Spiked by Love(3)

Okay, that could be me exaggerating Emery’s craziness, but one thing is for sure, my parents are saving up money to pay off the dude who decides he wants to take her on and spend his life with her.

God help him.

Stella will find her person, and he won’t need payment. She loves love. And then Aiden, who witnessed the fucked-upness of my mom and dad, had sworn off love. But then he found his match in Shelli Adler when he was traded to the Nashville Assassins. No one had to pay her to take him on. She’s loved him for most of our lives, I think. I don’t know why; he’s kind of an asshole sometimes. In his defense, our parents screwed him up good. It’s a whole big story that is equally as exhausting as my family. Though, I love them.

My dad is a badass. He is a great dad. He loves us more than life itself, and he is so damn supportive. He isn’t as protective of Aiden and me as he is of Stella and Emery, but he cares. A lot. Our choices matter to him, and he wants us to succeed. My mom, well, she is the best damn woman I know. We’ve had our moments—we are both the same person, very headstrong and know what we want—but in the end, I know she’d die for me. Unlike with Aiden, she didn’t feel guilt about us three, so she was hard on us. But I’m glad she was. It made me a better person. A strong person, and really, I don’t know why I was so sure I’d never come back.

Not only do I want to be around my mom and dad, I actually hated California. It was too busy, traffic was a fucking mess, and it’s expensive to even breathe there. I think the only reason I stayed as long as I did was for Jasmine, the woman I thought was my forever. I really did believe she was my soul mate. She was fucking gorgeous, super thin and tall, thick blond hair, and blue eyes that reminded me of a sheet of ice. Jasmine grew up in California, and once we were engaged, she made it clear she didn’t want to move to Nashville. I was cool with it for obvious family issues, but it felt a little weird. California wasn’t my home, but to make it somewhat like home, I was trying to convince Ally to move out there with us. Jasmine loved Ally—in a way I didn’t fully realize, which is why we are no longer engaged. Can’t marry a lesbian and expect it to work.

Learned that from Ross Geller.

While everyone thinks I had to know my so-called soul mate was a lesbian, I didn’t. I had no clue. She was a freak in bed and loved sucking my cock. She never really let on that she wanted something else. We got along great, and I loved her fully. She cared about Ally, and that was a big thing for me since Ally is so important to me. Problem was, Jasmine started asking to have a threesome with Ally. I thought she was joking, but she kept asking. Kept begging. It was really weird for me.

I won’t lie and say I haven’t thought of banging my best friend—I am a man, and she is hot—but I don’t want to open that can of worms. I’m not comfortable with it. I feel like sleeping with Ally could lead to something I can’t handle. Feelings I’ve never known. And that scares me. I can’t ever risk the relationship we have. I can talk to Ally about anything, and she always has my back. Plus, Ally gravitates toward some real fucking dickwads. She doesn’t know how to like a good dude who will treat her well, and I take pride in the fact that I’m one of those.

My mom made sure of that.

Jasmine, though, she didn’t want a good dude either, apparently. When I finally asked what the hell her issue was in wanting to sleep with my best friend, I quickly learned she had been sleeping with another girl for over two months. She said she didn’t think it was cheating since it wasn’t a dude and it wasn’t an actual relationship. Since I disagreed, and I watch Friends more than I care to admit and know how that story line ends, I’m now back in Nashville with my pride a wee bit dented and very much single.

It’s been a real long time since I’ve been hugged by a woman, and well, it feels damn good. I know that’s bad since this woman is my best friend, but I can’t help but nuzzle in her warmth a bit more. Like I said, she’s one hell of a hugger, and I’ve missed her. I pull back, because I know she won’t, and she grins up at me.

“You’ve changed.”

I bring in my brows, narrowing my gaze. “No, I haven’t.”

“Yes! Where are your glasses?”

I grin. “I’m wearing contacts. Jasmine didn’t like the glasses.”

“But I do. You don’t look nerdy. You look all devil-may-care and shit.”

I chuckle as I reach for my bag. “Devil-may-care?”

“Yeah, like you’re ready to start a gang fight over Rosco who did you wrong.”

“Wait? What?”

“Yeah, especially with all these tattoos you’ve got, and are you on steroids?”

“You’re kidding.”

“Seriously. You’re all jacked and tatted and contacts. Jesus. Do I even know you? Do you still have Dungeons & Dragons in your bag?”

My stomach hurts from laughing. “Yes, my D&D club was sad to see me go. And I told you, we’d play and then go lift weights. I was getting fluffy.”

“I could kill Aiden for telling you that.”

“He was right.” I laugh as I wrap my arm around her neck, and we head toward the exit. “I’m still the same dude, Ally. Promise.”

Her arm comes around my waist, but she doesn’t look convinced. “Did you get everything separated from Jasmine?”

I hesitate because I know she’s about to get mad. “I let her have everything.”

“What?” she asks incredulously. “No way. You bought that bedroom set and dining room furniture.”

I shrug. “I know, but she was being psycho about it all. So, I just packed up my clothes and some other shit. Left everything we bought together. I had to get away from her, Ally. The girl, Dee, has now moved in.”

She gasps, her eyes widening. “No. I swear, I’m going to kick Jasmine’s ass.”

“She isn’t worth it.”

“Did you get the ring back?”

“Duh, sold it on Facebook.”

“Good for you.”

“Now I can use that money to find a place to live since, let’s be honest, I won’t last at the house.”

Ally grins as we get on the trolley to take us to where she parked. “I don’t know. Your mom is pretty stoked you’re coming home. She already texted me twice about when we’re running by Brooks House.”

I lean my head on the window and glance over at her. “She wants me to work with her until I find a job.”

My mom owns a really successful winery and restaurant. My siblings and I grew up on hockey and wine. You’d think I’d want to play hockey like Aiden and my dad, or even run the winery like my mom and Stella. Yet I just want to make jumbotrons do cool shit. I don’t know what it is about those big TVs that revs my engines, but I love them. I first became obsessed when I was four. My dad took me on the ice one time when they were servicing the Assassins’ jumbotron, and I was done for. I wanted to fix the lights and control what went on the screen. It all blew my mind. Since then, they’ve gotten three new ones, but I really want to talk to Elli Adler, the owner and our family friend, about getting a bigger and better one. I have a meeting with her Friday, and I’m praying that means I only have to work for my mom for a week.

Because I really hate the restaurant, and I’m not a wine drinker.

“I thought you were going to try to get Elli to hire you?”

“I am. Dad says I won’t have to try too hard, but they’ve had the same jumbotron team the whole time I’ve been alive. I don’t know if she’ll bring me on.”

She gives me a dry look. “You’re Lucas Brooks’s son. She’ll do anything for you. She loves you.”

I shrug. She isn’t wrong. Elli has the biggest heart, but I want her to hire me because I love jumbotrons and I’m talented. Not because of who my parents are and the fact that she changed my diapers. “Yeah, we’ll see.”

When the trolley stops, we get off and head toward her car. Ally pops the trunk, and I put my things in. Once in the car, she starts it and says, “Taco called last night.”

I try to hide my disdain, but it’s impossible, and I groan loudly. I absolutely hate her ex-boyfriend. More so than some of her other exes. Taco’s just a complete shitshow. By the looks of him, you’d think he has his shit together, but then you get closer and you notice he smells. He’s a douchebag. Ugh, I hate him. He tried to get her to move to Texas and leave behind everything she’d built here. She’d worked her ass off to keep her 4.0 and to be captain of the Bullies’ volleyball team. He knew this, yet he was pushing her to go. He’s basically a piece of shit. “Please tell me you ignored the call.”

She grimaces. “No, I answered. He’s back in town.”

I know whatever I say will be ignored. She loves fixer-upper dudes, and not the kind they sing about in Frozen. No, the real shit cases. I mean, he goes by Taco. What an idiot. “Ew, ignore him, please.”

“You know I can’t. He asked me out.”

“And you said no,” I say hopefully, putting that good energy into the world.

“I did because I’m spending the day with you.”