She Loves Me (Harmony Pointe #3) - Melissa Foster Page 0,116

where he was putting his bet.

“I’ll get right on that. I hear it takes lots of practice.”

“I’m all for practice,” she said seductively.

“Man, Pipe, I sure do love you, and I love that now I can say that without worrying about scaring you off. I’m heading home. Meet me at my place?”

“I’ve got my bag in the car. I just got back from walking Jiggs. We’ll be right behind you.”

He ended the call and loosened his tie as he drove by the pub, smiling to himself as Piper’s earlier text came to mind. That text might have been referencing clothes, but soon he’d have his hot girlfriend in his arms and his buddy by his side. Life didn’t get much better than that.

As he pulled into his driveway, his headlights illuminated an unfamiliar motorcycle with Colorado plates. He cut the engine, and as he stepped from his truck, the silhouette of a man came around the back of the house.

“Can I help you?” Harley called out.

He squinted into the darkness as the man came forward. Harley’s hands fisted by his sides, years of anger and resentment storming through him as he took in the brother he hardly recognized. A thick beard and mustache disguised Marshall’s face, harsh tattoos covered his flesh, but there was no mistaking his eyes, which still held the promise and arrogance of trouble in the making.

“What the hell do you want?” Harley heard the warning in his own voice. His fingers unfurled, only to recoil even tighter as Piper’s truck pulled into the driveway, fueling his rage. Marshall had hurt his family—and Piper—enough. He wasn’t about to let him do it again.

“Hey, Har,” Marshall said in his frustratingly typical carefree way.

Harley didn’t take his eyes off Marshall as Piper and Jiggs got out of her truck. “Don’t ‘hey, Har’ me. What the fuck are you doing here?” Jiggs bounded over, veering toward Marshall. “Jiggs! Here,” Harley commanded, stopping his dog in his tracks. Jiggs came to his side, and Harley touched the dog’s head.

Marshall’s eyes shifted in Piper’s direction, his brow furrowing.

Harley’s gut seized. Don’t even fucking look at her. You’ve hurt her enough. He stepped into his brother’s line of sight and said, “Piper, take Jiggs inside.”

“Not a chance.” She moved to his side and crossed her arms, glowering at Marshall.

Damn it. Why did he even try? He pinned a dark stare on Marshall. “I said, what the hell are you doing here?”

“I . . . uh . . .” Marshall’s eyes moved curiously between Harley and Piper. He shoved his hands into the front pockets of his jeans and shrugged. “I wanted to come home and see everybody.”

“That’s just fucking great.” Harley’s voice escalated. “Still the same old Marshall. Where the hell were you when Delaney’s husband left her with a baby and one on the way? Did you want to see everyone then? Did it ever cross your mind to come home and help your only sister find her fucking way through life without losing her mind?” He closed the distance between them, unable to temper his rage. “How about when Dad got sick and Mom needed you most? When our father was dying? When Delaney and the girls were so fucking scared they couldn’t see straight? Where were you then? Where were you when Dad died?”

Jiggs growled at Marshall, standing sentinel beside Harley.

Harley grabbed Marshall by the shirt, lifting him to within an inch of his face, vaguely aware of Piper saying something, but her words were lost to the blood thundering through his ears. “I’ll tell you where you were,” he seethed through gritted teeth. “Off taking care of Marshall, just like always. I don’t know who you are, but you’re not a Dutch.”

He shoved Marshall so hard his brother stumbled, catching himself with both hands on the hood of Harley’s truck.

Harley stalked over and said, “Get the fuck off my property.” He grabbed Piper by the arm and dragged her up the porch steps with Jiggs at his heels.

Harley paced the living room like a caged panther greedy for a good slaughter, muscles corded, hands fisted, eyes as harrowing and icy as a winter storm. Jiggs kept pace beside him, looking worried. Piper didn’t even know that was possible for a dog.

“What was . . . ? What the hell just happened?” She had never been on this side of that kind of anger, much less seen Harley in such a state before. She hadn’t even gotten a good look