Comeback (The Holland Brothers Book 3)

When I wake up the next morning, Sabrina is gone. I shut off my music and get out of bed. I run a hand through my hair as memories from last night play on a loop.

I check my phone to see if she texted. I have a niggling worry that I freaked her out or she changed her mind about wanting to get involved with me. And I’m even more worried by my lack of care about the situation. Brogan is my best friend. I never want to do anything that would hurt him or put his relationship with Sabrina in jeopardy.

After I take a quick shower and get dressed, I head into the kitchen. Brogan is there having breakfast, as I expected, but so is Sabrina.

Hey, sleepyhead, Brogan signs. I don’t always put my hearing aids in first thing in the morning, so his default is usually to sign until he knows. It’s the little things like this that still take me by surprise. A consideration that most people would never think to make.

“Morning.” Sabrina follows his example and signs the greeting as well. She smiles shyly as she picks up a mug of coffee.

“Morning.” My voice is still thick with sleep.

“You slept so late I was half-convinced you had a woman in there,” Brogan says.

Sabrina stops mid-drink, coughing and sputtering.

“Shit.” Brogan turns to her. “Are you okay?”

She holds up a hand to wave him off as she moves to the sink where she sets her mug and continues to cough until she gets a hold of herself.

When Sabrina sneaks a glance at me, all my worries of her not wanting to be involved with me disappear. Thank fuck. I fell asleep holding on to her, and the only way it could have been better is if she would have still been there when I woke up.

“I’m going to grab a shower,” she says, diverting her gaze to the floor.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” Brogan asks, genuine concern lacing his tone.

“Yep. Fine. See you guys tonight.” She hurries off. Her frenzied state has a smile pulling at my lips.

“Does she seem weird this morning to you?” Brogan asks a few moments later.

I shrug one shoulder but stand. “What time are you heading over to the stadium?”

“Fifteen minutes or so. You want to ride together?” He looks me over with an expression that tells me he doesn’t think I’m going to be ready by then.

“Yeah.” I tap once on the counter and then head down the hall to get ready. Except instead of going to my room, I slip inside Sabrina’s.

“What are you doing?” she squeaks out her surprise and holds a shirt up over her chest. Despite what it looks like, I did not bust in here to see her naked. Not that I would mind it either.

“Sorry. I wanted to make sure you were good.” I move to her. “And maybe kiss you again.”

“I almost gave us away out there,” she says.

I bring my hand up to the side of her neck. Her skin is soft, and the pulse point jumps as I drop my mouth over hers.

“Should have stayed in bed,” I murmur against her lips. I pull back and ask, “Why’d you leave?”

“I didn’t think you’d like it very much if Brogan realized where I was.”

“If we keep doing this, he’s going to figure it out.”

“And you’re okay with that?” she asks, voice climbing higher.

“I’ve never lied to him. I’m not going to start now.”

Her shoulders lift and fall with a breath. “So, we’re doing this?”

I swipe my mouth over hers one more time. “Don’t look so nervous. If he’s going to kill one of us, it’s going to be me.”

She reaches out and grabs my hand. I wish I could stay, but now I have two reasons to get going. I don’t want to be late to practice and I need to tell Brogan I want to date his sister.

“You ready?” Brogan asks as I finally emerge from my room ready for practice.

Sabrina already left for the studio, and I don’t see London, so she must be out as well.

“Yeah, but I need to talk to you.”

He nods absently. “All right. Can we do it on the way? I have a meeting in twenty minutes.”

“Sure. Yeah.”

I follow him out to his truck. Mine is still at the stadium, where I left it yesterday before the game.

When we’re both in and buckled, he starts the engine. My pulse kicks up a notch. I don’t really think he’s going to kill me, but he might not be thrilled and that would be almost as bad.

After he’s pulled away from the curb, he turns the radio down and shifts in his seat, glancing at me. “You good?”

“Yeah. Great.”

His brows lift a fraction. “What’d you want to talk about?”

Okay. We’re jumping right in. I swipe my palms down the front of my athletic pants.

“Sabrina.”

“What about her?” His tone is defensive and his hands clench around the wheel.

“I like her.”

Despite my words, his body language doesn’t relax.

“Okay,” he says like he’s waiting for the catch.

“Wow. You’re really going to make me spell this out,” I say more to myself than him. “I like her in the way you like London.”

He still says nothing, and his brows are now tugging together in the center, forming a crease.

“I want to date your sister,” I say. There, it’s all out there. Well, most of it. I doubt he wants to hear about how I had her in my bed last night.

“And she feels the same?” he asks.

“Yeah.”

I mean, at least, I think so. Hopefully she wouldn’t send me into this situation knowing the likely outcome would be me getting my ass kicked for nothing.

“You and my sister. You and Sabrina. My best friend and my secret sister…” He trails off, staring over the dashboard to the road. Maybe I should have driven.

“Yeah,” I say. Is it hot in here? I crack the window to let in a little air.

“How did this happen?” he asks, then, “What exactly has happened?”

I shift uncomfortably in the passenger seat, tugging at the seat belt that now feels like it’s choking me. “Well, I’ve always been attracted to her…”

He shoots me a glare. To his credit, I don’t think he intends to glare, but he’s obviously struggling to put this together. I think I broke his brain.

“I don’t know. I didn’t want to like her. I was afraid she was going to dip out on you again or that she was going to use your money or fame.”

“Sabrina isn’t like that. Hell, I’ve offered to give her money so many times and she’s never taken it.”

“I know. I realize that now. She’s cool and funny, smart, beautiful.”

The crease is back and it’s Brogan’s turn to shift uncomfortably.

“If you don’t want me to date her, I won’t.” I swallow down the lump that tries to form in my throat. That option would suck, but it’s true.

“I didn’t say that.”

“You haven’t really said anything,” I point out.

The truck comes to a stop. I look around. We’re on a side street with very little traffic. Quiet, deserted, good place to dump the body of your former best friend maybe.

Brogan faces me. I can’t read his expression at all and that worries me. I always know what Brogan is thinking. We’ve been friends for so long sometimes I think I know how he’ll react better than he does.

“Let me get this straight. You like Sabrina. You want to date her, but you want my approval?”

I bob my head. “Yeah, pretty much.”

A hint of a grin appears, pulling up one side of his mouth. “And if I say no, you’re going to stay away from her?”

A bitter taste forms in my mouth. “Yes.”

“Well, fuck…” His expression slowly morphs into a wide grin. “I’m drunk on the power.”

“Fuck off.”

“No, okay. For real, you think this could be something or this is you asking for permission to sleep with her? Or, fuck, did you already sleep with her? Nope. Don’t answer that.” He holds up a hand to stop me.

“I think it could be something. I’m not just looking to fuck around with her. Trust me, this conversation alone wouldn’t be worth the headache if that’s all I was interested in.”

“Fair enough.”

He reaches over and places a hand on my shoulder, squeezing hard. “This is great. My best friend, no, my brother and my sister.”

I wince. I have always considered Brogan more of a brother than a friend but dating my brother’s sister sounds super weird.

He chuckles. “You’re the one that’s always insisted we’re brothers.”

“Yeah, yeah, we might be brothers, but she is not my sister.”

“I’m happy. This is exciting.”

“Are you? Because you’re squeezing kinda hard.”

“I know.” He grins. “I think I really am drunk on the power. You were totally sweating how I’d react. Man, I wish I’d known this was coming. I could have really fucked with you, maybe threatened you a little.” He makes his voice deep. “If you hurt her, I will rip you into pieces and feed you to the coyotes.”

I shrug out of his hold. “All right. All right. You can threaten me later. We’re going to be late for practice.”