Hope Restored (Gallagher Brothers Book 3) Read online

  No wonder he was damn tired.

  “Sure,” he said and sat up, taking a sip of his beer once he was on his feet. The others were still shooting the breeze and passing Noah around. The kid was getting pretty big since he was nearing one year old now. Or at least Murphy thought. He should probably check his calendar and make sure he hadn’t missed a birthday since their family kept growing.

  He and Tessa made their way to the kitchen and got out the chips and three kinds of salsa and dip that they’d made for the barbeque. Tessa brushed by him on her way to the fridge, and his cock hardened.

  He glared down at his crotch, annoyed with himself for once again getting hard around her. She was his friend. Sure, they flirted because it was fun, but they’d never fooled around, and there was no way they would now. They’d firmly put themselves into their roles, and he didn’t want to change that.

  Of course, his dick had other ideas, but hell, Tessa was hot. She was tall, mostly leg, and had just enough curves that he knew he’d have plenty to hold onto when he fucked her from behind or held her up against the wall and pounded into her.

  Not when.

  Never.

  He would never be fucking Tessa against anything, thank you very much.

  Tessa snuck a chip into the salsa and groaned. He did his best not to think about whether she’d groan like that under him, or over him…anywhere around him.

  “This is so good. Here, taste.” She held out a chip with salsa on it, and he bent forward, taking it in one bite as he gently nipped at her fingers.

  She swallowed hard before lowering her hand and giving him a sultry smile. “Like it?”

  He nodded before swallowing. “Spicy.”

  “I like a little heat, what can I say.”

  He snorted and took a sip of his beer. He loved flirting with Tessa, even though he had to use his hands more often than not when she wasn’t around because she kept him in a perpetual state of arousal. He couldn’t help it. She was sexy and flirted better than anyone he’d ever met, but still, they were just friends.

  Tessa took his beer from him since she hadn’t brought hers with her and took a sip, her eyes on him the whole time. He cleared his throat and looked away, only to glance at her breasts and notice that her nipples were hard pebbles against her very thin bra.

  Damn, he could just bend her over the kitchen island and fuck her right there. Just slide her jeans down and fill that tight pussy with his dick. She’d cream for him, coming hard on his cock, and he’d fill her to the brim.

  And…that wouldn’t be happening.

  He shook off those thoughts, and Tessa gave him a knowing wink before handing back his beer. He took a deep swallow, finishing it off, and then tossed the bottle into the recycling can.

  “Why didn’t you bring Brian?” he asked, keeping his mind on what was important. Like the fact that she was sort of dating a guy that wasn’t him.

  Tessa laughed and picked up one of the trays of veggies they’d also taken out of the fridge. “His name is Brent, dork. We’re not that serious and still pretty new. There’s no way I’d bring him over to one of these. We’re just casual. And why didn’t you bring one of your many lady friends?”

  “There aren’t that many, and I’m not seeing anyone serious right now.” In fact, now that he thought about it, he hadn’t been with a woman in over a month. Hell, no wonder he couldn’t get sex with Tessa off his mind. He just needed to get laid, and everything would work itself out.

  Thoughts of Tessa just might kill him, but damn, he loved being her friend. Way better than any fucking amazing sex they might have.

  “You’re never seeing anyone serious, Murph. It’s why we get along. Let the others be adults and get settled. We can live it up for the rest of them.”

  She turned and sashayed from the room, and he did his best to keep his eyes off her very bitable ass. It wasn’t exactly easy since it was right there and practically speaking in tongues at him.

  He followed Tessa out to the back deck and bent over the table to set everything down. He froze at Tessa’s gasp and looked over his shoulder.

  “What is it?”

  “What the fuck, Murphy?” she asked, pulling up his shirt. “What happened to you?”

  He frowned and straightened, trying to see what the hell she was talking about. “Huh?”

  “Jesus Christ,” Jake said shakily. “Your back, Murph. You’re black and blue.”

  “What’s wrong with Uncle Murphy?” Rowan asked, her voice shaky.

  Thunder pounded in Murphy’s ears, and he tried to process what everyone was saying, but they were all talking at once and trying to tug up his shirt. He pulled away from them and ran back into the house and into the nearest guest bathroom so he could check himself out in the mirror.

  They had to be wrong or just fucking with him. Everything was fine. He was not black and blue. There was no way this could be happening again. He was healthy, damn it, and had been for a decade.

  He wasn’t sick.

  He wasn’t bruised.

  But when he turned on the light and lifted up his shirt, he couldn’t think. Couldn’t speak. He’d looked at himself that morning after he got out of the shower, and the bruises hadn’t been here. Yet his side and what he could see of his back were covered in newly formed bruises. They weren’t bad yet, but he knew they’d grow.

  They always did.

  “Murphy,” Tessa whispered from the doorway. “I… Murphy…”

  He met her eyes in the mirror and tried to think of something to say to brush this off, but he couldn’t. He knew what the bruises meant. He’d seen them before. Every single little ache and pain, infected scratch from the jobsite, mood swing, and fever over the past few weeks came back to him in a rush.

  His cancer was back.

  And he had no idea what the fuck he was going to do about it.

  2

  Tessa Stone loved and hated her job. It depended on the day and the department she worked with, but mostly, she loved it. Today, however, she couldn’t keep her mind on her work. Instead, she kept thinking about the fact that Murphy was sick, and there was nothing she could do about it.

  She worked in the administrative and financial department of a major hospital, so being around sick people wasn’t new to her. However, actually knowing the person and truly caring about said person wasn’t even in the same ballpark for her.

  She hadn’t meant to blurt out what she’d seen like she did, but she’d been so shocked at his bruises that she’d forgotten where she was. So instead of calmly taking him aside and asking him if his back hurt, she’d pointed out that he was a mess of bruises to his whole family.

  And the entire Gallagher clan had freaked out with her, and it had probably made things worse for Murphy. It was apparent he hadn’t known he’d bruised so easily after wrestling on the ground with Rowan. Tessa’s honorary niece had been distraught, blaming herself for hurting her dragon and favorite uncle and had had to be taken home when she wouldn’t stop sobbing and hiding from Murphy. As if he’d blame her. The party had broken up quickly after the others met her and Murphy in the bathroom, concern in their eyes and tones.

  Murphy had promised to call his oncologist and hematologist right away to set up an appointment. That had been five days ago. She hadn’t heard a thing from him or anyone else for that matter. She knew she wasn’t related to them, but she had hoped that someone would have filled her in on how the appointment went and if they had any news. For all she knew, Murphy had just bruised randomly, and everything was fine. But she had a feeling from everyone’s reaction—including his—that it wouldn’t be that easy. She knew he’d had leukemia as a kid at least once, and though his kind had been treatable, those things tended to come back. And the chances of getting another type were also higher.

  She just hoped that she was wrong and everything was fine.

  It had to be.

  “Ms. Stone, I need the Lane file. Do you have it handy?” Tessa looked up as her co-worker,
Roger Sanders, tapped his finger on the desk in front of her. She didn’t know why the man refused to call her by her first name, but she went with it. Maybe he didn’t like women in places of authority since she was at the same level as he was, and that meant they were higher up in the admin levels. Or maybe he was just really formal. Either way, she called him Mr. Sanders, sounding a bit snooty since calling each other by their surnames was a little weird.

  She might wear suits and keep her hair and makeup purely professional, but beneath the cashmere and neutral tones, she was still Tessa Stone, snark queen, and temptress.

  She slid the file over and tapped a few things on her tablet, pushing thoughts of Murphy out of her mind. She’d always worry about him because he was her friend, but she had to focus on her work for now. Once she was finished for the day, she’d find out what she could about him.

  “Thank you, Ms. Stone.” Roger turned without another glance, and she raised her brows.

  “You’re welcome, Mr. Sanders,” she mumbled and went through the rest of her files for the day. Her job was to make sure that people’s insurance covered everything possible. Yes, some in her position might see themselves as the ones making sure the hospital got paid, but Tessa did her best to think of it as the opposite. She wanted the insurance companies to pay, not the patients, and if she had to work overtime hours finding every damn loophole she could, she would. Healthcare in this country was ridiculous, and she refused to be part of the problem.

  That brought her back to the fact that she both loved and hated her job. It used to be more love when Liz worked as a nurse down in the ER. But when the hospital had downsized, and Liz lost her job due to politics and the damn bitches that worked downstairs, Tessa had lost one of the main reasons she enjoyed working there.

  Her best friend was now a nurse at a local, private oncology office that was run by a brother of one of the ER doctors. Liz was just starting out there, but Tessa could see that her best friend was made for that job. It wasn’t as stressful, and she could work normal hours. That was a great thing since Liz and Owen were planning a wedding and going to be parents soon. Her friend had been taking a few classes and certification placements since she’d lost her job so she’d be completely ready for her new one, and Tessa had never been prouder.

  Of course, thinking about the oncology clinic just made her think of Murphy, and she sighed. It seemed that until she knew exactly what was wrong with her friend, she wouldn’t be able to think straight.

  So she rolled her shoulders and gave her best to her patients while trying not to think the worst. And when the clock hit six, she packed up her things and headed to her car, cursing herself when she remembered that she needed to change before she left.

  She’d forgotten that she promised Brent she would meet him at the winery he’d been talking about for a while now. She looked down at her beige skirt and white top and shrugged. She could fit in with a winery crowd, so she might as well save time and go as she was. She wouldn’t even bother to let her hair down since that would just take time, and frankly, she wasn’t in the mood for tonight anyway. But Brent had been looking forward to this, and though they weren’t serious, she didn’t want to disappoint him.

  She just wished he’d wanted to go to a brewery or something. That was much more her style, but dating required compromise. She wasn’t sure why she was with Brent, but she’d promised herself she would try being with a nice guy for once. Dating random so-called bad boys hadn’t made her life any better and had only gone to show her that she needed to look beyond her comfort zone.

  Brent was a nice guy, though he was boring. Liz joked that Tessa had enough energy for both of them, so maybe that would be enough. He was okay in bed if a little…uncreative, but then again, Tessa tended to find faults with every guy she dated. So she would stick with Brent for a bit longer until she was sure she wasn’t being hasty by cutting him loose.

  She pulled up to the winery and turned off her car, checking her phone for any missed messages. She had one from Brent, letting her know he’d just arrived and would be waiting inside, but that was it. Liz and the Gallaghers hadn’t called her, and she was starting to feel a little left out. No, this wasn’t about her, but she wanted to know what was going on, and she’d done her best not to crowd Murphy. She’d seen the way he became overwhelmed with so many people looking after him, and she’d tried to give him space. It just sucked that she didn’t know what was going on. Though even if she did, what could she do? How would she help him?

  Her phone buzzed again, and she looked down only to see it was Brent saying that he’d seen her pull in and couldn’t wait to see her.

  See? Such a nice guy.

  And, well...she wasn’t the nice girl.

  Memories of what had happened the last time she’d tried to be the nice girl filled her mind, and she quickly pushed those thoughts away. She stuffed her phone in her bag, reapplied her matte lipstick, and rolled her shoulders. Time to taste some wine and spit it into a bucket like some heathen or something and then go home.

  Her brain wasn’t in gear tonight, and she had a feeling she wouldn’t want to sleep with Brent tonight…not with her mind on another man.

  She wasn’t that horrible of a person.

  At least, she hoped.

  Tessa pulled into her driveway a couple of hours later, starving and pissed at herself for not sneaking more of those tiny appetizers the winery had served. They’d been air-filled pockets with no flavor, but eventually, with enough of them, they might have filled her stomach. She hadn’t thought to pick up a burger or something on the way to the winery, and apparently, everyone else had been fine sipping wine and eating next to nothing. Brent only sipped a few varieties before switching to water since he was driving and responsible. As Tessa also refused to drive even slightly tipsy, she’d eaten what she could and hadn’t bothered with more than a sip or two of wine. She didn’t like the stuff anyway, but Brent had wanted to try it out.

  Now, she was starving, a little on edge, and kind of disappointed that Brent hadn’t even offered to follow her home and have his way with her. Instead, he’d kissed her softly on the lips in the parking lot—without copping a feel, mind you—and had asked her to text him when she got home to ensure that she was safe. He was just so nice. It did nothing for her libido.

  But there was more to life than orgasms. At least, that’s what she’d heard on TV.

  So, she texted him quickly from the car that she was home and safe, and he sent a smiling emoji back. With a sigh, she sent a wink one his way and got out of the car. He didn’t respond to that with some quip like Murphy would have, and she shoved away the disappointment again.

  Casual, she reminded herself. She and Brent were casual and had both said they might be dating other people. So why did she feel bad for flirting with Murphy? Maybe because she knew nothing would ever come of it. It was safe flirting with him because he gave it just as hard back, and she knew she wouldn’t end up breaking it off with him in the end like she did with so many others.

  Man, she really needed food in her stomach because her brain was going in too many weird directions tonight. She made her way up her small porch and turned the key in her lock, freezing when the hairs on the back of her neck stood on end. It felt as if someone were watching her, but that didn’t make any sense. They were in a safe neighborhood, and all the lights were off at Liz and Owen’s next door so it couldn’t be them.

  She checked behind her before quickly going inside and locking the door. Her chest rose and fell in pants, and she did up the chain before going to make sure the house was empty. She was just freaking herself out for no reason, but still, she needed to be safe. She pulled the Taser out of her purse just to err on the side of caution. She was a woman living alone now and had been through enough to know that she needed to take care of herself. Her house, of course, was empty, and she frowned when she passed Liz’s now vacant room.

  She missed her best friend and hated that they were going through the
process of changing the mortgage so it was in Tessa’s name alone. It had been her idea since Liz wouldn’t be living there anymore, but she’d kind of thought they would own the house together a bit longer. As it was, she knew that her budget would be tight for a bit—maybe longer than a bit if she were honest, since the housing market in Denver was crazy at the moment. It didn’t matter, though, and she put the thought aside as she pulled out leftover takeout from the fridge and started to heat it up. Liz was living her dream—a dream she hadn’t even realized she had—and Tessa was growing up and dating a good man.

  Finally, she figured her parents would say.

  The microwave beeped, and she took out the container and started munching on fried rice. She toed off her heels and looked down at her phone before saying screw it and hitting Murphy’s name on her recent calls list.

  She had to know what was going on, and if that made her selfish, well, she’d figure out a way to atone for it.

  “Hey, Legs, what’s up?”

  She smiled at the sound of his voice before shaking that off. Weird. “Legs? Is that what you’re calling me now?”

  “Your legs go on for miles, so yeah, Legs works.”

  “I’d ask what to call you, but you’d probably end up with like Big D or something.”

  Murphy barked out a laugh, and she grinned as she stuffed her mouth with fried rice. She was seriously starving. “So, what’s up?”

  “That’s what I wanted to ask you.” Silence. “Damn it. I shouldn’t have called and gotten all up in your business, but you worried me this weekend. If I’m pushing, just tell me. I tend to push, and need boundaries set. Something you know about me.” He didn’t speak, so she barreled on, making a fool of herself. “Did you see your doctor?”

  “I did.”

  She swallowed hard, the rice now a ball of regret in her belly. “Yeah?”