Stubborn Read online

  “Behind the coop. There’s a back door on the far end.” Josh pointed with a ruler. He pulled it back, cocked it like a pistol and sprayed the wall with invisible bullets.

  I made my way down the footpath, kicking pebbles with my sandals. The sun beat down. An empty bottle of Tequila decorated the lawn. Rotten garbage by the side of the building reeked like it had been sitting there since last summer.

  “Hey, legs,” a voice called from the picnic tables.

  I turned my head to see Caleb spinning a basketball on his finger. “You play hoops?” His voice boomed.

  Molly was right on. He was the loudest brother.

  “You’re built like a WNBA player. Those legs ya got there...wow.”

  Caleb treated me like most boys at school. But I didn’t hold it against him because he was so darn easy to look at.

  I rolled my eyes. I had a load of stinky towels in my arms as tall as the Empire State Building. “I’ve played,” I said, floating past him.

  “C’mon out after you finish playing chambermaid. We’re getting a game on. Molly will be there.”

  I stopped cold and tossed a serious frown over my shoulder. “Hey, what happened to the boy last night? The burn victim.”

  “Third degree. He’ll live.”

  The ball hit the table, bounced across the gravel pit and rattled the barbeque.

  I continued on with my chores.

  “Joshie,” I said as the office door slammed behind me. The maddening bell chimed again. “You got a basketball court here?”

  He craned his neck to look me in the eye. “Yup. Out near the sauna and the tennis courts. No. Duh. Why?”

  “Caleb says he’s playing and wants me to go,” I shared. “Where does he play?”

  “Lane’s place in town. There’s a school out back. I’ve played them before. Uh, those guys are intense. Prepare to get your butt creamed.”

  “I play. I work at the YMCA, Joshie.” I slumped against a wall. “Does Gabe play?” I hoped he couldn’t read too much into my question.

  “He used to.”

  Josh shuffled around a stack of folders. I helped out around the office until he decided we’d done enough for a Saturday, technically my day off. He and Max were going to the lake to cliff dive and blow off fireworks. I would take Caleb up on his offer, which was probably just as reckless.

  * * *

  I grabbed a pair of sneakers from my room and pressed an ear to Meggie’s bedroom door on my way back down.

  She was running a bath and talking on the phone. “No Joel, I’m not going to do that. No is my answer. No, you’re not. Please, Joel.” Her voice carried.

  She was probably talking to one of her boarders.

  I breezed down the stairs, scribbled a message on a post-it, and stuck it to the handle on the freezer, just as Caleb pressed his nose against the screen door.

  “We’re loading up. You coming?” he said with a smooth inflection.

  I fixed my gaze on the vintage clock above the sink. It was the kind that actually plugged in. The kind you could only find at a thrift shop back home. My mother would have had a coronary if she saw me dressed and out of bed on a day that started with S. It was only nine o’clock.

  My lungs squeezed tight when I got to the end of the driveway. I swallowed the remnants of a stale brownie I stole out of a pan on the stove. Gabe leaned on the passenger side door of Caleb’s silver pickup sans cowboy hat or jeans. I offered an awkward smile to hide my delight and the fact that my insides quivered. I subtly tipped my head back to take in his sporty attire, a sleeveless shirt and shorts.

  Could he see the blood pulsing through my veins?

  I ventured carefully, so as not to trip on my words. His hazel eyes and muscular yet slender build momentarily flustered my thoughts. “You play?” I asked, voice steady. I had a feeling I could take him.

  “Guitar, piano, tennis, chess, Candy Land,” he said and held his poker face.

  I thoroughly enjoyed his twangy accent and noticed how it came and went, depending on his mood.

  “I play. You think I don’t?” He had his arms crossed, thumbs planted in his armpits.

  God he looked so good.

  “We’ll see.” I angled a grin.

  Caleb slid in the front seat and engaged the engine. Gabe held himself against the door and stared at me. The engine purred.

  “Are you waiting for something?” I asked slowly.

  Caleb laid a fist on the horn, but Gabe didn’t flinch.

  “Naw,” Gabe said. He looked at me long and hard. The corner of his lip pushed into his cheek. “I was just brushing up on my dirty words. In case I get quizzed later.”

  He drew a finger across his forehead to show me how amused he was at my misfortune.

  Had he any clue what he was doing to me?

  Caleb leaned across the seat and pushed the door open into his brother’s back.

  “Get in already,” Caleb barked.

  Gabe stepped away and motioned for me to climb into the middle. I slid across the leather seat and tried not to bump my hip into Caleb’s. His long legs were taking up a good portion of the confined space. He must have sensed my awkwardness. He scooted over.

  I didn’t know what was more unnerving. Was it sitting between the two brothers and touching them, or using all of my willpower not to?

  Caleb threw the truck in reverse and tore out of the yard like a madman. “Have you been in town yet?”

  I grabbed at the dashboard before I slapped a hand on Gabe’s bare knee to steady myself.

  “Uh, no. Not since I came on the train,” I said as I swung a fast gaze at Gabe.

  Would he ever bring up the train incident? No way could he mistake me for another tall girl with a long ponytail and my exact face. What was his deal?

  He made no move to respond.

  “The train practically emptied in town. I was more distracted by all those men.” I instantly regretted my choice of words.

  Caleb chuckled. “All those men musta been a mighty scary sight for you, legs.”

  Gabe remained wordless, staring out the window.

  “I was just surprised by the full train. Is there really that much work here?”

  Gabe tapped a rhythm into the window with his knuckles. Still nothing. It was like he wasn’t even on that train.

  Caleb cleared his throat. “Town’s changed a lot. Shelves at the grocery store get wiped clean daily. I’ll show you the park. A tent city sprouted there. Hotels, motels, trailers, portable houses—all overflowing. Tons of working guys with no place to live. Man camps are full up everywhere. You wouldn’t believe the stinkin’ traffic. We could sit at a light and watch an episode of Cops. Bad for the lungs too. The diesel is suffocating. Right bro?”

  Gabe didn’t answer.

  Caleb turned his HalRem cap backward. “I know a quick way in.”

  The truck bounced around like we were in a video game on an off-road adventure. I had a feeling both of them were enjoying my jumpiness, my joggling about. I fished for my seatbelt. Gabe was sitting on the buckle. I thought about pinching his leg, but he took the buckle from my hand. His fingers shot a charge up my arm as if I had been running across a carpet in wool socks.

  “Here.” Gabe inclined his head to engage the belt.

  He lifted his hip and then angled my shoulder with his forehead. I tipped my jaw to study his profile. His long bangs tickled my arm.

  “Snug as a bug,” he said with a slight accent.

  I lifted my gaze. He retreated to his vacant stare out the window.

  He was awfully moody.

  Caleb bounded over a rocky surface, and I grabbed at both of their legs with an equally firm grip. My whole body clenched and jiggled simultaneously. I soon realized what I was doing and released my clutch on Gabe’s boney knee and Caleb’s warm-up shorts. Neither uttered a word, yet Caleb flashed a sneaky grin. Not only was he the more outgoing brother—he was a major flirt.

  Molly entered my thoughts. He was probably trouble
for her.

  We sat in silence, stoplight after stoplight. Caleb spent a good deal of time checking me out. I was too intoxicated to call him out on it. The smell of diesel exhaust, designer cologne, and shampoo left me lightheaded. Truck traffic, oil tankers, and pickups congested the road into town. The names HalRem and LOC were as common as McDonalds.

  Caleb took a corner so hard I practically slid onto Gabe’s lap. Our shoulders rubbed, my skin stuck to his. He pressed a palm on my knee to stop me from sliding. I made a futile attempt to shift my thoughts to Brianna or school, or anything but the boy next to me whose touch was making me anxious.

  I figured out Caleb was playing with me in some twisted get-the-girl-to-touch-your-brother way. He took another sharp turn, and Gabe slammed into the door. My open jaw hit his shoulder hard. I thought I put a teeth mark in his tan skin, so my hand floated to his shoulder and I rubbed the red spot with my finger.

  “Sorry,” I said meekly. “Your brother thinks he’s Jeff Gordon.”

  Gabe jerked his shoulder into a shrug.

  My eyes locked onto his impressive bicep and I sighed out loud. He’d look good with a tattoo.

  “We’re here,” announced Caleb as he drifted into a school parking lot lined with pickups.

  I could have sworn I was in a dealership lot. I half expected a man in a loud plaid suit to dash over with a fistful of balloons and a hokey sales pitch.

  “Betcha can’t spot my brother Lane.” Caleb hung from the doorframe like a chimp. “Everybody thinks he’s me.”

  Gabe grunted beside me and swung his door wide open.

  Caleb took running steps to the petite girl standing poised at the edge of the pavement. He strung his hands around her waist, and they fell into the grass as if they were clumsy toddlers.

  “Where does Lane live?” I struggled to ignore Caleb’s R-rated PDA while Gabe seemed immune. My gaze fixed on his long arm as it pointed to the backyard of a split-level home behind the jungle gym.

  “Not allowed roommates. But I think he’s got a girl holed up. I saw some blonde in the window the other night, but I’m not supposed to know that.”

  Gabe extended a hand. I took it gladly and tried to peel my clammy thighs off the seat. He had a strong grip. I should have known. That same hand knocked a guy out with one punch.

  “Hey, Avery!” Molly yelled as she skipped toward me. The girl could have passed for an eight-year-old if she wasn’t always sucking face with Caleb.

  Gabe scooped the basketball out of the bed and dribbled effortlessly in a circle.

  Molly dug into her pocket and pulled out a tube of lip gloss to recoat her lips. Then her eyes widened at me in alarm. “You’re not playing them, are you?”

  “Hell yeah she is,” Gabe answered for me. “We gotta haze the new girl, before she gets too comfortable.”

  Suddenly he was animated.

  “So now you play?” Molly addressed Gabe with a smirk, obviously humored by his words. “Oh—I get it,” she snarled suggestively.

  He turned his back and jogged off toward the courts.

  “What did you do to that kid? He hasn’t touched a ball in like forever.”

  Ten minutes later, I was getting my butt kicked big time. It had nothing to do with my basketball playing abilities or lack thereof. I couldn’t focus to save my life. Caleb and Gabe tempted me onto the court to vet my skills. The magnifying glass came out and so did my competitive side.

  “Don’t hold back,” Caleb said briskly at my back, his voice winded, his breath warm on my neck. “C’mon, Avery. You can take me.” The ball danced under his palm.

  I felt a rush of exhilaration when I stole the ball. Gabe was right behind me. He curled an arm around my side and grazed me just as I tried to shoot. I stubbed my toe on his oversize Nike and hit the ground with a yelp.

  “No fair,” I moaned. “It’s two against one and home advantage.”

  In truth, I was distracted by their proximity and their game.

  I dropped my head into my lap, gave a phony pout and folded my legs. Then I proceed to rub the soreness out of my ankle.

  Molly squatted in the grass and held her chin in her hands. “You guys play dirty. Give her a break for chrissakes.”

  “Ganging up on the new girl? C’mon guys. Don’t matter how good she is,” a Texan drawl spoke above my head. “That’s no way to play.” A hand reached down to offer me assistance. “Excuse my baby brothers. They’re insecure.”

  A bray of laughter escaped Molly.

  My eyes jumped up to meet Lane’s charming smirk. I pulled myself up straight, allowing his grip to lift me. Then I almost toppled over as I threw my weight on the sore ankle. His hand slid under my elbow and caught me mid fall. I lifted my chin and observed his familiar, hazel irises, with their brownish centers and sea green border.

  I stifled a gasp and spoke, “It was you.”

  My jaw slacked and then snapped shut. All that time I thought he was Gabe.

  Oh. My. God.

  “Lane,” he told me and released my elbow. “Face busting, jawbreaker at your service. Broke that jackass’ jowl and did a number on my fist.”

  I watched him rub his bruised knuckles.

  “You were the one?” I forced out in disbelief. “You guys look so much alike. I think I’m losing my mind. Somebody pinch me.”

  I was utterly flabbergasted.

  Lane grinned broadly.

  “I’ll do the honors, c’mere,” joked Caleb. “How do you know each other?” He sounded put off. “Something going on between you two that we should know about?”

  I flashed a curious look at Gabe.

  He stood back, lips pursed. He was listening.

  I regarded Caleb. “We uh...met on the train. I thought he was Gabe, and then I thought he was you.”

  He snickered.

  “Get your dirty mind out of the toilet.” Lane slapped Caleb on the back of his neck. “Well now that you have all of us boys straightened out, you up for a real game? You’ve got some mad moves.”

  Molly got slowly to her feet. “Run while you can, Avery!”

  “No kidding. Maybe she should watch,” Gabe said.

  I gave him a questioning look. Was he afraid I would beat him? Or maybe touch him?

  “Maybe she should play,” Caleb rebutted.

  Lane broke the tension. “How’s living at Meggie’s? Have you seen any action? Oil derricks or prairie dogs? Anybody give you a proper tour? How about the Bad Lands?”

  I couldn’t help but let my gaze flicker from brother to brother. The resemblance was downright uncanny. There were so many of them. I wondered what their father looked like.

  I shifted my weight to my injured ankle. To my surprise it held.

  Then I parted my lips to respond, but Caleb butted in. “Gabe can take her around. He’s not doing anything today. Or ever.”

  I glanced at Gabe’s tight lips.

  Lane laughed and bounced the basketball into Gabe’s hands.

  “Yeah buddy, you aren’t doing anything today, are ya? Give her a ride in your library.”

  Three

  Aunt Meggie was pouring a cup of tea at the table when I returned around lunchtime. I wanted a shower more than anything, regardless of the fact I had to go in the dreaded basement.

  “Have a seat a minute, would ya?” She pushed a chair across the wood floor with her slipper.

  I rounded the table and wilted onto the wicker seat.

  “How was your game?” She sipped at her scalding cup.

  I glared at the steam. It made me long for the shower even more.

  “Hot. Good. They creamed me,” I told her as I twisted my ponytail into a bun. “How do you live without AC?”

  She scowled and shrugged.

  “So you’re hanging out with the boys? Caleb and Gabriel?”

  I settled my sticky skin against the ladder-back chair.

  “Uh huh, they’re nice,” I muttered. What was the big deal? “I met Lane this morning. And Molly Taylor.”
>
  “And are you particularly interested in a certain someone?” She spoke into her mug.

  She had to know. Caleb was taken and Lane was too old.

  “I just ask because I promised your mom I’d keep an eye on you. Those boys, well...believe me, I know what you see, kid. I just don’t want you to get too wrapped up. Things are not always what they seem.”

  No way was I going to tell her the image of Gabe sprawled out in his truck looped continuously through my thoughts. Even if he wasn’t the hero from the train.

  “They aren’t from around here. Sometimes things...well, just be careful.”

  She placed a hand on her belly and smoothed her bathrobe. Then she sighed peacefully.

  “I’ll be fine. Gabe’s taking me on a tour of the Bad Lands. I need to shower and get changed.”

  “Well, okay then,” she backed down. “Why don’t you take my cellphone just in case? I’ll be darned if I have to call your mom to tell her you got trampled by buffalo. I’m dead serious.” Meggie reached into her bathrobe pocket. “It’s programmed.”

  Giddy, I thanked her. I would be able to call my friends back home. I took off down the basement steps, skipping every other one, ignoring my sore ankle, and descended into the cool dank underground I used to fear. Nothing had changed. The basement was exactly as I remembered.

  Just not as scary.

  Patterned carpet lined the main room and a pool table with torn felt corners centered the space. One corner was stacked high with paperbacks. I glanced briefly, unfamiliar with any of the pretentious titles. In the bathroom, it was liberating to strip off my damp clothes. I had worked up more of a sweat bouncing around between Gabe and Caleb during the ride home than I did on the courts. I couldn’t keep my eyes off Gabe’s glistening skin. I couldn’t get enough of his smell.

  There was no hot water, though I was happy enough being able to stand in a shower for twenty minutes without my father banging on the ceiling with a broom. I toweled off and wrapped myself up so that I was presentable to walk through the house. I searched the vanity drawers for a comb and only found junkie curlers and bobby pins. When I climbed the stairs, I heard Meggie hollering into the kitchen. But she wasn’t talking to me.