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“He looks…small.” Her soft reply reminded him of a time she wasn’t afraid to show him her vulnerability. It had been more than a decade since he’d seen anything but the hard shell of a businesswoman she wore like a second skin.
“The wreck. What happened?”
Her brow furrowed, and she started to shake her head, but he spoke before she could brush him off. “Don’t worry. We can go right back to hating each other afterward.”
“Some asshole was texting and driving. He didn’t stop at a stop sign and smashed right into the driver’s side door of Mike’s car. It flipped him over. Broke his legs, crushed his pelvis. It messed him up really bad.” Her voice shook at the end. “And the asshole from the other car is walking around without a scratch on him.”
He fought the urge to comfort her, to pull her into his arms and stroke her beautiful red hair. But she wouldn’t appreciate it. It would only upset her more if she realized he saw her hard shell cracking. “Is any of the damage permanent?”
She lifted one shoulder halfheartedly. “He says no, but I’m not sure he would tell me if it was. You know Mike; he takes the whole big brother thing seriously.”
He had always respected the way the man treated his sister. “Maybe I’ll visit him, see if I can find out how he’s really doing.”
This time it was Mandy who lifted her hand like she might reach out, but she dropped it quickly and smoothed her skirt.
Another tell.
“I would really appreciate it.” She bit her bottom lip. “He always liked you.”
“I always likedhim. Thought he was going to be my brother, too, one day.” He regretted the words as soon as he said them. Surely, the reminder of how close they’d come to a happy ending would make the sharp-edged version of his ex return.
Only, it didn’t. Her eyes looked far away as she nodded. “We all did.”
What is going on here?
She’d barely spoken to him in years, and she certainly never acknowledged their shared history.
Her gaze snapped back into focus. “I think a visit from you would be good for him. Maybe you could take him to a Braves game.” She smoothed her skirt again. “I really need to talk to Xander.”
His mouth dropped open as she slipped past him to the interior of the house.
Take him to a Braves game.
Was she fucking with him? Tugging off his hard hat, he tossed it on the ground and rubbed at his temples.
He hadn’t been to a baseball game in ages. Even thinking about Turner Field held his heart hostage, though maybe it would be better now since the team played somewhere else.
Who was he kidding? It didn’t matter where they played or how much time had passed. Braves baseball would always be a link to his past. A punch in the gut.
Associated forever with the first time he met the woman who’d break his heart.
***
13 years ago
April
The parking lot at Turner Field was filled to bursting with cars. It would have been impossible to find a spot if they hadn’t come on Scott’s old Harley. Kane’s brother always managed to find a place to park, even if it wasn’t always strictly legal.
“Thanks again for giving me your extra ticket.” Scott had won them in a Last Man Standing beer-drinking competition hosted by the hard rock radio station. “I’ve never seen a game in person.”
Scott puffed up. “It’s your birthday, K. That’s what big brothers are for.”
The crowd parted as they approached the entrance. Scott cut an imposing figure with his old Army Surplus boots and the leather vest proclaiming him a brother of the Skulls MC. His long, dark hair was down, and he had a red bandana wrapped around the top of his head.
It didn’t garner the kind of attention Kane wanted, although he was used to it. His father had started the stupid biker club, so the family had gotten wary looks his entire life. Scott thought it was respect he saw in people’s eyes. Kane recognized it was fear.
If he were walking by himself, he could’ve disappeared into the crowd. He could’ve been a regular guy with jeans and a vintage Guns N Roses T-shirt. But even if he kept his vow to stay out of the MC, he would never be a generic face in the crowd when walking with his brother.
