“Me, either.” Luke tucked his phone in his jacket pocket and let up on the brake. “Let’s keep our fingers crossed that Mr. Thatcher beats them up there and clears away the evidence.”
Chapter 19
Giselle was damned uncomfortable about having Bryce find out she’d had sex with a human, especially after the strong stand she’d taken on the subject. But maybe she’d been due for a comeuppance. She might have been way too sanctimonious.
And if the cleaning crew didn’t arrive in time, there could be benefits for Luke and Cynthia’s relationship. Maybe a dose of humility would help Luke realize he had no business trying to control his little sister’s life.
“This is it.” Luke parked the car beside a small log cabin with a covered front porch. A couple of wooden rockers sat on the porch, and a rock chimney added to the rustic charm of the place. Large pines hovered close, as if sheltering the cabin.
“Cute.” Giselle wouldn’t say so and risk hurting Luke’s feelings, but she much preferred this setting to the glitz of the Vegas strip. Any werewolf would.
“Yeah, cute. I wonder how they’ve booby-trapped it. They’ve had hours to plan this one.”
“We could just not go in.”
“True.” He glanced at her. “But then we’d never know what they did.”
“Yeah, okay. I’m curious, too. We’ll approach with caution.” Giselle thought of the many pranks her brother had pulled as a kid. “Watch where you step.”
“That’s not reassuring. Anything could be hidden under the leaves scattered on the ground.”
“I’m used to the woods.” She glanced over at him. “Want me to go in first?”
“No.” He blew out a breath and opened his door. “I’m not letting you get doused when I’m her target. Stay here while I check things out.”
“Nothing doing.” She climbed out of the car, her boots crunching on dry leaves. Ah. Fresh air. Woods. Her favorite environment. She stretched her arms over her head.
He rounded the car and stood gazing at her. “Would it have made a difference if I’d said please stay put?”
“Probably not.” She lowered her arms and breathed in the pine-scented air as she walked toward him. “But you could try that next time and see. Taking a wild guess, here, but did your father give orders?”
“He was the boss.”
“Of the world?”
He blinked. “Of course not! He was the boss of Dalton Industries, and giving orders is part of the job.”
“What about your family? Was he the boss there, too?”
“Yes. I can tell you don’t approve of that, but for the most part, it was a good thing.”
“I’m not passing judgment on him, Luke. He obviously loved you all very much. But a benevolent dictatorship doesn’t work these days, especially when a man gives orders to a woman.”
He sighed. “You’re right.”
“But I have to say, meeting you has taught me a lot, too.”
“By my poor example?”
She couldn’t help smiling. “Yep. ’fraid so. When I finally talk to Bryce, I’ll be more interested in hearing his side of the story than trying to convince him to do his duty.”
Luke sighed and scrubbed a hand over his face before looking at her again. “I get it, Giselle. I really do. But for a sister to give her big brother space to be his own person is one thing. For a brother to do the same for his little sister, which includes standing by while she struts around half-naked in front of drooling strangers . . . Can you see why that’s difficult for me to accept?”
“Yes.” She closed the distance between them and slid her arms around his neck. “I can see that what Cynthia’s asking of you goes against every protective male instinct you have.”
He gathered her close. “It sure as hell does. Thanks for recognizing that.”
“You’ll have to override those instincts.”
“How?”
“I can’t tell you how, but I can tell you why.”
“I’m listening. Strong motivation is always good.”
“Backing off will show that you trust her to manage her own life. After that, you can stop being the authority figure and move on to becoming her friend.”
He searched her gaze. “You’re a smart lady.”
“I am?”
“Uh-huh.” He massaged the small of her back. “Ultimately, that’s what I want with Cynthia, although I couldn’t have put it into words. You just did.”
“Probably because you’re so close to the situation.”
“Maybe, but thanks, anyway. My dad used to say a parent isn’t supposed to be a friend, and he was right. But I’m not a parent.”
“That’s right.”
“It’s so damned simple, Giselle. I’m not her parent.”
Happiness bubbled within her as the sparkle returned to his blue eyes. “Congratulations, Luke. I think that was an honest-to-goodness breakthrough.”
“Yep, it is.” He beamed at her. “I can feel it. I was thinking like a parent, but it’s like a switch was just flipped in my brain. No more parent. Whew.”
“Feel better now?”
“Yeah, and about a hundred pounds lighter, too. I don’t even give a damn what sort of soaking I’m about to get inside that cabin.” He gave her a squeeze and released her. “Let’s go find out what they’ve been up to.”
“I’m sure they put some effort into it, whatever it is.”
He took her hand as they walked toward the cabin’s front porch. “I guess I should be flattered by that.”
“I think so. If she didn’t care about you, she’d leave town and begin her dancing career somewhere else. Instead, she’s campaigning for a job in your casino.”
“I still say she has an unrealistic vision of how that will turn out, but at least I’ll be there if anything goes wrong.”
“And she wants that.”
“Apparently.” He paused. “Do you hear music?”
She’d heard it long ago, but had decided not to draw more attention to her excellent hearing. “I do. Do you recognize it?”
“I do.” He sighed. “She’s been in the family vault. I realize it’s her choice, but damn. She took a hell of a chance, leaving it playing with the door open and no one here.”
Giselle squeezed his hand. “Not such a huge chance. She knows you’re right behind her, and this area seems relatively quiet.”
“I suppose.”
“And you’re not the parent.”
“No. See, I thought I’d fixed myself, and then I reverted back the minute I thought she’d taken a chance with a video.”
“You’re getting there, Luke. Don’t get discouraged. Habits can be really hard to break.” Her heart ached for him. He was so determined to do the right thing, and yet sometimes so confused about what that was. Her issues with Bryce were a walk in the park compared to Luke’s struggle to gracefully make the transition after his dad’s death.
He’d automatically assumed that he should be the head of the family as well as CEO of the corporation. But there was no head of the family now. His role was cherished brother and friend to his sister.
No wonder he’d been so autocratic with Cynthia in the beginning. “Don’t forget that your sister knows exactly which buttons to push to test you and throw you into a panic.”
“Yeah, she does.” His gaze lingered on her, the light in his eyes warm. “I’m glad you’re here, Giselle. God knows what kind of mess I would have made if you hadn’t been.”
“I won’t insult your intelligence by contradicting that statement.”
He laughed. “I’m even glad your brother is here. I’m sure he’s the one who convinced Cynthia to turn this into a game instead of a vendetta.”
“I think he was.”
“Come on, then.” Still holding her hand, he started up the steps to the cabin’s front porch. “Let’s find out what our brilliant siblings cooked up for us.” Luke hesitated in front of the cabin’s rustic wooden door. “We’re dry so far, but once we go in, all bets are off. Normally I hold the door for a lady, but in this case . . .”