The Strong Family Romance Collection Page 3

  “I’ve dated a lot,” Trey continued, “had a lot of fun, I’m not going to deny it, but now I’m seriously looking for the one, and I think you should consider it too. We’re both successful, wealthy, still healthy and looking good.” He winked. Gavin was the type of guy every woman swooned over, the broody dark hero who only showed softness to his sisters, mama, and little brother. Every woman thought they could have him be soft for her too, but Trey hadn’t seen it since Janielle. “This is our time. To find the right woman. To put down roots.”

  “Do you even hear the garbage coming out of your mouth?” Gavin demanded. “You—the man who travels the world teaching stunts and doing videos for social media, while women clamor all over him—are ready to find ‘the right woman’ and put down roots? You’re so full of crap, I could fertilize the grain fields with you.”

  Trey smiled, but Gavin’s cut was deep. “The truth is, bro, I love what I do, but I’ve been able to put millions away. If I could find the right one, I would settle down right here in this valley. I could keep busy with my investments, shooting videos once in a while, and coaching the high school mountain bike or ski club.”

  Gavin pushed out a breath. “I never thought you were a sappy sucker, but have you seriously sat around dreaming about settling down?”

  “Yeah, I have.” Now Trey was the one who probably looked threatening. Who was Gavin to tell him he couldn’t have dreams, that he couldn’t look for his dream woman? Ella fit the criteria, and he’d be insane to not pursue her. It was as if the good Lord had placed the perfect person in his path. She was not only smart, funny, grounded, spiritual, and kind; he also knew he could trust that she wasn’t simply after his money and fame because he’d known her, and how good her heart was, his entire life. He was going to give him and Ella a chance. Maybe Gavin simply didn’t get it because he’d never really pulled up roots and left the valley. Trey had seen the world, and he wanted to push his roots back down and see if they could be nourished here again.

  “Well, whatever Peter Pan wants to dream up in the Lost World, don’t involve my sister in it.”

  Trey narrowed his eyes and clenched his fists. Gavin used to call him Peter Pan because of his naturally happy personality but he’d been through hard things having both parents desert him as a child, and he chose to be happy and positive. That wasn’t a crime. “Look, I don’t want to fight you, but I’ll throw down right now if you’re going to go all caveman on me and demand I not date Ella.”

  Gavin stared at him. He knew Trey wasn’t bluffing. Trey could see the wheels spinning and the way Gavin’s eyes catalogued his muscles and tried to determine if he could still take him. Gavin was strong and fit, but so was Trey, and Trey had traveled the world and had been expected to protect himself, or other people, in situations that Gavin had never experienced. Trey’s confidence in his physical abilities was almost as high as his confidence in success with the opposite sex, but he hadn’t been lying to Gavin. Through all his travels and all his dates, he hadn’t found the right fit for him. If Ella was that fit, he wasn’t going to let Gavin push him out of the running.

  He splayed his hands, trying to defuse the situation if he could. “Look. You know me. I’m not going to toy with Ella. I’ll be respectful of her and careful with her emotions. Am I not good enough for your sister?”

  Gavin rolled his eyes. “Don’t try that play. You know you’re closer to me than anyone in this world. Of course you’re good enough.”

  “Then what’s the problem?”

  “I can’t stand you hurting her. You don’t know how … vulnerable she is.”

  “I won’t hurt her,” he quickly reassured his friend, though he thought Ella was much too confident and sassy to be vulnerable.

  Gavin shifted uneasily.

  “Why don’t you let her decide? We don’t even know if she’s interested.” Trey thought she definitely was interested, and the pink and green bracelet inspiration had been sent from up above. If she was wearing it, he’d be in heaven. Where was his? He was a nomad, always on the go, but he had a condo in Kauai where most of his stuff was. It was probably in a drawer there.

  Gavin guffawed. “Are you blind as well as stupid? We both saw how she was checking you out.”

  Trey grinned but quickly hid it. “She’s a full-grown woman, Gav. Let her decide.”

  “Stop reminding me that she’s a woman.” Gavin shook his head and gave a little fake shudder. “It’s gross.”

  “There was nothing gross about her. She was …” Trey chuckled and held up his hands again at the storm brewing in his friend’s eyes. “Sorry.” He paused, because at least for the moment, they weren’t seconds away from brawling. They’d spent a lot of years fighting and wrestling with each other and the rest of Gavin’s brothers. Heath, two years younger than them, was a little more distinguished and hadn’t fought as often, but Nick, four years younger and currently deployed in Afghanistan, was a born fighter. Stetson, the youngest of the bunch besides the caboose, Austin, loved to fight more than he loved to eat. No wonder the kid had been so impressive at football, leading the state in sacks his senior year. Trey smiled at the memories of rolling around on the soft carpet of the Strongs’ living room: Mama scolding them not to hurt each other, Ella cheering for both wrestlers, and Cassandra usually being brought to tears because she didn’t want anyone hurt.

  When enough time passed that Trey knew Gavin wasn’t going to volunteer his blessing, he pressed his advantage, or maybe his luck. “So we’re going to let Ella decide.”

  “I never agreed to that,” Gavin fired back.

  “You know how ticked she’d be if she thought you were trying to control her.”

  Gavin rolled his neck around and blew out a breath. “Where’s Cassie when I need her? She’s so sweet, she’d be asking my advice and obeying exactly what I said.”

  “I think you underestimate Cassie as well,” Trey said. “I know she’s been off on study abroad trips and humanitarian missions, and I was able to catch up with her in the Dominican Republic last year when she came to one of my rides with some friends. She’s still a sweetheart, but she was more than capable of putting my cameraman in his place when he got a little too flirtatious with her.” Interestingly enough, Cassandra had been every bit as beautiful as Ella, but she hadn’t lit a fire in Trey. He’d still thought of her as a little sister to protect and tease. Ella was in a completely different box, and he’d only flirted with her for a few minutes.

  “Good. At least I’ve trained one of them right.”

  “Ella’s even tougher than Cassie. She’s not going to date me if it’s not right for her.” Trey cringed at his own words. Please let it be right for her. Maybe he was living in the la-la land Gavin had scoffed at, thinking he could settle down, but he wanted that, and he especially wanted an incredible woman like Ella to be with night and day.

  Gavin studied him for a few seconds, then nodded. “All right. You can d— … date my sister.” He cleared his throat as if getting rid of the painful sentence. “But if she’s not interested, you back off. And no matter what, you be respectful—no prolonged kissing or anything disgusting like that.”

  Trey would’ve found his tough, self-assured friend having a hard time even saying the words date or kissing comical if desire hadn’t rushed through him at the thought of prolonged kissing with Ella. She was not only perfectly gorgeous and appealing; she’d always had a sass about her that he loved, and a positive, fun personality. She really could be the one for him.

  He wanted to hug Gavin but knew now was definitely not the time. Well, there was never a good time to hug Gavin. “All right,” he agreed. “I’d better get going.”

  “Me too. I promised Ella to have a bike ready for her.”

  They fell into step back across the wide loft area above the open first floor and then down the grand staircase. Neither of them said anything, and Trey could still sense some tension from his friend, but he’d gotten approval to date Ella. That alone made him want t
o burst with excitement over the possibilities of the next few days. One long weekend to woo the gorgeous and impressive Ella Strong. He was definitely capable and more than willing. He grinned as he held the door for Gavin, but quickly wiped the smile off his lips when Gavin noticed and growled, “You haven’t gotten her to agree to date you yet.”

  He hadn’t indeed. “I’ll ease into that one. Remind her that we’re friends first.”

  “Friends I’m okay with.” Gavin slapped him on the shoulder—brief contact with people other than his family was usually okay—and took off for the rental shop. In the summer, it housed mostly mountain bikes, but it also stored hiking and biking gear and even equipment for spelunking, rappelling, and rock climbing. In the winter, it was full of skis, snowboards, and winter equipment. Trey loved this place—the entire valley, really. He smiled as he went to retrieve his own bike and meet with the group going on this next adventure. He could definitely see himself settling down in the valley that had embraced him as a skinny, under-loved preteen come to live with his uncle and aunt because his mom couldn’t handle him.

  Now he’d seen the world and had loved each adventure, but he was ready for something more stable. The Strong family had always provided stability and happiness to him. Settling down with one Ella Strong sounded perfect to him. If only he could help her see how happy they could be together.

  Chapter Three

  Ella drove her car, with Austin sitting in the back and complaining that she wouldn’t let him sit shotgun because of stupid air bags, around the resort all the way to the west. Her eyes flitted to the bracelet on her left wrist as she gripped the steering wheel. Like the desperately in love girl she was, she’d put it on and planned to never take it off. Trey had given her a bracelet, just like she’d given him ten years ago. Did he really still have his? Did the bracelet mean anything to him?

  She stopped at the gate, punching in the code that luckily hadn’t changed, then proceeded up the slot canyon that opened into the gorgeous smaller canyon where her parents’ home was. True, she hadn’t been home since Easter, but she was floored by the massive log cabin situated a respectful distance from her parents’ rambler home.

  “That’s Gavin’s house?” she asked Austin.

  “Yep. I get to live there now too. Isn’t it swee-eet?”

  “It’s … huge.”

  “Yeah. It’s our bachelor pad.”

  They pulled into the circular drive, and Ella was impressed with everything from the freshly cut lawn to the curbing around flower gardens bursting with color and without a weed in sight. She especially loved the wraparound porch and all the windows. Not a blind in sight, either. Didn’t Gavin worry about women from the resort gawking through his windows? Yet this canyon was private, well marked, and protected by the gate and security cameras. The resort people had plenty of spots to explore without intruding on the owners’ privacy.

  She climbed out of the car as Austin jumped out and said, “C’mon, I’ll show you around.”

  “Let me grab my suitcase.”

  Austin hopped up and down impatiently as Ella walked around, opened the passenger door, and grabbed her purse, her water bottle, and a smaller carry-on bag. She looked wistfully at her parents’ house as Austin tugged her up the sidewalk. How she wished she could be hugging her mama and joking with her papa right now. Was this illness more serious than Gavin had let on? Gavin definitely de-dramatized everything. Someone could be on their deathbed and he’d say they had a cold. After she went on the bike ride with Trey, she’d check in and see what her mama had to say about the quarantine and her papa’s health.

  Austin flung the door open, and Ella’s eyes widened at the open floor plan and all the light the windows brought in, but she couldn’t help but cling to the memory of Trey basically flirting with her, checking her out, giving her the bracelet, and asking her to come on this bike ride. She was only here for a long weekend, but she wouldn’t mind the fulfillment of some fantasies where Trey was the hero. She smiled to herself and bit at her lip, touching the bracelet on her left hand.

  “Cool, eh?” Austin bragged, spreading his arms wide.

  Oh yeah, she was supposed to be checking out the house. She was glad it was just Austin around; Gavin would’ve noticed her starry-eyed expression. She glanced around. The entire main level was open with a large living area, kitchen, and dining area. Only the mudroom leading to the garage and the office to her right were separated from the open space. There were so many picture windows or French glass doors that you could see clear through to the grassy backyard—complete, she noticed, with a swimming pool and a basketball court—and past that, to the forest and mountain slope behind the cabin. Wooden beams supported the upper story, and Ella thought the design was ingenious, with most of the main floor being open for two stories all the way to a pitched, vaulted ceiling high above. There was a huge balcony ringing the upper story, and doors led off of it, but the bedrooms must have been stacked on top of the four-car garage.

  “Look, a fireman pole!” Austin yelled. She looked up. There was indeed a fireman pole, and Austin raced up the grand staircase to demonstrate how to slide down. “Cool, eh?” he repeated as he landed on the main level again.

  “So cool.” Ella’s brow furrowed, remembering what he’d said as they’d gotten here. “You live here now?”

  “Most of the time.” He shrugged his thin shoulders. “Mama’s busy with Papa all the time, and Gavin likes having me around. He’s my coach. We have a bro code, and he’s teaching me how to fight and be a man and all of that. Stuff Mama probably wouldn’t approve of.” He gave her an exaggerated wink.

  Oh my, he was cute, and she doubted Mama or anyone told him no very often. Yet it broke her heart that her dad was doing so poorly that Mama would shift responsibility of Austin to Gavin. Plus, Gavin was incredibly busy running a multimillion-dollar resort. Was Austin basically raising himself?

  “Do you want some treats? It’s Free Friday, so I gotta get lots in.” He grinned at her.

  “You eat mine for me. I’ve got to change quick.”

  “Will do, sis.” He headed for the open kitchen area with knotty cherry cabinets, a grayish-white granite countertop, and a rough-edged tile backsplash with the same color theme; the latter decorated the walls that weren’t glass. She absolutely loved Gavin’s house.

  Carrying her small suitcase up the stairs, she called down to Austin, who already had a gallon of chocolate milk and a package of Oreos out on the counter, greedily pouring himself a glass so large she doubted he’d ever finish it. “Which bedroom is mine?”

  “Oh!” Austin stood on his barstool and pointed. “The one that has the bed made.”

  Ella chuckled and started ahead. There were four large bedrooms off of the main balcony. Sure enough, two of them did not have their beds made, and the one that did had a suitcase next to the bed and some other bags stacked on the bed. Boys. She’d been so impressed with this gorgeous house and how clean it looked. Apparently, that didn’t reach to the second story and bedrooms.

  She walked into the fourth bedroom, and a soft sigh escaped. It wasn’t feminine by any means, but it was perfect. Large windows showcased the mountain behind her with all its lush trees and foliage. The furniture was made of barnwood, and the dark wood floor covered by a plush white rug. The bedspread was navy and white, and the walls were pale blue. With a few decorations, this place would have a nautical feel and remind her of her college days, when she’d escaped to the beach every opportunity she had. There was a spacious attached bathroom with a separate marble shower and a huge jetted tub. Everything was sparkling clean as if the maid service had recently been by. This place was nicer than even the suites at the resort. It was definitely not a bachelor pad, with the exception of Gavin and Austin not making their beds.

  She rolled her suitcase into the bathroom and the attached walk-in closet, where she quickly found a tank top, some biking shorts, and her bike shoes. She hadn’t used these as much as she would’ve liked
during college, but this summer she’d been able to get out on her bike a couple of times a week. She’d known before coming here to put her bike clothes at the top of the suitcase. Excitement rushed through her, partially for the bike ride, mostly to be around Trey again. Spending time with her lifelong crush was definitely not something she’d planned on for a weekend home.

  As she stepped back out onto the balcony, the front door flung open and Gavin stormed in. Gavin was always determined, often in a hurry, but he seemed even more rash as he crossed the threshold.

  “What the—” Austin cried out, flinging his hands and knocking one into the large glass full of chocolate milk. It sprayed the clean countertops, then bounced and hit the floor, leaving puddles and dousing the gorgeous cabinets as well.

  Ella hurried down the stairs as fast as she could in the awkward biking shoes. She worried that Gavin would yell at Austin. This gorgeous house was impeccable and probably close to brand new.

  “Sorry, bro,” Austin burst out. He scrambled across the counter, grabbing some kitchen rags lying there, and started mopping up the mess while basically sitting on top of it.

  “It’s okay, bud. No worries.” Gavin rumpled their brother’s hair and set to work pulling more clean towels out to mop up the mess, getting some wet to wipe it clean, then going over the cabinets and floor again with a dry rag.

  Ella had stopped and was staring.

  “Help a guy out, would ya?” Austin called.

  Ella smiled and grabbed one of the towels, wiping the counter clean, then rinsing it in the sink and wiping at it again.

  Gavin glanced up. “Thanks.”