Lucky (Bad Boys of Ever After Book 1) Page 2

  “No, I can do it. They’re probably waiting for you. You should—” She completely lost her train of thought when he reached out to smooth a strand of her hair behind her ear.

  “I’ll wait for you,” he said softly.

  Confused by the way he made her feel, she scurried away. Opening the sliding glass door, she began transferring her supplies to the kitchen table she had covered with a drop cloth. When that was done, she glanced out the window and saw that Griffin had moved back down the short flight of stairs. He stood looking out at the water, swaying slightly.

  When he turned, she saw that Jarvis was awake, and his tail was once again wagging like a metronome. As Jarvis lapped at his cheek, Griffin let out a loud laugh. He lifted the puppy into the air, delighting him so he let out excited yips. They looked so cute together. Without thinking, she pulled out her phone and took a picture. Normally, she didn’t paint people, but she was definitely going to have to try.

  It seemed like a moment worth capturing.

  After she moved the unfinished seascape inside, she took a moment to compose herself. Quickly checking herself in the mirror, she was relieved not to find any paint on her face. She wished she had time to put on some makeup but thought that would be a little obvious. She had never been to an informal barbeque before, and the thought of eating with a bunch of strangers made her stomach twist uncomfortably.

  She was shy and a little socially awkward, but people often misinterpreted it as being cold or unfriendly. Hopefully, she wouldn’t make a fool of herself in front of them. Then again, if the rest of his family was anything like him, she probably wouldn’t need to speak much anyway.

  Even though the invitation had been spur-of-the-moment, she didn’t feel right attending the cookout without contributing something. She chose a bottle of wine she had stored in the fridge, then slipped on a pair of flat sandals before grabbing her keys and locking the back door.

  Halfway across the patio, she realized she had never actually agreed to go with Griffin. He’d steamrolled right over her refusal with his compliments and his offer of pizza. He probably thought his charm made up for the fact that he was also stealing her dog. Well, not stealing exactly, but he was using Jarvis as a clever lure to make her follow him.

  And it was totally working.

  When Griffin turned and waved Jarvis’ paw at her, she stopped halfway down the steps. The sweetness of the gesture and his sexy smile made her knees feel a little weak. Uh oh, that was definitely not a good sign. The last thing she needed was the complication of a man in her life, especially someone like Griffin Doyle. He might seem easy-going, but she had no doubt he had the potential to be dangerous to her already damaged heart.

  No, it was much safer to remain strictly platonic with her new neighbor.

  Besides, a man like Griffin would never truly be interested in someone like her. He had a big, bold personality that supercharged the air around him, while she made an effort not to stand out. He probably asked her to his cookout because she didn’t know anyone else, and he was just being nice. It would be foolish to think that the invitation was anything more than that.

  “You ready to go?”

  “Maybe I should leave Jarvis in the house.”

  “You want to put him in prison while we go eat?” Griffin asked in mock horror.

  “A crate is hardly prison.” Although, Vivienne sort of felt like a monster for suggesting it now. “He doesn’t do well around strangers,” she said, trying to defend herself. “Besides, I need to feed him and—”

  “I’ve got puppy chow at the house, so he can eat with us. We can’t go to a party and leave him here. That would be way too mean. Come on, let’s go make sure the others haven’t burnt down my house.”

  When Griffin held a hand out to her, she hesitated before taking it. Touching him seemed like a very bad idea. Still, she found herself letting him help her down the steps. But he didn’t release her once her feet were on the ground. Instead, he began pulling her down the path. The heat of his palm against hers did nothing to calm her nerves. In fact, it actually made her feel even more apprehensive about going with him.

  “Griffin?” she asked weakly. “Exactly how many people are going to be at this party?”

  He glanced over at her and smiled. “Don’t worry. It will be fun. I promise.”

  CHAPTER TWO

  Vivienne and Griffin clearly had very different definitions of fun.

  When they reached the back terrace of his house, all conversation came to a halt, and she found herself the focus of several curious stares. As she surveyed the group, Vivienne wondered if there really was something to the old saying that everything was bigger in Texas.

  It certainly seemed true for Griffin and his friends.

  He tried to lead her toward the open lounge area that was tucked underneath the overhang of the extended upper level, but her feet had stopped working. Embarrassment warred with her anxiety as she tried to force herself to move forward. Griffin didn’t seem to mind, though. He simply squeezed her hand and stood next to her as the group rose and came over to join them.

  Taking a moment to collect herself, she glanced around to study her surroundings. She had admired the massive house when she had moved in next door, but up close, it was truly magnificent. Both floors had a wall of windows that faced the water, and the dark roof was a nice contrast to the white stone that made up the rest of the building. It surprised her that everything looked sleek and contemporary. Then again, she knew nothing about Griffin’s tastes except that he appreciated her style of painting.

  The baseball game playing on the enormous TV mounted on the wall of the shaded lounge was muted as music played over the hidden speaker system. There was an array of chairs and couches, with more seating options out on the stone terrace near the large infinity pool.

  The wide, rectangular pool looked like it flowed directly into the bay even though there were three stone walls and tiers of grass between them. Tied to the end of the short wooden dock behind the house was a sleek, white boat. She didn’t know a thing about boats, but it looked like it was probably expensive and fast.

  Off to the side was the impressive outdoor kitchen that was in its own little section separate from the main building. There was a gas and charcoal grill, a smoker, and the infamous wood-burning pizza oven in the outdoor area, as well as a sink and several cabinets. The scents coming from the kitchen were mouthwatering, but all of the curious stares were making her feel a little sick.

  She offered a weak smile, trying not to show how overwhelmed she felt as Griffin introduced his sister, Giselle, and his two brothers, Brennan and Zane. Brennan was slightly bigger than his brothers, while Zane had a natural charm that he exuded from every pore. He shot her a cocky grin that would have made her uneasy if Griffin wasn’t still holding her hand. She knew she should pull away, but she couldn’t stop herself from clinging to him like a lifeline.

  While the men in the Doyle family had a rugged appeal, Giselle was beautiful. She was the type of woman men probably stopped dead in their tracks to stare at, but her warm smile seemed both genuine and welcoming. Brennan and Giselle’s eyes were a few shades lighter than Griffin and Zane’s bold blue, but it was easy to see the familial ties between them since they all had the same black hair and striking good looks.

  Next, Griffin introduced her to his childhood friend, former Navy SEAL, and current Chief of Police of Ever After, Brooks Granger. He wasn’t in uniform, but she would have guessed the man was in law enforcement by his penetrating gaze and air of authority. Though he looked to be in his early thirties, his hair was completely silver. Vivienne would have thought he dyed it that striking color, but his short beard was also mostly gray. For most women, going prematurely gray would have been a curse, but it only made the chief look more formidable.

  Brooks nodded in greeting. “Ma’am.”

  “Hi, I’m Nashville Kline, but you can call me Nash,” a man with cropped red hair said, stepping forward with a wide grin.

  Griffin shifted his body forward to block him. “Dibs.”

  “Ah, damn it.”

  “W–what?” Vivienne sputtered. “Did you just—?”

  “And the big guy coming out of the house is Kade Kapono,” Griffin said, talking over her. “Nash, Kade, and I served in the Marines together, and now I can’t get rid of them.”

  “You wouldn’t know what to do without us,” Nash taunted with an easy laugh.

  Griffin chuckled. “Keep telling yourself that.”

  Vivienne turned to glance at the man who had just walked out of the house, and her mouth dropped open in shock. For a moment, she thought it was Aquaman in the flesh. Dressed in jeans and a black tank top, Kade’s tribal tattoos were visible on his arms and chest. His black hair was shaved on the sides while the longer center was pulled back in a bun, and there was a deep scar on the left side of his face that was partially hidden beneath the dark stubble on his jaw.

  “You can stop looking at him now.”

  She jolted in surprise when Griffin growled in her ear. When she frowned up at him, he simply winked and squeezed her hand.

  “I know what you’re thinking. Don’t worry, most women have the same reaction when they first meet Kade. And some men, too. He’s used to it,” Giselle added with a laugh. That earned her a glare from Kade, but she just smiled sweetly in response.

  “Everyone, this is Vivienne Bisset,” Griffin announced. “She’s renting the house next door, and the little guy who just peed on me is Jarvis.”

  “Oh, no! I’m so sorry!” She pulled her hand away from him, moving to survey the damage. “The shelter warned me that he had been abused by his last owner, so he gets scared around men. Here, let me take him.”

  “Poor little puppy!” Giselle snatched Jarvis into her arms before Vivienne could claim him. “Did all the bad men scare you?”

  The chief raised a brow at that. “Bad men?”

  “Hey—” Griffin protested. “He was fine with me.”

  Vivienne didn’t know how to explain her dog’s reaction to him. Jarvis was usually nervous around all men, and he was particularity scared of large males. But not Griffin. For some reason, her puppy had instantly trusted her new neighbor.

  “I should take him home since he doesn’t do well in groups. I really am sorry. Let me get those clothes dry cleaned for—”

  “Don’t worry about it. I’m going to change anyway,” he said, reaching out to stroke a hand over her hair. The casual gesture made her stiffen, but he didn’t seem to notice.

  “Go get cleaned up. We’ll keep Vivienne and Jarvis company until you come back. I’m sure he’ll feel better once Coop gets here with the boys. Cooper Novak served with Griffin, Kade, and Nash. So did his dog, Boss,” Giselle explained as she carried Jarvis back to her seat in the shade.

  What was with this family trying to steal her puppy, Vivienne wondered, unsure whether to be amused or exasperated. Expertly maneuvered into staying, she gave in and took a seat next to Giselle on the sofa. She set the bottle of wine she’d brought down on the table, then lifted her dog onto her lap when he crawled over to her. As the men took their seats, she appreciated the way they kept their distance, careful not to crowd her or Jarvis.

  Instead of going inside, Griffin removed his shirt, leaving his impressive arms bare. “Where did Coop go?” He squatted down in front of Jarvis, earning him a tentative lick on his chin. “I’m not mad at you, buddy. You’re okay. No one is going to hurt you.”

  “He volunteered to go pick up the potato salad mom made for us.”

  “She’s not joining us?”

  “Mom is going out to dinner with her friends tonight,” Zane said. “It’s their wild and crazy night out, remember?”

  “I try to forget.”

  “I’ll start the burgers,” Brennan announced as he walked toward the outdoor kitchen. He lifted the bottle of beer in his hand but stopped before he took a drink. “Shit. Whose turn is it to pick mom up tonight?”

  “It was Hammer’s turn, but I told him I’d do it. The ladies are going to The Bower, and I was planning on stopping by there later anyway. One of Nia’s bartenders is out sick, so I thought I would help out for a few hours. I’ll take mom and her friends home after,” Zane told them.

  “Speaking of drinks, that looks like a really nice wine,” Giselle said. “Griff, why don’t you pour me and Viv a glass.”

  When Griffin stood up and lifted the bottle of wine, Vivienne was distracted by the large tattoo on his back. Most of it remained hidden under his tank top, but it looked like it covered his entire back. It made her curious to see the whole design.

  Those were dangerous thoughts, she scolded herself.

  Dangerous, and far too tempting.

  “Kade, take care of this while I go change, would you?”

  She winced when Griffin tossed the expensive bottle in the air, but Kade caught it and moved toward the bar area in the lounge. It took another moment for her to realize what Giselle had called her. She had never thought of herself as the fun sort of woman who had a nickname before…and had to admit she liked it.

  As Griffin disappeared into the house, Giselle said, “I’m glad we finally have a chance to hang out. Mom told me you moved in last week, but she made us promise not to bother you until you got settled in. Normally, she’d be here eating with us, but she goes out with her girlfriends once a week. All of us take turns making sure they get home safe.”

  “It’s crazy,” Zane complained. “You’d think four women our mom’s age would have something better to do than drink themselves silly on a Wednesday night.”

  “She says it keeps her feeling young and feisty,” Giselle countered back.

  Vivienne smiled. “Your mother is the one who convinced me to rent the house next door. Actually, I’m not quite sure how it happened. One minute, I was talking to her, and the next, I was adopting a dog and renting a house.”

  Giselle laughed. “She has that ability. I swear, she won’t be happy until all of us are married, giving her dozens of grandkids, and adopting a pack of dogs.”

  “She must have really liked you to offer you one of the bungalows, considering they were supposed to tear them down soon,” Brooks stated.

  That startled Vivienne. “Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t realize that—”

  “It’s not a problem,” Zane assured her. “Brennan freaked out a little, but he’s over it. He loves his precious schedules and doesn’t handle change well.”

  “Yeah, he’s a little OCD,” Giselle confided in a whisper. “But don’t worry. The schedule was already screwed the moment we agreed to do some work on the Palace Hotel project. Since then, everything has been pushed back and moved around. Besides, Cooper’s house is going up where the bungalows are, and he’s still living in the one next door to you.”

  “Oh, I didn’t know you were working on the hotel.”

  “Not anymore,” Zane said. “Our portion of the project is finished.”

  “It was part of their agreement with the town,” Brooks told them. “Ever After tries to keep big developers from coming in and buying up all the land. If they are permitted to build, they’re strongly encouraged to use local labor for construction, electrical, and plumbing.”

  “That’s a good policy,” Vivienne commented. That way, it benefited the town on more than one level.

  Kade brought two glasses of wine over to Giselle and Vivienne, grunting when they thanked him. He walked away but returned a few seconds later with a can of Coke and an ice bucket filled with bottles of beer. He handed the soda to Zane, then grabbed a beer for himself before taking a seat.

  “Thanks, man.” Nash reached for one of the bottles. “Since the remodel of Granger’s house is almost finished, and we’ve gotten a good start on Brix’s place over in Breakers, what’s up next?”

  “My place.”

  Vivienne was startled to hear how deep Kade’s voice was since it was the first time he had spoken since she’d arrived.

  “Kade bought the property right near the cliff. It’s the perfect spot since he has a sandy beach, and the rock wall will protect the house from storms,” Giselle explained. “I practically run by there every morning. I’m kind of jealous he bought the property before I had a chance to.”

  Kade just smiled before he drank his beer.

  “Living near the bay is great for the view, but I prefer living inland.” Brooks leaned forward to grab another beer. “So, Vivienne…I thought you were from New York, but I hear an accent. Did you grow up in England?”

  How in the world did he know where she was from?

  Sure, he was the chief of police, but she hadn’t been in town long enough for him to know anything about her. “I lived in London for several years, but I was actually born in New York. I moved back a few years ago.”

  “And what brought you to Ever After? It was the name, wasn’t it?”

  “It was,” she admitted, feeling a little foolish. “I thought I might find something to paint here. I was only supposed to be here for a few days, but then I met Mrs. Doyle at the Beaumont Rescue Center, and…well, now I have Jarvis.”

  “Where did you—?”

  “Jesus, Brooks.” Giselle huffed out a breath. “This is a party, not an interrogation.”

  “Sorry.” He smiled ruefully. “It’s habit.”

  “Don’t mind him. He gets like that around new people.” Giselle reached over to pet the puppy. His tail started to wag again, but he still remained watchful of the males in the group. “Jarvis is so cute. We adopted a Husky a few years ago from the rescue center. He was supposed to be our mom’s dog, but he fell in love with Brennan. She says she’s waiting for that kind of connection before she adopts again. I guess I’m waiting for that, too, or I’d end up bringing a dozen dogs home with me.”

  “A Husky seems like an odd choice for Texas.”

  “It gets hot in the summer, but they do okay if they have adequate shelter and drink plenty of water. His former owner shaved him because he was shedding too much, then the asshole dumped him at the shelter. I mean, who freaking does that, right? It was horrible, but Brennan spoils him rotten now, so it all worked out.”