Love Without Reservations: A Grumpy/Sunshine Gay Romance

ONE

noel

Showing up at some random dude’s house to track down my wayward sister wasn’t the craziest thing I’d done to try to keep her safe—but pretty damn close.

As I pounded on the door of the two-story house with white siding, I questioned my life choices. What was I doing in Cataluma, California? Why was I so obsessed about making sure Kendra didn’t make yet another mistake? How could I possibly persuade her to come back to Canada with me? She’d made a commitment to our father that she’d leave in two day’s time—Monday morning—but I had zero faith in that. Our father suggested she was interested in this small town. And given she’d not answered any of my many-dozen messages, I really needed to have my head examined for showing up here unannounced.

If you told her that you were coming, she might’ve left.

Yes, well, that was a distinct possibility.

Again, I pounded.

Young man.

I spun.

An older woman stood just a few feet behind me. She wore a flowered dress, a pillbox hat, carried a fabric purse and…wore slippers.

Unsure how to react, I stepped forward. Yes, ma’am.

You may call me Mrs. Jensen.

Yes, ma’am.

She scowled.

Yes, Mrs. Jensen. And how are you this evening?

Eyes narrowed. You’re here to see the Fernandez boy?

A myriad of responses came to mind, but I figured I’d go for simple. Yes, do you know where he is?

She scowled. At the dance. With that floozy.

Inwardly, I winced. Odds were, the woman was discussing my sister. At least I assumed that—given Kendra’s Harley sat in the driveway. Do you know the floozy’s name?

As if. Another scowl. Then she leaned in, as if to impart some great secret. She’s one of many. Javier’s a philanderer. A different woman each week.

Okay, I was really not liking this Javier guy. Worry for Kendra’s safety clawed at my throat. Maybe this guy was a serial killer—and the women he brought home were never heard from again. Or maybe he got them knocked up and then abandoned them. Or maybe⁠—

When you see Javier, tell him I’m disappointed. I knew his father. Good man. His mother…well, the less said about her, the better.

I wasn’t even going to try to interpret that statement. So, which way to the dance?

She pointed, and I tried to envision the town in my mind. Likely I’d need to go back to the main road and… What? Surely there’d be signs to this Strawberry Festival. My keys sat heavy in my hand, and I itched to race over there, but consideration had me offering my arm. May I help you home?

Aren’t you just a gentleman? Yes, that’s my house. She pointed across the street.

She linked her arm with mine, and we walked across to her home.

Despite my impatience, I waited until she was inside and the lock clicked into place. Then I spun, strode across the street, and got into my car. I made my way back to Prospector’s Row and took a gamble as to the probable location of the dance. Soon enough, I came across a park. At the very edge of a large lot, a car was pulling away.

I eased into the spot. My suitcases were in the back of my SUV, so I locked it, hoped no thieves cased the lot, and headed toward the noise.

As I approached, I spotted two men standing on a stage. One was tall and what my mother would’ve said was distinguished. His tuxedo seemed incongruous with everyone else’s shorts, khakis, or jeans. The other man was about the same height but younger. Closer in age to me, if I had to guess. As they conferred at the microphone, I surveyed the crowd.

Kendra.

She stood with a couple. The man and woman held hands, so probably a couple.

I approached the group quietly, not wanting to make a scene. I grabbed Kendra’s arm and started pulling her.

She whirled and took a fighter’s stance, obviously prepared to do battle. Jesus, I shouldn’t have snuck up on her. And if we started fighting here, at this…event…it’d look bad. But I needed to get her out of here and get us back on the road as soon as possible.

Noel?

Her face registered shock, given her slack-jawed expression and the narrowing of her blue eyes.

Eyes so like my own.

Hey, let go of her. The tall man glowered at me.

My first reaction was to tell the guy to fuck right off. This was my wayward sister, and I knew what was best for her. Anger simmered within me, and my heartrate increased.

Hey. A shorter woman with curly hair came up to me and got right into my face. She even had the temerity to poke her finger at my chest. You let her go.

I wanted to swat her hand away like I’d swat a mosquito, but the guy was by her side and, clearly, they came as a unit. And I’d have to risk letting go of Kendra, and that so wasn’t happening.

Yeah. A random voice from the crowd carried. Let her go.

Damn, this is getting out of hand. Fuck.

More people chorused in and, suddenly, I considered what this looked like. These people didn’t know me. Didn’t know my relationship to Kendra. Didn’t know I had only her best interests at heart. I didn’t spot any law enforcement, but that didn’t mean they weren’t around. Reluctantly, I released my grip on her arm. Look, you need to come with me.

"I don’t need to do anything." Kendra crossed her arms and rubbed the spot where I’d grabbed her.

For show, or had I really hurt her? Yet another damn.

What the fuck are you doing here, Noel?

You know this guy? The dude with long hair looked back and forth between the two of us. I wouldn’t put it past him to step in. I’d bet I could take him, but likely the crowd would take his side and, just as likely, I’d get arrested.

The nosy woman with the dude squinted. You’re siblings.

Kendra’s hair was lighter than mine, and her eye color wasn’t obvious in the fading light, but certain similarities existed between the two of us. Not to mention the Barker nose as well as the fact she was so tall, we were able to see eye to eye. I had an inch or two on her, but that rarely meant anything.

He’s my brother, but I have no idea why he’s here.

Jesus, was she really that dense? Or was she playing some kind of game? With my dear sister, it could go either way. I’m here to get you. To stop you from making a huge mistake.

She tilted her head in that way that drove me nuts. Her way of saying I’m going to play dumb. The truth was that she wasn’t dumb. Not by a long shot. Scatterbrained and flighty? Sure. Dumb? Not a chance.

And what mistake would that be?

God help me. I find you shacked up with some guy⁠—

Her eyes flashed. Jesus, Noel. Then a frown marred her brow. How do you know about me and Javier?

Maybe the fact your phone is at his house. And he’s a well-known player in town?

The shorter lady demanded. Who told you that?

His neighbor. A nice older woman who was only too happy to enlighten me about the string of women he’s had come through his house. Although what the point was of this, I wasn’t sure.

A bark of laughter escaped the woman. "You’re talking about Mrs. Jensen. Lost her mind years ago. She only thinks she knows what all is going on. Heck, she thinks Sequoia’s a woman because of his hair."

Sequoia. What kind of name was that? Undoubtedly some hippie California surfer dude. Although we weren’t that close to the ocean.

Focus.

She said⁠—

You tracked my phone? Kendra’s high-pitched and indignant shout drew the attention of several onlookers.

Damn, a crowd was gathering to watch the show. How the hell else was I going to find you? You tell our father you’re in some town with a strawberry festival, and I find you’ve finally left your phone on long enough to track… I’d put the software on the damn thing when I gave it to her as a gift—because she was forgetful and had lost several in the past. This one’d been damn expensive, and I wanted us to have a way to find it if she ever left it behind somewhere. I’d never foreseen using it to track her.

So you tell yourself.

That sounds like stalking. Sequoia’s brow knit. Isn’t that illegal?

I told her I installed the software when I bought her the phone. There, see? I could defend myself. Not that I should have to.

You told me that was in case I lost it. Her anger hadn’t diminished—if anything, it increased.

I put my hands on my hips. This is getting us nowhere. You assumed. I never actually said⁠—

Kendra? Some guy barrelled through the crowd—the guy I’d spotted on the stage earlier.

Just great.

He came up behind her and stood so close that if she leaned back, she’d be flat against his chest.

Ah, so this was the dude. Javier Fernandez. He was taller than me by a couple of inches. But while he was wiry, I had a bit more heft. Even in the darkening night, his tanned skin was visible, and his eyes were almost black. Likely he had some kind of Latino or Hispanic heritage. I wasn’t going to be derailed. This the guy?

Who is this?

Javier’s voice carried what I assumed was supposed to be menace. I still believed I could take him. Just not him and Sequoia and whomever else might jump into the fray. Didn’t put it past the woman with the tats and the dour expression not to jump in as well.

Why was I obsessing about fighting? I was a pacifist by nature. Maybe not like I assumed these hippie people to be, but I never fought. Even growing up, I’d defended people weaker than me, but always with words—never with deeds.

Kendra blinked. This is my brother. She grabbed Javier’s hand. Then she spun back to me. And this is the man I love—Javier.

Jesus fucking Christ.

I staggered back a step.

Okay, flighty, fanciful, daydreamy, Kendra believed she was in love? She wasn’t, of course. Apparently, she’d been in town all of four days, and people definitely didn’t fall in love in just four days.

Goddammit, they’ve had sex.

I so did not want to think about my sister’s sex life, but she tended to, uh, do it with guys quite quickly after meeting them.

She claimed she needed to know if they were sexually compatible because, otherwise, she wasn’t wasting her time with them.

I bristled. You’ve known him for how long?

Javier pulled her back and wound his arms around her. Time is irrelevant. We both know what we want.

Oh, great, two irresponsible people. Just what I need.

She’s a child, Javier. Did he not see? "Never finished