Flawlessly Broken: (Broken Series Book 2) (15 page)

Wednesday

THE NEXT TIME
I saw Clay McGavran, I was going to stomp his ass.

I looked in the mirror with a sour expression as the tailor took measurements and pinned the sub-par fabric of my new tux. After Clay had mangled my fucking Versace, he set up this appointment and assured me that he’d replace the expensive tux he ruined after the wedding.

I’d only agreed to this because I sort of had it coming but Clay always took shit too far.

“Now, don’t forget to leave room for his... area. We don’t want him looking like a country singer in that thing and I’m still holding out hope that he’ll make me a great-grandma someday,” Gran announced sweetly, as if there was nothing in the world wrong with her being concerned about my crotch area.

I wasn’t going to kick Clay’s ass... I was gonna crush his nuts.

“Gran, not to be a stickler for detail, but Clay is the one who you should be looking to for a fresh generation of babies. I’m technically not your grandson.”

She walked over and grasped the material at my thighs, tugging to see how much room I had.

Someone fucking shoot me, please.

“Oh shut up, Spencer. You’re still one of my babies, blood be damned.”

Tug, tug.

Why the hell didn’t they serve alcohol in this place? Bridal shops served champagne and shit, why not tux shops? Fucking double standard.

“Clay tells me you don’t have a date for the wedding reception. Would you like me to set you up with someone? I’m afraid if you show up alone they’ll end up bumping you to the kiddie table. All the adult tables seat an even number of people.” She stepped back and watched over the tailor’s shoulder, pursing her mouth as if displeased with the job he was doing.

“I’m sure I won’t be the only single person there, Gran,” I scoffed irritably. “And if I am, they can seat me at the bar. I’ll be perfectly content there.” Hell, I wished I was there already.

The bell above the door jangled, saving me from the scathing response I knew was coming.

Finally, I caught a damn break.

The tailor called out toward the front of the store. “Be right with you.”

It was ten a.m. on a Wednesday, what I suspected was a low traffic time for the establishment. Usually, fittings were done by appointment.

“Actually, I’m looking for Spencer Erickson. Is he here?”

Talia.

What the hell was she doing here?

I’d been stewing about how we left things for the last three days, pissed off that I’d let one weekend with her derail my entire way of thinking. I was angry. I was disappointed. I was stupid.

And I was so fucking happy to hear her voice.

“Back here!” Gran called out, looking at me with her brow cocked suspiciously.

Talia strolled in holding two coffees and wearing a long, dark sweater over colorful leggings. Her knee-high boots managed to make her slender legs look like they went on for days.

Definitely thankful for the extra room in the crotch. And for the fact that the tailor was now pinning the cuffs and was safely out of the danger zone.

She smiled fondly at Gran, embracing her in a quick hug. “So good to see you, Mrs. Bennett.”

“Call her Gran.”

“Call me Gran.”

Gran and I spoke in unison, making Talia and the tailor at my feet chuckle.

“Okay,
Gran.
It’s nice to see you again. You’re looking well. Still making the rounds on the karaoke circuit?”

Gran waved a hand absently. “Oh yes, but it’s getting boring. These places are bars and they won’t let me sing anything with explicit lyrics. Radio edit versions only” She rolled her eyes dramatically. “Pisses me off. Twice I’ve walked in on people screwing in the john, but heaven forbid I sing a song with the word fuck in it.”

The tailor looked up at me with wide eyes and I shrugged. There was no explaining Gran and no use in apologizing. She’d just do something outrageous again in a minute anyway. Why waste the breath?

Talia laughed and met my eye, approaching me for the first time. “Morning, Spence. You’re looking penguin-esque. How they hanging?”

The tailor dropped his head and shook with laughter. These women would be the damn death of me.

“I’m doing okay. Better than my Versace, so...”

She handed me a cup and nodded.

Gran watched us for a minute and I swear she knew. I could tell by the look on her face. Her mouth opened to speak, eyes narrowing and darting between us when her phone started ringing in her purse. Her new ringtone was Breaking Benjamin’s ‘Until the End.’ The guitar solo echoed through the room as she dug through her massive bag. She plucked it from the depths and excused herself to take the call.

Once she was gone, I sighed in relief and took a long sip of my coffee.

Holy shit! Wasn’t expecting that.

I was on the verge of choking when Talia announced, “It’s Irish. Extremely Irish. When Ali told me what Clay had in store for you today, I thought you might need a little something.”

After I got over my initial surprise, I realized it actually tasted pretty good. I sipped again and nodded. “Thanks.”

“Don’t thank me. I owed you one. You sat through a meeting with Eileen, nothing Gran can dish out is worse than that.”

So it was obligation that brought her here. Figured. “You mean to tell me you drove nearly two hours to bring me coffee because I put up with Ali’s socialite mother for you? You didn’t owe me anything, Talia.” I tried to keep the edge out of my voice but the anger I’d been nursing the past few days was resurfacing.

“I did owe you. I still do. I owe you an explanation.”

I took a long swallow of the coffee, burning my throat. “No need. It doesn’t matter now. It was what it was and now it’s over. No explanation necessary.”

“Stop being an ass and just listen.”

I narrowed my eyes at her, trying not to let her feisty side quell my anger. “I’m either an ass or a Boy Scout. Which is it?”

She tilted her head to the side and watched me. “You didn’t think I meant any of that, did you?”

I shrugged noncommittally but said nothing. My expression was even and disinterested.

She asked the tailor to give us a moment and he scurried out. He probably felt a storm brewing. I knew I did.

Once he was gone, she threw her hands up. “What should I have said, huh? If I told her you’d stayed both nights, I would have had to tell her about the concussion, which was out of the question. Even if I’d somehow omitted the injury, she still would have known we’d slept together. She’s not stupid, Spencer, and I wasn’t ready to talk to anyone about it. Because I was still processing what happened, not because I regretted it or whatever the hell it is you’re thinking. Shit, I was trying to rush her off the phone so I could crawl back in bed beside you.”

I stepped off the dressing stool I’d been standing on and walked over to her. “I’m not sure what I thought. Something about the way you played it off to Ali seemed cold.”

She placed her palm flat on my chest. “If I’d said anything else, she would have heard in my voice just how much I wanted you, how attracted I am to you. I’m just not ready to answer questions about us, that’s all. We haven’t even talked about what happened.”

I glanced toward the front of the store. “You might have to answer questions soon, I’m afraid. Gran is like a bloodhound and I’m pretty sure she smells something.”

Talia frowned and followed my gaze. “How would she know?”

“From the way I looked at you when you walked in here. I couldn’t help it,” I told her, grasping her hips and pulling her into me. “You look good enough to eat.”

She gave me a withering look. “If you’d stayed the other day instead of storming off, I was planning on mounting that gorgeous face as soon as I got off the phone. Now that scenario is somewhere in missed opportunity land.” I groaned at the mental image, causing her to smile. She lifted a hand to my beard, stroking it thoughtfully before tugging the longer hairs at my chin. “Don’t you ever walk out on me like that again. If you have a problem, speak up, because you can bet your ass I would.” She looked away and her eyes clouded. “It hurt me when you left like that.”

I kissed her forehead, inhaling the scent of her shampoo. “I’m sorry, sweetheart. It won’t happen again.”

She wrapped her arms around my shoulders and pulled me to her, holding on like she’d been needing it for days.

“Good, I guess you won’t have to sit at the kiddie table after all,” Gran announced as she stepped into the room and caught Talia with her arms around my neck.

Talia jerked back, embarrassed. “I didn’t see you there, Mrs... um... Gran.”

I turned away and laughed, earning a slap across my stomach.

All that did was solidify Gran’s impression of the situation. “It will work out nicely this way, I think,” she told us. “Ali and Clay will be so pleased.” Her fingers were already flying across her phone, texting Ali probably.

Talia gave me a helpless look.

“Gran, how about letting us handle talking to Ali and Clay. It should come from us,” I told her.

Both women looked up at me. One looking smug, the other shocked.

“What should come from us?” Talia squeaked.

Gran clucked her tongue and put her phone away. “Sounds like you two need to iron things out. I was going to make you take me to brunch, but I think I’ll skip it and give you some time together.” She looked between us for a moment. “Talia, what’s your last name again?”

“Galiano. My full name is Natalia Collette Galiano. Why?”

“Italian girl, hmm...” Gran sized her up. “Never would have guessed.”

Talia blinked oddly. “I’m not technically Italian. I’m adopted.”

“Did your momma teach you to cook?”

“Yes. She taught me well. I own a restaurant, actually.” There was pride in her voice.

Gran nodded. “Then you’re Italian, hon.” She winked. “Save a seat for an old lady sometime?”

“Any time you like, Gran. Just say the word.”

She gave a little wave and made for the door, typing on her phone again. “I’ll have my people call your people.”

And just like that, she was gone.

Talia looked at me with bewilderment. “What the hell was that?”

“That was your initiation into the world of Gran. She’ll be researching you for days to make sure you’re suitable company for one of her grandbabies.” I pointed to my puffed up chest. “She won’t be letting just anyone snag a prize like this.”

She grinned. “I wonder if I’ll pass the test.”

“Probably with flying colors. If Gran didn’t already like you, you’d know it.”

“She barely knows me. I only know her from the hospital and setting up the proposal.”

I cocked a brow, giving her an ironic look. “The same is true of you and I. Same amount of time and interaction. Yet, I find myself licking... I mean
liking
you quite a bit.” I winked, unbuttoning my shirt.

There was that blush again. She eyed my hands. “What are you doing?”

“I’m fairly sure the tailor has what he needs from me at this point, and even if he doesn’t, you and Gran probably scared him off for today.” She glared at me indignantly. “Okay, it was mostly Gran,” I hedged as I removed the shirt and replaced it on its hanger. When I turned back to her, her eyes were hungry. She looked me over slowly, the heat of her gaze like a caress.

When I reached out and unbuttoned my pants, her eyes widened. “Maybe I should give you some privacy.”

“Maybe you should give me a hand.”

She met my eye and seemed to consider it for a moment before shaking her head. “I can’t do that. We’re not alone here.” She tipped her head toward the front of the store and then stepped over to run her hands over my bare chest. “But I definitely want a rain check. In the meantime, how about lunch?”

I groaned at yet another missed opportunity. “If you’d step into that dressing room over there, I could have my lunch right now,” I growled into her hair, nipping her ear in the process.

She shuddered and stepped back, smoothing her sweater absently as if she’d been considering taking it off.

Damn she was fun to tease.

“I’ll give you a few minutes to change and then you can pick out a good place to eat around here.”

I smirked and dragged my gaze the length of her perfect body as she shook her head and smilingly stepped out of the room.