A Little Harmless Fantasy (34 page)

“She’s
starting to get on my nerves,” Conner said.

Jillian
ignored him. He had been saying the same thing for two days. But for
once he didn’t go on. She glanced over at him. He was staring
at the screen door. She looked down at the Honolulu Advertiser again.
When he didn’t go on, Jillian figured he would just sit in the
house and stew in his irritation. She didn’t have time for
that.

“She
isn’t getting on your nerves.”

“Yes,
she is.”

“No,
you’re angry and you want to hurt someone because she hurts.”
She took a sip of coffee and looked at him. “You are just going
to have to deal with it right now. She needs to be alone.”

He
frowned and rose from the chair. “I want to hurt someone.”

“I
know you do, babe. There are just some things you have to let her
work out on her own.”

He
said nothing. She could tell from the way his shoulders were tensed
that he was contemplating his next move and it would not be what she
suggested. She sighed and walked over to him, setting her coffee cup
down on the counter. Jillian slipped her arms around his waist and
laid her head on his back.

“You
have to let the children grow up some time, Conner.”

She
felt him relax slightly.

“She’s
hurting because of them.” He spat out the words. Anger dripped
from every word and she knew there was a good chance his friendship
with Zeke was over…if Maura didn’t work it out.

And,
Mr. Man needed to learn that Zeke and Rory were not the only ones at
fault here.

“Truthfully,
she is hurting because of a whole lot of things.”

He
moved and she released him. He turned to face her. His frown was even
darker. “Explain.”

“Your
sister, the level headed-most of the time-girl you raised came to you
and said she was attacked.”

He
rolled his eyes. “Yeah, I remember. I called Rome, he did the
report.”

“From
the very beginning, she said she knew it wasn’t the Petersen
case. She was positive. She said she knew the man spoke with an Irish
accent. Even after you were told Petersen had nothing to do with it,
you questioned her. The reason she didn’t really come to you
about being stalked was because of you ignoring her. Of course, you
weren’t the only one. Rory and Zeke didn’t do a good job
of backing her up. Y’all treated her like she was some bubble
headed idiot. She started to question her own intelligence—worse,
her own instincts. That is something Maura has never done before. It
unraveled her world.”

“Well,
we all have more experience than—”

“No,
it isn’t something to brush off. Maura might not have had a lot
of dates and being the egghead she is, she didn’t really care.
But she did believe in herself. When the three most important men in
her life questioned her aptitude, it crushed her.”

“You
make it sound like I’m at fault.”

She
slipped her arms around his waist again. “You are to a point,
babe. But, her big problem is with those two men. Still, you can’t
really just blame them. You need to start taking her opinion as a
valued asset.”

“I
do.”

She
shook her head. “To a point, but it’s just what Zeke was
talking about before. You question her every move. Another person
with her intelligence wouldn’t have to explain herself to you
over and over.”

He
sighed. “She’s my baby sister.”

He
said it with such love it made her heart skip a beat. One of the best
things about her husband was his love for his family. Maura had been
the center of his life for so long, but he needed to let go.

“She’s
not a baby anymore. You need to show her more respect.”

He
nodded.

“Granted,
I expected more from Rory and especially Zeke, but I have a feeling
Maura will take care of them.”

“I’m
seriously thinking about shooting Zeke. He should know better. I’ll
just kill Rory.”

“Shooting
your business partner is probably not a good idea.” She saw
something out the window and was relieved to see a rental car drive
up. It parked behind her jeep and both men stepped out of the car.
“Besides, she would probably get mad at you.”

“Figures.
Women.” He said it with such disgust she smiled.

She
gave him a quick kiss. “And, just like you, they didn’t
do it on purpose. You were trying to protect her.”

He
sighed. “Maybe I won’t feel like kicking their asses if I
don’t see them for a month or two. Or a year.”

“You’re
going to have to deal with them sooner than that.”

His
brow furrowed. “What?”

“They’re
here.”

His
head whipped around and he growled. She tried to hold onto him, but
he escaped her grasp and stalked outside. Jillian hurried behind him
and almost got slammed in the face with the screen door.

“You
have some real fucking nerve showing up here,” he yelled.

Both
men readied for a fight. She glanced toward the beach and was
thankful that Maura was far enough away so she wouldn’t pick up
on the fight.

When
Jillian turned around, she was alarmed to see Conner grabbing Zeke by
the shirt.

“Stop,”
she yelled running toward the three of them.

Her
neighbor Adam was already running down the path to help Conner.

She
inserted herself between the two friends.

“Move,
Jillian, I can take him,” Zeke said.

“No
you won’t. I’m not going to have you brawl out here like
a bunch of seventeen-year-old assholes. Let go of Zeke.”

It
took Conner a second or two to finally look at her. “They hurt
her.”

“And
how do you think she’ll feel when she finds you two up here
rolling around on the ground.”

“I
can take him,” Zeke said again, his voice vicious. “He is
getting a little old.”

She
rolled her eyes. “Can it, Zeke.”

With
a disgusted huff, Conner shoved Zeke away. Rory, who had been quiet
up until then, stepped forward.

“Tell
you what. Let us talk to her. If she’s still pissed at us, you
can kick Zee’s ass.”

“Thanks
a lot, you ass,” Zeke said.

“Fine,”
Conner said.

Rory
looked at Jillian. “Where is she?”

“On
the beach,” she said nodding her head in the direction where
she had seen Maura.

“Thank
you.”

“Just
one thing, guys.” They turned to face her. “If you hurt
her again, you won’t have to worry about Conner. I’ll
shoot both of you on the spot. In the groin. And don’t think I
can’t do it. I might look harmless, but I grew up in Georgia. I
know how to hunt and I know how to shoot. Just understand I will do
both to you if you hurt her again.”

They
said nothing and headed down to the beach. Conner slipped his arms
around her waist and set his chin on her head. “I still want to
hurt them.”

“Oh,
babe, they’re already hurting. Hopefully they don’t fuck
this up or I will shoot them.”

He
chuckled and kissed her head. “That’s my woman.”

* * * *

Maura
knew they were coming up behind her before they said anything. They
both moved like cats like usually, but she sensed them. And that made
her mad. She didn’t fucking want to be in tune with them. She
wanted to be left alone. Why did no one seem to understand that but
Jillian? Probably because she was surrounded by idiot men.

“What
are you two doing here?” she asked without turning around. She
sensed they paused as if surprised.

The
silence lengthened. The only sound she heard was the crashing of the
waves and the few people scattered on the beach. She braced herself
and turned to face them.

Her
heart hitched and tears burned the back of her eyes. Dammit, how did
they do this to her? She should be mad, but something in her wanted
to comfort both of them. Sure, they looked tired, as if they hadn’t
slept at all, and lord knew if they were there in the morning, they
had a long flight from Miami. Still, she was mad. Or was.

She
shook those thoughts away and asked, “Are you going to answer
me?”

They
looked at each other, then back at her. She rolled her eyes. Without
another word, she turned and started walking down the beach. The sun
was just getting warm and the trades were pretty strong. She walked
into the wind welcoming it. It was still another sign she was alive.

“Maura,”
Zeke said jogging up to her. She knew without a doubt Rory was with
him.

“If
you can’t say anything then go back to Miami.”

“Be
reasonable for a second, baby, we need to talk.”

“Don’t
baby me, you idiot. Both of you had a chance to tell me to stay
there. You had a chance to tell me you wanted more and you didn’t.
Go away.”

“Maura,
you need to stop right where you are,” Rory ordered. It was the
same voice he used when they were playing and it pissed her off that
he used it now. It pissed her off even more that it turned her on.

She
did stop, but she did it to turn and face him. “You ass, do not
even think that I am going to allow you to order me around outside of
the bedroom. I’ve told you before that I don’t go for
that.”

He
was frowning at her, but she couldn’t see his eyes, as they
were shaded by his mirrored sunglasses. Zeke looked between the two
of them.

“Maybe
we should take this conversation inside.”

She
shot him an angry glance. “I don't care who hears. Besides, it
doesn’t really matter. There aren’t that many people out
here and I am not taking either of you back. Together or separately.
Go away.”

“You
told us that you loved us. Was that a lie?” Rory asked.

“No,
but it doesn’t matter. I gave you a chance, you blew it.”

She
turned and started walking again.

“If
you do not stop walking away I will smack that ass until it burns.”

“Go
suck an egg, Rory. I’m not interested in a Dom who doesn’t
have the balls to admit when he’s in love.”

She
didn’t hear them approaching this time until it was too late.
He grabbed her by the arm and turned her around.

“Goddammit,
we flew over half a day to be here. You could at least give us some
consideration,” Rory said.

“Consideration?”
Everything she had been feeling for days, for weeks even, welled up.
The pain, the loneliness and the fear exploded and she couldn’t
hold it in. “You have some fucking nerve. Damn you. I don’t
owe you anything.
Anything
. I gave you both everything you
could have ever wanted, but apparently it wasn’t enough.”

The
last was said on a sob. She tried to hold it back, but she couldn’t
seem to do it. The tears started to fall.

“Oh,
baby,” Zeke said as he reached for her. She backed up and
almost stumbled down.

“No.
Don’t touch me.”

“You
will stop that right now,” Rory ordered.

She
stopped and so did Zeke. “What?”

“Crying.
I can’t stand a woman who cries.”

She
was so surprised by the comment she opened her mouth but nothing came
out. Zeke was smiling.

“I
will cry if I feel like it.”

He
crossed his arms over his chest. “Well, I don’t like it
and Zeke doesn’t either.”

“You’re
on your own there, Rory.”

She
shot Zeke a nasty look. “And just what the hell do you mean by
that?”

His
smile widened further. “I have no problem admitting that I love
you. Rory, there, he does. Big bad Dom doesn’t like saying the
words.”

“Shut
the fuck up,” Rory said.

“See.”

Hope
sprung but then the last week came back to her. His distance, and the
way he pretended that she didn’t matter. And tears welled up
again.

“Shit,
okay. Stop that,” Rory ordered, yelling this time. She had
never been the kind of girl who cried, but this time, she could not
stop herself. They spilled over, streaming over her cheeks.

Rory
grabbed her by the arms and opened his mouth to yell at her, but in
the next instant, he fell onto the sand in front of her. He pulled
her against him, laying his head on her stomach. She looked at Zeke
who was grinning at her.

“I
love you, Maura,” Zeke said. “Please, love, I’m so
sorry we doubted you.”

Her
heart melted but she tried to ignore it. They were only doing this to
get her back. She didn’t want them to say things to get her
back. She wanted them to actually believe in her. Words meant nothing
if they truly didn’t believe in what they were saying.

Zeke
shook his head. “I can see those wheels turning in your head,
love. We made some mistakes but you have to know that we both really
love you.”

She
looked down at Rory who then looked up at her. “I love you.
Please, take us back. We aren’t anything if you aren’t
with us, love.”

A
fresh set of tears welled up.

“Oh,
Rory,” was all she could say.

“We
should have believed you. We should have stood behind you,”
Zeke said, his smile fading. “We love you and we should have
been there for you. We failed.”

He
grabbed a bag from Zeke and pulled out a leather collar.

“I’m
not saying this just to get you back. I bought this when we went to
Rough ‘n Ready.”

She
looked at it and at the word.
Ours
. It was before she told
Rory she loved him…before everything went bad.

Maura
looked at him, then at Zeke.

“We
were complete and utter asses,” Rory said.

“Speak
for yourself,” Zeke muttered.

“No,
we were. Both of us wanted forever with you but we didn’t have
the nerve to deal with it. And I know Zeke waited for me to agree,
but then he never asked.”

“Oh,
I see, this is my fault.” Rory stood up but he kept his arm
around her waist and pulled her against him. “You always blame
shit on me. I think maybe you should have said something about all of
us moving in together, but you didn’t.