Braxton
I’m surrounded by family, the people I love the most, and a beautiful woman. I find myself smiling, laughing and pretending that I’m okay with being here. But I’m not. There’s a tightness in my chest, and after my second beer, I disappear into the house and open my father’s liquor cabinet, pulling out the whiskey. I’m not technically on the job, so I pour myself two finger of Hennesseyand down it before pouring another.
“It won’t help anything, you know?” my father tells me. “I tried it, for a while, and all it gave me were lost hours and foolish mistakes I can never take back.”
“I don’t need a lecture, Dad,” I counter, plopping onto one of the armchairs in his study.
“It’s not a lecture, just stating the facts.”
“It’s tough being back here. Everything is the same yet different all at once.”
Bryce walks into the room and looks between us. I wave him over, and he pours himself a glass before settling in a chair next to me.
He clinks his glass to mine. “It’s good to have you home, bro.”
I take a small sip of my whiskey. “It’s good to be here.” Despite everything, I am glad to see my family. I hadn’t realized that while I was out there avoiding them, my father had gone almost fully gray, and my mother’s cheeks had hollowed I’m relieved that the light that dances in her eyes when she sees me hasn’t dimmed.
“There’s something you should know,” Bryce announces. “The O’ Hares are coming to the party tomorrow.”
I let out a sigh. “I guess I should have expected that. Thanks for the heads up, man.”
“So, you gonna tell us about that pretty little woman out there?” my father changes the subject.
“Nothing to tell.” I say leaning against the backrest of the armchair.
They look at each other, then back at me. “Obviously there is, if you brought her here.”
“I’m her bodyguard,” I answer honestly. “She’s here because it’s my job to protect her.”
“So there’s nothing going on between the two of you?” Bryce, the prying asshole, presses.
“No. Of course, not.” I say, just as I spot a figure at the doorway.
“Excuse me,” Eliana says meeting my gaze briefly, then turns and leaves. How long had she been standing there? Fuck!
My dad and brother look over at me.
“What the hell are you still sitting there for?” my father asks.
“For a man as smart as you, you tend to be a dimwit at times,” Bryce sighs.
Standing, I polish off the rest of my drink, gearing up to put out fires the way I always do. I’m not the man she needs, and yet I burrowed my way into her life. Eliana Hernandez deserves so much more, a man who doesn’t walk around with shadows clawing at his back.
When I find Eliana, she’s sitting cross legged by the pool, her back to me. Her hair shifts in the breeze, the sunset a backdrop making her look like something out of a painting.
I pass through the kitchen where my mom is trying out one of Nadia’s family recipes, a Cape Malay curry. The two women are so engrossed in their task, they don’t even see me.
I make my way out to the pool and stand behind her.
“Quite a view they have here,” she says. From the crack in her voice, I know she’s been crying. “I missed this in the city, having all of this color and wonder right at my doorstep.”
I take a seat next to her. “I used to love sitting out here, just watching the sunset.”
“You have a wonderful family, Brax, and I’m glad you decided to come home.”
“I have you to thank for that,” I nudge her shoulders.
“Casey is on her way,” I frown, knowing I’m not going to like whatever it is she is about to say. “I’ll stay with her for the weekend, and then I’ll go back to LA. You don’t have to follow. I’ll talk to my father, do what he says, as long as he lets me keep my job.”
