Blindsided by Brooke

Chapter 2

Chapter 2

There was nothing Tyler loved more than knocking Brooke Marshall off her self-imposed pedestal. He probably shouldn’t find joy in beating her, but he did. The taste of victory had never been sweeter until she’d tossed a dagger into his gut.

He’d never asked for a trust fund, and he didn’t even have complete access to it. At least not until he was twenty-eight now. His dad kept changing the terms. What he did have access to was already gone, sunk into his next business venture, but it was only a matter of time before that took off, and he was raking in the benefits. Then he could tell his dad to go to hell. It was a day he dreamed about.

At the bar, he greeted Cassie and she gave him a nod in acknowledgement as she finished filling up a pint glass. She passed the beer across the bar and walked over to where Tyler was. “Congrats on another win.”

“Thanks.”

“Your usual?” she asked.

“Sure.”

Cassie grabbed a glass and began to fill it while Tyler finally let Brooke’s comment go and started to bask in the glory of his team’s win.

Nick came over to the bar and patted him on the back. “Good game, brother.”

Cassie turned from the taps that sat above an old antique tub and slid Tyler his beer, then placed one in front of Nick as well. Nick was the salesperson for Five Leaf Brewery, and both he and Cassie were engaged to a Hayes sibling, so they had their own sibling-like bond.

“Thanks, Cass,” Nick said, and Tyler gave her an appreciative nod as she made her way to Mason at the other end. “Got a little intense earlier,” Nick said before taking a sip of his beer.

“You should be used to it by now.” Tyler and Brooke had made a habit of blowing up on each other during trivia. He admitted that it was a bit childish, but he couldn’t pass up an opportunity to bite back at her. Brooke was used to steamrolling her way through life with her blatant honesty and disregard for people’s feelings, and Tyler was just doing the town a favor by not letting her get away with her antics.

“Maybe Terry and Betty are right. Maybe you two should—”

“I’m going to stop you right there,” Tyler said. “Brooke and I will never happen.”

“Why not? There’ve been crazier things.”

“Yeah, like that.” Tyler nodded toward Betty and Terry who were attempting some epic dance moves.

Nick laughed. “They take the cake for sure, but that just proves you and Brooke aren’t that crazy.”

“It’s ludicrous is what it is.” He had no idea why Nick was pushing the issue. As far as he was concerned, the issue was as dead as a squirrel running out in front of an eighteen-wheeler.

“Why?” Nick asked.

“Brooke is a self-righteous nightmare who probably feeds on the blood of small children for breakfast.”

Nick choked on his beer, and Tyler gave him a good smack on the back to make sure he was okay. Once Nick recovered, he glared at Tyler with light brown eyes. “That’s a bit harsh. Hilarious but harsh.”

“And it’s funny because you know I’m right.”

“You did have a crush on her.”

“Back when we were, like, fourteen and she was nice.” Brooke hadn’t been that girl in a very long time.

Nick shrugged. “She’s been through a lot of s**t. I lost my dad a couple years ago, and it wrecked me. She was only a kid when her mom died in that accident.”

It had been a town tragedy that rippled through the streets and affected every home. Tyler still remembered the moment his mom found out and how her hand went to her mouth, eyes wide in shock. How a single tear slipped from her lid and coasted down her cheek. She’d been friendly with Brooke’s mom through PTA meetings and other school functions.

“I’m sure beneath the hard exterior there’s a girl who is hurting,” Nick said.

“Well, I don’t want to be the guy to help her figure all that crap out.”

Nick’s head snapped back. “Tell me how you really feel.”

Tyler took a sip of his beer. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to be that guy; he couldn’t be that guy. He had enough of his own issues he couldn’t seem to figure out; he would be absolutely no help to Brooke. Not that she’d give him the time of day anyway.

They tolerated each other at best. They may have been friends for years, but it was only because their best friends were dating, and after Daisy left Nick and took off to New York, Brooke was one of the few people who hadn’t left Red Maple Falls. It was rare for them not to bump into each other at least once a day. She was just always there, and though he couldn’t imagine a life without Brooke Marshall in it, he also couldn’t imagine a life where Brooke Marshall dropped her wall and let him in.

He glanced across the brewery, and his eyes immediately found her, hand in Terry’s as they danced together on an invisible dance floor. A rare smile spread across her face, giving her the look of innocence, but Tyler knew damn well that Brooke was anything but innocent.

It was moments like these, though very few and far between, when Brooke appeared to drop her tough exterior and let herself be free, that made him see a different side of her. A side he imagined, like Nick said, was beat down time and time again, and because of that, she kept it hidden. When she was like this, carefree and smiling, it reminded him of the girl he once had a crush on.

In mid spin, her eyes landed on him and that rare smile vanished. Her eyes narrowed, lips pursed and her body tightened. Tyler turned back to the bar, just happy he got to catch a glimpse of the other Brooke, even if it was for only a moment.

“It’ll never happen,” he said again to Nick as he took another sip of beer.

“I heard you the first time,” Nick said, patting him on the back then turning to catch Daisy in his arms.

Daisy and Nick got lost in their own world, and Tyler snuck another glance at Brooke. Her long brown hair was pushed off her shoulders, and her gray eyes were focused on Terry and Betty who were trying to learn a dance move from Louise.

A smile cracked through her pout, lighting up her whole face, and he couldn’t help but wonder if that side of her came out more often than he thought, he just never took the time to realize. The thought stuck with him for the rest of the night.

***

Brooke waved goodbye to Layla who was off to do an overnight shift at the nursing home and headed to her car. The brewery was closing and the parking lot was pretty much emptied out. Brooke didn’t mean to stay until closing, but between Louise teaching Terry and Betty to dance and Daisy talking about getting started on wedding planning, she’d lost track of time.

She opened the door of her ancient Toyota Corolla, tossed her bag into the passenger seat, and plopped down behind the wheel. The car was a heap, but she’d had it since senior year of high school after saving for an entire year, and while it had its many problems, it still managed to get her from point A to point B.

She put the key into the ignition and turned it over, but the car didn’t start. She tried it again and nothing. “You have got to be kidding me,” she said, slamming her hand into the steering wheel. Every nice thought she had about the car she took back. It was officially the biggest heap of crap she’d ever owned.

By the time she looked over her shoulder to scan the parking lot for help, Layla was gone, as was pretty much everyone else. There were a couple cars still left in the parking lot, including Nick’s. Brooke undid her seatbelt and got out of the car just as Tyler walked out of the brewery.

Her eyes rolled on their own accord as he strutted his arrogant a*s toward her. “Car trouble?” he asked, that smug look settling on his face.

“I’m just going to go inside and call my brother,” she said, refusing to ask for help from Tyler. It was an invitation for him to gloat, and it was the last thing she felt like hearing.

“I thought Chase was out of town at that firemen’s convention.”

Small town life was going to be the death of her. She couldn’t even go to the bathroom without the whole town knowing. Privacy didn’t exist within the town limits, and it drove Brooke crazy to her very core.

“I meant sister. Layla just left. She shouldn’t be far.”

“She’s on her way to work. Why bother her?”

Brooke ignored him and went to walk around him when his hand settled on her upper arm. She shot him a look, and he dropped her arm, holding his hands up in front of him.

“And why are you heading inside? Cell dead?” he asked.

She let out a perturbed breath. “Why are you asking so many questions?”

“Just trying to get to the bottom of things.”

“There is nothing to get to the bottom of. My car won’t start. I’m calling for help. End of story.”

“I’ll help you,” he said.

“I’m just going to call my sister.”

“Don’t be ridiculous. Pop the hood.”

“I’m not some damsel in distress. I can handle this on my own, thank you very much.”

“I know it’s probably killing you inside to think that I’m going to be the one who helps you, but get past that before the sun comes up, and neither of us get home tonight.”

She let out a loud sigh and hopped back into her driver seat, reaching for the lever to pop the hood.

“Okay, turn the key,” Tyler said. She did and while it made noise, nothing happened. “Give me a second,” he said then headed to his truck.

He came back a few moments later, holding a hammer.

“What the hell do you plan on doing with that?” As far as Brooke knew hammers were for hanging pictures and building houses, not for fixing cars.

He pinned her with his deep blue stare. “Trust me.”

“Never,” she said.

He rolled his eyes. “Just turn the key when I tell you to.”

“Fine.”

He walked back to the front of the car and bent over. She could see his bottom half, on the side of the car, the slight sliver of tanned skin that stuck out between his shirt and pants. “Okay, turn the key.”

She snapped her eyes away from Tyler’s bare skin and did as he said. She heard a faint bang from the front of the car and suddenly the engine turned over.

Unable to control herself, Brooke clapped. “It started!”

Tyler straightened and shut the hood with one hand, the hammer hanging at his side in the other. “Told you to trust me.”

“What did you do?”

“You need a new starter,” he said. “Sometimes giving it a tap helps get it going.” He held out the hammer to her. “Here.”

“What am I supposed to do with that?”

“Keep it in the car in case it happens again. I can guarantee it will.”

“I’m not going to take your hammer.”

She didn’t like taking handouts. Ever since her mom died, people treated her differently. Now, as an adult that feeling followed her. She didn’t want people to do her any favors; she was capable of handling her own.

“Just take the damn hammer, Brooke. I have plenty more. Trust me, I won’t miss it.”

She ignored the outstretched hammer, and he reached around her in the car. “What the hell are you doing?” she demanded. He popped the lock for the back door, opened it, and tossed the hammer onto the seat.

“If you don’t want to keep it, think of it as a lender until you get your own.”

There was nothing wrong with borrowing. She would go out tomorrow and buy her own hammer, or see if Chase had an extra one lying around the house somewhere. “Fine.”

“You’re all set, then,” Tyler said, tapping the roof of the car.

Brooke swallowed her pride and met Tyler’s eyes. “Thank you.”

He grabbed his chest and stumbled backward. “Did Brooke Marshall just say thank you?”

“Don’t be an ass.”

“Quick, get the camera because pigs are about to fly!”

“Just when I start to think you’re not such a jerk, you go ahead and prove me wrong. Thanks for the reminder.”

“Is that a second thank you?” He clawed at his chest. “Stop; you’re killing me.”

“Can you please go die over there so I don’t hit you?” she said, motioning him away.

“It’s always a pleasure, Brooke.”

“Wish I could say the same, Tyler.” She rolled her window up and pulled out of the parking lot, trying to shake Tyler from her head, but that would never happen. It’d been over a decade since she started trying. Unfortunately for her, Tyler Carrington had taken up a permanent residence in her mind.