A Secret to Shatter by Katie O’Connor

Chapter Ten

Sorting through books and beginning the shelving process with Honey had been a lot of fun. She was intelligent and had a great sense of humor. She was a bit over the top with her praise for him donating books rather than throwing them away, but he could live with that. He did wonder, at times, if her joyful attitude was a put on. Could anyone really be as happy as Honey seemed? It didn’t seem likely.

He pulled his Jeep up beside Carl’s garage and shut it off. The place was hopping. Both gas pumps were running, the parking lot was almost full and the area designated for vehicles waiting for repair was jammed. Cars were two deep in a couple places.

Business must be good.

He stepped out of his vehicle and nearly ran right into his half-brother Jason. His mind instantly told him this was the brother who ran the butcher shop beside the bakery Ira used to live over.

“Hey, Jason. How’s things?”

“Good enough.” He shrugged. “Stop by the shop sometime and I’ll give you some beef. I just butchered for the ranch. There’s plenty to go around.”

“I’ll buy my own beef, but thanks.” Did Jason think him not capable of feeding himself?

“No need. Everyone in the family gets free beef. One of the perks of being a Flint and working on the ranch. Of course, you don’t only get the prime cuts.” He laughed. “You get a mixed box, same as the rest of the family.”

Ira’s gaze darted around the parking area. Jason needed to be careful not to reveal their relationship before Robert made it public. He told Jason as much.

“Dude, chill. It won’t be a secret for more than two days, tops. Once people start seeing you with us all the time, and discover you’re working on the ranch, they’ll put two and two together. I’m surprised Mrs. Adelson hasn’t realized it already.” He chuckled.

“She does have a nose for gossip.”

Carl stepped out of an open garage bay, wiping his hands on a rag. “Give me five minutes to wash up and shed these coveralls and I’ll be ready for lunch. Where are we going? Tammy’s?”

“Sounds good to me,” Ira responded.

“It would, wouldn’t it?” Jason clapped Ira on the back. “Everyone knows you’re dating Honey. Quite an achievement actually. She doesn’t date much.”

“We’re not dating, we’re friends.” Ira stated, hoping they’d let the subject drop.

Both men laughed at him. “Then you won’t mind if I ask her out?” Jason teased.

Before Ira could say “go ahead” Carl burst into laughter. “Bro, you won’t date anyone. You’re too hooked on Nicole, even though she’s long since married that jackass.”

“Maybe I just haven’t found anyone who interests me yet.”

“Bull crap on toast,” Carl said. “Honey’s been in town for years and you’ve barely spoken to her. You don’t date, all you do is hang around the bakery hoping Nicole’s grandmother will give you details on Nicole’s life.”

Jason’s hands bunched into fists for a moment before he huffed out a heavy sigh. “Okay, I admit it. I still love her. And I swear to God, someday I’m going to find out for sure if he’s hurting her. If he is, I’ll kill the bastard to keep her safe. You mark my words.”

Jason’s vehemence shocked Ira. Wow! He must be crazy in love with someone else’s woman. Not a good plan.

“And I’ll help you do it,” Carl responded. He turned to Ira. “Don’t look so shocked. Jason’s had a thing for Nicole since they were kids, only he never acted on it because she was younger than him. About the time she was old enough, she was snatched up by Caleb Van Wick, local hotshot and rich prick.”

Jason growled.

Oddly, it made Ira think of what he’d do if someone else was dating Honey. The idea made his hackles rise and he barely knew her. To have fallen for someone and have them snatched out from under you? He’d be pissed, disappointed, and depressed.

“Let’s not talk about it!” Jason snapped. “We gonna eat or am I going back to work?”

“Five minutes.” Carl turned and walked away.

Jason was grumbling under his breath.

“It must be tough to care for someone and watch her with another man,” Ira offered, hoping to calm his newfound brother.

“It’s not that.” Jason swept his butcher shop logo ball cap off and smacked it against his thigh before slamming it back on his head. “If she were happy, I’d be fine with it. Nothing matters more than Nicole’s happiness. Even if it isn’t with me.” His teeth ground together audibly. “But I don’t think she is and I’m pretty damn sure the bastard she’s with hurts her. At least emotionally, if not physically. If I had my way, he’d be gone and she’d be back in Coyote Creek where she belongs.”

“That’s tough, man.” Ira thought about it for a moment. No man should hurt a woman. Ever. Physically, mentally, or emotionally. “If you ever need a hand with him, let me know.” The offer was out before he realized he was thinking it. He shrugged to himself. It didn’t matter that the words had been unintended, he meant them right down to his soul. Hell, he’d shoot the man himself if he was an abuser and heaven knows, as a sniper he had the skills to do so.

“Thanks, bro.” Jason smiled weakly. “It means a lot. But I’m pretty sure it isn’t easy to kill a man. Maybe we could just beat him up a bit.”

Ira nodded. Jason was right, killing wasn’t easy. The shots he’d taken as a sniper had been necessary and militarily sanctioned, which didn’t stop him from having nightmares about them. Especially after he was shot himself. In the drugged stupor post surgery, his nightmares had intensified. Fortunately, during his long convalescence, he’d received endless hours of counseling. Still, Jason was family, and Ira had his back. “You may be right,” Ira said at last. “But I’m here if you need to chat.”

“So, how about those Stampeders?”

Football? Really? Ira stifled a laugh at the obvious subject change. “I’m more a Saskatchewan Roughriders fan myself.”

“Dude, don’t say that. This is Alberta. You have to cheer for the Edmonton Eskimos, er Elks, or the Calgary Stampeders.”

The Eskimos had recently changed their name to the Elks in an effort to be more politically correct. “True enough,” Ira agreed. “But a huge percentage of this province’s residents have Saskatchewan roots. I started following football while I was in the army. Several of the guys in my platoon were from Saskatchewan.” He shrugged as if it didn’t matter. Sports weren’t really his thing.

“Guess I’ll have to accept your team preference,” Jason said just as Carl returned to them.

“What team is that?” Carl asked, rejoining them.

“This yahoo is a Roughriders fan.” Jason jabbed the air toward Ira with his thumb.

Carl groaned.

“Hey, if I had to pick a hockey team it would be the Oilers, and I’ve been a Rush lacrosse fan since they were in Edmonton. I’m not much into sports,” he admitted. “But I try to cheer local. More or less.”

“At least he’s for the western Canadian teams,” Carl said. “We don’t have to lynch him out behind the barn.”

Laughing companionably, they headed toward Tammy’s.

Honey quickly took their order once they were seated. Maybe Ira imagined it, but it seemed like she had an extra smile for him.

“Dude, she is so gone on you,” Jason teased once Honey was out of earshot.

“Naw. Not me. We’re just friends.” He wondered if his brother was right. Thinking of having a brother felt weird after spending his whole life as an only child. He was learning to like the idea of siblings. There was something comforting about having the family you always dreamed of.

“You want her.” Carl said. “I can see it in your eyes. You can’t take them off her.” Carl nudged Ira with his elbow.

Ira snorted. “I know about Jason’s love life. Tell me about yours,” Ira said, turning the tables on his new brother.

Carl’s face fell and he looked stony. “Nothing to tell. I don’t date. I don’t do women. Or men, to be clear. I’m more than happy alone. Thanks.”

Whoa! There was a lot of emotion in those words.Anger, disappointment, maybe even disgust or self-loathing. Best to drop the subject.

“My brother here, did a brief stint as a model,” Jason said. “Took off to Hollywood after he was discovered by an agent passing through on his way to someplace more important. You should see his tighty whitey abs.”

“Stuff it up your arse,” Carl growled. “I’m done with that crap. I’m a mechanic and a damned good one.”

There had to be more to the story, but Ira knew better than to pry. “My Jeep is due for some routine maintenance; I’ll book it in with you.”

“Good luck with that,” Jason said. “He’s so backed up he can’t sleep. He needs at least two more mechanics to keep up.”

“I’ll fit you in, despite being busy. If it’s not urgent, it will likely have to wait a couple weeks.” Carl chugged back half a glass of water.

“I’m not in a rush.”

They fell silent a moment, everyone lost in their own thoughts. “Have you advertised for help?” Ira asked, just to break the silence.

“Yup. Precious few people want to live this far out of the way. I’ve got a friend, Mark Sterling, he lives in the mountains in Haven. He’s got a garage too. He’s got the same trouble. Nobody wants to live in seclusion.”

“Could you find someone local, and help them with training? Mechanics go through an apprenticeship, don’t they?”

“They do. I never thought of training someone. There has to be someone in town looking for work. Hell, I don’t even care if it’s a woman. As long as she can use her hands.”

Ira stifled a laugh at Carl’s unintended double meaning. Jason had no such qualms. He laughed aloud.

“I’m sure you don’t,” Jason said, still chuckling. The three of them laughed together.

Maybe having a family would turn out okay after all. If only Ken hadn’t been so irate over Ira’s arrival.