The Secret Life of Bryan (23 page)

Anger hadn’t rid him of his erection. He should get back in his car, drive away…

Shay sidled up next to him. “Bryan?”

Oh, hell. He didn’t want Shay to meet Jamie. She was in an especially amorous mood at the moment, and women in general tended to see Jamie as a mysterious, romantic figure. If Shay started fluttering her damn eyelashes or swooning, he’d lose it. “Wait in the car.”

Her wide-eyed gaze swiveled from Jamie to Bryan, and then narrowed with simmering temper. “Wait in the car?” Her tone was lethal. “No, I don’t think so.”

Now
Jamie smiled. He stepped closer, circling Shay, checking her out up and down and sideways.

A red haze collected in front of Bryan’s vision. “I’m going to break your nose.”

Jamie didn’t even spare Bryan a glance. “No, you’re not.”

Bryan slumped. No, he probably wasn’t.

Jamie circled once more, then stopped in front of Shay, his obsidian eyes direct, his mouth flat and unemotional. “She’s the one.”

Shay swallowed, blinked twice. “I am?” With so much unwavering attention on her, she twittered nervously.

Maybe he would break his nose after all. “Hell, no.”

Bryan grabbed Jamie by the front of the shirt and jerked him around. They were of a similar height, but Bryan had him on meanness, no two ways about it. His lips were so tight, he barely squeezed the words out.

“Don’t start with that cryptic bullshit, Jamie. Shay had nothing to do with it.” Bryan shook him. “Do you hear me?”

Jamie tilted his head—and closed his hand around Bryan’s wrist. His grip was stronger than a hermit’s should be. “You misunderstand.”

“The hell I do.” Bryan struggled to keep his tone below a shout. “You said a woman was involved.”

“One is.”

His head throbbed. “It’s
not
Shay.”

“No. It’s not.”

One good punch, that’s all it’d take. “Then why did you just—”

“I said she was
the one.
The one you’ll stay with. The one for you.” When Bryan stared, with a blank expression on his face, Jamie sighed. “The
perfect
one.” Jamie didn’t smile, but Bryan still caught his amusement. It showed in his blacker than black eyes. “Your soul mate.”

Oh, hell. Bryan glanced at Shay, curious as to how she’d take that bit of sage prophecy concerning their future, but she was too busy ogling Jamie to react.

And Jamie didn’t seem to mind.

“You’re good for him,” Jamie told her. He leaned closer and in a stage whisper, said, “Don’t give up.”

Shay twittered again. “No, I won’t.”

Bryan wanted to puke. He wanted to toss Shay’s sexy twittering ass back into the car. He wanted to pulverize Jamie.

Why did full-grown, mature, reasonable women act like giggly little girls whenever Jamie showed up? It sure as hell couldn’t be his thick mountain-man beard or his stilted conversational skills. And he wasn’t exactly a slave to fashion. Today his dark hair was pulled back into an unkempt ponytail. He wore a plain gray T-shirt, which was probably one of three T-shirts that he owned: white, gray and black. According to the weather, he sometimes had a frayed flannel over the T-shirt. His jeans had to be ten years old, because no way had he paid extra for the “fashionably worn” look. His brown leather lace-up boots were sturdy, meant for hiking up and down the damned mountain, whenever the mood struck him to annoy the males of Visitation.

Bryan didn’t want to, but he had to ask. “So you still think a woman is involved?”

Where Jamie was concerned, there was no “think” about it. He gave an emphatic reply. “One is.”

“Amy?”

Shrugging, Jamie pulled Bryan’s hand away from the front of his shirt. “Describe her.”

Shay hurried to do his bidding. “Shy, slim, blond with green eyes—”

“No. It’s not her.”

Fascinated, Shay said, “Thank God.” Then: “So who is it?”

Bryan’s jaw fell open. “You believe him? Just like that?”

“Don’t you?”

Damn it, he sort of did.

Ignoring them both, his head down, his hands in his back pockets, Jamie paced a small circle in the road. “I don’t know yet. But she’ll come to you when you need her.”

“When I
need
her?” Bryan shared a quizzical glance with Shay. “What the hell does that mean?”

Jamie shrugged again. “I don’t—”

“Yeah, yeah. You don’t know.” Bryan caught Shay’s arm. “C’mon. Let’s get out of here.” He took two long steps, hauling Shay with him.

“The real threat is a man.”

Ignore him, ignore him, ignore…
Bryan did an about-face.
“What
man?”

“Not one you’d expect.” Jamie rubbed his head, deep in thought. It was almost eerie to watch him, as if you could see the visions passing before him.

Idiotic.

“Are you done?”

Jamie nodded. “Yes. It’ll all be okay. I’m not worried now.”

“Well, gee,
you’re
not worried? What a relief.” Sarcasm dripped from Bryan’s every word. “I’ll just tell Joe to forget the whole thing, then.”

“No, you won’t.” Sarcasm never bothered Jamie.

Shay pressed forward. “Could you call us if you think of anything else?”

As if he’d forgotten she was there, Jamie glanced up, and slowly his expression cleared. “Can’t. I don’t have a phone.” He turned and started down the road. He headed into the bright red setting sun, and it made a black silhouette of his lean body.

Incredulous, Shay blinked. Mindful of Jamie’s nonexistent feelings, she leaned in close to whisper, “He doesn’t have a phone?”

“Nope.” He half grinned. “No car, either. He lives up on that mountain somewhere, all by himself. I told you he was strange.”

Of course, she got defensive. “I like him.”

“You like everyone.”

“Including you?” Her tone dared him to explain that one—and he couldn’t. He had no idea what she saw in him. Annoyed, Shay said, “The very least you could do is thank him.”

“Not possible.” Bryan propped his hands on his hips and contemplated the cloudless sky, which was now a dusky gray. Sweat gathered on his shoulder blades and in the middle of his chest. It was a damn hot evening.

“No? Why not?”

He took great satisfaction in saying, “He’s gone.”

Shay whipped around, searched the area, and then asked in surprise, “Where’d he go?”

“Who the hell knows? Who cares?” Done with Jamie Creed for the moment, Bryan caught her hand and pulled her back to the car. “He does that disappearing trick all the time. One minute he’s there, and the next, poof. He’s gone. It’s annoying. He’s annoying. Let’s go. I’m getting hungry, and Joe Winston isn’t a man to be kept waiting. Not for dinner, and not for anything else.”

And after dinner, when he got Shay alone at his trailer, he’d remind her of what she wanted to do to him. He had a feeling he’d be semihard until then.

Even though he looked nothing like she’d imagined, Shay recognized Joe Winston the second they pulled down the long gravel drive. Whenever Bryan spoke of him, he’d sounded…meaner. Not that she knew anything about Joe’s temperament, of course. But right now, standing there waiting for them, he looked domestic and friendly, not at all like a convict.

She’d half expected him to be scarred, to maybe heave with menace, to snarl like a rabid dog. This man was smiling—and he was incredibly, knock-you-off-your-feet gorgeous.

He had one long, heavily muscled arm draped around a woman, presumably his wife. Two kids hovered on the porch behind them—a young, pretty girl on the steps and a boy in a porch swing. Both kids had the palest blond hair Shay had ever seen. The girl’s was long and shiny, the boy’s short and mussed.

Flowers grew up a trellis on one side of the house. Lush green grass grew in and around a profusion of enormous trees. Birds sang and squirrels played. In the background, the surface of a large lake rippled with the gentle breeze. The house was big and stately and looked like Shay’s idea of home. It exuded warmth, unlike her mansion—a.k.a. mausoleum—back in Ohio.

A bit envious, she said, “It’s a Kodak moment.”

“Yeah.” Bryan grinned. “That’s Joe and Luna, and Austin and Willow on the porch. They make a nice family, huh?”

Shay nodded, more emotional by the moment. She wanted what they had. She wanted to smile with that type of satisfaction. She wanted to be that content. “They all look happy.”

“Joe wouldn’t have it any other way.” Bryan turned off the car and walked around to her door. “Come on. You’ll love Luna.”

She barely had time to step out before they were descended upon.

“You’re finally here!” Luna held out her arms, and Bryan obligingly gave her a quick hug. Shay noticed that Joe watched him with narrow-eyed menace the whole time.

Not the least worried about her husband’s imposing audience, Bryan asked, “Is that shades of blue I see in your hair, Luna?”

She swatted at him. “It’s called plum.” And then to Shay, “I like changing my hair sometimes, and every guy around thinks that’s a reason to poke fun.”

Shay stared at Luna with awe. She
did
have blue streaks in her hair, but it wasn’t unattractive. In fact, it was kind of nice the way her hair matched the polish on her fingernails and toenails. “It looks beautiful.”

“Thank you. I thought so, too. This is my husband Joe.” Luna hugged herself around his massive biceps and pulled him forward. “Say hello, Joe.”

“Hello, Joe.” The dark hulk reached out and caught Shay’s hand. “Well.” He looked Shay up and down. “I can see why the mighty has fallen.” Then to Bryan: “You didn’t say she was beautiful.”

A little stunned by that outrageous compliment, Shay glanced at Luna, who nodded enthusiastically. “You really are stunning.”

Wearing a frown, Bryan tucked Shay into his side. “She doesn’t like for you to mention that.”

Shay felt her face go hot. “I don’t?”

He glared at her. “You didn’t want me to mention it.”

Joe and Luna listened with avid curiosity.

“Bryan,” Shay complained under her breath, more than a little embarrassed. “That’s because I wanted you to like me, not just be attracted to me.”

Bryan scowled. “Of course I like you.”

Laughing, Joe slapped Bryan on the shoulder, and since Shay was plastered to his side, it nearly knocked her off balance. “Was all this in doubt?” Joe asked. “Amazing. You must not be nearly as accomplished as I figured, Bryan. We’ll talk later and I’ll give you some pointers.”

Another car pulled into the drive. Slowly. Quietly. Joe suddenly sharpened.

Now he looked like a convict.

Both Willow and Austin joined the adults.

Luna put her arm around the girl and said, “This is our daughter, Willow.”

The little boy puffed out his chest. “I’m Austin.”

“Nice to meet you both,” Shay said.

Austin turned to Bryan. “You shoot anybody lately?”

“Sorry, no.”

Shay started to laugh at the crestfallen look on Austin’s face, but she managed to hold it back.

A car door closed.

“Here comes Clay,” Austin explained. “He’s Willow’s boyfriend.”

“Willow’s only fifteen,” Joe corrected. “Too young to have a boyfriend.”

Willow just rolled her eyes, but Luna rounded on Joe. “Do. Not. Start. I mean it, Joe. If you embarrass her—”

Willow hooked her arm through Joe’s. “He won’t.”

Clay stepped up in front of them. “Hello Joe, Luna.” He cleared his throat. “Thanks for letting Willow go to the school dance with me.”

Luna beamed. “She’ll have a wonderful time.”

“She better,” Joe warned.

Luna’s eyes narrowed.
“Joe.”

Clay just grinned. Apparently he was used to Joe’s gruff protectiveness. “I’ll see to it, and I’ll have her home by nine.”

Willow turned and gave Joe a loud kiss on the cheek. She hugged Luna next, then said to Shay, “It was nice to meet you. Bye, Bryan.” And off she went, hand in hand with Clay.

Shay didn’t think she’d ever been that young and carefree. For as long as she could remember, she’d been driven to do, to make a difference.

To justify her own good fortune.

Maybe it was past time to hand the reins over to Dawn. Maybe it was time for her to get her own life in order. After all, how could she help make others happy if she wasn’t happy herself? And she had to admit, without Bryan, she wouldn’t be happy. She hadn’t realized that until she met him, hadn’t even known that anything was missing in her life until he helped fill it up. But now she did know, and not being a dummy, she had to do something about it.

She’d still keep an eye on things, but she trusted Dawn to disperse the money charitably, to make wise decisions.

Then she’d be free to concentrate on getting Bryan out of “in the moment” and into the “forever and always.”

“When we gonna eat?” Austin demanded. “I’m starving.”

Luna ruffled his fair hair. “You’re a bottomless pit. Go on in and wash up and I’ll get dinner on the table.”

Austin ran off with more energy than a young jackrabbit. The adults followed at a more leisurely pace.

Shay could see why Bryan wanted to stay in Visitation—because now she wanted to stay, too.

Back in his old hobo disguise, Bruce lingered in the shadows outside the safe house. He’d been at it for hours now, waiting, watching. Amy was the only one home now, since Patti and Morganna had headed off to work and Barb had left to go shopping.

He felt like a failure—a washout as a preacher and a miserable excuse for a protector. He’d made horrendous mistakes. By harboring a dangerous woman, he’d put the other women at risk.
Dear God, Shay could have been killed.

He’d known that Amy was more troubled than the others, but like an arrogant, conceited jerk, he thought he could make everything right just by befriending her. He thought…His face warmed and disgust washed through him, but…he’d thought that he could be in her life, and it’d somehow be better. Somehow be good enough that she’d be able to turn things around.

What a jackass.

In a very short time, Shay had done more good than he managed in a year.

Maybe he should just talk to Amy—no. He’d promised Bryan to go along with the game, but now it just didn’t sit right. He couldn’t bear the thought of Amy being so deceitful. What if she had done things because she’d felt threatened? Maybe she
had
been threatened. Bryan didn’t think she was working alone, but with Freddie locked up, who else was there?