[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
.Damn!Nash and the girls must be cursing me right now.Unlocking the backdoor, he walked through the storeroom and into the kitchen, whereWyatt had burgers on the grill and paella in a huge pan on the stovetop.Brody frowned at the sight of his friend running back and forth, hischeeks flushed. You okay? It s bedlam in there, man. Wyatt nodded toward the door. What took you so long? Don t ask. Brody grimaced, running his hand through his hair. You need me to take anything out? Nah, I ve got it under control sort of.Just get out there andhelp Nash and the girls.Brody was already shrugging out of his jacket as Wyatt spoke andhe quickly hooked it over the other coats on the pantry door.Pushingthrough the double doors, he froze in his tracks as a room full of peopleshouted  Surprise! Brody gazed around him in stunned amazement.58 Lisa WorrallThere were balloons everywhere in every conceivable shade of pink.Alarge banner screaming  Happy Birthday, Brody hung from the beamson the ceiling, together with streamers and silly string on every surface.His gaze was immediately drawn to the chocolate fountain surroundedwith fruit and marshmallows, before falling on a smaller table almostbowing under the weight of the gifts it carried.Brody shook his head in disbelief as he recognized friends,neighboring shop owners, and most of their regulars.But he couldn tprevent the jubilant cry when he saw his brother, David, standing by thebar with an arm around their sister Maddy s shoulders.Closing thedistance between them in three long strides, he threw his arms aroundthem, dropping kisses on first one and then the other s cheek again andagain. What? He knew it wasn t the most eloquent he d ever been,but that was all his shocked brain could manage at such short notice. Happy birthday, dude. Wyatt grinned, slapping him on the back. What? How? When? All very good questions, BFG, Wyatt said sarcastically. AndNash is the answer to them all.Brody immediately searched for Nash among the sea of faces andfound him standing behind the bar, his hands shoved deep in hispockets, and his freckled cheeks flaming red.Brody grinned widely andheard the room give a collective gasp when he leaped over the bar andpulled Nash into his arms.Ignoring the catcalling and whistles fromtheir audience, he captured Nash s lips in a long, sweet kiss. You didall this for me? Brody s eyes widened as he gazed into Nash s. Howdid you even know it was my birthday? Your mom called last week to ask me what to get you, Nashreplied with a smile. She just assumed I d know. He pushed atBrody s chest. Go, mingle.It s your party.BY ELEVEN Brody was very merry, which was weird because he donly had a couple of beers.He was drunk on the whole impossible ideathat Nash had put all this together in a week, just for him.Brodywatched Nash serving everyone behind the bar with the help of the Unshakeable Faith 59relief manager, Paul, as he sat at a table with his brother and sister, bothof whom he hadn t seen for months.David had been overseas inEngland at the British branch of the law firm he worked for, and Maddyhad been at college in California.He was totally awestruck that Nashhad been able to get them to come home.Brody watched Nash working behind the bar, rushing back andforth, filling order after order as if he d been doing it his entire life, andhis lips curved into a tender smile.He still couldn t believe how luckyhe was to have had the beautiful man walk into his life.Before, life hadconsisted of one disastrous relationship after another; but now therewas Nash, and he couldn t imagine his life without him.Excusinghimself to his brother and sister, he crossed the room to the bar andleaned over the marble top, attracting Nash s attention with a not-so-subtle stage whisper of,  Hey, gorgeous!Nash grinned and stopped in front of him. Hey you, are youhaving a good time? It s the best birthday I ve ever had.Thank you.Thank you forthis and thank you for& you know. Enlighten me&. Just for being you and for walking into this bar and taking achance on us and for everything else in between. Brody s voice wassoft and he leaned forward, gently brushing his lips over Nash s, awhimper rumbling in his throat when Nash kissed him slowly, swipinghis tongue over his lower lip before sucking it into his mouth. I ve not given you your gift yet, Nash said on a soft sigh,breaking the kiss. It s upstairs, but you ll have to wait  til we realone. Can that be now? Brody rasped, curling his fingers in the fabricof Nash s T-shirt and stroking the tips over the strip of soft skin he hadrevealed.Want blossomed in his gut, sending sparks throughout hisbrain as he watched Nash s gaze darken in response. Easy, cowboy, all in good time.60 Lisa WorrallNASH stood on the sidewalk outside the bar, touched to find himselfenfolded in David s arms as they ushered him and Maddy to a cab, withpromises to meet the following day for lunch before they left for theairport for their respect flights.His heart warmed at the affectionbetween Brody and his siblings as the three of them came together in agroup hug, grinning widely at the sight of the petite Maddy squishedbetween the two huge men.Not that she seemed to mind, from the lookon her face; it was a position she was more than used to being in.Momentary regret bloomed in his chest as he wondered if somewhereout there a similar hug was taking place with an empty spot waiting forhim. What are you thinking about? Brody s breath was warm againsthis ear [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]