Chapter Eight
Excitement made Brady’s heart feel too large for his chest. After shutting the apartment door, he clapped his nephew on the shoulder again as Justin tossed the backpack on the floor with a thud.
Unable to dim his smile, he looked Justin over from head to toe. “What are you doing here?”
The happiness he’d seen when they greeted each other downstairs fled from the boy’s eyes. Eyes so much like his own. And Jared’s. It was then Brady realized what a thud the backpack had made. Like it was loaded heavily. His eyes went back to Justin’s.
“Can I stay for a bit?”
“Yes,” Brady answered immediately. The answer would always be yes. Justin was family. If he wanted to visit, he was more than welcome. Even though his brother was an ass and wanted nothing to do with Brady, he loved his nephew. Hell, he loved his brother, too, but couldn’t change Jared. He’d take what he could get from his family and was all too happy to have Justin stay.
“What’s going on? What brought you to Boston?”
Shrugging off his jacket, he hung it on the coat rack and removed his shoes. Brady picked up the kid’s bag, noted its weight, and walked it to the spare bedroom. Unease slid over his excitement. Was his nephew here for a visit or to stay? When he came back in, Justin was sitting with his forearms resting on his knees. Dressed in worn jeans and a dark hoodie, he looked weary. And older. He’d graduated ahead of his class last June because he was so damned smart. Justin glanced up when Brady came back and stood in the doorway. “You want anything? A soda? Water?”
Justin shook his head. Brown locks of hair that were growing a bit long moved back and forth with the motion. “Would it be okay if I crash for a while?”
Brady moved farther into the room and leaned on the arm of the leather recliner that matched his couch. Okay, so more than a visit. “Yeah, sure. You know you can. You going to tell me what’s going on? Your parents know you’re here?”
“I don’t think they really care where I am.”
Brady didn’t want that to be true. Jared and Penny, Justin’s mom, had divorced when Justin was a kid. Though Penny had been good about Brady keeping in touch with his nephew, Jared had made few attempts to maintain a strong relationship with his son. When Penny had uprooted Justin and moved west, Jared had done nothing to stop it. As far as he was concerned, he’d done his share by sending money every month.
“I’m sure they care, Justin. They’d want to know you’re safe. How’s your mom?”
Justin shrugged and made a weird scoffing noise. “She’s fine. The usual. Busy with her new guy. I thought maybe it was time to get out on my own.”
Brady stood, his jaw clenching. “Because you’re the advanced age of seventeen?”
Justin grinned. “Eighteen. I just need some time to figure out what I’m going to do.”
“About?” What wasn’t he saying?
Something shifted in Justin’s features, like defeat steamrolled slowly over him. “Uncle Brady, I’m really tired. It was a long bus ride. I promise I’ll tell you everything, but could we do it tomorrow?”
And because the kid rarely had adults put his needs ahead of their own, Brady nodded without hesitation. He jerked a thumb toward the guest room. “You know where your room is if you want to lie down for a while. But you need to tell your parents where you are. Don’t care if you text them or phone them, but they need to know you’re here. If you’re going to lie down, I’m going to head back to work for a bit. I’ll grab a pizza for dinner. Sound okay?”
“Sounds perfect.” Justin stood and covered a yawn. When he started to pass Brady on the way to the hall, he stopped, and held his gaze. “Thanks.”
His voice cracked and it made Brady’s heart do the same. He put a hand on Justin’s shoulder and squeezed. Had he grown again? They were nearly the same height now.
“No thanks needed. And no invitation either. Ever. You know that. You know what, I’ll let your parents know where you are. You get some sleep.”
Justin nodded again, and with his shoulders somewhat slumped, he shuffled off to the spare bedroom. Brady stared after him, anger and worry twisting together in his stomach. Going to the phone, he kept his voice low after he’d dialed his brother’s number.
When the beep for the message sounded, Brady made it quick. “Jared. Justin showed up on my doorstep. He can stay as long as he needs to, but I’m hoping you’d want to know where your son is. Call me back…for once.”
He pressed end and set the phone back on its base. He scrolled through his cell phone contacts, sent Penny a quick message, then put his phone down and gripped the counter’s edge with both hands. What a day. It wasn’t even dinnertime and he felt as though he’d run a marathon backward. Taking a steady breath, he called work and asked Danny to look over Mia’s car, letting him know he’d be there shortly.
...
When Brady arrived home that evening, he ran into Shay at the elevator. Her happy, bright smile brought out his own.
“Hey, neighbor,” she greeted, stepping into the car first.
“Hey, Shay. How’s it going?” He was tired, but looked forward to pizza with his nephew and hopefully getting the kid to open up about what was going on. He’d spent longer on Mia’s car than he meant to and was arriving home late because of it.
Shay didn’t seem to notice his fatigue. “I’m good. I’m so excited about next weekend. Gabby and Owen’s engagement party is going to be my showcase event on my website, and I’m hoping it’ll bring in more work,” she said, her enthusiasm contagious.
“I’m looking forward to it. You’ve done a great job from what I’ve seen and saved Owen from heart palpitations by staying within the budget,” Brady said.
Shay laughed, her eyes sparkling. “Yes. Definitely. I just talked to Mia about coming, but she wouldn’t give me a definite answer. She was on her way out for the evening. A big, fancy car came to pick her up. I wonder if she’s going to some major event. Hey, you should ask her to come to the engagement party.”
Shay’s words were a busy run-on sentence that made his eyes widen. The words that stuck in his head were “big, fancy car.” Sounded right. Why did that bug him so much? He focused on Shay’s other words. As he’d told Owen, he did not need a matchmaker. Brady gave a noncommittal “hmm.” The elevator doors slid apart, and Shay’s smile widened like the sun itself had shone personally on her. Brady gave a chin-nod to Wyatt who stood with his typical scowl. Shay was about the only person with the magic to make Wyatt smile.
“Hi, sweetie,” Shay said, stepping out.
Brady put his foot in front of the door to keep it from closing and echoed Shay. “Hi, sweetie.”
Wyatt scowled harder and Shay giggled. Going up on tiptoes, she placed a kiss on Wyatt’s cheek. A tinge of jealousy snapped under Brady’s skin. It had been too long since he’d had a date or a girlfriend.
Wyatt’s hand went to Shay’s waist and he turned his head, meeting her mouth briefly. “Hey, babe. Sorry you got stuck in the elevator with that clown.”
Brady laughed. He’d originally given the not-so-friendly police detective a wide berth, but now he knew most of the attitude was harmless. Especially with Shay at his side. “Aw. Don’t hurt my feelings like that. You still mad you owe me twenty bucks?”
A hint of a smile played on Wyatt’s lips. “We’ll see what happens next poker game.”
“Hey, before you go, I met your nephew. What a sweetheart,” Shay said.
Wyatt frowned and looked at Brady. “Nephew?”
Overprotective and suspicious by nature, Wyatt didn’t want any newcomers to the building without them being screened. Brady understood, but didn’t the added security measures he’d just overseen give him license to breathe a little? Or maybe cops never let their guards down.
“He’s eighteen. Simmer down, detective. He needs a place to stay. When did you meet him?” His eyes went back to Shay.
“In Mia’s office. That’s so nice that she gave him a job. How long will he be staying?”
Brady blinked and repeated what she’d said in his own mind. Mia had given him a job? “I’m sorry, what?”
“Your nephew, Justin? Mia gave him sort of a handyman job… I…” she started. Looking up at Wyatt, her cheeks colored and then she turned back to Brady. “I’m sorry. Maybe I spoke out of turn.”
“Nothing to apologize for, baby. Brady’s nephew isn’t your concern.”
Now it was Brady’s turn to scowl. “According to you, we’re all one another’s concern. Justin’s a good kid. And apparently he’s not wasting any time. No worries, Shay. I’ve been gone all day so I’m out of the loop.”
She nodded, her eyes still uncertain. “Okay. He was in Mia’s office.”
“Shay, it’s fine,” Brady said, stepping back into the car. “I gotta go.” He waved as the doors closed.
Brady hadn’t even worked the full day and Justin had already found himself a job? What happened to his nap? Great initiative, but why did he have to work for Mia? Brady could have given him work around the shop. Did this mean the kid was staying indefinitely? What was Mia up to? She spent most of her time giving him the cold shoulder, but she handed his nephew a job? Doing what? Maybe she’d hit her head in the accident. Brady didn’t particularly want Justin working for Mia. How did this even happen? Heading to his apartment, he decided to go straight to the source.
Letting himself into his place, he called out, “Justin?”
Inside, he tossed his keys down and sniffed the air. Something sweet and homey scented his apartment. He removed his shoes and was walking toward the kitchen when Justin called out.
“Uncle Brady?”
“Yeah.” Who else?
In the kitchen, Justin was pulling a tray of cookies out of his oven. With a smile that reminded Brady of Jared, he gestured with a flourish. “I made cookies.”
Brady smiled back. The darkness he’d seen in his nephew’s eyes earlier had cleared. Did he have Mia and her job offer to thank for that? “I see that. I didn’t know you could bake. And I heard you got a job. Weren’t you just going to lie down when I left this afternoon?”
The pride on Justin’s face reached all the way inside Brady’s chest and brushed away everything else.
Closing the oven and turning it off, Justin nodded. “I did. Just with some painting and stuff as needed, but it’s cool, right? I promise I won’t be a burden, Uncle B.”
Brady took the first cookie Justin lifted off the plate. “You’re no burden, kid. Especially if these are any good.”
Brady took a bite and burned his tongue, but aside from that, they were really good cookies.
“It’s been a good day. I feel like maybe there’s a chance for things to turn around, you know? Like maybe everything won’t be as bad as I thought it would. Ms. Kendrick was so cool. And hot,” Justin said on a laugh.
Grabbing some milk, Brady could agree 100 percent on one of those things. But he only saw glimpses of the cool part. For him, Mia was a different kind of cool. Maybe if you put some effort into changing your attitude and not pissing her off, you’d get why everyone likes her so much.
“It’s okay, right?” Justin’s eyes darted to the floor.
“What?”
“That I’m working for Ms. Kendrick?”
Brady sighed. Owen and Gabby thought she was great. Shay liked her. Wyatt was suspicious of everyone, but even he didn’t put up much of an argument over including Mia. Now his nephew was relying on her for a fresh start. Was it time for him to figure out what it was about Mia—other than her type A, somewhat bossy personality and the way she reminded him of not being good enough for his ex—that chapped his skin?
“It’s good.” Pouring two glasses, he passed Justin his and then took a long gulp of his own. “You paint and you bake…I might be getting the better end of this deal.”
Justin laughed and the sound was carefree. It loosened the rest of the tension in Brady’s shoulders. He was worrying about “what-ifs” while his eighteen-year-old nephew had nowhere to call home. You’re supposed to be the mature one.
“Then you’re a lot easier to please than any of the other adults in my life,” Justin said. He was still smiling, but Brady knew there was more to the story.
“We going to talk about that?”
Justin froze. “Now?”
Leaning on the counter, Brady watched his nephew pick up the dishrag and fold it into a small square. He didn’t want to push. Not right away. The last thing he wanted was Justin taking off and having no one to turn to. He’d come to Brady and, as his uncle, he intended not to make the kid regret it.
“Is now a bad time?” Brady asked softly.
“I’m not ready.”
Brady sighed. “I need a shower. Put those cookies on a plate and choose something from Netflix. We can watch a movie or something, but I’m telling you, J, we need to talk about what brought you here. Sometimes, even if you’re not ready, you gotta take the next step.”
Smile completely gone, Justin shrugged. “It’s not always that easy.”
Brady gave a half laugh. “Welcome to life as a grown-up, kid.”
His nephew might as well learn the lesson now—sometimes being an adult sucked. Hard. As he walked toward the shower, he called for pizza delivery then tossed his phone on the bed. Yanking his shirt off, he threw it in the laundry hamper. His muscles ached in a good way. Brady enjoyed working with his hands. Staring at his phone with a frown, he picked it up again before he went for the shower.
Mia had called and texted him so many times during his “acting manager” days, he had her number memorized. He found it and dialed. She answered on the second ring.
“Hello, Brady.”
“Hey, princess.”
He heard her sigh. “Are you really going to call me that forever?”
Brady grinned around his irritation of her hiring his nephew without speaking to him first. “Maybe we can work out a deal.”
“Oh?”
“I’ll think about it. Not why I’m calling. You hired my nephew? Think maybe you’d want to run that by me first?”
“Hmm. Yes, that seems like the responsible thing to do,” she said.
Brady’s mouth dropped open and he sat on the bed. Had she just said he was right?
“Of course, it does say right in the lease agreement that other parties cannot move into rental units without written permission. So, one might say it would also have been responsible for you to let me know your nephew was going to be a tenant.”
He swore under his breath. He should have known better. “It wasn’t exactly planned.”
“And, yet, the timing works out well,” she said.
Brady flopped onto his back across his bed. “How’s that?”
“I need those units painted so I can get them rented out. Justin was looking around the building, we chatted and sometimes things just work out the way you need them to. I’ll wave the violation of your lease stipulations, and you can skip giving me a hard time over doing something nice for you and your nephew.”
God, she crisscrossed his wires so he felt like he was walking blindfolded through a minefield. “Uh, thank you?”
A deep breath sounded in his ear. Not an irritated sigh. Brady had received enough of those from her that he knew the difference. “He seems a bit troubled. He didn’t say much, but he also seems like a nice kid. It’s good he thought he could come here. He speaks very highly of you.”
Sitting up, Brady scrubbed one hand over his face. The slight rasp of stubble reminded him he needed to shave. “Some people actually like me.”
“Maybe you’re nicer to them,” she shot back.
Brady laughed. “Fair enough. Though I don’t actually try to be a dick to you.”
“You and your sweet talk,” she said.
Wow. Was this the same woman? “You seem like you’re in a good mood.”
“It happens on occasion. I’m on my way to have dinner with my grandmother. That makes me happy.”
Brady stood and unbuckled his jeans with one hand, trying not to drop the phone as he changed. “I like how you sound when you’re happy.”
“In that case, it would make me very happy to have you stop calling me princess.”
His grin widened. Definitely a different side of his uptight, hotter-than-hell landlord. Should he press the advantage? Why not? It wasn’t like either of them was going anywhere, so maybe there was some truth in the whole “keep enemies close” adage.
“That could be arranged.”
She didn’t hesitate even a second. “How?”
Why was he messing with her? They drove each other crazy. Yet, the words tumbled out of his mouth as if they’d been waiting to be said.
“Do something with me tomorrow.”
Silence made his throat tight.
“Like a date?” she whispered.
His heart hammered. Dating in his building would only cause close-to-home complications. Dating Mia could only cause a whirlwind of other difficulties. “No. Like a truce. You’ve hung out with my friends and they like you. My nephew is thrilled to work for you. Maybe it’s time we clear the air.”
“Okay,” she said, drawing the word out. “What do you want to do?”
Several images popped into Brady’s mind, making his fingers tighten on the phone. “I have an idea. It’ll be fun. Trust me?”
She laughed into the phone and the sound shocked Brady. The lady who barely smiled had one sexy laugh.
“The jury is out on that, but yes, I’ll go on a truce outing with you tomorrow. And you will stop calling me princess.”
“We’ll see. First you have to win,” he said.
An exasperated growl filled his ear. “Win what?”
“I’ll see you tomorrow, Mia.”
He hung up, tossed his phone on the bed, and tried not to dwell on the fact that he was actually excited to spend time with the woman who had been making his life a broken-down rollercoaster ride for the last few months. Maybe they could be friends. Maybe you should kiss her and see if that’s where all this pent-up irritation comes from. Getting into the shower, Brady put the thought aside. He’d take her out, they’d have fun, and they’d smooth things over. End of story. They didn’t have to be friends. But they didn’t have to be enemies either.