Love Without End (17 page)

“Chase, why didn’t you mention you’d be in the area?” Braydon asks then looks over to Brielle as he and Chase take their respective seats again.

“It was a last minute trip, but we will call it even; you were in Florida and didn’t even tell me until you were back home, but we can discuss that later.” Chase retorts.

“Well, none the less, I am glad I get to see you,” he nods likely in response to the discussion that is to come later and then cocks a brow to Brielle before clearing his throat. I look from Braydon to Chase then to Brielle, who is currently covered in a rosy blush and refuses to look directly at anyone.

Carter clears his throat, pulling our attention away from us gawking at a now bright red Brielle. Shaking my head, I stand to thank and explain why I have everyone here together just as three loud knocks permeate from the front door.

“I’ll get it,” Carter says standing and walking towards the door. A moment later, his voice booms again, “What the fuck? I thought you were out of state for the race, welcome home Jase!”

“Holiday training break, Tracie said she would save me a seat,” my cousin Jase responds just as they walk through the dining room door together. Well I suppose that open seat makes a lot more sense now.

“Whoa, I guess this really is a party. Hey everyone. Brielle.” I almost choked on my laughter at him calling out Brielle with a wink and nod.

“Welcome, Hey, What’s Up,” all randomly spoken but said in unison by everyone around the table. Braydon, Chase, and Jase all staring each other down as he took the empty seat next to Brielle. This just became a pissing contest; the testosterone in this room is stifling.

I think Brielle might experience spontaneous combustion from the emotions she is trying to hold back, poor girl looks like a fucking tomato. Is she angry or embarrassed? I have my suspicions.

“Banana, you were going to say something,” Brie prompts cleverly taking the attention from herself placing it back on me.

“Thank you all for being a part of our family Thanksgiving, you each play a role in my life, my happiness, and I am beyond grateful for each and every one of you. I am so very blessed, and I hope this is the beginning of a new tradition. Braydon, thank you for joining us,” I pause and look at his sincere smile. “Our lives were forever changed nearly 3 years ago, and Carter, thank you for waiting for me, coming after me, and loving me.” My eyes begin to mist as I look at the smiling faces of eight people who will never understand what this moment means to me. “Brielle, my best friend, my soul mate, you have seen the good, great, bad and ugly and have yet to leave my side. Although I think eventually, we may separate but our hearts will forever be those of unbiological sisters, of whom I want to thank our parents for always supporting and encouraging our friendship.” I pause to take a sip of the wine in front of me before continuing.

“Okay, okay… that’s enough – before I get all wishy-washy, let’s eat!” I exclaim. “Don’t be shy!” I chuckle as everyone sits in what almost appears to be a state of shock or contentment maybe. “Oh fuck, sorry everyone, introductions… this is Braydon. Braydon, this is David and Tracie – my parents, who you know, Meredith and Joel – Brie’s parents, oh and my older cousin, Jase and clearly you know the rest of us.” I smile brightly then take my seat as a low rumble of laughter begins to spread throughout the room and dishes begin to circle around.

I lean over slightly to kiss Hannah’s cheek once she finishes her speech; leave it to her to say ‘fuck’ in the middle of a thanksgiving dialogue. Her smile reminds me of the million reasons I am eternally grateful for her finally being in the here and now. Pushing her honey locks behind her ear, I lean in and whisper how much I love her, causing that smile to spread even wider before I straighten up and take the corn casserole dish being passed to me by a still very scattered Brielle.

“So, Chase, or well Braydon, whoever really,” Hannah stumbles while piling food onto her plate and passing the dishes down after she is satisfied with the heaping portions on her plate. “Tell me, how do you know each other?” Her eyes pop open looking back and forth between the two of them as she waits for a reply.

“We are brothers, half-brothers actually,” Chase replies while subtly eyeing Brie when she fidgets in her seat.

“No fuckin way!” Hannah exclaims, “What are the odds?” She pauses for a moment and takes in both guys while chewing and processing both her food and thoughts, “So…?”

I squeeze Hannah’s thigh at her question, earning me a scowl just as she tosses a piece of her roll at Brielle’s plate when she doesn’t react.

“Han, if I knew, would I look as shocked as you two?” Brie sharply replies and releases a loud breath throwing the roll back at Hannah. Chase wraps his arm around her pulling her to him, a gesture of security that she truly needed from the looks of her disposition, finally drawing a smile to her somber face until Jase cleared his throat.

“You feeling okay?” he asks his lips near her temple before releasing her completely once she awkwardly acknowledged she was, in fact, okay.

Lunch continued on as normal until Chase brought up Florida again and Brielle excused herself to the kitchen to finish the desserts. Chase, Braydon and Hannah begin rehashing our weekend and I excuse myself to check on Brie.

“Hey”

“Don’t start, Carter,” she mumbles as she slices the cheesecake and begins to cup the apple cobbler.

“Brie,” I say cautiously rounding the island in the kitchen taking up the space next to her, “are you okay? Typically things like this, you let roll right off you, what’s up?” I coax nudging her shoulder with mine.

“Carter, it’s complicated, you know how fucking awkward this is, I mean can’t you feel the tension?” she implores while I sample the apple cobbler from the ceramic dish and nod.

“Yup, so what the fuck are you wiggin’ out for? Oh wait… fuck Brie, do any of them know anything about the other?”

“Just kill me,” she groans handing me the pie server, “Chase and Braydon are brothers and motherfucking Jase Fields shows up, oh my god, Carter, seriously, could this day get any more convoluted and for fucks sake they are having a pissing contest, tell me I’m not crazy?” she harshly whispers at me.

“You aren’t crazy,” I laugh loudly at her now scowling face. “But I’m still trying to determine when you will figure out which one actually has the claim of Brielle Dawn Sava’s heart? I mean, I know… but do you?”

“Oh no you don’t Sparky, things change, people change,” she mutters to the desserts atop the counter.

“Brie,” I say calmly draping one arm around her shoulder, “you are so cute.” I tap her nose and laugh, “I can’t believe you are finally growing up.”

“Fuck you, Jacobs,” she says shoving me away from her and finally cracking a smile of her own. “Follow me with the pies asshat, God, you are such a DICK!” she exclaims.

Everyone looks up as we walk into the dining room; Hannah laughs loudly and gives me a wink. After setting the pies at each end of the table, I take my seat and smile at Brie, who looks anxiously between the guys before sitting down, careful not to touch anyone.

“Sorry, I just needed a minute,” she explains

“No worries, we were just catching up. I didn’t realize you had spent that weekend with Braydon, maybe if Hannah wasn’t such a bitch, she could have had us over for a party.” Chase responds and winks at Hannah to ensure everyone knew he was only joking.

“Oh, would that have been before or after you were done fuckin with your lil’ gymnast?” Brie fires back quickly shooting him a glare.

“Oh, so that’s who pissed you off that night?” Braydon mumbles and Jase coughs to cover up his laugh. Clearly all the men of Brie’s life knew what was going on with the temper-tantrum that was thrown when we were in Florida.

“So Jase, where are you these days? Are you still traveling or did you settle in somewhere between races?” I ask, still trying to determine all the pieces to this jigsaw puzzle.

“I still travel through the season, but on off times or race breaks; I have a compound in Miami.” He smirked before turning his attention to Brie, “I figured Brie mentioned it, she’s been down a few times.”

“Oh, I think I forgot to tell you Carter,” Hannah piped up then bit her lip. The little liar, she didn’t tell me shit, she’s trying to bail out Brie from that huge fucking hole she’s sitting in.

“Wait… YOU are Jase Fields, the moto guy?” Braydon looked at Jase his voice filled with humor and recognition.”

“OKAY, enough.” Brielle shouts smacking her hand onto the table. “I get it, fuck I get it, but enough of the damn pissing contest and trying to put shit together. There is nothing to be figured out… it’s simply my past and present colliding.”

The table quieted as we dug into the desserts and carried on generic conversations, you know just like kids at the kid table. David, Tracie, Meredith, and Joel excuse themselves to the family room.

I can’t help but laugh as Tracie pats my shoulder as she exits the room and says to keep the children under control, and perhaps limit the vulgar expressions. “Yes, ma’am,” I respond as she passes through the doorway.

“So,” I say rubbing my hands together as I look around the table, “who’s up for an afternoon hitting the trails on the four-wheelers?”

“Me,” Brie chirps, “but I get Hannah’s ATV.”

“I’m in,” Chase laughs pushing his empty plate away.

“Sounds good, man.” Jase pipes up just as Braydon throws his napkin onto his plates saying, “Let’s go.”

“Whoa bitches, hold the phone, there are only 4 ATVs, if Brielle, who so kindly just stole my ride, has one that means two of us can’t drive.” Hannah pouts as she puts the plan together aloud.

“Oh Banana, you can ride Bitch.” Brie laughs

“Fuck that, Carter can be my bitch on the way out and he can drive on the way in,” she chuckles.

“Not happening,” I growl into her hair and smack her ass as we all stand to head out to the shed.

“I have mine loaded in the truck,” Jase calls out heading in the opposite direction, retrieving his ATV and meeting us out back by the shed.

The temperature is still holding steady and has yet to drop, so to eliminate loss of mobility we skipped out on winter gear and took off to the shed to the far back left of the James’ main property line. The white rectangular structure dons four retractable doors on the south facing side as well as an entry door square in the middle. Hannah squeezes then releases the hold on my hand and darts to the doorway, busting in and within seconds, the retractable doors are all lifting. She stands proudly in front of the beast, a flat black Honda TRX450R, dangling the key with a megawatt smile. Brielle hops onto Hannah’s pink and black 400X, and wastes no time cranking the 4stroke followed by Chase and Braydon with their own ATVs shortly after.

After snagging the key from Hannah, using my sexual dexterity over her, I bestride the ATV and smack the seat behind me, for her to take her seat. Her sexy lil pout is quickly replaced with a devious smile, causing my grin to grow wider. She throws her boot-covered leg over the seat straddling it, snuggly against my back. Her dainty little fingers deftly trail up my jean-covered thighs until she digs them into my hipbones as I accelerate forward. Waving my arm in the air, I motion for the others to follow as I open up the throttle and take off full speed towards the trails towards the back of the property.