Beyond Doubt (4 page)

Gabby started laughing once she realized I’d zoned out, and I turned scarlet red and began giggling. I felt like I was in grade school, hiding my first crush from my brothers so they wouldn’t tease me endlessly.

“Sorry!” I babbled as she polished off the two éclairs, and I finished my sandwich.

But then my mind drifted back to the mysterious stranger with the beautiful brown eyes, and I knew I was seriously in trouble and needed to message Lily immediately. Besides, I knew the stress of Gabby’s brother reappearing was getting to her, and I might need some backup if it got worse. With everything Gabby had gone through, I’d imagine it made her fearful of reconnecting or even connecting in the first place. It explained a lot as to why it felt like there was a wall there at times. She had to learn to deal with life on her own, and not even all the money in the world could have prepared her for what she had to face with her own health issues.

I glanced down quickly so that Gabby couldn’t catch the tears that were surfacing as I thought about her heart transplant and everything she went through to become strong again, both physically and mentally. I shouldn’t be worrying about anything but making Gabby’s life better and less complicated, mixed with a little fun of course. And I think that was going to start the moment the sexy bike builder dropped off her new bike. Each time I transferred his call to her, I detected something more behind his words than just scheduling a time to drop off her new bike. It was going to be my mission to make sure that Gabby didn’t blow him off as quickly as she usually did. Forget Aaron. I needed to put Gabby first, like she always had done for me.

“Well, Gabby’s got a little surprise coming her way,” I confessed to Lily as she hopped out of the booth to give me a hug.

Lily drove up from Portland and met me at one of our favorite pubs since we were both in a bit of a self-imposed crisis mode. A pitcher of ale was delivered to our table, and I knew tonight would be a good confessional night for us both. The lighting was low and the place was just beginning to fill up with the after work crowd. The dark paneling provided a homey vibe, but the funky lighting and zany artwork completely twisted the décor into an artsy atmosphere.

“Smart thinking,” I said, laughing as Lily gave me one last squeeze. “A pitcher is definitely the way to go tonight. And you look fab, by the way.”

A text came over my phone, and I glanced down at the number—another unknown number with a bunch of garble. This was really getting annoying.

“What’s up?” Lily asked.

“Are you getting weird texts? I think my number somehow got on a robo call list or something.” I showed her my screen and she shook her head.

“Huh-uh. I haven’t been getting anything like that.”

I deleted the text and pushed my phone away, glancing at Lily.

Lily’s auburn hair was piled on top of her head, and she looked calmer than normal. Although, I could still detect a slight note of frantic hidden behind that façade. But that was her nature, which was why a job at a PR firm was great for her. All of her crazy energy would produce something great in the end, and nothing would slip by her. I, on the other hand, preferred a bit more of an organized life. It had gotten me this far, and I wanted stability to carry me forward as successfully as it had done in the past. I had wanted to go to law school ever since I was a little girl. Planned for it, dreamed about it, and now I was finally about to enter the program. I had been studying hard all summer just to prepare for my first semester, and finally my plan would start to take shape.

“I can’t tell you how much I’ve missed you guys,” Lily said, shaking her head. “I feel like even this small distance is driving me to make absolutely insane choices.”

I stared at Lily for a split second before I burst out laughing.

“What?” she whined, shoving a curl behind her ear.

“Yeah, I’m sure it’s the four hour drive that’s screwing with your judgment.” I rolled my eyes and poured myself a glass of ale.

There was a reason she commanded so much male attention. She was downright gorgeous. Lily’s hair was a unique shade, but I think what made the red stand out even more were her green eyes. Dressed in a pair of baggy boyfriend jeans and a loose red tee that exposed her cleavage, she was covered up more than most but still oozed sexiness. She never seemed to notice exactly how much attention she received from the opposite sex, which somehow always got her into trouble with the women around her.

I, however, added a little more zest to my dressing hoping for the same result. I actually wasn’t sure how that was going to work once I started law school in the fall. They all dressed so conservative and boring. Just because I wanted to go into law, didn’t mean I wanted to dress like an old lady. I enjoyed the few assets I was blessed with and wanted to show them off, at least a tad. Tonight I was in a pair of black leggings and an oversized gray top with a v-neck that went as low as one could get away with, but I had a lace camisole under it. Really, all three of us were different, but we complimented each other so well.

“Hey, not nice. But what were you saying about Gabby? Why can’t she get her butt down here to see me?”

“She is waiting for her new bike to be delivered that
daddy
bought her,” I said grinning. “And it’s being delivered by the insanely hot bike builder, who I think has the hots for her. Anyway, she was expecting him to arrive in an hour, but he left a message on our machine and arrived early.”

“Rich people’s problems…And?” Lily’s brow arched.

I started laughing again, and I knew she was kidding, considering her family rivaled Gabby’s in wealth. I was like the odd man out in this group. But I loved Lily’s humor.

“I let Jason in and told him to make himself at home while Gabby chilled on the patio in the tub. When I last left her she was relaxing in the hot tub in a beautiful lavender bikini that would make even the happiest man in the world weep.”

A basket of tortilla chips arrived, and I plopped a chip in my mouth, crunching loudly to avoid the mix of guilt and evil delight.

“Are you serious? Are you sure he’s okay to just let—”

“Yeah. I would bet my life on it. She’s being too wishy-washy and needed this kick in the ass. Besides, her dad installed a camera system along with the security system, which I told Jason all about.”

“You told him he’s being recorded?”

“Yup…even though he’s not. We screwed up the channels somehow, but still the law has been laid. That will keep him on his toes.”

“I’m certainly glad you’re our friend and not our enemy.” Lily crinkled her nose and grabbed a chip. “Now spill the beans on Gabby’s brother.”

I sat back in the booth and tried to shake the images that flooded my mind the moment Aaron was brought up. From the second I’d met Aaron he’d invaded every private moment and thought I’d had. My dreams, fantasies, musings… there he was. And no matter how hard I tried to focus on anyone else, it was like he’d appear, wriggling his finger and grinning like he knew he could get whatever he wanted. The big reveal from Gabby’s past didn’t help either, especially since it didn’t seem quite so big to an outsider like me.

“Not to discount Gabby’s feelings, and God, I can’t imagine…” I shifted uncomfortably and noticed a group of guys come into the pub. Lily followed my gaze.

“Now we’re talking. But continue your thought first, men later.”

“Well, it’s just what she went through sounds riddled with loneliness, and I can’t even begin to imagine the rejection she felt
because
of her brother, Aaron. It explains a lot about how she is now, but I also can’t help but wonder what else there is to the story. His side, you know? And what he did to her was bad—horrible—, but I do wonder what made him abandon his baby sister. I know there’s more there that might paint a different picture.”

“And you’re feeling guilty because if he looked like a toad you might not be so willing to hear his side,” Lily said.

“Sometimes your bluntness is really over the top…”

I tossed a chip at Lily and took another sip of the ale as I wondered what bothered me the most. The fact that I was contemplating going behind my best friend’s back to talk to her brother, or that I hoped whatever we found out about his side of the story would somehow make up for his past mistakes.

“Well?” She sat back in the booth and her eyes flashed to the group of men.

“I’d like to think I’m a better person than that.”

“Wouldn’t we all?” Lily grabbed a napkin and wiped her mouth before throwing another glance to the group of guys who came in and stood next to the bar. “So how about you just answer my original question and tell me about her brother.”

The pub’s lighting dimmed slightly as the music went up a notch to welcome the dinner hour, and I scooted forward on the bench.

“He happens to be the most attractive man in the world as long as he keeps his mouth shut.”

“I feel like that’s been a statement said about me at times.” Lily frowned. “I like him already.”

“Seriously, as soon as you see him you’ll completely understand my quandary. All he has to do is walk into a room and people just feel his presence.”

“You’re sure about that?”

“I am! I saw it in the lobby and at Starbucks. The way he carries himself…he’s so sure of himself. And God, his body…”

“Go on.”

“He obviously works out. He’s got dark hair and there’s this thing between us. Or at least I think it’s between us. I hope it’s not one-sided. You know what? I’m just gonna leave it at that because the more I talk about him, the worse I feel. I’m done. He’s just a distant relative of Gabby’s that obviously has problems, and I’m never going to think about him again. See? I feel better already.”

“Okay. So other than the fact that you were arguing with yourself for a good part of a minute there, it sounds like you’ve got a solid understanding of why you should avoid him. Now, I’m going to play devil’s advocate.”

“Of course you are,” I grumbled, watching our server make her way to our table.

“Sorry for the delay. A big group kind of swarmed me over there,” our server said, pointing at the group of guys.

“Yeah. They look to be a little out of control,” I teased, noticing just how loud and obnoxious they were getting.

“Would you like to order any starters?” she asked, glancing over her shoulder back at the guys.

“I think we’ll just order our mains. I’ll take the Beecher’s grilled ham and cheese with a side salad,” I said, handing my menu over to her.

“Did you want the salad in place of the fries or in addition,” she asked. As my eyes landed on the group of men by the bar, my gaze quickly fell to one in particular. Could it be? No. That was ridiculous. There were a lot of well-built men in Seattle, kind of.

“Umm. In addition. Thanks,” I muttered, feeling my heart rate rise as I continued to watch the guy. I only saw the back of him, but the way he was telling stories it looked like the other guys were just his puppets or… God. There was something about him. No way. Now I was getting obsessive. It was not Aaron.

“And I’ll take the turkey burger with fries, but I’d like the sweet potato ones. And let’s get two duck farts,” Lily said.

I snapped my neck back to focus on Lily as our server left and started laughing. “Are you serious?”

“Hell yeah, I’m serious. And what was with that whole zoning out thing while ordering? Did you spot a target?” she asked.

Leave it to Lily.

“No. Just thought I saw someone I knew.”

“Okay, so back to the important stuff. Let’s think about this Aaron person. As of now, the only negative is that he’s Gabby’s brother.”

“No. That’s not the only negative. He left her, abandoned her without a word for over a decade. I mean come on. You know what she’s been through.”

“Let’s try this again…He was eighteen and he left and never called or communicated with home. I don’t think that’s a crime, and it certainly, at least in my book, doesn’t make him a bad person. And if he didn’t know about her health, I mean he can’t be blamed after the fact for that. None of that started until she was in high school, right?”

I nodded.

“So he was obviously long gone by then. Maybe there was some serious behind-the-scenes stuff that made it impossible for him to be in her life.”