The Bachelor Contract(56)

“Meaning?”

“I’m going to help stop the stupid.”

“You’re the stupid in this scenario,” Annie piped up, “just in case you weren’t already aware.”

“Got that, thanks.” Brant clenched his teeth as a merciless pounding pushed to the front of his head.

“I can’t believe I’m saying this…” Cole swore, popping his knuckles. “But I’m going to help you win her back.”

“What if I don’t want her back?” Oh look, the stupid just came out. Of course he wanted her back, he was just terrified that once he had her, she would get ripped away again—or worse, that he was the bad luck in this scenario, and he would hurt her more. God, he’d never forgive himself if anything else happened to her.

Cole marched toward him and shoved Brant’s chest. “Then leave. Now. Save me the time, save her the pain. Or go after what you want. What she wants. Choose.”

Brant’s head didn’t have time to make the calculations. His heart reminded him it would hurt, that it would mean more conversations like the ones in the shower, that it would mean pain. It would mean remembering.

It would mean grieving.

I have everything.

I’ve lost everything.

Such a small baby.

Such a big fire.

So many painful moments wrapped themselves around his head like a vise.

He sucked in a sharp breath. “I’ll always choose her.” Even when it hurt. Even when he knew it could destroy them all over again. If they couldn’t face their demons four years ago, then what the hell made him think they could face them now?

Hope.

And the fact that he wasn’t going to give up again.

“Great.” Cole’s demeanor shifted, all traces of tension left his face. “Then we need to go to the meditation tent.”

Brant grit his teeth. “I’m not going to the meditation tent.”

“Yes.” Cole grabbed him by the shirt. “You are.”

“Cole, do a woman a solid and let me know if you guys start fighting again,” Annie called out.

Carol nodded while Cole opened the door for Brant. “I overheard part of what your grandfather said at lunch.”

“That’s not creepy at all. You spying on me, Cole?”

“I make it my business to know everything, and the waitstaff has been very…helpful in that area. The way I hear it, outside your grandfather your family doesn’t know shit about what happened the night of the fire, and you’re going to need their support when you screw up again.”

“When I screw up again?” Brant nearly tripped over his own feet. “For someone who claims to want to help me, you aren’t very optimistic.”

“Because I don’t like you.”

“It’s not like you shit rainbows, either. You were friend-zoned from the start,” Brant grumbled.

“Ouch. Good one,” Cole mocked with a sarcastic edge to his voice. “If you want to win her over—and get out of that zone you’re about to join me in—you won’t be able to do it on your own.”

Brant stopped walking. “You want me to talk to my family?”

Cole shrugged. “Your family saw the worst and still somehow didn’t kill you in your sleep. They’re willing to put you in the best light possible, whereas someone like myself may want to remind her that you abandoned her in her time of need.” The bastard smiled, and Brant could have sworn there was an extra pep in his step. “Come on, I don’t have all day.”





Chapter Twenty-Four



Rule number one: We need her to remember you for the man you were, not”—Cole gave Brant an antagonizing look and shoved him toward the meditation tent—“the jackass you are.”

“I’m not a jackass.”

“Denial won’t help you.”

Brant clenched his teeth. “I’m only an ass to you.”

“You slept with her and abandoned her, and that was yesterday,” Cole pointed out. “You wrote her up, threatened to fire her, have been—“

“Fine, I get it, I’m an ass.” Brant held up his hand to get Cole to stop talking.

They walked toward the tent near the back of the resort. Outside of the tent, Brock, Bentley, and his grandfather all sat around a campfire with nothing on but shorts. Sweat poured down their backs, and Brock had just spit out an insane amount of water only to take another swig and glare at Bentley.

Cole rolled his eyes as both men approached the group sitting out by the fire. “So, how’s the Zen program?”

Brock shot daggers in Cole’s direction. “Bentley saw a bright light, then asked Jesus to take the wheel, all the while shoving Grandfather, aka the wheel in this scenario, toward the flames. All in all, it’s been a great start to our afternoon. Sad you missed it.”