Tart (23 page)

Gideon was fortunate to have this man in his life, and Cal supposed he and Jules were too.

He glanced around the area for her. She’d been slightly off over the last week. At first he’d chalked it up to stress over the party. Jules had wanted it to be perfect for Gillian and Adrian and the need to control every last detail had consumed much of her time.

But after she’d been back a day or two it had become clear to Cal that something had gone down the weekend before when she’d gone down to Portland to her brother’s place. When Cal or Gideon had asked about it, Jules had been full of descriptions about the party and her nephews’ reactions to the things she’d done. But she’d avoided talking about anything else.

He and Gideon figured she’d had some sort of spat with Ethan regarding their mother. She had tomorrow morning off so he and Gideon would push her then. Damn her mother.

“Your girl sure looks fetching tonight.” Patrick nodded toward where Jules stood with a plate of food in one hand, the other on Miles’s forearm. The boy clearly adored his godmother. His grin was huge and he leaned toward her.

“She sure is, Patrick.”

“First time I saw her she was not more than four or five. We used to eat in her parents’ diner a few times a month and she’d be there. Over the years she waited tables or cooked there. Grew up fine, that one. Better’n her folks I wager.” He shook his head. “Gideon came out of that damned marriage of his lucky. What he has now is better than what he had. I figure it takes the both of you to manage that woman of yours. But . . . with you too.”

Cal choked out a laugh.

“I’m an old man, Calvin, I don’t bother to beat around the bush. I don’t much care for judging what people get up to in the bedroom, long as everyone there is on board. But I can see your heart. You wear it on your sleeve. You love my grandson and he loves you right back. And her too. So what difference does it make to me that there’s three of you instead of two? Or that two of you have the same equipment? I’m going to die soon enough; I don’t need to carry anyone else’s choices. I just need to love my family. If you were bad for him, I’d show you just how well I can still throw a punch to the face. But you’re all right. For a lawyer.”

Cal just bet Patrick could throw a punch. The man was hale and had fists the size of small hams. He worked outside every day. Cal had no doubts at all that should Patrick get to feeling someone was out to harm his family he’d do what was needed to set things right.

“I’m glad you approve. I never . . . well, I didn’t set out to end up here. But I’m glad I have.” Not that it was easy. But it was worth the struggle to get things right.

“Good. Take care of them and you’ll never be sorry. I had that kind of love for my entire adult life. I met Clara when I was sixteen. She was fourteen then. Too young for me. So I waited for her and once she’d turned seventeen I went to her daddy to ask his permission to take her on a date. They invited me to dinner. We had dinner at her family’s house for a good six months before they agreed to let me take her out. I never dated another since that first dinner and I never regretted it either.”

That gave Cal hope.

“I’ve lived a long time. Seen things change a lot. But one thing that hasn’t changed is that love is love, no matter how you cut it. And when you find it, you need to grab it with all your might.”

Cal stood. “You’re right. I’m off to go do that right now.”

Patrick chuckled. “You do that, boy. She’s too pretty not to snap up.”

•   •   •

Jules glanced in Cal’s direction, pausing to smile as he approached. He felt like the only person in the world, his heart swelling.

“Miles, are you trying to steal my woman?”

Miles looked up at Cal, horrified. “Ew. No. I mean . . .” He blushed furiously and Jules hugged him one-handed. “She’s great and all, but she’s my godmother!”

Jules’s eyes danced with humor. “I did change lots of your diapers.”

“Ew.” Miles looked like he wished a hole would open up and swallow him.

Jules laughed. “Go on. You’re free.” She handed Miles the plate and he took it, rushing back to the table where the other kids were.

Cal pulled her to him and began to sway. “I haven’t danced with you yet.”

“What a neglected girl I am! You need to remedy that.”

“Goddamn, you make me happy.” He kissed her quickly and she settled in close, letting him lead. “I like these heels. Makes you nearly as tall as me so I can steal kisses easier.”

“Glad you like them because they hurt like hell.”

“Beauty is pain, darlin’.”

“So men like to say.”

He laughed but kept hold of her as the music changed. It didn’t matter what song was on, she was in his arms, all his. He liked it that way.

“You and the rest of Delicious should look into party planning. I don’t know that I’ve seen Gillian happier. Ever.”

“No one I know deserves a happy ending more than Gillian.” Jules turned her head to look at Gillian, sitting next to Adrian, his arm around the back of her chair. Her eyes widened. “Who’s that dude with them? Holy shit, is that Damien Hurley?”

Cal took a closer look even has he tightened his grip around her waist. “Yes, I think it is. It’s weird to know Erin and Adrian. They’re both so down-to-earth it’s easy to forget this is their peer group.”

His sister Mary sat with them as well. A glass of champagne in her hand and one of those mysterious woman smiles on her face. Cal frowned as the Damien guy looked at Mary like he wanted to eat her up.

“Isn’t he one of those man-whores?”

Jules grinned up at him. “I don’t know, but he’s sex on legs, for totally sure.”

He must have had some facial expression because she caught it and let her head fall back, laughing. “You’re such a big brother right now. It’s adorable. But I shouldn’t have to remind you how smart your sister is. If she gets some, it’ll be because she knows exactly what that guy is and wants a slice.”

“I don’t want to talk about that. Or about how hot he is. You have two men who can’t get enough of you. That’s your concern, missy.”

“Well, sure. But we’re not talking about me. She’s a gorgeous woman, your sister. Of course some hot rock star wants to get into her knickers. Hello. But she’s smart. No cookies will be given out unless she wants it that way.”

“You killed my hard-on.”

She laughed again, hugging him tight. “I can’t even take how cute you are sometimes.”

“Will it get me laid?”

“Hello, didn’t you just say I killed your hard-on? Also, who was with me this morning if not you?”

Oh yes, that. “Well, really, I’d have to be dead to forget this morning. I think it tops our personal best if I do say so myself.”

The three of them, spilled out in a mass of legs and arms, mouths and hands. He’d been in her, he’d been in Gideon, it had left his knees rubbery for hours after and just right then the memory made other parts of him distinctly less rubbery.

“Seems like you’re recovering right now.”

“You do have a way about you.”

Gideon came out to the dance floor and instead of waiting his turn, he just put his arms around them both. They could do that here, in this safe space. And as it happened they weren’t the only ones.

Ben, Erin and Todd, tanned and relaxed and freshly returned from a solo, romantic holiday, sat just beyond, Erin’s head on Todd’s shoulder, her feet in Ben’s lap.

Gideon kissed Jules briefly and then Cal. “Hey there.”

“Hey yourself.”

They swayed under the stars, their woman between them and everything was just right.

16

G
illian poured them both a cup of tea as Jules brought out the plates for the huge bag of to-go Thai food they’d procured before coming back to Jules’s place.

“Thank you again for the party. I’m going to remember it for as long as I live.” Gillian grinned. “So, spill.”

“You’re not even going to wade in and pussyfoot around for a while? Man, you’re brutal.”

Gillian waved that away. “I don’t need that artifice with you. Now, tell me.”

Jules filled her in on some of the stuff about her mother and the way she’d dumped it on Jules to tell Ethan she wasn’t coming. Gillian thought very little of that and for whatever reason, it helped Jules relax and remember of all people in the world, the woman across from her was her sister in every way but biological.

“So Ethan was mad at you about it?”

“No. He’s got a lot of anger in general, but he went out of his way to let me know he didn’t hold me responsible for the crap our parents pull. So one night we stayed up late and got to talking about our lives. I . . . I told him about Cal and Gideon.”

Suddenly not hungry, Jules pushed her plate away and avoided the frown she knew Gillian would be wearing.

“What did he say?”

“He said . . . he said that he didn’t want me around the boys anymore.”

Cold and hot flashed through her at the memory of how she’d felt when he’d said that.

“He said wha?” Gillian grew up in London’s East End and when she got very angry or excited, her English got up and she began to lose the end sounds of certain words.

“He said I wasn’t fit to be around kids. That he couldn’t trust me. I stayed in a hotel that night and didn’t come home until late that next day. You can’t tell Cal or Gideon. Promise me.”

“You’re taking the piss! You didn’t tell them?”

Back when she first heard Gillian say that she was horrified. But then she’d learned it was a Britishism about playing a joke on someone.

“I wish I was. How can I tell them, Gillian? Huh? How do I manage to get that out of my mouth to them?”

“Well, I’m not telling anyone. I’m going down there myself and kicking the shit out of that great bloody git of a brother of yours. What on earth can he be thinking? This is insanity. How can he think to take those boys away from you this way?”

The tears were flowing now, no chance to stop them. She’d been in a haze for the last week, sick just to think of it. Sick at the loss of not just her brother but those two boys she loved so fiercely.

“I didn’t take either of them with me. I went alone. I know it’s not usual and that some people might be offended. It’s not like I shoved it down his throat. I love those babies. I’ve never done anything to hurt them. I never, ever would.”

Gillian was there, hugging her tight, smoothing a hand over her hair. “Shhh. You’re not the bad guy here. He’s wrong. So, so wrong.”

“I don’t know what to do. I tried to talk to him more, to work things out. I said I’d keep that part of my life totally separate from the boys. He said . . . he told me I was going to hell, that I was a whore and he kicked me out of his house.”

Her shoulders shook as she kept crying. And then . . . she heard a tap on the front door. Gideon’s tap.

“I can’t. Oh my god, he can’t see me this way.” She stood up and Gillian shook her head, her hands on her hips.

“He knows you’re here. Your car is out front. He’s your boyfriend for heaven’s sake. You have to tell them both.”

“I can’t!” Panicked and ashamed, she glanced toward the door and then back to Gillian, who shook her head.

“I’m not going to. Sweetheart, you have to. This is not your fault.”

It was too late as he let himself in. The smile fell away from his features as he came into the kitchen and saw her. “What? Baby, what is it?”

Gillian moved out of the way as he rushed to Jules’s side.

“Is everyone all right? What is it? What’s wrong?”

Gillian said nothing and Jules knew she’d have to share.

“I was just telling her something about my brother. I need to clean up. I’ll be right back out.” Jules skirted past and into her bathroom.

Gideon turned to Gillian. “I’m about to have a heart attack. What’s wrong?”

“She’ll tell you. Just . . . be there for her. I’m going to go.”

“Don’t leave without telling her. She’ll be more upset that you left.”

Gillian took his hand. “You’re perfect for her. Thank you for that. She deserves someone who loves her like you do. Anyway, she’ll want to be alone when she tells you. Can you tell her I’ll be calling later and to not even try screening?”

With a kiss to Gideon’s cheek, Gillian was gone.

Gideon grabbed his phone from his back pocket. Should he call Cal? He decided yes, that in Cal’s place, he’d want to be there too.

“Something is up with Jules. I stopped by her place and she was with Gillian. Crying her eyes out. She’s cleaning up now.”

“Is she physically hurt?” Cal’s voice had gone sharp.

“Not that I can tell. Gillian would have said.”

“I’m on my way.”

Gideon hung up but before he could get down the hall to where she was, she came out.

“Cal’s on his way.”

Her eyes widened. “I didn’t say it was okay to call him. I don’t want to make a big deal out of this.”

Gideon snorted and pointed to the bedroom. “Get in there. I’ll be in in a moment with some tea. We’ll snuggle and you’ll tell me and Cal what’s wrong. I’m not going to let you wall us out.”

She sighed, sounding so very tired, but turned to go into her bedroom. Satisfied for the moment, Gideon put away the food and grabbed the tea Gillian had already made before going to her.

Before Gideon had even reached the door, he heard Cal letting himself in.

“Where is she?” Cal moved to Gideon, pausing to kiss him quickly.

Gideon jerked his head toward the bedroom. “She hasn’t said anything yet. I’m bringing in tea.”

They headed to her and found her propped on her bed, her feet tucked beneath her body.

Jules held a hand up. “Before you start in, I’m not walling anyone out. But wouldn’t it be nice if I didn’t have an issue? Just once? Don’t you get tired of it?”

Gideon handed her a mug and joined her on the bed. Cal came in, one brow raised.

“What’s going on, pretty? Hmm?” Cal settled on one side and Gideon the other.

“Stop trying to fix me.” She frowned and Gideon couldn’t help but laugh. As if they’d let her hurt without trying to help.

Gideon shook his head. “Juliet, sweetness, if you wanted men who didn’t meddle, you chose the wrong ones.”