Breaking Brent (2 page)

“Why do you care?”

“Because I love your brother, and I know he loves you and it would kill him if you went all stupid and hurt yourself after marinating in the bottom of a whiskey bottle.”

“You’re a good woman, Peyton. You may be too good for that idiot brother of mine.” A drunken man’s words were a sober man’s thoughts, she had always heard. “I appreciate you bringing me home. You didn’t have to, but you did anyway and I thank you for it.”

“Any of you would have done it for me.”

“Yeah,” He got real quiet for a minute and studied the floor beneath his booted feet, and then his eyes came back up to meet hers. She felt the air leave her body. She had forgotten—forgotten how much they all looked alike—forgotten how much he looked like Brent. Brent who avoided her. Brent who ignored her. Brent who made her cry and feel like all those girls from school she had ever laughed at for feeling as sappy and as heartsick as she did now.

“Well, I think I’ll turn in and sleep this drunk off.”

“That sounds like a plan. Do you need anything before I go?”

He shook his head and turned his back to her. That was her cue to take her leave. She had made it as far as the door before he stopped her.

“Did you bring me home for me or for him?” The mention of Brent stopped her in her tracks and made her heart skip in time.

“Maybe a little bit of both.” She told the truth—as best she could.

“He’ll come around. It hasn’t been easy for him the last few months and I’m the one to blame for that. He shouldn’t have had to manage this place and everything that goes with it by himself. I’m the oldest and it’s my responsibility, but he’s never left me hanging. I left him hanging and I’m sorry for that. I’m sorry that you two aren’t on the best of terms. I blame myself for that too.”

“You’re not to blame. You’re not the one that broke my heart. It’ll be all right though. This too shall pass. It has to, right? Goodnight, Chase.” With that, she turned, hiding the tears starting to pool in her eyes, and started to leave the bedroom, but not before he tried to have the final word.

“Just give him some time, Peyton. Just a little bit of time. He’ll come around. He wants you. That means more than his pride or his temper.”

“He only wants me when he can’t have me. He said as much along with every other breakup line ever created. So now he’ll want me for the rest of his life, because I’ll be damned if he gets the chance to hurt me again.” She left his bedroom, left their home and drove back to town, back to the bar, back to where she didn’t have to think about Brent Kiel or her broken heart.

Chapter One

Four years later.

Brent Kiel took in his surroundings and then took the shot his hand was wrapped around. The amber liquid burned a path from his mouth down his throat and into his stomach. It hurt like hell. Good. A few more of these and the entire evening would become a blur and hopefully tomorrow would be as well.

Shifting on the stool he had occupied for the better part of a few hours, he watched his brother Nick sink the eight ball into the side pocket of one of the pool tables the bar supplied. The shot ended yet another game between his brothers. Hayden, the youngest of the Kiel clan, fished a wadded up bill from his front pocket and handed it over to Nick. At this rate he would be broke before midnight.

One of the trademarked Kiel cockier-than-hell smiles crossed Nick’s face as he took the money offered. Hayden looked defeated, but would get over it soon. That was one thing about the youngest Kiel, he didn’t dwell on things too long.

Hayden handed his pool stick to another waiting patron and followed Nick as they took seats next to him at the bar. Brent scooted over a bit to make room for his brother’s ever-growing size.

They both were tall boys, but recently Hayden had put on about twenty pounds of muscle for no apparent reason. The added weight made his T-shirts bulge and made his Saturday nights busier than they were before.

Thanks to Hayden and Jason Kiel there weren’t many hearts left intact in the small town of Millbrook, Texas. After tomorrow a few more would shatter thanks to Chase’s decision to marry the love of his life. Brent clenched his jaw at the thought of his brother’s wedding. Damn fool didn’t have a clue as to what he was getting himself into.

Willa Tate was beautiful, gorgeous if the truth be told, but in Brent’s eyes she was the kryptonite to Chase’s Superman. She would break him again just like she had almost done all those years ago when she decided to leave Millbrook with Chase’s heart in tow.

Brent had ceased trying to convince Chase of this. The last time the subject was brought up, Brent had walked away with a bloody lip and four mad brothers. Even though his opinion still stood as it was, he kept it to himself. Things were better, but they weren’t great. Brent felt bad about the strain his feelings put on his relationship with his brothers but it was his opinion and he was sticking with it.

He just had to grin and bear it until Chase realized Willa was no different now than she had been all those years ago. She had already left him once. She would do it again. It was only a matter of time. The Kiel’s had had enough grief and heartache in their short lives. They didn’t need any more.

As his thoughts progressed so did his thirst. Lifting his hand, he motioned for Wade, the bartender for the evening, to order another round.

Wade nodded his head once, letting Brent know he would be there in a minute and then went back to filtering shots into empty glasses. That was when Brent saw her.

Peyton James.

He felt a growl roll in his chest but forbid it from coming out of his mouth.

What was she doing here?

True, her daddy owned the bar and she did work for him, but Friday was usually her day off. That was the only reason he had accompanied his brothers out tonight—he knew she wouldn’t be here.

His gaze caught hers for only the barest of seconds before he turned his eyes quickly away and focused on the bar top. From the corner of his eye, he saw one of her simple smiles cross her face before she returned to her task of persuading Lucky Davis to end his pursuit of romance as it pertained to her.

“Damn, she’s a looker. They don’t make many like that anymore. Especially around these parts.” Hayden practically drooled as he made his comment. Brent smiled at his remark and then followed the line of his brother’s eyes. They were focused directly on Peyton’s ass. He could look all he wanted, but it wouldn’t change anything. Peyton James was off-limits—that’s all there was to it. The glittering diamond on her finger said as much. That was his fault. If he had just swallowed his pride and his fear of being hurt all those years ago, that diamond on her finger would have been his. Instead, he had acted like a supreme ass and pushed her away. He’d given her excuse after excuse, but never the real reason for his wanting to break up. He hadn’t wanted his space. He hadn’t wanted to date other people. He just didn’t want his heart broken if their relationship went south. He had walked away before she’d had the chance to. Now she belonged to someone else—belonged to someone else forever.

“Tell me something.” Hayden leaned his dark head closer to Brent’s own and continued, “How is it that you can sit by twiddling your thumbs and your dick when she’s planning on marrying another man? I mean look at her. She’s definitely worth fighting for, in my opinion.” Brent watched as Hayden’s gaze, once again, roamed up one side of Peyton’s body and down the other. There was plenty there to keep a man’s eyes and mind busy for hours.

“I tell you what, if you’re not going to do anything about the way you feel as far as Peyton is concerned, then I am. She’s too much woman for that roaming cowboy wannabe son of a bitch she’s thinking about marrying.” Hayden started to move from his seat, but Brent stopped him. His large fist grasped the front of Hayden’s shirt and pulled him back to his seat.

“Or maybe I’ll just sit here and take in the scenery with everyone else.” Hayden smiled once more his way and then did just that.

Brent couldn’t help but watch Peyton’s denim-encased ass walk away from Lucky. As she pulled the lever of the antique cash register, Brent’s eyes moved to another part of her. Her breasts. The motion made them move beneath her T-shirt. They were high and round and moved as she moved, like breasts should. Breasts like hers were hard to find. They were as real as they could be. Brent would know. Years ago, he’d had the opportunity of making those breasts and their owner his for the long haul. Shit happened though and things changed. Now she belonged to someone else. A roaming cowboy wannabe son of a bitch.

Turning from the register, she made her way over to them. The short walk gave all the patrons at the bar enough time to look their fill. Hayden was right. She was a sight. Always had been. Her golden brown hair looked like copper in the sunlight. It was held in place by a ponytail holder and bounced as she moved. The walk wasn’t practiced or contrived—it was natural and sexy as hell. Her hips swayed back and forth and the movement caught Brent’s eye more than he would have liked.

He emptied the beer bottle Wade had placed before him a few minutes before and laid the empty container back on the bar top as she arrived. As if it were second nature, she grabbed the bottle and tossed it into one of the garbage cans at her feet without even looking to see if she made it. She just knew.

“What can I get for y’all?” Her drawl was honey soaked and vibrant. The sound brought back memories, memories he had tried to forget time and time again. That voice made his dick as hard today as it had years ago. Shit. He needed to get laid and laid fast or he wouldn’t be accountable for his actions as they pertained to Peyton and her ass and her breasts.

And they were some nice breasts.

They weren’t overly big, but they fit his hands and his mouth perfectly. No touch had ever been wasted when he had touched her. It pissed him off that her comment was made to all of the Kiels, but she intentionally overlooked him just as he tried to overlook her.

“Let’s see.” Hayden said. “Another round of bottles and four more shots should do it. And a dance or two later wouldn’t break my heart.”

Brent’s jaw clenched and his hands fisted until the knuckles turned white. Damn, Hayden and his aggravating ways.

“How about another round for your brothers, a Coke for you and a hell no?” Peyton smiled as she popped the lids off the bottles and placed them in front of the brothers. Sometime during her answer Jason Kiel joined the brood. Evidently he’d lost interest in the female he’d been sweet-talking all evening.

“Hell no to what?” Jason grabbed one of the bottles and turned it up.

“Oh, nothing.” Peyton told him as she filtered liquid into the shot glasses in front of them. “Just telling this little boy here that I’m not on the menu this evening.” For good measure, she rubbed her hand through Hayden’s overly long hair and then smiled at Nick before collecting the money he offered her.

She gave ample attention to each of his brothers, but ignored him without thinking twice about doing so. She had gotten good at doing that, looking right over him, but he was just as good as she was—or so he thought.

“Boy? Hell, you’re more than welcome to feel again.”

Peyton laughed and brushed off Hayden’s advances as she always did. The sound made Brent’s cock swell more than it already was—and that was saying something. After all these years and all that had happened between them, she could still make him harder than nails in a second flat.

“So what’s the occasion?”

“Bachelor party. Of sorts,” Nick supplied before taking the shot and grimacing.

“Bachelor party, huh? So where’s the groom?” Brent watched Peyton lean against the counter and cross her arms over her chest. The action made her breasts plump and strain against the contours of her tight, white T-shirt. He wondered for a second if she knew what she was doing? Did she care that his zipper would be forever imprinted on his dick?

“With his dearly beloved wife-to-be if I had to guess.” He couldn’t hide the disdain in his voice and he felt Hayden tense beside him as he spoke his feelings.

“Your sarcasm is dually noted. Now that we know how you feel, how about another round? On me.” None of the brothers spoke as Peyton refilled their glasses. When she poured his, he glanced up to see her eyes looking into his. Her eyes said what her mouth didn’t have to. He had screwed the pooch and opened his damned mouth.

“How about one more game before we call it a night?” Nick questioned Hayden before sliding off the stool.

“Sounds good,” Hayden said as he grabbed the Coke Peyton poured for him. Brent caught the menacing look Nick flung his way as the two moved away from him and toward the pool tables. He shouldn’t have ever opened his fucking mouth. Nick had always held a soft spot for Willa. He knew better than to say anything. Things were just getting back to normal and he went and ruined it. If he were lucky someone would punch him square in the face for being such an asshole.

“Someone needs to knock your hateful ass out,” Jason said as if he’d read his mind.

Brent only grunted in reply.

“I would, but I don’t want to ruin the boys night and I sure don’t want to cause Peyton any trouble.” Jason finished off his beer and handed the empty bottle to her. She was already waiting on it.

“I appreciate it, Jason. I just got the jukebox replaced. Y’all busted it the last time you were in here.”

“Now, Peyton, you know it wasn’t my fault. Those rednecks started it.”

“Yeah, but you know as well as I do drunks don’t care if they hit on your sister or not.”

“Stepsister.” Jason supplied. He was referring to their mother’s stepdaughter, Jocelyn. Four years after their father’s death their mother had started dating Harrison Reece. He was a nice man, good to her and a hard worker.

Harrison had courted Lillian Kiel for three years before asking her to marry him. It had been time for their mother to remarry and be happy again. And she was.

When she married Harrison, he inherited five boys and their mother got the daughter she’d always wanted. Jocelyn was a force to be reckoned with. She was as pretty as the day was long with a temper to match and a mouth and body that got her into more trouble than she could handle at times. Most of the fights the Kiel’s had been in for the past few years revolved around her. At twenty-two, she refused to be her daddy’s angel anymore and had decided to break her halo into a thousand different pieces and terrorize the county.