Everywhere and Every Way(52)

He had three months left. To build a house. To make her stay. To get her to fall in love with him.

"She's cool." Tristan dropped in the chair next to him with a matching  mug. Some of the tension had eased between them since last night.

Cal nodded. "Yep."

"Did you tell her why we were at the bar last night?"

"Yep."

"Things good between you both?"

"Yep."

"Thanks for the heart-to-heart, bro."

Tristan started to get up, but Cal shot his arm out and grabbed his  brother's. He let out an aggravated breath. He wasn't used to sharing,  but it was time he got used to having his brothers back in his world.  "I'm in love with her."

Tristan jerked back. "Didn't expect that. She feel the same?"

"Not sure. I haven't told her yet. I'm afraid she'll make things more complicated than it is."

"She's a woman for a reason, dude. It's her job."

They shared a grin, and Tristan leaned back in the rocker. They sat in a  comfortable silence that men understood and women bitched about. Within  the silence, emotions worked their way out. "You really gonna try to  take the company from me?" Cal finally asked.         

     



 

Tristan waited awhile before answering. Just sipped his coffee and  considered. "I'm not doing it to hurt you. I just feel it's best for the  company to incorporate flipping houses and real estate. I think it's  smart to have Dalton run the woodworking part, even though he sometimes  goes nuts with his creative crap and pisses customers off. He's still  the best."

"He is one talented son of a bitch."

"Makes his ego even bigger than it should be," Tristan said. "At first I  didn't want to stay here. I had my own life in New York, and I liked  it. But being back in Harrington, building houses again, working in the  company, things started to stir. Now I want to stay. This is my home,  but I can't continue as a lackey, Cal. I can't be ignored. And if I have  to fight you to take control of the company to make my voice heard, I  will."

Cal listened to the calm explanation and waited for the rage to hit. But  it never came. He actually understood what his brother was saying. Oh,  hell, he didn't like it, and he intended to make his own points known,  but Tristan had never gotten the shot he always craved. His father had  refused to let him have his dream. And the company was called Pierce  Brothers. Founded by his mother for all three sons.

Not just Cal.

The acceptance was hard. He knew it wouldn't be easy, and there'd be a  mess of pitfalls and stumbles, but Cal wanted to try. Because last night  in the bar, with his brothers, he'd found a happiness he hadn't  experienced in a long time.

"I'll try."

Tristan gave him an assessing look. "Don't patronize me."

"I'm not. When Dad refused to listen, and you took off to New York, I  was sick. I felt like I had let you down. I told myself I was doing what  was best for all of us, but the bottom line is I never fought for you. I  don't think I wanted to. I liked being the one to call the shots. And  even though Dad was hard to work with, there was a payoff being the only  Pierce brother here. Makes me feel like shit, but I'm being honest.  Maybe it's time we try again."

"You're open to letting me flip and do real estate?"

Cal nodded slowly. "We have to go slow. And we have to do everything  possible to make sure Morgan gets her perfect house and we turn a profit  by end of year. After that, yes, I'll work with you."

Tristan gazed at him for a look time. "You've said this before and things didn't change."

"I want to try again. Give me another shot."

His brother sipped his coffee. "Okay."

It was the best they were gonna get. Cal was satisfied. Nothing was  guaranteed, and their promise could explode before they even got close,  but steps had finally been taken.

For the first time, Cal felt like they had a true chance.





chapter twenty







Let's cancel the party. Stay home alone. In bed."

Morgan ducked as Cal dove for her, throwing her hands up to ward him  off. The sexy gleam of mischief in his eyes told her he'd hunt her down  and ravish her. "No!" she said. "It's been a few weeks since we've all  been in the same room together. It'll be fun."

"I see my brothers enough, thank you very much. They just want a home-cooked meal. They're spoiled."

"Brady and Sydney are coming, too, along with Becca. Behave."

"But you like it when I don't." Her gaze dropped to his straining jeans,  and Morgan had to fight her own impulse to have a quickie before  everyone showed up. Goodness, she was becoming quite a sexual harlot. It  seemed every time they were in the same room together¸ they couldn't  keep their hands off each other. Restraining themselves on the job site  only added to the delicious excitement and tension, until they fell into  bed together and made love for hours.

She blocked him by shoving a cutting board and fat tomato at him. "Later. I want to get the appetizers ready before they come."

Cal let out a breath and dropped them on the counter. "Fine. But my  brothers live here, for God's sake. Why do they get special treatment?  They should be helping in the kitchen."

"Because it's nice to do things for family."

"I'm nice. I keep Dalton stocked in Hershey bars. And I ordered that  ridiculous French wine Tristan drinks like water. Cost me a fortune."

Her face softened as she gazed at him. Sexy as hell, dressed in jeans  and a white button-down shirt left open to expose his muscled chest, he  took her breath away. Hair damp from his shower spilling messily over  his forehead, he stood in bare feet cutting up tomatoes, his musky,  masculine scent filling her nostrils like the sweetest perfume. His  outer gruffness hid a mushy heart that she was falling for more every  day.         

     



 

"You're a good brother," she said quietly. "You're a good man."

He looked up. His gaze devoured her whole, leaving nothing behind she hadn't already given him. "You bring out the best in me."

Her throat tightened. Morgan opened her mouth, desperate in that one  moment to tell him how much he meant to her, but the sound of his  brothers' voices filling the hallway stopped her.

"Tomato and mozz! Awesome," Dalton said, grabbing a fat piece of tomato.

Cal slapped at his hands. "We didn't even put the oil and basil on!  Hands off. Better yet, get your ass to work. Sydney and Brady are going  to be here soon."

"What's cooking?" Tristan asked, peering into the supersized Wolf oven.

"Spiral ham. Shrimp with grits. Zucchini and carrots. Biscuits and gravy."

"Damn, this is better than I thought. How'd you get to be such a good  cook when you're stuck in hotels most of the time?" Tristan asked.

Morgan smiled and handed Dalton a stack of fancy china plates. "Here,  set the table. My mama is Southern born and raised, so I learned to cook  when I was young. Y'all don't understand a woman is nothing if she  can't put a solid meal on the table and serve in three-inch heels."

"I'd love to meet your mother," Cal said, mixing up a bowl of oil, garlic, and basil. "Does she look like you?"

"Yep. Many say we look more like sisters than mama and daughter."

"A dangerous combo for your daddy, I bet," Tristan commented. "No siblings?"

"No, just me."

"Does she ever fly in to see your final projects?"

Cal asked. "I'm sure she's proud of the work you do."

Morgan carried a crystal vase filled with pink roses into the dining  room. "She tells me all the time how proud she is. I'm lucky to have  her. And yes, sometimes she's able to come see me at the end of a  project. Not this one, though. They're having the floral parade in  Charleston, and she's booked solid through fall."

"Then maybe we'll have to go see her," Cal said.

She stumbled slightly and cut him a look. He winked and got back to  chopping. It was the first time he'd mentioned a future after the house  was completed. They'd grown closer the last two months, falling into a  routine that soothed her soul. Morgan knew they needed to have a serious  talk and see where they were willing to take their relationship. If he  wanted to. Her heart leaped, but she was careful not to get her hopes  up. She needed to concentrate on finishing up the Rosenthals' home and  then deal with her burgeoning emotions for Caleb Pierce.

They worked in a steady rhythm until the doorbell rang.

Sydney and Brady stood on the step with Becca. Her bright red hair was  curly, reminding Morgan a bit of Little Orphan Annie. Her white skin,  freckles, and sea-green eyes could have landed her a movie role. She was  all Sydney. Morgan gave Sydney and Brady a quick hug before kneeling  down in front of Becca. "Hi, Becca. I'm so glad you could come tonight."

Becca grinned, popping out matching dimples, and Morgan's heart was  fully captured. "Thank you for inviting me. Mama said you can come over  again to watch Inside Out. I like Sadness the best, even though Joy is  supposed to be the star."