Broken Bridges (Bridges Brothers Book 2) Read online

  Broken Bridges

  Bridges Brothers, Book 2

  By Lia Fairchild

  All rights reserved.

  Copyright 2020 © [Lia Fairchild]

  Cover Design: Amy Queau

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. This book contains material protected under International and Federal Copyright Laws and Treaties. Any unauthorized reprint or use of this material is prohibited. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system without express written permission from the author /publisher.

  ISBN-13: 978-0-9864153-7-1 (ebook)

  ISBN- 979-8-6063219-5-7 (print)

  ALSO BY LIA FAIRCHILD

  Building Bridges (Bridges Brothers, Book 1)

  Compulsive (Liar Duet, Book 1)

  Liar (Liar Duet, Book 2)

  In Search of Lucy

  Circle in the Sand

  Vigil-Annie

  Emma vs. the Tech Guy

  Special Delivery

  Home for Christmas

  High Maintenance

  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Epilogue

  Broken Bridges

  Mason Bridges was certain about what he wanted from life, about the man he wanted to be. Running the family’s construction business was the center of it all. Until he comes across an intriguing woman who challenges him at every turn and causes him to rethink his outlook on life. Ari’s more than just complicated, though.

  Ari Mendez has a painful past and a volatile present. She’s flying by the seat of her pants when she meets focused and responsible Mason. Her chaotic life puts her plans for the future in a holding pattern, but the one thing she’s certain about is that Mason is everything she never knew she wanted.

  Mason will have to leave the confines of his carefully structured life in order to show Ari he’s the man for her. But their differences and Ari’s ties to her ex threaten their chance to be together.

  Chapter 1

  Mason

  I’m not one who typically gets rattled by people’s words, by their opinions of me. I’ve known who I am and what I want for a long time now. So, it’s a rare occasion when words affect me like this. These particular words have stayed with me since they were imparted—by my Gramps, no less—a few days ago. And now they spin through my mind again as I drive Logan and me to the new site. Being “the man” is a state of mind. If you don’t feel like “the man” when you are the man, then it’s time to step back and look at your life.

  “What’s going on with you, Mase?” My younger brother has his foot up on the dash and his elbow resting on it.

  “Your dirty foot on my dash. Are you trying to piss me off?”

  He takes it down and chuckles. “Always. But you’re too damn quiet and you still haven’t lectured me yet during this trip.”

  “Maybe it’s time to hang up my big bro lectures.” It seems a more fitting response than admitting that I can’t stop thinking about what Gramps said to me. I might be running our family’s business—thriving business, I could add—but I haven’t felt like the man for too damn long.

  I can see him nodding out of the corner of my eye and I glance over. “What?”

  “Just trying to figure out if this is some reverse psychology shit or you actually think I have my life together.”

  I couldn’t be prouder of Logan, especially given what he’s overcome since his accident in the military. Not to mention the sacrifices he’s made for our own family. But this is more about me than him. “Neither, little brother.” I sigh and pull off the freeway.

  “What then?”

  I shake my head, thinking, because damn if an answer didn’t pop into my brain and I tossed it away like bad leftovers. “Just think it’s time for some change.”

  Without seeming to take in what my words mean, he snaps his reply. “What the hell, man? Is this because you feel threatened by me coming back to the business?”

  I check the GPS and make a turn before I give him a pointed look. “Don’t get all worked up now. Save it for the wifey.”

  “Screw you, Mase.” He pauses and when I don’t say anything, he adds. “You’re the one who kept telling me we should work together.”

  I throw him a quick smirk. “I know.” It’s actually something I’ve been pushing for a while now. I want more for my brother than working part-time at a gym and doing the occasional construction project for us. It’s not that I don’t think he can do the construction side of things. He’s proven himself recently, and his prosthetic leg hasn’t stopped him from anything physical. I just need to be careful, make sure I’m doing things for the right reason.

  “Look,” I say, pointing over his shoulder. “You can see the end of the property from here. Far enough from the freeway, though. Nice investment, right?” He looks but doesn’t respond. “I just keep thinking that’s where we go next. We should be buying these properties and flipping them. Not just building or renovating for other people to make money.”

  “Other people? You mean The Meyers Group.”

  “Not just them, but yeah.”

  “Dicey ground, my bro, considering your woman is The Meyers Group.”

  He’s right, but it’s more than that and this ride over has made that apparent to me. “My priority is and always has been Bridges Construction, not The Meyers Group.”

  “I know. I’m just yanking your chain.” I can see his gaze laser-focused on me now. “Shit, you really think we can get there?”

  “It might be a struggle at first, but it’s something to shoot for.”

  “Hell, yeah,” he says and I can hear his genuine interest.

  I stay quiet until we pull up to the property, leaving out the part where I already have the wheels in motion for this new venture, checking out licensing and financing, something I haven’t even told Megan about. I turn the engine off and face him.

  “I’ll be honest. I’m getting antsy, Lo.”

  He nods with clarity in his eyes. “So, that’s what this is about. Why you’ve been acting…off.”

  I draw in a deep breath and let it out, trying to decide how much I should say. “I don’t know—”

  “Yeah, and I get it.”

  “What?”

  He glances out the window to the property as if the answers lie there. When he turns back to me, he says, “You talk to Megan about this yet?”

  “No, man. Nothing is solid yet, so there’s no point.”

  “I’m thinking it’s not going to go over well.”

  And that is the point. “Maybe. But she’ll have to deal with it.”

  He raises his brows and then hits me in the arm. “Bro, you’re wearing a suit, like twenty-four seven. You guys aren’t even married and she’s already calling the shots, and—”

  “Bullshit,” I say, trying to cut him short, the reality stinging.

  He shakes his head and continues. “It’s been almost three years, man. Don’t tell me she’s not looking for th
at ring. Then you’re married to her and her pop’s company.”

  I yank the keys from the ignition, pissed off his words are not far from the truth, though Megan hasn’t mentioned marriage. “I didn’t hear you wanting me to turn down any of the work they sent our way.” I don’t wait for his reply before I open my door. Logan has been on the periphery of our family business since he returned home, and I’m hoping this new venture will solidify his commitment. “Let’s go check it out.”

  We walk up the driveway and have to side-step debris and a couple piles of old lumber. I look down and see my new shoes covered in dust. “Dammit.”

  Logan places a hand on my shoulder as he passes. “You’re shittin’ me, right?”

  “I would have changed if I had time. Plus, I didn’t think all this crap would still be here.”

  “Yeah, it’s been sitting for what…eleven months? Seems odd.”

  We stop when we reach the door and Logan turns to me. “What am I really doing here, Mase? I mean, you don’t even really need to be here. We could have had Ray scout it, and he and Dad could pull the crew together.”

  “I just thought if we started scoping some of these places out, you’d see what I see. The potential, and maybe be motivated to take this on with me. Help me convince Dad.”

  An obnoxious head nod takes over while he replies. “Oh, so I’m supposed to convince Dad to take the risk and invest his money in something he’s never done before.”

  “Our money… And all of our risk,” I say, holding back my irritation.

  I unlock the door and pop it open. The musty smell hits me along with a gust of wind. That can’t be right. This place should be locked up tight.

  “Not a good sign,” Logan says.

  Unfortunately, it’s not unusual for vandals to break windows or even vagrants breaking in to sleep the night if they know a place has been empty awhile. But Ray said he sent someone here a couple weeks ago. “Maybe someone left a window open,” I say.

  “And maybe I should go grab a hammer from the truck.” Logan turns to leave but I stop him. My brothers’ answer to most problems seems to be physical.

  “It’s not necessary. C’mon in.”

  We walk in and the first thing we see stops us dead in our tracks.

  “Holy shit.” Logan is just as floored as I am but finds his feet and walks to the back of the room to get a closer look.

  My gaze scans the length of the wall. “I can’t believe this. It’s…”

  “Kind of amazing,” he replies.

  One entire wall of the living room has been painted, not like you’d paint a living area in a soft beige, “first-home” color but as if someone had used the wall as a canvas for a giant piece of art. Most of the image is of a pregnant woman sitting in a rocking chair next to a window with a crib underneath it. I have to admit it’s stunning but a little haunting as well. The color choices seem odd too. I take a few steps closer, mesmerized by the image before me. Logan must have noticed my reaction because I feel his hand on my shoulder.

  “Bro, is this some crazy shit or what?”

  I can’t tear my eyes away but I reply, “Yeah… I mean we sometimes get gang symbols, but nothing like this.” I shake my head, trying to make sense of what I’m seeing when I hear Logan again. I didn’t even notice he’d walked away.

  “Check this out.”

  I turn and see him looking out the back sliding-glass door. “What is it?”

  “There’s some paint cans out there. Looks like a couple of the colors in that image. Maybe that’s why it looks a little odd. Whoever did it, just used the colors already here.”

  I walk over and take a look myself. He’s guessing but it’s possible. I turn back to the wall and analyze it more. “But look at the corner. That red…” I say, pointing. “I wonder where that came from.”

  “Yeah, maybe they had to bring in some of their own paint? It’s a mystery.”

  Looking over Logan’s shoulder to the other side of the room, I spot a sleeping bag with some trash around it. “Well, someone was definitely setting up camp here,” I say as I walk over.

  He comes up behind me. “Someone’s going to be disappointed. Too bad we’re going to paint over it.”

  “Yeah.” I reach into my jacket pocket and pull out my cell phone. Then, I take a few steps back so I’m in the center of the room, line up my camera lens to get the whole image in, and snap a few pics.

  Logan chuckles behind me. “Looking at your future, bro?”

  I return my phone to my pocket and face him. I assume he’s talking about the pregnant woman on the wall. “Not even on my radar. You on the other hand…”

  “I wouldn’t mind it. I mean we’ve talked about it.”

  For a second, I feel worried, though I’m not sure why. Mollie and Logan…that’s the gold standard of relationships. They’d make great parents but timing is a factor too, and I’m looking at taking a big chunk of my brother’s time in the near future. “That’s great, Lo, really. As long as you’re sure you’re both ready.”

  He folds his arms across his chest and rubs at the beard on his chin. “And what are you ready for, bro?”

  I roll my eyes at him turning the tables on me. He was never one to give me life advice.

  “Come on, man. Is it so hard to talk about yourself for once? You should be getting tired of me and the rest of the family by now. Maybe I could give you some advice for once. I mean I am the experienced husband.” His grin tells me he’s loving having the upper hand even if he’s only been married a couple of years.

  I wander over to the kitchen area and lean on the bar. “Okay, what have you got for me?”

  His brows raise and he looks skeptical. “Really?”

  “Yeah. I’ll be open…so go for it. Give me your wisdom.” I hold back a smirk because though I’m playing along, I’m also interested, given the doubts I’ve had for the last few months.

  “Okay.” He sidles over and shoots me a serious glare. “Look, Megan is cool. She’s attractive, smart, she knows her shit.”

  “Wow, you’re really getting to it.” I stand tall and brace for the speech I’m pretty sure it will be.

  “I’m just a little worried about how this whole thing with her got started. That you were, I don’t know…”

  “What? Just say it.”

  “Business was struggling before you met her.”

  “We were in a lull, yeah,” I confirm, suddenly feeling a little defensive. “It happens in this business but you know it comes back around.”

  “Exactly. Which is why I don’t want you to feel like we couldn’t make it without her.”

  “I don’t. So, you think I’m staying with Megan for the business?”

  He raises a brow at me.

  “That’s bullshit and you know it.”

  He holds up his hands. “I’m not saying it was calculated or happened on purpose. And you two actually have a lot in common, but can you honestly say you’re in love with her?”

  I can’t answer that. Not to him anyway. Megan and I don’t use endearments; we don’t tell each other I love you, and honestly, I don’t even recall making a verbal commitment to each other. We just sort of melded into this life we’re now leading…which feels a little like marriage sometimes—or business, hell I don’t know—though we don’t live together. We have our separate lives. “So, you think I’m hanging on to her for all the wrong reasons? I care about Megan.”

  “I know you do, bro, but is she the one? Or maybe she’s just…convenient and there.”

  That’s harsh. And ‘the one’? Maybe there’s something wrong with me, but I can’t remember ever thinking about finding the one. I don’t think Megan’s the type either. “Why do I have to be dating the one?”

  “Hey, you don’t. But you’re both at the age where marriage is coming for you and you want to be standing next to the right one when it happens. Call me crazy, but that kind of merger needs to be life-changing, like you can’t think of any other thing but being wit
h her, like forever.”

  Besides the age insult—I’m only thirty-three—I can’t help but let out a laugh at his grand view of love and his words of wisdom. I give him the exaggerated slow clap. “Not. Bad.”

  “Hell, I could do this in my sleep. But patting me on the back for my observations doesn’t get you off the train yet. So, do you love Megan? Does she love you? Do you guys want marriage or even talk about it?”

  “You really turned into the mother hen when you came back home, didn’t you?” When our mother died, we were young and I tried to be the big brother he needed. Then, when our step-mother died, it was Logan who moved in to take care of the younger ones. We’d butted heads at first, but in the end it all worked out and now we’re closer than ever.

  “Well?”

  I wasn’t lying when I said I care about Megan. We get along. The sex isn’t mind-blowing but it’s great. But love and marriage? We’ve discussed the future in a general sort of way lately, but it’s always about how great it will be if I worked for her dad, as if he’d open his giant land developer wing and just sweep Bridges Construction right under it. It’s not what I want and yet I haven’t told her that. And just like that, Logan’s words help me decipher what I felt with Gramps’ words. Confirming that errant thought I tossed away earlier was right on. All I’ve ever wanted was to run our family’s business and now, I feel like my control is waning. I’m trying to steer the ship but it’s not going in the right direction.

  “Okay, enough with the rapid-fire questions. We need to finish up here and get going to beat the traffic.”

  He lets out an embellished sigh.

  “Fine. She’s not the one. But to be fair, that’s not something I’ve ever looked for or thought about. You know I’ve never had romantic notions.”

  “Trust me. I know.”

  I come around the bar and slap a hand on his shoulder. “So maybe Megan isn’t the one, but she’s the right one for me right now.” I think.

  “Oh, yeah that makes a lot of sense.”

  “We’ve done way more talking than any two men should. Let’s finish up.”