When Gen’s tears grew to the point she couldn’t see, she pulled her car over and called Frisco.
His voice was just what she needed to hear. Her big brother would always take care of her.
She stuttered as she tried to say his name, but he knew it was her.
“Gen, sweetheart, what’s wrong?”
“Can I come to your house?” She managed through her tears. God, her heart felt as if it were breaking. “Maybe stay in the apartment over the garage tonight?”
“Where are you now?”
“I just left my house but I didn’t make it very far. I pulled into the Northern Tool parking lot because I can’t freaking see. I hate crying.”
“Isaac and Cassie are at the club. I’ll see if they can come to you, one of them can drive you here in your car, and the other can drive Isaac’s. Okay?”
“I can drive. I just need a minute to get myself together.”
“Okay, Gen. Just talk to me a few minutes before you go anywhere, then. Mom told me you might have a buyer for an entire block of property you have listed downtown, and they don’t have their own agent. That could mean big bucks, right?”
Gen smiled through her tears. God, she loved her big brother. “Yeah. I could get a twenty thousand dollar pay-day out of it, if I play my cards right.”
“Any idea what they’re gonna do with it?”
“No, but this isn’t another Volkswagen or anything. These guys are rough. Motorcycles and leather jackets, some have lots of facial hair. I could be wrong, but I don’t see them creating a lot of jobs on this property.”
“Not sure I like the way that sounds, Gen. You want me to come with you the next time you show them property?”
“Oh, no. They’re perfect gentlemen. I’m not in the least scared of them. If anything, I feel safer around them, like they’d never let anything hurt me. Since Isaac taught me to shoot and I got my carry license, you know I have it with me when I’m out. I met with two of them this morning, and they’re bringing some more people up from Atlanta tomorrow so they can all look at it. There’s another property just down the street they want to see, and they asked if I could arrange to show it to them, even though it isn’t mine. Guy introduced himself to me as Brain, but his signature and ID said his name is Thurston. I had to bite my tongue to keep from laughing. He’s a bad-ass biker and his name is Thurston!”
Gen saw a car coming at her and recognized Isaac’s shiny black Shelby. “You had Cam call them while we talked, didn’t you.”
“That mean they’ve arrived?”
“It does. Thanks big brother, even if you are a pain, I know you’ll always have my back.”
Isaac opened her door and she said goodbye to Frisco, and let her brother’s massive, muscled, totally hot boyfriend draw her into a hug. She melted into his chest, let him hold her, but found strength in his arms and took a breath to say, “I’m gonna be okay, Isaac. Mike’s a butthole. I’ll be okay to follow you.”
Isaac chuckled. “Cassie’s all fired up about getting to drive my car. Let’s get you in the passenger side and I’ll play chauffeur. I stopped in the storeroom and grabbed the good stuff, so you can have rum and Coke until you pass out, if you want.”
Isaac kept the subject to lighter matters on the way home, and Gen walked in the door to her brother’s gourmet cooking.
Never one to do things the easy way, Frisco had two boyfriends and a girlfriend, and they all lived together. All three guys were bisexual, and Cassie was one lucky girl, as far as Gen could tell. She adored all of her brother’s partners, and loved spending time in their beautiful house. Before Frisco had came out to his family, he’d made them all believe Cam was renting the apartment over his garage. Now, Cameron lived in the house, as did the rest of them.
Frisco didn’t waste any time — the second she stepped into the kitchen her big brother demanded, “What’d he do?”
Gen froze and just stared at him. She wasn’t ready to talk about it.
Cam touched Frisco’s arm and said, “Give her some time. She’ll talk when she’s ready.” He stepped to her and drew her into a hug, and she once again considered how lucky Cassie was. Cam was a dancer, with the body of one. He moved like liquid sex, and his hugs made you feel as if at that moment, nothing in the world mattered except his desire to see you happy, safe, and protected.
Dinner stayed casual and easy, in part because Isaac made sure her rum and Coke never went empty.
It wasn’t until an hour or so after dinner, sitting in their living room relaxed and talking, that she broke down and told them what happened.
“I was supposed to have a closing this afternoon, but everything fell apart at the last minute. I’m gonna be able to salvage it, but not tonight, so I headed home.” She looked at her brother, rolled her eyes. “Mike’s been at my place for months. I can’t move him in officially because mom will throw a hissy-fit, but his furniture’s in storage and his clothes are in the biggest guestroom closet. I make him keep his razor and deodorant and stuff put away, so mom won’t figure it out when she visits.” She rolled her eyes. “God, the woman snoops. I can hear her in my bathroom upstairs, looking through stuff. I know she’s looking for evidence he’s spent the night.”
Isaac put his arm around her and pulled her into his side. She snuggled in and looked around. Cassie was leaning into Frisco, and Cam was sprawled on the floor at Frisco’s feet. They looked so natural, comfortable.
“Am I messing up your evening?”
Isaac’s arm pulled her a little tighter for a second, and he kissed the top of her head. “Not even a little. You’re an adult, if you want to live with someone you should be able to. Good to know it wasn’t just Frisco terrified of your mom, though.”
She grinned at her brother and then her face went sad again as she continued the story. “I wasn’t planning to be home for another two hours, because I was going to get some paperwork handled in the office and then head across the street for the closing, but with it falling through, I was tired and decided to go home, thinking I’d surprise him.” She took a stuttering breath, determined not to cry again. “Unfortunately, I surprised both him and the new rookie in his division — in my bed, with him doing her up the ass.” She discovered she was drunk enough now, she wasn’t sad, just pissed. “New sheets aren’t going to do it. I’m going to need a new mattress.”
“Did you kick him out, or just turn around and leave?” Her brother wasn’t happy.
“I told him to be gone when I got back, but I know he won’t be and I don’t have it in me to fight with him tonight. If I can stay in Cam’s old apartment, I’ll deal with him tomorrow, and get the locks changed while I’m at it.”
Isaac’s voice vibrated through his chest as he looked to the floor and said, “Cam, come take my place. I need to make a phone call.”
Gen couldn’t help but smile as Isaac gave Cam a quick kiss on the lips and tousled his hair. She watched Isaac’s fine derriere walk out of the room as she snuggled into Cam’s side, and said, “He’s going to have someone go to my apartment and make him leave, isn’t he.” She didn’t ask it as a question, she’d been around Isaac enough to know he had a protective streak a mile wide.
Cam turned them both sideways, so he was leaned against the arm of the sofa with his legs stretched across the cushions, and Gen ended up resting against him with her legs stretched out, too. It was so much more comfortable, and she was suddenly sleepy. Cam finally answered, “My guess is someone’ll be here in an hour or two with another set of keys for you, so you can get in your house tomorrow after Isaac’s people change the locks.”
* * * *
Gen awoke in Cassie’s bed the next morning. A note was propped on the night table, telling her she was welcome to the yoga pants and t-shirt folded on the chair, and to feel free to use the shampoo and conditioner on the tub, and whatever makeup might work for her. Cassie was fair skinned, so no way would it work on Gen’s darker complexion, but she loved that Cassie had made the offer.
She showered and put the yoga pants on, minus panties, and donned the t-shirt. It was nearly ten o’clock and she had to meet the bikers in four hours, but she needed caffeine and salty food. As long as she drank dark liquor she was rarely hung over, so while she felt a little off, she was otherwise fine.
She went to the kitchen, where Cam poured her some coffee, fixed her some fried potatoes, and brought her up to date. “Isaac had someone boot the asshole out of your place last night. They watched to be sure he only packed things that looked as if they were his — men’s clothes, men’s shampoo, razors. You said he didn’t move any other stuff in, so they didn’t let him take anything else.” He nodded towards his left. “The keys on the counter are yours. They changed the locks and gave your housekeeper new keys, too.”
“Isaac’s really sweet, I’ll have to see how much I owe him. Thanks so much for taking care of me last night.”
Cam tilted his head. “You don’t seem heartbroken this morning. What gives?”
“Of the last three guys I dated, I’ve walked in on two of them having sex with someone else, and found out another was cheating on me when my mother saw him having a romantic dinner with another woman. She’d never liked him, so she took a little too much glee in using her new-found texting skills to take a picture of them and send it to me.”
“That totally sucks, Gen, but please tell me you aren’t getting used to it, because I don’t think anyone should, and if you are then that’s gotta be one of the saddest things ever.”
She shook her head and looked out the window towards the Hiawassee River. Her brother lived in the sticks, but this view was worth the drive. “It’s almost like, I dunno… it hurt so bad last night, and then Isaac pulled me into his arms and I was better. Superglue. My heart isn’t broken anymore.
I don’t know if anyone’s ever gonna manage to get past the damned superglue, but for now, it doesn’t hurt and I’m not complaining.”