor.
“Good morning, indeed,” Spencer muttered.
Lo glared at her friends. Spencer had a goofy smile sitting crooked on her face, while Tessa's face went from normal to cherry red and a giggle choked out of her.
“Turn around!” Lo demanded, raising her voice.
“They can look,” Brady said, stepping up behind her and sliding a hand along her hip. He placed a kiss to her neck. “I don't mind being objectified.”
“I mind,” Lo pouted, her voice quiet now with him at her back. He did that, took the loud things in her life and head and made them quiet simply by being close.
Brady tugged his jeans, Tessa and Spencer were both staring at the ceiling now. “Why doesn't Shane just call me if he wants to see me?”
“He did.” Spencer's eyes dropped down and then snapped back up. “But, uh, your phone is off.”
“I have pants on, ladies,” Brady said, digging into the back pocket of said pants and pulling out his cell phone. He peered at the screen. “Huh. It must have run out of power.” He shrugged, returning the phone to his pocket.
“Aren't you worried?” Lo asked with a soft frown. He had been so blasé about this entire thing. At first she thought maybe she had been overreacting, but now she was worried he might be under reacting.
“No.” He placed his hands on her shoulder and kissed her forehead. “And you shouldn't be either. You didn't do anything wrong.”
Bo came striding up the stairs outside and into the open door of her studio, someone she didn't know right behind him. “Sorry to interrupt...” His eyes fell on Spencer and his jaw hardened. “Whatever this is.” He faced Brady. “But I'm here to get you. Shane would like a word.”
Brady sighed and tugged his shirt over his head. “Nice to see you too, Bo,” Brady said.
“You look tan,” Bo said. It confused Lo. It didn't seem like the kind of thing a brother would say. Until she realized he wasn't talking to Brady. He was talking to Spencer.
“Don't even start it with her,” Brady warned.
Bo held up his hands like he was innocent. “All I said was she looked tan. How is that starting anything?”
Spencer, for her part, cast her eyes to floor and chewed on her bottom lip.
“We haven't met.” The other man who had arrived with Bo stepped forward and shook Lo's hand. “My name is Kip. I'm a big fan.”
Lo snorted a laugh. “Fan?”
“Of your blogs. Longtime reader.”
Lo squinted at Kip. He was athletic, that was obvious, but without the muscle mass of Bo or Brady. He was all lean and corded limbs. Dark hair curled around the edges of the cap he wore. Long board shorts, clean white shirt, a hint of tattoos peeking out of the sleeves. Skater, surfer, outdoor California boy.
“I think you might be the first,” Lo replied to his comment.
“Hey!” Tessa protested. “I'm the number one fan.”
Kip's hazel eyes swept over Tessa in a way which made Lo think this wasn't the first time he'd looked at her. And Tessa was avoiding his gaze in way that had Lo taking notes to ask about later.
Brady gathered her in his arms taking all of her attention. “I'll find a charger and call you later. Or I'll come back. Either way, I'll be seeing you again soon.”
“Okay,” she whispered, feeling like hot butter in his arms.
He kissed her on the mouth. Not nearly long enough, but it held promise for more later. Then left with Bo and Kip. Bo was the last to leave. He paused in the empty door, eyes on Spencer, his hand on the knob. Finally, he shook his head once and pulled the door shut behind him.
Tessa squealed and jumped into the air. “That was so great! I just knew he would fall in love with you. I called it first, don't forget.”
Lo wiggled her pointer finger at Tessa. “What was that I saw between you and Kip?”
Tessa blushed and shook her head in a jerky motion. “Oh, nothing. I...” She sighed and avoided eye contact. “I knocked him over during hot yoga.”
“What?” Lo asked around a laugh.
“It's a long story.” Tessa dropped her purse by the door and went to the small kitchen. “Do you have any tea or anything? I'm so thirsty. And water is boring.”
As Tessa rummaged through Lo's cupboards and refrigerator, Lo watched Spencer's blank face. The normally feisty blonde was incredibly subdued.
“What's going on with you?” Lo stretched out her foot and nudged Spencer's sneaker with her toes.
Spencer forced a smile, so tired in its strength it made Lo hurt on the inside.
“Nothing. I mean, Garrett and I are going through some stuff, but what else is new? Am I right?”
It shouldn't have been so shocking to hear it out loud. But it really was. Just because you suspect something about someone and your gut tells you the way it is, it's jarring to have it confirmed.
“Why?” Lo asked. She didn't get it. Not even a little. Nothing about Spencer fit inside the box Garret kept trying to force her into. But explaining that to Spencer was like trying to get the rain to stop being wet. She couldn't see the inconsistencies with who she was at her core and who she was in order to appease Garrett.
“I love him.” Spencer shrugged. “I think I'd do probably anything for him.”
Lo sat down on the edge of her bed and patted the space beside her. Spencer hesitated briefly and then took the offer.
“Tell me what you love about him.” Lo spoke softly, coaxingly. She wanted the best for her friend, she really did. And she didn't really know Garrett. She'd never spent any time with him. She'd met Spencer after he'd kicked her out. But Tessa had given her hours' worth of allegations, not painting the best picture of the guy.
“He's smart, handsome, successful. He knows what he wants in life and he's not afraid to go after it.” Spencer smiled but she didn't quite meet Lo's eyes. “I really admire him for having such drive.”
Lo frowned and grabbed her friend's hand. “But is he kind?”
Brady
Brady sat in the chair in front of Shane's desk and watched his friend pace back and forth across the room. He hadn't spoken since Brady had arrived. For a guy who wanted to waste no time in having a meeting, he sure was drawing out the suspense.
“I know...” Shane stopped talking and pacing at the same time. He pinched the bridge of his nose and squeezed his eyes shut. “I know what I said to you when you were in Ireland. I know that this is partially my fault.”
Brady arched an eyebrow and stroked the two days' worth of growth on his jaw. Shane kept his eyes closed as he took a deep breath and dropped his hands to his hips.
“Just answer me honestly okay?”
“Okay,” Brady agreed easily.
Shane opened his eyes, his mouth tight. “Did you sleep with her?”
Brady sat up straighter in his chair and frowned. “I don't see how that's any of your business.”
Shane dropped into his chair and blew out an exasperated breath. “Seriously?”
“Yeah, seriously.” Brady's body coiled tight. “There wasn't a non-fraternization policy, remember?”
“Brady,” Shane began, his tone incredulous. “I picked you because you're the responsible one. Three locations later and I have Miller Boden threatening to shut me down. He's claiming you went into a jealous rage after he tried to talk to Lo. You're lucky he didn't have you arrested.”
“Yeah,” Brady snorted. “Like that would hold up.”
Shane's mouth hung open in shock. “Dude, you have got to work with me here. He posted pictures of the damage you did to his face. You,” he gestured with a hand to include all of Brady. “Look completely fine. He has a black eye and a split lip. He tagged Soaring Bird all over the Internet. He's not coming after you. He's coming after me.”
Brady narrowed his eyes. “Why?” He'd actually kind of expected Miller to file some sort of legal complaint against him. It was a slimy thing and Miller was as slimy as they came.
Shane's eyebrows snapped together. “What do you mean, why? It's kind of obvious, dontcha think?”
“No. Not to me. What's he asking from you? Money? I'll pay off the bastard for you. Hell, I planned on it anyway.”
Shane sighed and leaned back in his chair. He studied Brady for several long seconds, debate all over his expression about whether or not he was going to say what he knew he had to say.
“He's promised to drop all allegations, delete all online posts, and write a public apology.”
“If...?”
“If I separate you and Lo for 50% of the locations and add him to the roster.”
“That's bullshit!” Brady's reaction was visceral. He slammed his palms into Shane's desk and stood up. Now it was his turn to pace.
Shane remained seated and unaffected by Brady's sudden display of outrage.
“Is it bullshit?” Shane asked, when Brady whirled on him he narrowed his eyes and held up a hand. “Hear me out. Miller Boden has a huge presence in the surf community. He was already on my short list before I even asked you.”
The idea of subjecting Lo to traveling with that piece of waste made Brady want to break something. “I wouldn't be able to promise he'd come home in one piece.”
“No shit,” Shane deadpanned. “If it were to come to that, I would have to separate all three of you.”
“Doubt Miller would agree with that,” Brady said with an eye roll.
“Actually...” Shane tilted his head to the side. “He seems content so long as you don't get to travel with Lo. He seems to think you're a danger to her.”
Of course. Miller didn't actually want Lo, he just didn't want anyone else to have her either. “Can't you just tell him to piss off?”
Shane nodded, his brow furrowed as if dealing with an obstinate child. “Yeah, I could. If you hadn't punched him repeatedly in the face, broken down a door, and gotten kicked out of a hotel.” Shane threw his hands out to the sides. “Do you even realize the trouble you've caused for the company? I have hotels and surf camps backing out of deals with me now. There's a rumor spreading that I don't have control over my people and anyone who associates with me runs the risk of liability.”
The anger died down to a low simmer in Brady's gut. He was the one to blame for that. His friend had trusted him with the reputation of the company he had built from the ground up, and he'd let him down.
“I don't want Lo traveling alone,” Brady said, knowing his requests didn't have any right to be voiced. Not really.
“I don't want that either.” Shane sighed. “For one, she's the only one of the two of you who has been consistent with her blogs and equipment reviews. Her social media is active and her pictures have been outstanding. You, on the other hand, missed the last posting—”
“We didn't have a lot of time. You called us home, remember?” It was a shitty excuse to point out, but Brady jumped at it anyway.
“No. You may not have had time, but Lo posted hers.”
Brady frowned and sat back down. When did she have time to write her blog? He hadn't even noticed. He made a mental note to read it as soon as possible.
“On top of that, you lost some of my equipment in Australia so you could have a pissing contest with Boden.”
Brady's lips twitched. “I was gonna pay you back for that.”
“That's all well and good, Brady.” Shane leaned forward, elbows on his desk. “But that equipment was proprietary. My competition would pay top dollar to get their hands in it. And I have no idea where it is. Your contract was explicit. If you lose or share proprietary information or equipment, you would be terminated and legally responsible for potential profits lost.”
Lead filled Brady's stomach, anchoring him to the chair. Shit. He had money. But he didn't have that much money. The lead shifted, making him queasy. He couldn't buy his way out of this one.
“And even if I were to pursue legal action against you, Soaring Bird could potentially be done.” Shane pinched the bridge of his nose again and leaned back in his chair. “All because you got the hots for your partner.”
Brady's eyes sharpened on his friend. “It's not that simple.”
Shane nodded. “It never is.” He ran a hand through his hair. “You have given me terrible options, Brady. I picked you because I didn't want shit like this to happen.”
Brady sat silent, realizing he had no argument. Not really. He'd screwed this entire thing up. The hell of it was, he didn't think he would have made a different call.
“My options are as follows,” Shane said, sounding tired. “One. Send the three of you back out to three different locations, tripling my cost and putting Lo at risk with traveling alone.
“Two. Hire another woman, pair her with you and Lo with Boden, only doubling my cost, but—”
“Steve,” Brady blurted out, cutting off Shane.
“What?”
“Not another woman. Steve.” The gears were suddenly spinning like crazy in Brady's head. “I'll pay for my and Miller's travel expenses. It's the least I can do, literally. Pair Steve with Lo. She'll be safe.”
Shane stared at him before coughing out a disbelieving laugh. “Steve is the biggest asshole I know.”
“Yep.” Brady nodded. “But he's perfect for this. He's an amateur photographer, he has sisters, he's smarter than he acts, and he won't screw this up.”
“How can you be sure?” Shane asked, his expression and tone skeptical.
“C'mon, man.” Brady tilted his head. “You're his hero. He'd never put your company in jeopardy. Look at how he stepped up when Lia bailed on everything. He was the first one to show up and start filling shifts. Have you had any issues with him since he's been working here?”
Shane frowned thoughtfully. “No...”
Brady took a deep breath and nodded. “It's a good option.”
“Hm.” Shane steepled his fingers in front of him, thinking the idea over.
Being away from Lo would suck. Big time. But Brady wasn't going to ruin this for her. “If you still don't like that idea, I'll step down. You can hire anyone else you want.” As long as it's not Boden, he added silently. But he didn't think Shane was blind to Miller's true nature. “Just, please don't take this away from Lo. She's...” he shook his head and couldn't stop the grin that accompanied thinking about her. “Unbelievable out there. She's the better of the two of us. Whatever you decide, keeping her would be your smartest option.”
Lo
Lo settled into the chair in front of Shane's desk. She held her hands together in her lap to keep them from fidgeting. She wished she could have talked to Brady before her own sit-down with Shane. But his phone was still dead and he hadn't been at the office when Lo had arrived.
Shane sat down across from her and folded his hands together on top of the desk.
“I want to hear, in your words, what happened between Miller and Brady.”
Lo sucked in a breath. “I wasn't there for most of it. Miller approached me that morning and we had words, then he left me alone.”
“What kind of words?”
Lo looked over his shoulder, remembering her short conversation with Miller. “Things that referenced our failed relationship and his opinion of my mental faculties.”
“He sounds sweet,” Shane replied with a sardonic edge.
Lo felt a smile tug at the side of her mouth. “I went back to our apartment, called my friend Tessa.” She recounted exactly what had happened, including Miller's final parting words.
“Do you like the job, Lo?” Shane asked without addressing anything she'd just said.
“Yeah, I love it.” This was the part she was nervous about. How much of what Miller and Brady did was going to affect her?
“Your blogs and equipment reviews are thorough. Clarke has been passing along your emails to me. You leave nothing out. I'm impressed.”
Lo swallowed, hope blossoming in her chest.
Brady
“Dude, how come Shane wants me to come into work? Did I do something?”
“Hi, Steve,” Brady responded, setting his bag down by the door. “How was my trip? Oh, good, thanks for asking. I'm really tired, though and kind of looking forward to a nap.”
“Not everything is about you,” Steve said with a disgruntled sigh. “I know you had a meeting with Shane. Tell me now if I'm fired.”
Brady frowned at him. Not even Steve had faith in himself. That was tremendously sad in a way. “No, man, you're not fired. You might just be getting a different job offer, though.”
Steve crossed his arms over his chest. “Explain.”
Brady kicked aside empty pizza boxes on his way to the couch. He pushed a pile of laundry to the side before dropping down on the cushion. “Miller Boden.”
Steve frowned and nodded. “I saw. And Clarke explained to me a little of what was happening.” understanding lit his eyes and he tilted his head to the side. “Am I getting your job?”
“Possibly,” Brady sighed. “You'll be paired up with Lo. I'll be solo.”
“Interesting,” Steve murmured, his gaze dropping to the floor.
“Steve,” Brady called, getting his attention back.
“Dude, don't even worry.” Steve rolled his eyes and turned towards the door. “Like she was my own sister.” He opened the door and didn't look back as it fell shut behind him.
Brady let the quiet of the house settle in around him. He hadn't been aware of the loudness that having Lo in his life created. Even in the silence when they were together, she filled his senses with color and noise.
Without her nearby, he was more aware of his fatigue. For weeks he'd kept himself on an edge. Needing her, wanting her, not wanting too much from her too soon.
And yet he'd failed.
His confrontation with Miller replayed in his mind. Maybe it was the exhaustion that was finally taking hold of him. He'd been trying to outrun it for weeks now, but without Lo as a distraction, he was faced with his own human limitations.
He'd really screwed up.
He'd been living in some sort of fantasy where the damsel and the knight ride off into the sunset. But here was real. This house, his brother's never ending feud with Spencer, his enduring friendship with Shane, his parents' expectations. He'd neglected to factor in any of the details before he'd fallen in love with Lo.
One threat to her, even a verbal one, and Brady had lost sight of everything.
Now, they would be separated. Because of Brady's need to behave like a caveman where Lo was concerned. Without the desperation to claim her keeping them tethered, he'd have to rely on what they had built in order to make this work.
Because it could all fall apart. Thousands of miles apart, oceans available in which to cast their doubts and second guessing, the odds were not in their favor.
Fear of the unknown tore a gash through his insides. He'd been so incredibly stupid. Lo was not a temporary love. She wasn't the kind of girl that teaches you a lesson about feelings and hearts and hope that you carry into your next relationship.
She was a forever wrapped up in salt water and stardust.
Brady was damned fool.