Crazy Thing (The Brighton Family #5)

Chapter 36

36

ZIGGY

D arius’s fingers move like lightning across the keyboard of his laptop. “Did you call the contractor about his latest expense report from The North Node renovation?” he asks without looking up.

I slip the last file I worked on today back into its designated slot in the neatly organized filing cabinet. “Yup.”

His eyes remain on the screen. “And did you email Mr. Laurier my latest comments on those new real estate deals he’s proposing?”

“Uh-huh.”

He pauses, searching his mind. “What about my financial advisor? I wanted to increase my contributions to my niece’s trust fund.”

I prop a hip against the filing cabinet, trying to keep my smug grin under control. “Handled. It’s all been handled.” I’m gloating and I can’t hide it.

Darius leans back in his executive chair, a doubtful frown on his face as he looks around. Then his eyes rebound to mine. “So we’re…done?”

I nod. “We’re done. ”

The office is quiet. The rest of the staff is already gone for the night. Darius checks his watch then he glances around the room again, like he can’t believe it.

“What?” I laugh, tickled by his expression.

“It’s just that, we took the entire weekend off. I was expecting that we’d be forced to work late today to make up for it.”

I strut over to his desk, gently closing his laptop and pushing it aside. “Well, you have a very efficient staff led by a very efficient office manager.” I plant my palms on the tabletop and grin in his face.

I watch as he pulls out his phone and puts it on ‘do not disturb’ mode. At five o’clock on a Monday evening. I must be in an alternate universe.

His finger loops around the strap of my camisole and he drags me closer for a kiss. “Hmm. Does that mean I get to take you on a date tonight?”

“A date?”

Darius and I haven’t spent more than a few minutes apart since I showed up at his home for the gala on Friday evening.

We spent the entire weekend together. We woke up in my bus parked in his front yard on Saturday before going to my shop in Honey Hill. When I drove him back home last night, he tried to lure me into his house with promises of hot tea, a fireplace and a warm, cozy bed. After I turned down his offer, he pinned me down on the sofa-bed in my bus and made me come over and over until we both passed out, dead asleep. That’s how I ended up riding in to work with him this morning.

It’s Monday evening and I was starting to feel like our fun weekend romp had run its course. But now here he is, asking me on another date? !

Wait—am I ‘dating’ Darius Brighton? I…I think I am.

“There’s this seafood restaurant Nolan keeps going on and on about—Matilda’s,” he’s saying now with a smile on his face. “Maybe we could give it a try.”

Oh my god—I’m dating Darius Brighton!

I do my best to play it cool. I scrunch up my nose at him. “Aren’t you sick of eating out?” I don’t think I’ve seen this man eat a home-cooked meal once since I’ve been working here.

He’s wearing a wolfish grin when he rises out of his seat, rounding his desk and grabbing my waist. “Well, I’ll say this—I’ll never be sick of eating you out.” He hoists me onto his desk, diving down to nibble at my neck.

“Darius!” I shriek, throwing my head back in laughter. “I’m serious. You need a home-cooked meal.”

“That sounds like something my sister would say.” He grumbles. “Every week she puts one of her Karli’s Kitchen meal prep boxes in my fridge. Like she actually expects me to cook it or something. As if I have the time. It usually just sits there until the ingredients start going bad and my housekeeper throws the whole thing out.”

“Well, your sister is right,” I insist. “Your body needs something fresh and nutritious. How about I cook you dinner?”

“Sounds good but—shoot!—I’m fresh out of buckwheat.” I feel the rumble of his muffled laughter as his lips travel across my clavicle.

I roll my eyes. “You are? Such a shame.” Bracing him by the shoulders, I gently push him back. “Good thing I know the perfect place where we can buy some.”

That’s how Darius and I end up weaving and wandering through the crammed booths of the Starlight Falls farmer’s market at 5:11 on a Monday evening. The sun is still out but there’s that end-of-September chill in the air. The market is not very crowded. In fact, most of the vendors have started packing up for the night.

It takes me a whole lot of self-control to walk right past the displays of handmade jewelry and local artwork but Darius and I are on a mission. We have to get the provisions we need before the merchants close up for the night.

As we’re passing by the local hatmaker’s booth, my feet stutter and my eyes pause on a cute sunhat that’s on display. Before I can resume my speed-walk toward the fruit and vegetable booths, Darius grabs my hand and forces my footsteps to halt.

“Did something catch your eye?” he asks me.

“Oh, nothing in particular. This booth just always has really cool stuff,” I say, even as my gaze volleys back to the sunhat.

“This one feels like you.” He strolls right over to the exact hat that stole my attention. He lifts it off the hook where it’s displayed and inspects it. It’s suede with a floppy brim and it’s decorated with dark brown tassels.

I run a fingertip along the brim and smile at him. “It does feel like me.” I try to take the hat from him and return it to the display. “But we’ve got to get to the vegetable stand before—”

“There’s no rush.”

“But what about—?”

“We’re going to be very busy later on in the week. Right now, there’s no rush, Fairy Girl. Let’s enjoy this.” Darius gently settles the hat over my head.

He turns me to face the small mirror hanging on the booth’s back wall. And I’m confronted by the hot red blush that’s burning up my cheeks .

“That one looks great on you.” The hatmaker drapes his measuring tape around his neck and offers us a smile.

“I agree. What do you think?” Darius whispers by my ear, his strong hands tenderly massaging my shoulders before his arms wrap around my midriff.

His touch is so gentle, yet so firm. I just want to melt into him, right here in the middle of this farmer’s market.

“I like it,” I say softly. “But…” I remove the hat from my head, and reach for the price tag.

Before I can read the cost, Darius snatches the hat from me and passes it to the vendor, along with his black card. “We’ll take it.”

“Darius!” I hiss. “I don’t need yet another ha—”

He shuts me up with a sweet, slow kiss. “You want it, it’s yours. Period.”

My belly flutters at how sweet and attentive he’s being.

“Now, say thank you.”

I roll my eyes. “Thank you. Jerk.”

Darius laughs. His lips return to the tip of my nose.

So this is what I’ve been missing out on? All these years when I was perfectly content to be on my own, I could have had this instead?

I try to downplay the butterflies in my belly. Especially when the hatmaker raises his eyebrows at me, his cheeks heavy with a wide grin.

I give my head a wag as if I can shake my blush away. I return my attention to Darius. “What do you mean we’ll be busy later on this week?”

“You and I will be flying to Chicago,” he says, his arms still wrapped around me as we wait for the merchant to finish packaging my new hat.

“Chicago?” I question.

“If all goes well with Laurier, I’ll need to visit the new real estate locations he’s proposing. Plus, now that we reached a trade agreement with the Mountaineers today, I’m meeting with my hockey team co-owners to discuss our next move. In all honesty, it’s the kind of discussion that could be handled over a simple conference call. But it seems those billionaires just like an excuse to bring out their private helicopters now and then—”

“Wait, wait, wait. Let’s backtrack a second.” I interrupt him. “You reached a trade agreement for the new hockey player today?”

He nods.

I give my head a shake. “That’s amazing ,” I breathe out, unable to hide the fact that I’m impressed. I throw my arms around him, giving him a heartfelt hug. “Congratulations, Darius.”

He lets out a surprised chuckle. “Um, thanks. You do realize that I close business transactions like this all the time?”

“So what?” I retort. “It’s a talent. Don’t take your accomplishment for granted. I know that was a tough negotiation. You’re allowed to celebrate your achievement.”

He seems to mull it over in his head for a minute. “You’re right.” He squeezes me tighter. “I do take it for granted. And you know what? It’s nice having someone in my corner for once, cheering me on.”

I do a little wiggle and a cutesy dance routine. “Glad to be your cheerleader.”

“Hottest cheerleader ever. ” Darius laughs, his lips covering mine.

Deepening the kiss, he pulls me under his spell with his talented lips and his sensual little groans. It isn’t until we hear whistles and cheers and applause nearby that we ease apart .

I glance over my shoulder, mortified to find that vendors and shoppers alike are staring at Darius and me. The worst part is when I make eye contact with a grinning Aunt Rainbow from where she’s sweeping up behind her counter. She’s beaming the brightest. Oh god.

“We’re causing a scene,” I mumble, raking my fingers through my hair to get it in order.

Darius flashes me a dazed smile. “Hey, I don’t care who’s watching. As long as your lips are on mine, you won’t hear me complaining.”

“I can see that.” I gently wipe my glittery lip balm off of his mouth.

The hatmaker hands me a shopping bag before returning the credit card to Darius. With his palm at the small of my back, he guides me to my aunt’s produce stand.

“My gorgeous moonbeam.” My aunt comes out from behind her table, arms outstretched.

“Hi Aunt Rainbow. You look amazing.” I take in her handmade jewelry and her gorgeous multi-color dress.

“Not as amazing as you. Look at you. Your aura is blinding me. You’re absolutely glowing.” She wraps me in a hug. “Your boss is treating you extra well, I see.” Her knowing gaze shifts to Darius.

“Stop it, Aunt Rainbow.” I hiss by her ear, my cheeks filling with heat again as I move toward her booth. My aunt is one of the first few vendors to already have Halloween decorations on display. It makes me smile.

Darius just grins. “Your niece deserves all the employment perks I give her and way more.”

Aunt Rainbow bobs her head approvingly. “That’s what I like to hear.” Her attention comes back to me. “So what brings you to the farmer’s market today, love?”

I point my thumb in Darius’s direction. “This man has been eating on the go since the day I started working for him. He’s in need of a hearty, home-cooked meal tonight.”

“Well, you’ve come to the right place. What are you two in the mood for? I have fresh spinach and zucchini today. Or how about sweet potatoes?” Her eyes bounce between Darius and me.

In my peripheral vision, I see a massive hand clamp down on Darius’s shoulder right then. “There you are.” Archer Brighton gives his brother a hard shake before offering Aunt Rainbow and me a nod. “I called you about half an hour ago to see if you were available.”

Darius narrows his eyes, looking less than happy to see his brother. “Why?”

Archer chuckles. “Sheesh! Just off to the hardware store to pick up some supplies. Did you see that new message Mom and Dad left in the group chat this morning? Now that Felix and Daphne have set a wedding date, they’ll be coming home from Europe soon. So I figured I’d get started on the repairs I’ve been meaning to take care of around the ranch. Fixing the downstairs shower, being number one.”

“Okay, enjoy that.” Darius turns away from his brother, bringing his attention back to me.

Archer scoffs. “Damn. You won’t even offer to lend a hand?”

Darius shrugs, inching closer to me. “I’m shopping with Ziggy.”

“It won’t take long. I’ve already ordered the supplies. I just need to pick them up and pack them into the truck.”

“Aren’t there employees at the hardware store?” Darius tosses out.

“That place is notoriously short-staffed. That’s well-known around town.”

“Well, don’t we have other siblings? ”

“They’re all at work.” Archer plants his fists on his hips, obviously exasperated by his stubborn brother.

Laughing, I lay a hand on Darius’s shoulder. “Go on. I’ll handle the shopping.”

“But we haven’t decided what we’re eating,” he whines. “Spinach or zucchinis or sweet potatoes.”

“I’ll surprise you.” I wink.

Darius continues to protest. “But I—”

“Turn on your phone and go help your brother,” I boss him around. “I’ll text you when I’m done.”

I smooth my hands down his shoulders, down his strong biceps. Right before my eyes, this powerful man softens for me. “Fine.”

Darius pouts at his smirking brother as he hands his credit card over to Aunt Rainbow.

He’s pouting. Actually pouting.

Darius follows Archer out of the farmer’s market and I can’t look away. His body is so lean and powerful in that white button-down and those tailored pants. He must feel me staring because he turns and sends me a wink over his shoulder as he goes.

Internally, I swoon.

It takes me a minute to realize that my aunt has been speaking this whole time. “…On nights like tonight, I usually prefer to make my famous sweet potato chili. But Jimmy says there’s nothing like a good sweet potato black bean casserole. What do you think?”

I jolt. “Huh?”

She laughs knowingly, her eyes flitting to where the Brighton brothers are exiting the market.

“Sorry, Aunt Rainbow. I haven’t heard a word you said since that man walked away,” I confess.

Hands clutched over her chest, she sighs wistfully. “The stars are aligning, aren’t they? Looks like that recent Venus-Mars conjunction has sparked a soul connection.”

I turn to her, chewing on my bottom lip. “I don’t know, Aunt Rainbow.” I grab a shopping basket from near her cash register.

She’s furrowing her eyebrows at me, looking bewildered. “What? The infatuation on Darius’s face is obvious. Are you saying the feeling isn’t mutual? You don’t feel the same way he does?”

“I do. And that’s exactly the problem,” I admit.

“I don’t understand.”

My chest deflates on an exhale. Trying to distract myself, I pause to browse a poster for the upcoming Peace and Pumpkins Festival. “All of this just feels so sudden, so unexpected. These feelings came out of nowhere. I’ve never been so utterly immersed in another person. Not just in the lusty, passionate moments. But in those quiet, calm moments, too. It’s like, when we’re together, it just feels so right. Intense but serene at the same time.”

“And why is that a problem, moonbeam?” I see the concern expressed in the lines on her face.

I offer a weak shrug as I drop a few lemons into my basket. “I keep wondering if I’m just deluding myself. I mean—Darius isn’t the type of man that I ever imagined myself with.”

“What do you mean?” she asks, following closely on my heels as I add items to my shopping basket.

“He’s so…worldly and logical,” I say. “Meanwhile, I allow my intuition and my spiritual gifts to guide me, even when it makes no sense to the outside world. He’s ridiculously rich while I can barely keep my bank account from dipping below zero. He’s the opposite of me in every way.” I chew on my lip some more. “But at the same time, there’s this co nnection and understanding between us I’ve never felt with anyone else.”

I turn and face her, a sense of urgency gripping my chest. “That’s good, moonbeam.” She affectionately squeezes my shoulder.

“But how can I remain true to myself when I’m falling for someone who’s so different from me? What if I end up losing myself?”

“Or…what if he unlocks pieces of you that you’ve been unaware of this whole time?” she counters.

I blink. “What do you mean?”

My aunt smiles kindly. “Y’know—Jimmy is my opposite, too. He’s grounded and broody and analytical. But me? I’ve always got my head in the clouds. He does his best to keep my feet on the ground. Without him, I would have probably floated off to another galaxy by now and never come back.”

We both laugh.

She continues. “What I’m saying is, ‘opposite’ doesn’t have to mean ‘bad’. It’s ying and yang. There’s power in contrast. My husband balances me out. We compliment each other. I help him see possibilities. He helps me see reason. And together, we’re a powerhouse.”

I like the sound of that. A powerhouse. Could that be Darius and me?

“It’s just so hard to trust that our connection is genuine,” I say. I pick up a sweet potato, inspecting it mindlessly. “I don’t…I can’t…I don’t trust him.”

My aunt takes the potato from me, dropping it into my basket and adding a few more. “What exactly is it that you don’t trust?” she asks sagely, like she already knew the answer before she even formulated the question.

“I guess…I don’t trust the feelings he claims to have for me.” I feel my throat closing up. “To be honest—I don’t trust th at I’m enough for him. I’m scared that I’m just an experiment to him. A peculiar flavor to taste. An unusual phase that he’ll eventually move on from.” Basically, I don’t trust myself. I don’t trust my worth.

How many men have refused to take me seriously in a relationship sense? How many times have I opened up to a guy only to be treated like some hush-hush experience? Something forbidden. Something that could never be brought out into the light. How many times in my life have I been treated like that? Hell—even my own parents can’t accept me for who I am.

That’s why Darius and his hand-holding and his public displays of affection are all so foreign to me. Too good to be real.

Aunt Rainbow speaks forcefully. “Ziggy—you know that you’re way more than that. You know how innately special you are. And Darius Brighton is far too shrewd of a man to not see the treasure you are.”

“Intellectually, I’m trying to believe all that. I’ve been meditating on it a lot. It’s just that, sometimes it’s hard to actually put those beliefs into practice in real life.” I sigh.

I’ve been trying for so long to see the best in me. I’ve been working so hard to shift my perception of myself. Yet somehow, it feels like I’m going in circles.

How many more crystals is it going to take? How many more sticks of incense am I going to have to burn? What’s the perfect mantra I need to chant to finally feel good about myself? Have I just been deluding myself all along? Will I ever get to the place where I can believe that I’m good enough?

And I feel so guilty because everyone thinks I have my shit all sorted out. Am I nothing but a big, giant fraud? Oh, god .

Aunt Rainbow drops a bundle of fresh basil into my basket. She cups my cheek, her touch cold but somehow so comforting. “Practice—that’s the keyword. That’s the work we should all be doing on a day to day basis. Practicing and trying to be better versions of ourselves.” She smiles softly. “Do you feel like Darius is genuinely trying to be a better man?”

“Yes. Everyday.” I nod slightly.

“And are you trying to be a better woman?” she questions.

My head bobs again as I feel a pull inside my chest.

My aunt’s wise, compassionate eyes shine at me. “So keep moving in that direction, moonbeam, and trust that the rest will unfold as it’s meant to.”

I inhale a slow breath. “I can do that.” At least, I can try.