The tension in the room was palpable, and Liz’s anger bubbled out. Once more, some man was being a jerk about something that he had no business interfering in. She knew Tanner would be pissed, but this? Where did he get off, thinking he could control her choice regarding who she wanted to be with? It was her life, her decisions.
“Listen up, you Neanderthals. Take your fight outside. I will not be pleased if you wreck my house,” her mom said tersely, and Liz cringed on instinct at her mother’s sharp tone. “I am done with this bullshit. Figure out your differences because if you don’t, so help me god—”
“We’re going. My apologies, Peony,” Jake growled, rubbing at his throat. He pushed Tanner away from him and stalked past Liz without even looking at her, and out the front door, clattering down the steps. Tanner, a slightly shocked look on his face, followed right after him, but not before stopping to grab at Liz’s arm.
“You and I are talking after this, you hear?”
“You’re not my keeper, Tan,” Liz snapped, shaking his hand off. “What the fuck do you think you’re doing?”
He let go of her arm and stomped out the door. Liz looked at Brady, and they both headed to the door.
“Get the first aid kit and some ice,” Brady said. “One of these two idiots might need it when this is done.”
Liz bristled, fed up with the whole damned thing. Both of them could go to hell.
“Yeah. They can get it themselves.”
Despite her statement, she opened the front closet and found the first aid kit they kept there, setting it on the key table by the front door. They’d find it easily enough, and she should go help her mother clean up dinner, which was likely still on the table. Let them beat each other to a bloody pulp. This had nothing to do with her, even if it was about her.
Her mom was in the kitchen, picking up things off the floor. The kitchen looked like a bomb had gone off.
“They started shoving each other like stupid yearling bulls in here,” her mom said, and waved a hand around. “Tanner just barged in halfway through our meal, grabbed Jake out of his chair by his shirt, and threw him through the door.”
“Fucking hell,” Liz muttered, looking around. Papers had slid onto the floor from the side table, the wire dish rack normally on the counter was halfway across the kitchen. Liz picked up the tea towels normally hanging on wooden pegs near the ovens and threw them toward the sink. The sprayer head was sideways, knocked off the tap and hanging listlessly.
“Care to tell me why?” her mom asked, leaning on the counter. She tapped a spatula and a butter knife against her leg.
“Um, well, it seems that someone, most likely one of the hands, saw Jake and me, um, kissing in my office today.”
Her mother made a noise that usually meant she was reaching a particularly good part of one of her books and raised her eyebrows. She set the things in her hands in the sink, fixed the nozzle, and turned back to level a gaze at her daughter that made Liz bite her lip and look down at her toes.
“Land sakes, my dear, you sure do know how to stir up a hornet’s nest, don’t you?” was all she said.
* * *
Tanner’s fist connected with Jake’s jaw, and his head snapped back.Oof.That was a good one. He shook it off and swung back, his knuckles hitting Tanner’s cheekbone and glancing off, returning the favor. They’d both gotten a few good hits in as soon as they’d steamed out the door, Jake headed for anywhere but inside the house, Tanner grabbing the back of his shirt to finish their conversation.
He hadn’t swung at another man in a long time, and it felt liberating, letting out the frustration of the past week of insanity and loosening shoulders that had been tight more often than not since he’d arrived.
Tanner went at him with an uppercut but Jake dodged it, stepping away, watching his brother’s fists and feet, waiting for the next move. Both of them were huffing for air now, blood dripping off split lips.
Jake’s years spent working off his anger at a boxing gym in Brooklyn were paying off, it seemed. His brother could brawl, but Jake could kick his ass in the ring. Tanner needed to keep his fists up more, and he was slow to adjust his stance. He supposed cows didn’t punch back that often, and Jake scoffed at his own joke, deciding not to share it with the class and further piss off the steaming madman currently trying to knock him senseless.
“Bring it, asshole!” Tanner growled, and Jake beckoned him, cracking his neck. They circled one another again, their feet scuffing in the gravel of the driveway.
Bring it? He didn’t want to hurt Tanner, but the way he had strode in and jerked Jake’s ass up had made Jake see red. All his anger had gone into the first punch, which had knocked Tanner’s hat off and sent him flying backward. He’d stayed on his feet, though, and then they’d gotten into it.
Now it was just pride swinging his fists, because the entire thing was ridiculous. Two grown men fighting over a woman, as if they had sway over her actions. Could it get any more clichéd?
“You really need to stop trying to control everyone’s life, cowboy!” Jake goaded as Tanner swung, and he ducked again. “I get that you’re a control freak, but Liz is her own woman.”
Tanner barreled at him and Jake grabbed him before he could push Jake over. They hit the dirt and rolled. Jake levered his body weight up but Tanner was ready for him, and he ended up sprawled in the dirt, face down, his arm twisted behind him, with Tanner’s knee on his back.
“You’re no smarter than a steer, City Boy,” Tanner drawled, and dug his knee in, pushing all the air out of Jake’s lungs. Jake twisted but to no avail; Tanner had him pinned. He stopped struggling, waiting for him to ease up.
As soon as Tanner let go of his arm, he reared up, grabbed Tanner’s nearest bicep, and hefted. His brother went over his shoulder and into the dirt, and Jake threw an arm across his windpipe, just like Tanner had in the house. He leaned in, right into Tanner’s face, and quirked an eyebrow.
Enough was enough. They were being immature, grade-A assholes. He was bruised and tired, and could feel his lower lip splitting farther. One of Tanner’s eyes was already swelling shut.
