Kelli turned to Addison, her brows furrowing. “Wasn’t Isaiah supposed to be here too? I hope Nathan didn’t ditch him on account of me showing up.”
“AJ specifically said we were having an early dinner with his brothers,” Addison explained.
That seemed to soften the troubled expression on Kelli’s face. AJ’s lips were on Addison’s the moment she entered the private patio area where their table was located. As it turned out, Isaiah was there with them.
When AJ first told her about the plan to use Kelli as her escape for the day, he’d explained how he’d originally had his reservations about Kelli even knowing about the relationship. Then he’d gone on to explain, almost annoyed, that Nathan had confessed to accidently spilling the beans. “The only good thing about it,” he’d told her with an evil grin, “is I’m done being discreet, at least around my family and friends.”
The man wasn’t kidding either. The entire time they were at the restaurant his hands were on her—holding her hand, rubbing her thighs, shoulders, or neck—and his lips never stopped kissing or pecking for too long. Isaiah even teased AJ that he’d hardly touched any of the appetizers because his lips were too busy on Addison.
“Don’t hate just ’cause you’re solo today, Sai,” AJ had retorted with a smirk. “Why didn’t you bring Lola?”
Isaiah immediately rolled his eyes and returned the smirk. “’Cause I didn’t even know I was coming this weekend until someone traded shifts with me at the last minute.”
“I hope I didn’t interrupt your brother-bonding weekend,” Kelli said, sipping her cocktail.
Isaiah shook his head, taking a long swig of his drink. “Nope,” he said without turning to her then stood up. “I spend enough time with this guy at home.”
“Where you going? Nathan asked.
“The bathroom.” Isaiah pushed his chair back.
“It’s downstairs,” AJ informed him.
“Really? They don’t have one up here?”
“Nope,” AJ said with a frown. “I know. Kind of stupid.”
“I better go too,” Kelli said, grabbing her purse and standing up.
Addison thought about it. She didn’t have to go too badly, but since it was downstairs, she’d prefer to go with Kelli than alone later. “I’ll go too,” Addison said, pushing her seat back.
Kelli turned to look at Addison then smiled, glancing back at Nathan as they all walked out quietly.
“Is Lola your girlfriend?” Kelli asked Isaiah as all three made their way down the stairs.
Addison turned to Isaiah curiously. AJ had never mentioned a Lola to her, and Isaiah had been solo at the gathering at their house too.
“Nope,” Isaiah said, clearing his throat. “Her name just happened to come up not long ago. I’m sure the only reason he even remembers it is because he ribbed me enough about her name.”
They were quiet the rest of the way as they made their way to the back of the restaurant where the single restrooms were. Addison let Kelli go first since she didn’t have to go that badly. AJ’s equally handsome brother exited the men’s room before Kelli was out and smiled at Addison.
“I hate to break it to you, sweetheart, but there’s no way your parents and Clair don’t know about you and AJ.”
Isaiah’s comment made Addison’s eyes widen. “Why do you say that?”
“It’s so ridiculously obvious how crazy he is about you.”
She smiled timidly, feeling her face warm, and her heart practically skipped a beat. “Oh, he’s nothing like that in front of them. There’s absolutely no kissing or even touching.”
“I’m not just talking about the physical contact.” Isaiah laughed. “It’s that goofy expression on his face the whole time he’s around you. Hell, he wore it even before you got here when he told Nate and me more about you and Clair.” He shook his head with a smile as perfect at AJ’s and Nathan’s. “I’ve never seen him like this. The guy’s got it bad.”
Thankfully, Kelli walked out of the ladies’ room just then because Isaiah’s comments, while exciting, were embarrassing her, and she had no idea how to respond to his last one. “All yours,” Kelli said, pointing at the restroom door.
“I won’t be long,” she said, deciding to take the cowardly way and not respond at all.
Knowing she had them waiting on her, Addison tried to be quick about it. But, of course, in her haste as she washed her hands, she splashed water all over the front of her blouse and ended up having to dry it on the hand dryer, making her stay in there much longer than she’d hoped. To her surprise, they weren’t outside waiting when she finally made it out. How embarrassing! Had she really taken so long they got tired of waiting? She glanced around in both directions of the small hallway the restrooms were in. One side of the darkened hallway led into the back where she assumed the unmarked doors were for employees only. The other direction led back into the restaurant.
Unsure if she should wait, she peeked out into the restaurant and glanced around and up at the staircase that led to their private patio, hoping to at least spot them going up.
“Hmm.” She craned her neck to check the bar area.
Maybe they’d decided to grab another drink while they waited for her? She strolled over to the bar area to double-check. Nothing. Dumbfounded, she headed back to the restroom area to see if, by chance, they’d gone back to search for her. She was still hopeful that they hadn’t gone back to the patio and announced to AJ and Nathan that she’d taken so long they left her behind. But they weren’t there either, so she headed back up to the patio.
Pleasantly surprised but at the same time feeling bad when she reached the patio because they weren’t there either, she stopped. She hesitated to walk all the way in when she realized they were obviously still downstairs.
“Where’s Kelli and Sai?” AJ asked.
Nathan, who’d been looking down at his phone, glanced up now too, looking as curious as AJ.
“I don’t know,” she admitted, walking back out and checking the stairwell again. “They were gone when I got out of the restroom. I checked the bar area, but they weren’t there either, so I just assumed they’d come back up.”
Nathan’s brows furrowed. “That’s weird.” He turned to AJ, already tapping at his phone screen. “Does this place have another area they might’ve gone to check out?”
“Not that I know of,” AJ said, reaching for Addison’s hand as she sat down next to him.
“I hope they’re not looking for me,” Addison said, feeling apprehensive.
“Nah.” AJ pecked her. “And if they are, like you did, they’ll figure it out soon enough and head back up.”
Nathan sent what Addison assumed was a text. He picked his phone right up again and sent another, only Isaiah’s phone went off at the table where he’d left it.
Nathan cursed under his breath when he realized Isaiah didn’t even have his phone on him. About ten minutes later and still no response to Nathan’s text, AJ’s brother was on his feet. “I’m gonna go look for them,” he said, sounding almost annoyed.
“Relax,” AJ said. “They’re probably already on their way up.”
“Yeah, like you’d relax,” Nathan said as he rushed around the table.
AJ turned to Addison with a smirk. “Yeah, he has me there.”
Isaiah walked in just before Nathan reached the door leading back into their private patio. When Kelli didn’t enter behind him, Nathan asked the very thing she knew they were all wondering. “Where’s Kelli?”
“She left,” Isaiah said then explained quickly. “She said to tell you she’d explain later but to say she was sorry she had to leave so unexpectedly.” Before Nathan could interrupt, like he looked ready to, Isaiah lifted his hand. “She got a phone call while we were waiting for Addison. When she got upset, I walked out back with her into the parking lot. All she said as she rushed to the valet was that her mom had been in an accident.”
“Her mom?” Nathan asked with his phone already at his ear. “Her mom’s dead
.”
Isaiah’s face nearly blanched, and he appeared as flabbergasted as Addison was sure the rest of them were feeling. “I don’t know, man. Stepmom maybe?”
“That’s weird,” Nathan said. “Her dad has a new girlfriend every few months. From what she’s told me, she’s hated every single one of them. And she was upset?”
Isaiah had ambled over to where he’d been sitting and downed his entire drink. “Yeah, she was,” he said when he was done.
“Kelli, call or text me as soon as you can, babe. Just let me know if you’re okay.” Nathan came back to Isaiah, still noticeably concerned. “Who called her? One of her brothers?”
“I don’t know. She didn’t say,” Isaiah said then asked for another drink from the waitress who came in to take their empty glasses.
Nathan cancelled Kelli’s plate, letting the waitress know she had to leave and wasn’t coming back. Then he turned to Isaiah again. “Was she like crying upset?”
Isaiah nodded, distracted momentarily by something on his phone. “Yeah, she cried,” he muttered as he tapped away on his phone then set it down.
Their food came and talk of Kelli ceased until Nathan’s phone rang about twenty minutes later and he answered immediately.
“Kelli, what happened?” They all waited quietly as he listened to whatever she was saying. “Wait, wait. Slow down. Why?” he said as his face hardened, and he stood up and walked out the patio area for some privacy.
AJ and Addison exchanged equally blank looks; then he turned to Isaiah. “Did he sound mad to you?” AJ asked.
Isaiah shrugged, staring at the doorway Nathan had just exited. He took another sip of his drink. “Maybe.”
A few minutes later Nathan re-entered the patio area and addressed Isaiah. “Did she say anything else to you before she left?”
Isaiah stared at him for a moment before answering then shook his head. “Just to tell you she’d explain later. Why?”
“She broke things off,” Nathan said, dropping his phone on the table. The waitress walked in just then. “Can I get a shot of tequila?” he asked then turned to the rest of them, his expression still as hard as ever. “Any of you guys want one?”
“I’ll take one,” Isaiah said immediately.
“Nah,” AJ said, but you go ahead. I’ll drive you guys back to your hotel room. Addison and I will take a cab from there back to ours.” AJ shook his head, still looking confused but also annoyed as only AJ could get. “So she drove all the way here to spend the weekend with you then broke things off?”
“Yeah,” Nathan said with a humorless chuckle as he sat down. “She’s been hot and cold almost from the beginning, but she’d been different lately.”
His phone rang again, and Nathan took one look at the screen and was on his feet again.
“That her?” AJ asked, his face already souring.
Nathan nodded but rushed out of the patio area.
“What the fuck?” AJ said, turning back to Isaiah as soon as Nathan was out the doorway. “What? Is she playing games now? I knew there was something I didn’t like about her ever since that day at the house with her stepping away every fifteen minutes to take calls.”
Isaiah shook his head. “Yeah, well maybe it’s best if you don’t tell him that,” he warned. “For all we know, they’ll be back together again, and you’ll have to swallow your words.”
“I ain’t swallowing shit,” AJ said, turning in the direction of the doorway.
“Be cool, AJ,” Isaiah insisted, even more firmly. “You know he’s more pissed than he’s letting on.”
A few minutes later Nathan walked back in with a smirk. “Don’t tell me?” AJ asked, as disgusted as he’d been earlier. “You’re back together.”
“No,” Nathan said. “But she did say she made a hasty decision because she was upset about her mom.”
“I thought her mom was dead?” AJ countered.
“It’s her grandma, but she’s always called her mom.” He turned to Isaiah and picked up the shot the waitress had brought in while he was on the phone. “I didn’t know that. She wants to talk but can’t for a few days. She can’t take time off from the salon until at least Tuesday. After she got the call about her grandma, she got another from the salon. She says she’s also dealing with issues there this weekend—that she shouldn’t have been here at all today—and drove up on a whim. So it all just added up and she panicked, thinking she should just concentrate on her business, and that’s why she’d made the hasty decision. What?” He asked with a frown when he saw the scowl on AJ’s face.
“What was with all those calls she got that day at the house?”
“Same thing,” Nathan said, looking as annoyed as AJ now. “Calls from the salon.”
“Didn’t some dude call her that day too?”
“Raymond’s one of her brothers,” Nathan said, his face souring further. “I didn’t know you were taking notes. She has two others, Ron and Rick. Write that shit down so you don’t forget.”
“I’m just saying she seems wishy-washy and full of—”
“How ’bout a toast,” Isaiah said, putting his phone down and lifting his shot glass in the air. “We don’t get together nearly as often as we used to. So, to getting to spend this weekend together . . .”
Isaiah motioned for AJ to use his beer bottle. Addison lifted her glass too, even if technically the toast had nothing to do with her. She hoped it’d persuade AJ and Nathan, who were still glaring at each other, to do the same.
“That’s a very sweet toast,” she said.
Isaiah gave her an appreciative smile, and AJ lifted his bottle. Nathan joined the toast a bit grudgingly, but at least the subject of Kelli was dropped.
Hours later back in AJ’s hotel suite, after a few rounds of mind-blowing sex, Addison was still trying to decide whether she should get involved in AJ’s brother’s business. Should she mention the phone call from Kelli’s other brother Gilbert? One Nathan apparently didn’t know about. Either that or Kelli had lied about more than one thing that day. Clearly, she hadn’t mentioned needing to get back to Gilbert and someone else to Nathan when she told him she needed to stay put at the salon for a few days. Then she remembered something else that would only make AJ’s already distrusting impression of the girl worsen. Gilbert was someone she didn’t want to mention anything to about Nathan—her boyfriend.
Then AJ said something that helped her decide. “I hope I didn’t come across as a dick today when I questioned Kelli’s motives.”
They’d been lying in bed, rehydrating on a couple of bottles of Gatorade. She’d noticed he’d gone a little pensive. “I’d never think that of you,” she assured him, tracing his beautiful lips with her fingers.
He smiled, leaning over, and kissed her. “I just can’t stand shady people. It’s why I’m upfront and honest about everything.” His tone and expression were a bit foreboding, but he eased up and smiled sweetly again. “And I don’t care what Isaiah says. I never keep my mouth shut if I think someone’s doing anyone I care about wrong.”
Addison nodded, caressing his face with empathy. “I don’t have siblings, but I can say with all certainty that I understand what it’s like to feel protective over your loved ones. I live for Clair and would stop at nothing to protect her.” She smiled, kissing him softly. “I get it. The day Clair brings home someone, I know I’ll scrutinize every last little detail about him and worry sick that he might hurt her in some way. Trust me. I totally understand your concern. I don’t think I could keep my mouth shut either.”
“Do you know I’ve offered both my brothers jobs to run the multiple businesses I have going with my brand and online merchandising so they’ll stop being firefighters?” He shook his head. “I know it’s a noble occupation. They’ve worked hard to get where they are, and from what they’ve both told me, it’s totally rewarding, but it’s dangerous. It’s not necessary for them to put themselves in harm’s way, not with the money I bring in.” He frowned, noticeably troubled. “O
f course, they’re both so damn stubborn. Neither wants their little brother supporting them.”
“They’ll be okay,” she assured him, her heart swelling over as he once again confirmed what a heart of gold he had. “Maybe when they get a little older and they’re tired of the work, they’ll take you up on the offer.”
AJ wrapped his arms around her, inhaling deeply as if her words alone were enough to quiet his worry about his siblings. Addison hugged him just as tightly, making note of two things.
A) She would not be sharing what she knew about Kelli with AJ because she didn’t know enough and AJ would without a doubt call his brother immediately to warn him.
B) AJ hated shady dishonest women.
Note taken loud and clear.
Chapter 16
AJ
Since the day Clair first mentioned overhearing Addison talking to her dad, AJ had casually asked her a few times if she had again. It’d been over a month now, and each time, to his relief, she’d said no.
The fact that Addison had now let her parents in on their relationship made accepting the fact that she might still be in touch with her ex occasionally a little easier. He didn’t like it, and he certainly didn’t like her keeping anything from him, especially something like this. But for Clair’s sake and because of Addison’s obvious abhorrence of the guy, it made her keeping in touch with him less maddening.
Clair was right. Addison was also one of the smartest people he’d ever met. If she was, in fact, still talking to him on occasion, she probably had good reason. Whether or not this guy had never wanted anything to do with Clair, the guy was still her father. He did have rights. It worried AJ to think maybe after all these years he’d changed his mind about wanting to be in her life. From the short description of the chat Clair had overheard her mother having with this guy, it sounded like he was trying to convince Addison that Clair might need him in her life after all.
It was as alarming as it was frustrating. He hated to think this guy might start harassing Addison. Maybe it was her reason for staying in touch and not just telling him to go to hell: to avoid the guy getting spiteful. She had mentioned on more than one occasion that she’d do anything to protect Clair. Her reasoning for not wanting anyone to know the identity of Clair’s dad seemed mostly out of pride. But it did make sense that, just like she still wasn’t ready to tell Clair about their relationship, whatever she might be keeping from everyone could be to protect Clair as well. Protect her little heart from her deadbeat dad possibly blowing into Clair’s life and getting her all excited about finally having a daddy, only to have him change his mind and disappear on them again.