Holding On Read online

  Brent had never hit her, but when he got drunk, and she complained about it, he had pushed her before, much like he’d done last night.

  She’d never had someone come to her defense before though. Maybe that was why she had found herself dreaming about Trey last night. Whatever the reason, there was no way a man like him would be interested in someone like her, especially after he’d found out that it was her brother’s fault he’d ended up sitting in a jail cell all night.

  * * *

  “You’re the asshole who wouldn’t hire me. McGowan?” the man sitting across from him in the drunk tank said, causing Trey’s eyes to snap open. It had been almost five hours since they had been shoved in the small holding area with all the other town drunks.

  It was a Friday evening, two weeks after Christmas, and half of the town’s local drunks were still deep into celebrating the holidays, with no signs of slowing down.

  “I’m Trey McGowan.” He frowned at the man who’d given him the bloody lip. “But I don’t think we’ve met.”

  The man tilted his head. “You were there, with the other brother.”

  Trey tried to remember. He knew he’d seen the man before but hadn’t been able to place it. Then the man flipped his head, pushing his hair back, and suddenly Trey remembered where he’d seen the guy before.

  “You applied for the motorhand job. The one we gave to Mason,” he added. “Brian?”

  “Brent,” the man corrected. “We came up here with the promise of that job. We left everything we had behind. Then we get here, and you hire someone else.”

  “I’m sorry about that, but I don’t know who promised you the position. It was open, and we hired the best man for the job.” He leaned his head back and tried to let his head settle. He was already enjoying the effects of the hangover.

  His answer didn’t seem to satisfy the guy.

  “We had everything planned. Now, because of you, Dylan has to work at that shit-hole place.”

  Dylan, Trey thought. Was that the raven hair’s name? It suited her. Jet-black hair with cropped bangs that hung over dark eyes, tattoos along her shoulders, beautiful body, and killer legs. Legs he’d been dreaming of since he’d been shoved in the tank. Dylan. He ran the name over in his mind again.

  “What about you?” Trey asked.

  “What about me?” The man looked at him like he didn’t understand.

  “Why haven’t you found a job? There’s plenty of work here besides working for us,” Trey supplied.

  The man cursed under his breath. “Dylan makes enough for us, for now. If I know her, she’ll be looking for a second job soon enough.”

  Trey’s anger spiked again. The bastard sitting across from him was a slacker, letting his girlfriend work two jobs just to keep him satisfied. He’d known plenty of men like that in his lifetime. Hell, half the women working in the many strip clubs in Haven had men sitting at home drinking away their hard-earned money.

  Trey glared at the man. “You’re a real piece of work.”

  Just then the cell door opened. Trey stood up, as did everyone else in the cell who was awake and alert.

  Haven was a small town, and the police station was one of the busiest buildings at this time of morning since Tony usually came in at eight and released all the people who’d been held in the drunk tank for the night.

  Stepping out, he wasn’t surprised to see Tony shaking his head in his direction.

  “Don’t start,” he mumbled.

  “What will your mother think?” The man had been seeing his mother for almost three months now. Trey still wasn’t sure about it but figured that his mother had a right to find happiness after losing his dad suddenly almost two years ago.

  “Need a ride?” Tony asked.

  Trey glanced around the room and, upon spotting the sexy beauty, Dylan, leaning against the front doors, his scan for his brothers halted. She had changed from the shorts and push-up top to more practical jeans and a black leather coat with a hoody underneath. She fit in to the small town of Haven like a nun fit in at a strip club.

  He continued looking at her and realized everyone in the room was eyeing her. He watched Brent cross the room and start talking to Dylan. The woman’s eyes moved over to him, and Trey could have sworn he saw heat flash behind them as her cheeks heated.

  “Sure, I’ll be back in a moment.” He walked towards the doorway, catching the pair before they left.

  “Hey,” he said, getting the man’s attention. They both turned towards him. “If you’re serious about a job, we still have a few rig jobs open. Why don’t you come in tomorrow and see me?”

  The man’s eyes turned from agitated to shocked. “Really?”

  Trey’s eyes moved to Dylan’s. “Sure.”

  “We were hoping, that is…” Dylan stepped forward. “I am looking for work as well.”

  An image of the petite woman as a derrick worker flashed in his mind and he almost laughed. Then he remembered that Rea was trying to retire, and Kristen, who had been filling in for her, would now be home with the new baby. They were out a secretary.

  “Can you type and answer calls?” he asked.

  She tilted her head and narrowed her eyes. “Can’t everyone?”

  He smiled quickly, and her eyes flashed to his lips. Damn, was she flirting with him in front of her boyfriend? He was fixing to get punched again. Turning away from her, he held out his hand towards Brent. “Both of you swing by. I think we might have something.”

  “Ready?” Tony asked behind him.

  “Sure.” He threw over his shoulder, “Tomorrow around eight. We’re in the old brick building…”

  “We know where it’s at,” Brent said. Dylan lightly slapped his side. “Thanks.”

  Trey nodded and followed Tony out. He desperately wanted to look back to see if Dylan was watching him, but she was taken so he had to try to cleanse his mind of her.

  Chapter 3

  “Don’t screw this up.” Dylan shoved her brother into the bathroom. “You promised me you wouldn’t drink last night.” She pushed harder, but her brother’s big form didn’t budge.

  “Aww, come on. It was three beers.” Brent finally moved.

  “Shower, dress. And hurry, we’re going to be late.” When her brother didn’t move, she pinched his side until he howled.

  “Damn it, Dylan!” He turned on her. She raised her eyebrows in challenge. “Don’t do that.”

  “Go, now.” She pointed to the shower. “I will not let you mess up our last chance at decent jobs in this town.”

  “Man, you’re bossy all of a sudden.” Brent turned and pulled off his shirt.

  When he started to step out of his shorts, she retreated to the bedroom and slammed the bathroom door between them. “Five minutes,” she called out to the door. “Or I’m leaving without you.”

  Fifteen minutes later, they walked into the old brick building downtown that housed McGowan Enterprises.

  She had on her best outfit, while her brother wore a pair of worn jeans and a clean polo. Still, at least he’d shaved and showered.

  When they walked in, she was surprised to find the front desk empty.

  “Last time there was a pregnant woman behind the desk,” Brent added as he took a seat.

  Dylan stood at the desk and checked her watch. They were five minutes late. She groaned and glared at her brother as he started flipping through a magazine.

  “Hello?” she called out down the long hallway. When the phone started ringing, she jumped slightly and glanced around. Biting her lip, she waited until the phone stopped ringing before she started down the hallway. When the phone started up again, she sighed and rushed to pick it up.

  “McGowan Enterprises, this is Dylan, can I help you?” she answered while her brother watched her.

  “Dylan?” The voice on the other end sounded familiar. “You’re hired. I’m the last door on the left. Please send Brent back my way.” The line went dead, and she blinked at the receiver for a full minute before s
he realized what had happened.

  “You’re supposed to go on back. The last door on the left,” she told her brother.

  “Who was that?” he asked, moving towards her.

  “Trey McGowan, I think. He told me I’m hired and said to send you back.” She leaned closer. “Don’t screw this up.” She motioned towards the hallway as she sat behind the desk.

  For the next half hour, she waited patiently, answering the phone when it rang. She took messages, gave help where she could, or simply told the caller that she didn’t have access to the computer yet, which was locked with a password. She took notes and told them she would return their call once she was in the system, which she hoped would be after Trey was done with her brother since it appeared neither of the other brothers were in the office at the moment.

  When the mailman arrived, he leaned on her desk and chatted, asking her when she had been hired and if Rea was every going to return.

  She found out from Gary, the postman, that Kristen McGowan had had her baby two days ago, a boy by the name of Timothy Jack. The man gossiped a lot and in the ten minutes she spent chatting with him, she found out more about the brothers than she had in the month they’d lived in Haven.

  Trey was the youngest of the three boys. Tyler, the oldest, was married to Kristen. Trent, the middle boy, was married to Addy.

  By the time her brother walked out of Trey’s office, she was feeling a little more comfortable with the situation. It seemed that Rea had officially retired a few months back, and Kristen had taken over temporarily until they could find someone full time, which it appeared they had.

  “He wants to see you.” Brent nodded towards the back. “I start a week from today. I have to have a physical and some paperwork done first.” He held up a piece of paper. “I’m heading over to the clinic now to get the blood work.” Her brother smiled and for the first time in years, he looked happy. “I’ll pick you up around five.”

  She smiled and hugged him. “We did it,” she whispered to him.

  “You did it.” He leaned down and placed a brotherly kiss on her cheek.

  When she heard someone clear his throat, she glanced over and smiled, seeing Trey at the end of the hallway. He was dressed in a dark grey suit and leaning against the door frame. He looked even sexier in the suit than he had in the worn jeans and black shirt the night before. It was funny, but he looked like he was comfortable in both.

  “Coming,” she called out. She quickly gathered the stack of messages before waving to Brent as he walked out. “I have some messages—”

  “I expect that won’t happen too often in the workplace.” Trey motioned for her to enter his office.

  She stopped and frowned. “What won’t?”

  “The PDA.” He motioned for her to sit across from him as he took the spot behind the massive glass and wood desk. There were large windows behind him that looked out over a small creek. She wondered why his desk didn’t face the view instead of the doorway. If it was up to her, she’d turn the desk around and… probably not get a thing done all day long. His words registered finally.

  “PD…” She almost laughed, but then she nodded quickly. “Of course.” She straightened her shoulders. “I have some messages here.” She handed them over. “If I can get access to the computer, I can start to learn your system better.”

  He pulled out a piece of paper. “Rea’s notes are here. Everything you need to know about the job.” He handed it over. “I’ll need you to fill out some standard paperwork for your paychecks, health benefits, retirement.” He pulled out a file and handed it to her. “Take some time and get these back to me before you leave today.”

  “Sure.” She leaned across and took the folder. “I can’t thank you enough for everything you’ve done for Brent and me.”

  Trey nodded. “I’m expecting a few other meetings today since my brothers are out. Tyler won’t be in for a full month. His wife—”

  “Just had a baby,” she filled in. His eyebrows rose. “Gary, the mailman, filled me in. Trent is on the job site, filling in for Tyler.” She nodded.

  “Right.” Trey sighed. “Which leaves me stuck in the office for the next month.” He practically groaned it.

  “I’ll show them back when they arrive. I assume there is a calendar of these meetings?”

  “Yes, it’s all there.” He nodded to Rea’s notes. “Lunch is from noon to one. You can take it in the break room or feel free to go off-site.”

  She frowned. “Brent won’t be back until five. I… didn’t pack a lunch.”

  “I can drive you somewhere if you need. I was planning on hitting the Dancing Moose. You’re welcome to tag along.”

  “Thank you.” She smiled. “That would be fine.” She stood up and smiled when Trey stood up quickly.

  “No, thank you. You came at the right time. Without you, I’d be stuck out front trying to do my job while I answered phones.”

  She smiled. “I’ll…” She heard the phone ring and he nodded. “Thanks,” she said, rushing to answer it.

  Over the next two hours, she familiarized herself with their system. It wasn’t hard and by the time noon rolled around, she was confident with most of it.

  She answered the phone with assurance and when the folks showed up for Trey’s meetings, she showed them to the back and happily got coffee and drinks for everyone.

  She had to admit, it felt wonderful being off her feet most of the day and working a real job. She filled out the personnel paperwork and, just before noon, knocked on Trey’s door to turn it in.

  “Come in,” he called out.

  “I have my paperwork all ready.” She handed him the folder.

  He motioned for her to sit as he glanced through it. “You and Brent have the same last name?” He glanced up with a frown. His eye zeroed in on the many rings on her fingers. “Married?” he asked.

  She laughed quickly. “God no, Brent is my brother.”

  She noticed the change in him right away. It was as if Trey totally relaxed around her and, for the first time, she realized why he’d been a little icy with her.

  “You thought…” She took a deep breath trying to hide the humor she felt about the entire situation. “Our parents died a few years back. Since then, we’re all we have. We’ve stuck together through thick and thin.”

  Trey nodded slowly. “Our dad died almost two years back. My brothers and I had to step up our game to save this place.” He leaned back, glancing around. “Course, we were lucky we had this.”

  “Yes.” She smiled as she looked around. “Our father was a banker. You would think he would have put some money away himself, but when they died, we were strapped and, less than a year later, we lost everything.”

  “I’m sorry.” Trey leaned forward.

  “Don’t be. This is the first time something has gone right for us.” She smiled. “We can’t thank you enough for giving us a chance. Especially after the other night.”

  Trey’s blue eyes turned down slightly. “I kind of egged your brother on in the bathroom.” He stood and leaned on the edge of the desk in front of her.

  “You don’t have to lie,” she broke in. “Brent can be a jerk when he drinks. That’s one of the reasons he’ll be staying sober from here on out.”

  “Your brother doesn’t have to turn into a saint. Half the men in the hold with us the other night work for us.” He chuckled. “Hell, what else is there to do around here but drink, fight and…” He cleared his throat. “Sorry.”

  She smiled. “What? Fuck?” She laughed. “For most of the last four years, I’ve been around my brother twenty-four seven. Nothing you can say will shock me.”

  “I doubt that,” he said softly.

  She stood up suddenly and then realized too late how close the move put them.

  “The only reason I gave your brother another chance was the need to see you again.” He moved closer. His hand reached out to touch her elbow.

  * * *

  Dylan’s eyes darkened. For
the first time, he was seeing them clearly and up close. He’d imagined they were a dark mocha color, but there was a light ring of hazel along the iris that turned slightly green when he touched her. Her cheeks flushed, and he wondered how her skin would feel next to his.

  Suddenly, he broke contact and stepped back as he realized they were standing in the middle of his office and he’d just officially hired her.

  “How about lunch?” He turned and flipped his computer off. “I’m starving,” he said, trying to hide what being so close to her had done to him.

  “Sure, let me grab my coat.” She rushed from the room and he took his time pulling on his own jacket and gloves. The weather called for more snow today and he knew better than to ignore the predictions.

  He had been pleasantly surprised that she was wearing nice black slacks with a cream top and a thick sweater jacket over it. The outfit was business-like but warm enough for winter in Montana. She’d pulled her jet-black hair up into two small clips above her ears, and he had found himself wishing she’d left the short tresses down.

  When he figured he’d waited long enough, he headed down the hallway. She was standing at the desk, a large black bag in her arms, watching him.

  Suddenly, he felt like he was on a runway, being assessed by the best fashion critics.

  He’d worn a standard suit he and his brothers had purchased together. Since all of them hated shopping, they had made a trip into Helena and gotten the deed done at the same time.

  Since they no longer lived under one roof together, they had purchased identical items and quickly gotten out of the shops.

  Still, he had enough sense to add his own style to each outfit. He hated ties but left one balled up in the top drawer of his desk, in case he ever absolutely needed one.

  As it was, her eyes were soaking him up, and he felt his body instantly react to the heat coming off her gaze.

  “Ready?” he asked, trying to swallow the desire that had built up.

  She nodded quickly and turned away from him.