Chapter Four
December 12th
Gunnar
Pushing the stove in place, I step back and look around the kitchen. All the appliances and cabinets are in, but the butcherblock isn’t on the island yet. The kitchen is nearly done, with only some touch-up painting and countertops left to finish, but there is still more left than I like. The entire house was supposed to be ready to move into before Christmas, but that’s definitely not gonna happen.
“What the fuck do you need a fridge this size for?” Major asks as he wiggles the industrial sized refrigerator into the specially built cubby. “How much food can one man eat?”
“Don’t you know, brother? He’s planning on having Willow moved in with him before long,” Tucker says, leaning against the back wall. “After that happens, he probably plans on filling the house with a bunch of kids.”
I glare at Tucker, hoping he can see the irritation in my eyes. “Shut the hell up, man. I don’t get in your business, so don’t get into mine.”
Tucker, Major, and I have always been close, but we didn’t get the chance to spend a lot of time together. That shit changed when I decided to move to White Chapel. Now, this being together all the time is getting on my damn nerves. I’m used to solitude, so having them in my face all the time is just too fucking much.
In all honesty, I’m not sure if I’m more irritated in the fact that they are in my business, or that I’m so easy to read. I haven’t said anything to them about how I feel about Willow or that would let them know anything has happened between us. Apparently, I didn’t have to. It’s either the fact that they can read me like a book or because they understand. It’s not like they haven’t had the same thing happen to them.
No matter what it is, it pisses me off. I like to keep my business to myself, and I don’t need to hear shit from them about it. What happens between Willow and me is no concern of anyone else’s. Especially not now, when I have no fucking idea what is going on.
The first time I saw her at Major’s birthday party, I knew I wanted her. She was mine, and nothing was gonna get in my way. After a lot of begging, pleading, and even a little bribery, I finally talked Tanya into giving me Willow’s number. Surprisingly, she seemed to be excited by my call, and we ended up talking for hours.
For a little more than a week, we got together almost every night. We didn’t call it dates; no damn way was she agreeing to that, but we did meet in town. We’d go eat together, watch a movie, or just hang out and shoot the shit. I never brought her back to my place, not wanting her to think sex was all I wanted, but we spent hours together just talking. Spending time with her was enough, and I wanted to prove that to her.
Then, I fucked everything up. I bought a flower, a fucking flower. We were at a restaurant in Bowling Green, and some dick was selling roses. The minute I gave it to her, I knew it was a mistake. She looked at like it was a snake ready to sink its fangs into her. I don’t know what it was, if it was just a step to much for her, but that damn rose ruined everything.
I’ve stopped by her dad’s three times since then; each time, she wasn’t around. At least, that’s what I was told by her grumpy as hell dad. I might have believed him if I hadn’t seen her car in the driveway all three damn times. She did answer the phone once after that night, saying she was busy and we would have to talk later. After that, she didn’t call back and she hasn’t answered when I’ve called. The only response I got was a short text saying to leave her alone. Well, she can forget that.
“No need to get all pissed off. I wasn’t getting in your business. I was just stating a fact, and there is no point in denying it. The same thing happened to me. As soon as I laid eyes on Hadley, I just knew she was mine,” Tucker says, walking over to the cooler and grabbing a beer. “We were right in the middle of the Dairy Dip. It took every bit of willpower I had not to lay her on one of the tables and claim her as mine, right in front of everyone.”
“Yeah, that’s how it was for me, too. My dick wanted Tanya the minute I saw her. Soon as she opened her mouth, the rest of me wanted her, too,” Major says with a grunt then nods his head. “It may make me sound like a bitch, but I don’t care. After all those years, wanting nothing more than pussy, I just knew I wanted a lifetime with her.”
Fuck, they are saying all the things I’ve been thinking, but things I’ve been too chicken shit to say out loud. I’m a man, and men don’t talk like that. At least, that’s what my stepdad always said. Then again, he always was sweet as pie to Mom, so maybe I should pay more attention to what he did and less to what he said.
“I get this is probably fucking with your head, but don’t wait around too long or you will lose your girl. Look what happened to Dad. We all know your mom was his one and he fucked that shit up royally,” Tucker says before throwing back a drink of his beer.
Before I can reply, Major looks at me and adds in his two cents. “Yeah, and he ended up with our mom instead. I think he paid for that mistake plenty.”
Just thinking about Tucker and Major’s mother makes my skin crawl. The bitch is evil to the core. During my visits with Dad, she never said much to me. When she did, she made sure I knew exactly how she felt about me, and that was pure hatred. Luckily, those times were few and far between.
“Don’t want to see you pay the same way,” Tucker says, nodding his head in agreement. “Tied to some woman you don’t want for the rest of your life. That’s exactly what will happen if you don’t get Willow. Now that you know the feeling, the Brady pull, no one else will ever fill that need inside of you.”
My brothers have never had a problem calling me out on my bullshit, but this time seems different. Instead of getting on my ass about moving down here and taking my place on the farm, just because they want me near, they are trying to give me advice. Like Mom always says, there’s nothing wrong with taking good advice. Considering they both have their women in their beds every night, I guess the advice must be good.
Deciding to get their opinion, I ask the question that has been bothering me for days. “Do either of you know what the fuck I’m supposed to do to keep her from avoiding me? The only thing I’ve come up with is to go to her house and drag her ass out of there, but I don’t think she would like that too much.”
Actually, I know she wouldn’t, but I’m to the point that I don’t care. I can’t handle being away from her much longer. Even after just one day with her, I feel like there is something missing without her. It’s like I’ve got a hole inside of me, and only she can fill it.
Major leans up against the refrigerator, crossing his arms in front of him. “If she’s anything like Tanya, and I’m sure she is, that’s what you’re gonna have to do.”
Tucker nods his head in agreement, a sarcastic smile spreading across his face. “I’m sure you can figure out a way to make her happy once you’ve got her where you want her.”
Thinking back to some of the things she said the other night, to the pain behind her words, I know they are right. The only way to get her to stop running is to grab her and never let go. If I give her a chance to get away, she’s gonna run. I’m gonna have to hold on tight until she realizes that what I feel is real.
When I do not answer fast enough, Tucker takes a step toward me. “Unless we’re wrong. If you don’t feel that Brady pull with her, if she’s just a piece of ass, stay away. She’s Hadley’s best friend, and I won’t have you hurting her because that would hurt my woman.”
There’s no way I would do that to Willow. I’ve never done that before in my life. Sure, I’ve been with women I had no desire to be with again, but I never led any of them on. They knew from the beginning that what happened between us would never lead anywhere. Granted, some thought they could worm their way into my heart. That was their doing, though. I never gave them any inclination it would happen, and it never did.
“She’s mine, and there is no way in hell I would ever hurt her,” I state, glaring from one brother to the other. “Now, I just have to make her understand that she is who I want and that I’m not going anywhere.”
Even though I have kept my mouth shut about Willow and me meeting up after Major’s party, and the time we spent together since, I go ahead and tell them about it now. Leaving out the details, I give them a run down about everything that happened.
“She’s been hurt by somebody,” I say, shaking my head. “I don’t think I’m gonna have as easy of a time as the two of you did claiming your women.”
Both of my brothers let out a laugh before Tucker says, “Do you think it was easy dealing with my bitch of a mother or Hadley’s neglectful parents? No fucking way. That shit was terrible. Think about it, brother. My mother spent every damn day trying to run my wife off.”
“Let’s not forget, Tanya’s dad tried to sell her off to some asshole to cover his debts,” Major says, his eyes filled with anger. “I not only had to claim my woman; I had to talk her mom and brother into moving all the way from Ohio.”
I think about what they say for a minute and have no response. What can I say? They’re right. I’ve just got to prove to her that I’m not gonna break her heart. That shouldn’t be too hard, should it?
Knowing the answer isn’t going to come right away, I attempt to change the subject. “It’s not like I can do a lot about it with the house half-done. There’s no way I’m bringing Willow to live with me in the camper. This house has to be finished first.”
A few grunts of agreement are my only answer as we get back to work. There’s not much left for us to do today, just clean up. We can’t go any further until the countertops are installed, which isn’t happening until tomorrow.
As I start picking up the plastic that had been wrapped around the dishwasher, I look back at Tucker. “Is she still over at your house? Maybe I can just show up and surprise her. Hell, she can’t not talk to me at my own brother’s house.”
Major looks at Tucker, and I see the silent communication between my brothers. Tucker finally gives him a slight nod before they both turn back to me. Major looks at me for a bit before finally looking at Tucker and shrugging.
“Fuck, okay,” Tucker growls, shooting a glare at our younger brother. “She’s still there, but she’s not alone.”
“What do you mean, she’s not alone?” I ask, feeling the hairs on the back of my neck stand up on end.
“Hadley says it’s an old friend from college, someone they met when they were freshmen,” he says, not quite meeting my eyes.
Considering that I answered Tucker’s phone earlier and talked to Hadley for nearly five minutes before he got back from the bathroom, I’m surprised she didn’t say anything. Hell, she told me Willow and Tanya were there. She even mentioned what they ate for lunch, for fuck’s sake. Why in the hell didn’t she tell me someone else was there?
Even though I have a sneaky suspicion that I know why, I ask anyway. “Why didn’t she mention anything about a college friend when I talked to her earlier?”
Neither replies to me for so long that I lose my patience. “What the fuck are you dicks not telling me?”
“Look, brother, it’s no big deal. It’s just an old college friend. They wanted to catch up. That’s all,” Tucker says as he finishes off his beer, still not looking my way.
Finally, Major speaks up with a shrug of his shoulders. “He’s just an old friend. Believe me, if it was anything to worry about, I wouldn’t leave my woman there with him.”
Did he just say he? Did they not think that part was important information to give out in the beginning? Are my brothers fucking dumb, or are they just assholes who love to torment me? Right now, I don’t know the answer and I don’t care.
“He? There’s some guy there, and neither of you thought that was important?” My words come out sounding like a growl as I glare at my brothers. “Of course, you’re not worried, Major. Tanya is about to be your wife. Hadley is Tucker’s wife, so, no, he doesn’t have to worry. Willow isn’t anything to me right now but the woman I want more than my next meal. I have every damn reason to be concerned if there is some other guy trying to take what is mine.”
They both start talking, but I ignore them and turn to walk out of the kitchen. I don’t have time for their shit right now. I’m going over there and making sure the guy knows Willow is mine. Then, she is going to listen to me, whether she likes it or not.