Do Rely on Your Protector (Jewel Family Romance Book 4) Read online

  “Mar?” Breeze’s jaw was hanging open now in shock. In her mind, this family was perfect, and she could hardly believe the list of troubles they’d each had, but most especially Mar. There was no way someone as put-together and amazing as Mar could have a rough past like Breeze.

  Madeline put a gentle hand on her arm. “I don’t tell you any of this to disparage my family. Of course I think they’re brilliant, inspiring, and beautiful, but everyone goes through hard things, Breeze. It sounds like you’ve had to be strong and independent your entire life. I’m proud of you and I don’t want you to feel intimidated by anyone, even this perfect family of mine.” She grinned as if they shared a secret.

  Breeze was still too shocked to respond.

  Madeline removed her hand and turned toward the door. “I’ll let you have some time to relax and clean up. Rachel will be in with clothes and Cozy with your scents. I hope you feel comfortable here, sweetheart.” She gave her one more smile and then left.

  “Th-thank you,” Breeze called through the open door.

  “You’re welcome,” she heard back.

  Breeze looked around at the gorgeous room. It was clean and spacious. How in the world did Seth’s beautiful mom expect a redneck like her to feel comfortable here? She walked around, staring out the huge windows at the thick forest and looking for evidence that this was indeed Seth’s room. In the closet she found his clothes hanging, shoes lined up, and drawers full of his stuff. She noticed a t-shirt hanging over the clothes hamper. Grabbing it, she lifted it to her nose and let out a soft sigh. It smelled like his intriguing cologne.

  She walked back out into the main area of the suite. She couldn’t take a bath until Rachel brought her clothes, so she reasoned that she’d simply enjoy this smell and how close she felt to Seth just by holding his shirt.

  A soft rap on the partially opened door made her jump.

  “Breeze?” Seth’s deep voice came from the doorway as he nudged the door a little wider. “Is it okay if I come … is that my shirt?”

  Breeze whipped the shirt behind her back. “Of course. Come in. Is Ridge okay?”

  He walked in, a smile playing around his lips. He’d caught her holding, maybe even sniffing his shirt. “Yeah, he’s doing great. We showed him where his room was, but instead of wanting to shower he asked if he could do maintenance on all our machines first.” He grinned. “He and Caleb are elbow-deep in it already.”

  “Sounds like Ridge. I’ll force him to shower before he sits at your momma’s table or anything.”

  He stepped closer and Breeze was acutely aware of how handsome he was, how tough he was, how blue his eyes were, and especially how great he smelled, which made the shirt she was trying to hide behind her back even more embarrassing. “My mom won’t care if he doesn’t. She raised five boys.”

  “I’ll care.” She tilted her chin up. Her pride was the only thing she had left. Oh, wait, she’d dumped that when she’d let him not only fight for her freedom but pay her debt. And now she was living on his family’s good graces. It was hard to swallow, but she wanted to be close to Seth enough to bury her pride. Someday soon, she’d pay him back the money and not feel this awful conflict.

  Seth came a step closer. They were almost touching. “We’ll make sure he showers then.” His voice deepened. “Are you all right?”

  “Yes,” she managed. “Thank you.” She looked away. “But Ridge and I don’t belong here.”

  Seth tilted her chin up with his palm, her flesh warmed from his touch. “You belong. We all want you here.”

  Breeze felt her chin tremble at his kind words. She knew they couldn’t stay here long, but she wanted to enjoy the time with Seth in this beautiful place. She mostly wanted to enjoy that appreciative look in Seth’s blue eyes and him touching her like she wasn’t wearing clothes that hadn’t been washed in days. The most embarrassing thing was that she smelled like bacon, as Cosette had pointed out.

  Seth’s gaze trailed slowly over her face. His right hand was still cupping her chin. His left hand suddenly darted behind her back and snatched the shirt out of her hand. He held it up and smirked. “Why are you holding my dirty shirt?”

  She looked down in humiliation.

  His hand trailed along her chin and he cupped her neck with his large palm.

  “It smelled like you,” she admitted, daring to stare at him.

  “I smell like a dirty shirt?” he asked.

  “It’s better than bacon,” she flung back at him.

  Seth laughed. “Ah, Cozy. She has no filter.”

  “You’re saying I don’t smell like bacon?”

  “I’m saying I like bacon, and you look like an angel, so I don’t care what you smell like.”

  Breeze appreciated that he thought she looked like an angel, but was humiliated that he’d all but admitted that she did stink.

  “Am I interrupting?” Rachel asked from the doorway.

  Breeze pulled back from Seth and shook her head quickly. At least she could bathe now. “No. Thank you for the clothes.”

  Rachel walked forward with a stack. “Of course.” She looked pointedly at her brother. “I’m supposed to wait here to help you carry your ‘junk’ to Caleb’s room and make sure you give Breeze some privacy. Mom’s instructions.”

  Seth laughed, but his eyes traveled over Breeze. “If Breeze wants privacy, I’ll be quick.” He didn’t wait for her answer but hurried to the closet with Rachel on his heels.

  Breeze held the stack of clothes Rachel had handed to her. She didn’t want privacy. She wanted Seth, but she wanted to not smell like bacon the next time he cupped her neck.

  Chapter Six

  The day went slow as Seth waited impatiently for more time with Breeze. Rachel, as instructed by his mom, basically kicked him out of his own room to give Breeze privacy. He found Caleb and Ridge working on the four-wheelers. Caleb excitedly told him how Ridge had improved his YZX450 speed by tuning it up. Seth had top-of-the-line mechanics working on his motorcycles and snowmobiles, but as he talked and worked with Ridge, he was extremely impressed with the kid’s knowledge. He was a little socially backward but seemed like a smart, respectful kid with a gift for mechanics. How had he gotten mixed up with the likes of Flint Brooks?

  It was lunchtime before he saw Breeze again. He was able to sit by her side, talk to her, and inhale the perfect scent that Cosette had identified to fit her body chemistry. He brushed his knee against hers a few times and liked watching her startle, blush, then share a secretive smile with him. She was so innocent and beautiful. He was relieved that he’d gotten her away from Flint and it didn’t seem like the brute had hurt her, despite the man’s nasty insinuations of that morning.

  As soon as lunch was over, the women explained that they were heading to the spa for the afternoon and Seth realized that he wouldn’t be able to see Breeze again until dinner. Seth couldn’t tell her not to go as he had no hold over her and she was obviously excited about the experience, but he wanted to spend time with her, not give her over to his sisters and sisters-in-law.

  All the boys loaded up on dirt bikes or four-wheelers and went on a long ride up the mountain trails. Seth was impressed with how well Ridge could ride. He wondered how to help him relax. The kid was completely comfortable with Caleb, as most people couldn’t resist Caleb’s friendliness, but Ridge was awkward around the rest of the family and regarded Seth with almost hero worship.

  They made it to the top of one pass and stopped to stretch and look out over the mountain range and small valleys. Seth loved the lush forests and high mountain peaks of this area. Joshua, Luke, and Isaac were discussing something about Mar and Cosette’s business. Mar was fiercely protective of what she and Cosette had grown on their own, but Luke had confided that she’d listened to some of his suggestions. Emphasis on the “some”.

  Caleb tilted his head to the side and Seth nodded his agreement. He was grateful that he had an independent and successful career doing what he loved. He and Caleb had invest
ed most of the five million dollars that their father had bequeathed on them on their twenty-fifth birthdays. The investments were doing well and neither of them needed to stress about money. They’d only taken a small portion to start an online store nobody knew about. A fireworks store called The Twin’s Wizard Wheezes. When they were young, they fancied themselves Fred and George Weasley from the Harry Potter books. Sadly, Weasley’s Wizard Wheezes wasn’t available as an online store, so they adapted.

  Ridge walked with them along a trail of sorts. They stopped when they couldn’t hear their brothers “discussing” any longer. Ridge's eyes darted to Seth and away, his whole body twitching nervously.

  “You can tell him,” Caleb encouraged. For all of Caleb’s laughter and joking he was a pretty observant guy.

  Ridge pressed his lips together thoughtfully. When he opened them, he said, “Thanks for rescuing us. I hated Breeze being around those jerks.”

  “I’m glad I met her. I hated her being around them also.”

  Ridge gave a flicker of a smile. “She told me how you met.” His smile disappeared and he studied the ground. “I owe you big. Could I work off that money somehow?”

  Seth met Caleb’s gaze over the kid’s head. “I don’t want you or Breeze to think you owe me. That’s not why I did it.” It was interesting how adamant Breeze was about working for him — her pride streak seemed to run a mile wide — whereas her brother was definitely willing to work, but a little more flexible about it.

  “The kid’s a rock star with dirt bikes,” Caleb interjected. “He might be valuable on your team.”

  “Do you have a job?” Seth asked, giving himself time to think.

  “I was working in a garage but … I got fired for … being late too many times.” He shuffled his feet. “Breeze doesn’t know. That’s why I snuck up here with a buddy and got in with Flint.”

  Seth groaned inside. He’d seen a lot of impressive mechanics and riders who’d ruined all their opportunity with drugs, alcohol, or sheer laziness and inability to follow through on anything except some stupid game on their phone. Breeze had bluntly told Seth that Ridge was into drugs, while Ridge was beating around the bush.

  “First of all,” he started. “You better be up front with Breeze, always. Sounds like she’s dedicated her life to watching out for you.”

  “She has,” Ridge admitted, his jaw working, still not able to meet Seth’s gaze.

  “Second of all,” Seth said. “Are you clean?”

  Ridge looked out at the view and said softly. “I haven’t used for a while …” His voice trailed off as if he realized they were onto him. He shook his head slightly. “The truth is, drugs are why I got in all this trouble with Flint.”

  “I wondered. What exactly are you into?” Seth’s stomach was churning. He’d love to help this kid out, and not just because he was Breeze’s brother. He sensed a humility and integrity about him that he liked, even if he hadn’t admitted to Breeze that he’d lost his job. Seth had also noticed the smooth ride of all the machines they’d been riding. Ridge was obviously good at tinkering on dirt bikes.

  “Mostly just mixing marijuana and alcohol, getting twisted,” his voice dropped. “Some meth.”

  “I don’t hire anyone who uses,” Seth explained, hoping his voice wasn’t too harsh. The stupid kid. His sister would do anything for him, and Ridge was messing around with drugs and associating with idiots like Flint Brooks.

  Caleb was giving him a pleading look. He’d obviously connected with the kid while they tinkered with the machines today.

  “But if you can get clean and look me in the eye and tell me you’re clean, I’ll hire you on my crew.”

  Ridge’s deep brown eyes, so like his sister’s, flew to Seth’s. It was the first time the kid had truly met his gaze. “Do you mean it?”

  Seth nodded.

  Ridge looked like he might throw his arms around Seth. If the kid was any less shy he probably would have. As it was, he simply bounced on his heels, stared at Seth as if he were Zeus, and swallowed several times before saying, “Thank you, sir. I haven’t touched anything since I got Breeze in the mess with Flint. It made me so sick that I exposed her to that.” He hung his head for a second but then seemed to gain strength. “If I can stay clean for a month will that be long enough to prove you can trust me?”

  “Yes.”

  “Thanks. I’ll get clean, and I’ll be coming to find you. I’ll work off the twenty grand. If you’re happy with my work, I’d love to keep working for you.”

  Seth wished they both would just forget the twenty grand but he respected Ridge’s and Breeze’s insistence on paying it back. They had grit and self-respect and he had to admire that. It was part of the reason he’d fallen for her so fast.

  He stuck out his hand. They shook on it, Caleb witnessing and looking on like a proud father. Seth nudged Caleb with his elbow. “I don’t think you’ve been that quiet since we set off that bomb in the swimming pool and hid in Eve’s closet for a day and a half.”

  Caleb chuckled. “Good times.” He explained to Ridge, “Eve kept us safe and fed us.”

  “You … blew up your swimming pool?” Ridge asked them with wide eyes. “And your mom didn’t beat you until you couldn’t walk?”

  Caleb and Seth both sobered. Even though they had hidden out for a day and a half because they were ten and terrified of what their parents would do, there’d never been any worry that they’d be physically hurt.

  “Has someone … beat you?” Caleb asked.

  Ridge shook his head quickly and unconvincingly. He strode back toward the bikes. “Should go,” he muttered.

  Caleb and Seth waited and then slowly walked back. “Poor kid’s been through it,” Caleb muttered.

  “Yeah,” Seth agreed.

  “Do you think … Breeze?”

  “I think she’s been through worse, protecting him,” Seth admitted.

  Caleb was uncharacteristically quiet once again. “You know what I hate?” he asked finally.

  “What?”

  “Mean, stupid bullies, especially one who dares hurt a little kid.” He grimaced. “And real life. It kind of sucks sometimes.”

  Seth agreed. If he had his way, he’d protect Breeze and Ridge from any more “mean, stupid bullies” and “real life”. He just wasn’t sure if he could talk her into letting him.

  Breeze felt like a pampered princess, and like part of this large, beautiful family as they received massages, pedicures, manicures, and facials at the most insanely fancy spa she’d ever seen. Well, she’d never actually seen a spa except in movies. She liked being part of the family even more than she liked being spoiled at the spa. The sisters, sisters-in-law, and Madeline had all included her in their conversations and made an effort to get to know her and make her feel comfortable. She’d fallen head over bunions for Paisley, Eve’s adorable three-year old. Mar had stayed close by her side and Breeze had tried to talk normally, not to reveal her hero worship for this spunky, beautiful businesswoman.

  They stopped to pick up a large order of takeout from the Thai Plate, with a kids’ meal from Wendy’s for Paisley who claimed she hated “Yucky grow-up food.” Breeze had never tried Thai food. There was a Chinese place in Preston where a date had taken her to once, but it wasn’t very good and definitely not authentic Asian food. She hoped she and Ridge liked Thai and didn’t show how uncultured they were.

  The ladies explained that Madeline didn’t cook, but Cosette did. When they were all together, they would quite often pitch in to help Cosette cook an amazing meal for the family. The rest of the time they got takeout or cooked healthy premade food from Freshly or Blue Apron. As the only food Breeze didn’t cook for herself and Ridge was rejected meals or leftovers that the restaurant sent home with her, this was a foreign concept to her.

  She was excited to get back to the house and see Seth. They’d talked at lunch but hadn’t had any time alone. She felt clean, beautiful, and like she actually smelled good as Cosette had match
ed her with the scent, Resilient Woman. Cosette had sounded like a commercial as she’d told her it was a fresh, floral scent with artemisia, musk, and a hint of white tea. Breeze didn’t even know what artemisia was, but she simply loved the way it smelled and how attractive it made her feel.

  They piled out of the SUVs in the garage and walked into the house carrying the bags of food. The men were milling around the living area talking or watching baseball on the big screen. They all jumped up and hurried over to greet the women, except Caleb and Ridge who were chatting at the counter, looking at something on Caleb’s phone.

  Seth walked straight to her, a large grin on his face. When he reached her, he bent down close and inhaled slowly. “You look, and smell, amazing.”

  She smiled, ducking her head. “The Resilient Woman by Cosette. It’s my signature scent.” She tried to give a flirtatious toss of her long hair. She wished she could describe it the way Cosette had, or be as appealing as all these other women were. She loved the navy blue and white striped romper Rachel had lent her and how it showed off her arms and legs, but she doubted she’d ever look like a Jewel woman should.

  Seth’s blue eyes seemed to smolder with desire for her. “It’s perfect,” he murmured, wrapping a hand around her lower back.

  “Let’s take the food out back,” Seth’s mom called over the din, ushering everyone toward the multiple sliding glass doors and the spacious outdoor patio. Breeze would’ve preferred everyone else going and leaving her alone with Seth.

  As the family filed out, Ridge approached them. Breeze hadn’t seen his brown eyes look so clear and filled with excitement since she bought him his first set of wrenches when he was fourteen.