Down for Her by Melissa Chambers (best electronic book reader .txt) 📕

“He definitely likes the ladies,” I say.

“Ya think? Come on. I’ll introduce you around.”

Tori diligently introduces me to more people than I can keep up with, telling me what part of the resort they work in. I do a better job remembering departments than names, but I appreciate her efforts.

I wish this wasn’t the case, but I can’t keep my eyes off of Brett. He stands near the fire, invested in yet another honey when I notice him look at his phone and step away from her. I start to roll my eyes, thinking he’s choosing a booty call over the girl in front of him, but the serious turn of his expression throws me. He puts the phone to his ear, running his hand through his hair, frowning. I can’t put my finger on why I’m so interested in him, other than his overall hotness. But with every minute of this night, I’m finding myself more and more intrigued.

4

Brett

“Don’t panic. Nothing’s wrong, honey,” my mom says by way of greeting. “I just wanted to see if you would pick up Mimi’s prescription on your way over tomorrow.”

“I know. I got your text. Does she need it now?”

“It can wait until tomorrow. It’s Friday night. I’m sure you’re out with your friends.”

“Where’s Matthew?”

“He left out of here as soon as I got home from work.”

I walk even farther away from the party, trying not to get irritated with my brother. He’s got his life just like I’ve got mine. I get it. But I’ve been living in that trailer since we moved there from the military base when I was seven years old. He’s old enough now to take on some of the responsibilities I’ve borne since our dad died twenty years ago.

“Mom, we agreed that you would call on me in emergency situations.”

“I know, and this is not an emergency.”

“Yeah, but if Mimi needs her medication, I consider that an emergency.”

She lets out a sigh. “I tried to pick it up on my way home from work, but it wasn’t ready yet. I used to run out and leave her if it was just gonna be a minute, but I’ve quit doing that.”

“Next time let’s not play this game. Just text me and tell me to go pick up the prescription.”

“I swear, honey, if I ever get like this and you don’t put me in a nursing home, I’ll kill you.”

“You’re one to talk.”

This is an ongoing argument between my mother and me. Anytime I try to talk my mom into the nursing home, I talk myself out of it just as quickly. Neither one of us can bring ourselves to turn Mimi over to a home, so between the two of us, we’re paying for a sitter to be with her all day while my mom works. Between that and Matthew’s tuition, it’s tough for me to keep up.

“I’ll be there in an hour,” I say.

“Take your time. She’s not going anywhere.”

We end the call, and the blonde who’s sleeping in my bed tonight walks my way, frowning at me in concern. I can’t deal with her wounded sincerity right now. “I was just heading out…unless you have something else in mind.” I nod toward the bed of a rusted-out sailboat, like this uptight, classy-looking woman would ever dream of getting nasty with me a few feet away from forty or fifty of our colleagues.

She peers inside the sailboat. “I think I’ll pass.”

I huff a laugh at her and start to walk away, but she grabs my arm. The move surprises me so much I turn to meet her gaze.

“I know you’re way too cool to have actual feelings and stuff, but if you want to talk about anything, I’ll listen,” she says.

I’m so taken aback by her offer that I’m tempted to start talking. I could tell her about how my every thought is consumed with taking care of my mom, my brother, and my grandma. I could tell her how every time I talk to my mom, I’m checking for hints of her possibly drinking or using again, and how I haven’t had a decent night’s sleep since my dad died when I was seven. I could tell her about how I can’t fathom a day when I’ll be able to relax, knowing everyone’s safe, because our lives are a carefully stacked house of cards that could collapse at any moment without warning. But instead, I say, “What makes you think I’ve got some big problem you can solve?”

“You just looked stressed or something.”

“I’m not.” I back away. “I’m fine.”

“Sure thing.” She glances around. “I think I’m gonna head to your room. I’m tired. It’s been a long day on the road. Is that where you’re going?”

I think about the three girls I’ve been bouncing between tonight and watch a night of stress release float away. It’s not like my heart was into it with any of them. And I already lost the first one to Kylie as it was. I was all set to head back to her condo when I caught sight of Kylie talking to Jack Massey. I couldn’t let that go uninterrupted. “Yeah, I’ll walk you back.” We head toward our pile of shoes.

“I’m not taking you away from your many conquests, am I? Were you going for a foursome?”

This makes me grin. “You were watching me tonight?”

“No, of course not. It’s just a small party. You kept getting in my line of sight.” As we search for our shoes, she says, “Tori told me you and she grew up together, but she didn’t say where.”

“Wabash…just North of here.”

“What’s in Wabash?” she asks as we head up the steps.

“Not much of anything.”

We reach the top of the stairs and walk in silence a minute, and then she says, “So I hear you’re an occupational therapist. How’d you get into that?”

So she’s one of those. No comfortable silences. “It’s sort