A Long Time Coming (Cane Brothers, #3)(18)

As I listen to him and his words of affirmation, my emotions tighten again, causing more tears to fall.

“What’s going on?” he asks, concerned.

“Just . . .” I look him in the eyes. “I’m so glad I told you. You looked like a pervert with your mustache so many years ago, but I’m lucky to have you in my life.”

He lightly chuckles and says, “You know, if you’re lucky, I could bring back the mustache for your wedding.”

I push at his face. “Don’t even think about it.”





Chapter Three





BREAKER





I pace at the door of JP’s house, the morning dew freshly clinging to every blade of grass as the sun just starts to tilt into the sky, warming the temperature for the day.

I got about one hour of sleep last night. One if I’m lucky.

Once I calmed Lia down and we finished our tacos, we played a few rounds of glass Yahtzee, but neither one of us was paying attention. I think both of our minds were somewhere else. We called it a night, and when I went to bed, she knocked on the wall, I knocked back . . . and then I didn’t go to sleep.

My mind kept whirling over and over again.

She’s engaged . . . to Brian.

When she said she was going to have a relationship status change, I really thought she was going to break up with him. And fuck, I almost said THANK GOD! Could you imagine if I’d let that fly? She cut me off right before I could. And sure, were they kissing in the hallway when I arrived? Yes, but body language is telling, and, at the moment, Brian was the one leaning into her while Lia had a slight lean away. That kiss was all him.

But lo and behold, it’s not a breakup in our future, it’s a wedding, and that makes me . . . well fuck, it makes me feel weird.

Because it’s Brian. The guy makes her happy, but he doesn’t get her. He doesn’t know Lia like I do. If he did, he wouldn’t have gotten that engagement ring for her, one that I’m pretty sure you can see from Mars because it’s so big. Either he would have asked me, the best friend, or he would have known. Never in a million years would I have picked that ring out for her or pressured her to get married in five weeks, only a year and a half after her parents passed away.

Yup, Brian met her a week after their funeral. Lia’s parents were both in a tragic helicopter accident late at night. Her mom was killed on impact. Her dad had a chance, but he coded and passed away during surgery. Two weeks later, Brian picked her up in a bar. She was raw, sad, and needed comfort, and she found it in Brian.

But she still has a hard time dealing with the loss of her parents, and I don’t think he’s considered that. All he cares about is checking off the requirements his mother sets up for him.

Have a successful job.

Buy a nice house.

Get engaged to an acceptable woman.

Have a fancy wedding.

Deliver grandchildren.

He’s on a trajectory, and I’m not sure if Lia is on the same one.

But who am I to say something to her?

I pull on my hair just as the door opens. JP is in a pair of shorts and nothing else. His hair is a mess, and he looks ready to murder me.

I pick up the box of donuts that I set on the stoop and say, “I brought breakfast.”

“Dude.” He rubs his eye. “Just because you can’t go to work doesn’t mean you need to bother me.”

“This isn’t about work. I need to talk to you.”

“Is it about the psycho who made you a pair of boxers from tweed fabric?”

“It was burlap, and no. This is about Lia.”

“Lia?” he asks, perking up now, a smile crossing over his face. He takes in my fidgety stance, the bags under my eyes, and then . . . “Oh shit, you finally realized you love her.”

My face falls flat.

“I’m going to fucking kick you in the dick with that shit,” I say as I rear back my leg, and JP quickly jolts out of the way. “It has nothing to do with my platonic feelings toward her. Got it?”

“Sure.” He just smiles again and pushes the door open. “I hope there’s a cronut in there. I’ve been craving one.”

“There is,” I say. “But you’re not going to get it if you’re a dick to me.”

“Dude, you’re the one at my house. I can treat you however I fucking want.”

At the top of the stairs, Kelsey calls down while dressed in a robe, her hair rumpled as well. “Who is it?”

“Breaker,” JP says. “He needs to talk about Lia.”

I glance up just in time to see a smile cross over Kelsey’s face. Before she can say anything, I cut her off. “No, I don’t have fucking feelings for her. This is different.”

Her smile falters. “Oh, okay. Let me put my hair up, and I’ll be right down. Want me to call Lottie over so you have another girl’s opinion?”

I’m about to say no when I give it a second thought. Having another girl’s opinion might not hurt, and since Lottie and Huxley live right across the street from JP and Kelsey, it works out.

“Sure, tell her I brought donuts.”

“She’ll be over here in minutes, I’m sure.”

Kelsey takes off toward the room while JP and I go to the kitchen, where JP starts making a pot of coffee.