Rules of the Hart: Hart Brother's Novel

Becker

Table of 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

Chapter 26

Chapter 27

Chapter 28

Chapter 29

Chapter 30

Chapter 31

Chapter 32

Epilogue

Copyright © 2021 by Jennifer Becker

All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

Editing by Ashley Martin

Chapter 1

Kane leaned against the doorframe with his arms crossed over his chest as he watched the BMW peel out of the dirt driveway of his bar, House Rules. It had been called Nightingale’s up until a year ago, but when the previous owner, Carl, sold it to him, he changed it. Who wanted to go to a bar called Nightingale’s? No one, but the same couldn’t be said for people wanting to buy the place from him.

Was that another buyer? Jake, his good friend and office manager asked.

Jake had been injured in the service overseas. An IED went off in the Humvee he was riding in and blew off a leg and messed up his face pretty bad. He was lucky, considering most of the other guys died in the explosion or were missing more limbs. Jake had been on the back and had and had been more protected. The military discharged him, and he’d been working here ever since.

While he could be a bouncer, surpassing Kane’s six-two frame at six-seven and outweighing him by over sixty pounds, and had from time to time, even with a prosthetic limb, his true calling was in the office. The man had a head for numbers Kane didn’t even try to pretend to care or understand.

As soon as Kane bought the bar from Carl, he’d made a few changes. Not only to the name of the bar, but he’d made Jake the office manager and made the bar a sanctuary for disabled vets that didn’t have any other place to go. Not only was he running the bar but Kane also ran a program to help PTSD victims. They went camping, hiking, shooting. He’d even made his own paintball course for friendly competitions.

It was; sadly, it won’t be the last. At least once a month, some developer came to the bar trying to buy it from him. Kane was never interested. When he’d gotten out of the military without a purpose or a clue about what to do with his life, he’d found this place and it became a home. Now that it was his, he wasn’t letting it go.

Jake had been in a similar situation. After he got out of the military, his face frightened many people and laborers worried about his prosthetic leg holding up under the weight of lifting and carrying materials. It was only through happenstance that Jake came to the bar to drown his sorrows and instead met Carl.

Kane had a similar meeting. Kane had driven aimlessly around the west coast and found this place. He’d liked the area and Carl. He’d had jokingly asked for a job, Carl gave him one without blinking. They were all a family. A fucked-up one, but almost everyone here didn’t have anywhere else to go.

Jake came up to stand next to him. Instinctively, Kane pushed off the wall to stand on Jake’s left. It wasn’t because he couldn’t handle seeing the damage done to Jake’s right side of his face. Far from it. Every person here had scars, whether physical, mental, or emotional. It was because the explosion damaged Jake’s hearing in his right ear and he could only hear on his left. Kane always made sure to stand on his left so Jake could hear him.

How much were they offering this time?

Over a million. One and a half to be exact. Every month, when a new buyer came in, the price went up. Not that it mattered to him. They could offer him a billion dollars and he still wouldn’t take it. You couldn’t put a price on family. Too many lives were counting on him and he wouldn’t let them down. Nor lose the only home he had.

Kane had parents and a brother, but he had never been close to any of them. After his service, he felt even more a drifter, out of place. This was the only place he felt he could relax and be himself.

Jake whistled low. That’s a lot of money.

It didn’t change anything. It is, but it’s not enough money to make me want to sell. House Rules turns over a nice profit now. Ever since Jake had taken over managing.

No offense to Carl, but before selling to him, the bar had been run-down and a small hole in the wall. Since he bought it, Kane had added a stage so bands could play, Thursday night was ladies’ night and a karaoke machine had been installed. That was always entertaining.

With their close proximity to the port, Jake had arranged some advertising for passing ships coming through. Since then, it had become a moneymaker. The bar was always packed. Things couldn’t be better for them. There was no reason to sell.

Times are changing, Kane. People need room to live and new businesses.

What the hell was Jake getting at?

Are you suggesting I sell? Kane wouldn’t believe that. This place was as much a home for Jake as it was for Kane. More so for Jake since he didn’t have any family left.

No, but you know they’ll never stop coming. Jake’s tone sounded grave. How long before they stop coming at a frontal attack and come from behind?

Kane placed a hand on Jake’s shoulder in comfort. The war might be over for him, but Jake still saw enemies everywhere.

The buyers didn’t scare him. He owned the property fair and square. There was nothing they could do that would take this place away from him. They can keep coming all they want. My answer will never change. This is home for many of us and will continue to be so.

Jake turned to look at him. Kane met his gaze without flinching. The scars were just a part of him now. The black raised marks marring half his dark face just added more character. I hope so, Kane. Many of us don’t have anywhere else to go.

Hey, Kane snapped, shaking Jake’s shoulder, using his authoritative tone. I’m not a quitter and neither are you. I bought this place from Carl and as long as I am alive, this place isn’t going anywhere.

Jake didn’t look confident. Everyone has a breaking point, Kane. The right price.

Not me, Kane hissed through clenched teeth. He loved Jake like a brother, and not just a brother-in-arms, but he was pissed that Jake would question him like this. What reason had he ever given him? Carl gave me a home same as you. There will always be a home for our brothers and sisters here. Always. It was a promise.

I believe you. I just can’t shake this feeling that something is coming. Something not good. Jake looked away, to the empty parking lot, as if seeing something only he could see. The man had a flare for dramatics sometimes.

Whatever comes, we’ll ride the storm together.

Jake looked back at him, Kane’s words finally sinking in. Together,

In a few hours the bar would be packed. It didn’t matter that the bar was in the small town of Bellingham in the state of Washington. It had easy access to the ports, the highway, and was close to the Canadian border, which was why so many developers wanted the land. Businesses always wanted to expand. Not Kane. He was happy the way things were.

He’d grown up in Portland, Oregon. After living the bigger city life and traveling town to town every few years while in the military he was happy to have a place he could settle down and plant some roots. Kane actually preferred the smaller towns to big cities. His brother was the same way. Adam had become a sheriff in a small town in Oregon. They were only a few hours away from each other and their parents lived between them, making get-togethers easy. Not that he saw his parents much.

Kane had been dubbed the problem child. He was always getting into trouble at school, never had ambitions to do anything. He only joined the military because his older brother, Adam, had. Being two years older, Adam had been the perfect role model. The guy never did a thing wrong. Kane could have hated him for that, but Adam had been a great older brother. He took the fall for things when he could, even if it meant a harsh punishment.

It was actually his brother that told him to find his way again when he returned from overseas a broken man, that he left and found this place. They hadn’t talked much over the recent years but now that Adam had a girlfriend, his crush from his Portland days, if you can believe that, they talked more often. Adam had even visited Kane with his girlfriend a few times over the past year.

Kane wouldn’t say he was jealous of his older brother, but he did envy him having someone in his life. The bar family was great, but it wasn’t the same as the love of a woman. The feel of his woman pressed up against him in bed on those cold nights. Wrapping his arms around her and hearing her call his name while he was balls-deep in her.

Kane had yet to meet a woman who made him consider settling down, and running the bar had made it difficult to find one. Most of the women passing through the bar only wanted to hook up with him and sneak out in the early morning. The occasional fling was nice, but it was lonely. At thirty-two and as a business owner, he was ready to settle down. Too bad there wasn’t a woman out there that wanted more than a romp in the sheets with him. His scars and prickly attitude had scared away more than a few women.

Let’s get to work, we have a lot still to do until we open. Kane forgot about the salesman and turned his mind to the bar.

Chapter 2

Mark said he’s taking me to some surprise getaway this weekend.

Eve grunted, only listening with half an ear. It wasn’t that she wasn’t interested in hearing what her twin sister, Steph, had to say. She loved her sister but Mark her looser boyfriend she had been dating for several months now, was always promising her things and never following through. Something always came up at the last minute. Some lame excuse, and Steph just brushed it off like it didn’t matter.

But she was her twin. They’d shared a womb together. Eve knew when Steph was bothered by something. She was just too polite to say anything. Never wanting to confront a problem. Instead she pretended it never happened.

Eve stopped trying to sway her sister to leave him when the excuses started to get persistent. At twenty-nine, Steph was obsessed with the idea her biological clock was running out and she needed to find a man and settle down and make babies. While they looked identical, they were polar opposites in almost every way. Especially in their taste in men. Steph preferred the boy next door where Eve liked men with an edge to them. That weren’t afraid to take risks.

To each their own. Eve wasn’t in any rush, not for the sake of a man who didn’t appreciate a good woman when he had her. Eve wanted a man who made her the center of his universe. Who would do anything for her. She blamed all the romance novels she loved to read. Eve wanted a man that swept her off her feet. A man that set her heart racing. If only he existed outside of a book.

Steph was more organized. She didn’t just ask a guy out or easily agree to a first date. They had to tick some boxes in her sister’s head of what her man should live up to. If he didn’t hit all the boxes, he was gone. How Mark hit a single one was beyond Eve. The man was a sleaze.

You’re not even listing to me. Steph accused.

Of course I am. Kind of. She was trying to enjoy her vacation, but she couldn’t ignore her sister’s call. She would just keep calling until Eve picked up. The woman was persistent, not that Eve was much different, but she didn’t blow her sister’s phone up to talk about a trip that was never going to happen.

Eve had just arrived in the small town of Bellingham for some downtime, to get her creative juices back. She had been working for Homestead Development, a development company based out of Seattle for five years, three of which as the lead architect. Eve felt burnt out after working on so many back-to-back projects; she needed a break to recharge her brain.

She hadn’t wanted to go on a faraway trip. Since it was just her, she didn’t want some romantic tropical getaway. Just out of the city to fresher air. One of her coworkers had suggested Bellingham, and since it was only an hour-and-a-half drive away, Eve booked the trip. Her boss, Jonas Barnes, wasn’t thrilled with her taking time off, but she’d promised to keep her phone with her in case he needed something. He was in the process of trying to buy some land and wanted her on call for when the project went through. Jonas had some grand vision for a luxury hotel and wanted her to design it. Eve just didn’t have the energy at the moment. She had been going nonstop since she was hired, and she felt rundown and fresh out of ideas. All in all, Eve felt like she was in a funk and hoped this mini vacation was the answer.

Eve looked out the window, seeing the bright sky as people milled around. Her eyes travelled over the buildings and architecture. This was the place to find inspiration again. She came here to relax and recharge herself, not to be cooped up in her hotel room, listening to her sister drone on about her boyfriend. If she gave her sister the chance, she would talk her ear off the whole time she was on vacation and Eve would never leave her room. Steph, I have to let you go.

But— Steph started to sputter.

Steph, I have to go. Call me from your vacation hot spot. Not like it was going to happen, but she wasn’t going to be the one to tell her sister I told you so.

I know that tone, Steph accused, ignoring her statement about needing to go. Steph’s issue was more important than her vacation. You don’t think he’ll do it.

It doesn’t matter what I think. You know how I feel about him and his promises, but after the last argument, I promised I wouldn’t say anything.

That had been a doozy. Mark had bailed, yet again. Steph was making up excuses, trying to play it off as she always did. Eve had had enough and told her to leave Mark, telling Steph what she really thought of the man. To which Steph had exploded on her like a wild animal. Eve had never seen her sister raise her voice in her life, let alone yell at her like a wild banshee. Eve learned to keep her opinions to herself after that. Steph was as bullheaded as her and wouldn’t be told what to do. There was no point beating a dead horse.

I’m just fooling myself. Steph’s voice sounded hurt and defeated.

Dammit. She didn’t want to do a therapy session with her sister right now, when her focus was really on designing. If she wanted Mr. Barnes’s hotel to be as luxurious as he was asking for, she needed some good, fresh ideas. Steph, I can’t tell you what to do; only you can. Personally, I think you deserve better. You deserve a man that would worship you and actually keeps his promises. I’m tired of seeing you get your hopes up only to have him crush them and then brush it off like it wasn’t a big deal.

He doesn’t, Steph protested, which only made her roll her eyes. And don’t roll your eyes. I can practically hear it through the phone.

Then stop making excuses for him. Eve looked back out the window at the town that was beckoning her to explore and fill her sketchbook with ideas. Steph, I have to go. My boss is calling me. Eve lied and hung up before her sister could protest.

Eve collected the sketchbook she never went anywhere without, putting it in her shoulder bag, and laced up her hiking boots and put on her lightweight coat. Despite the sunshine, it was only in the forties. The breeze off the water wasn’t very warm. Her phone rang but she ignored it, knowing who it would be. She’d call Steph back later. One therapy session today was enough for her.

Eve left the hotel, purposely leaving her cell behind. It would just serve as a distraction and that was the last thing she wanted. Eve took a deep breath of the fresh salty air. This was what she needed. Now just to find inspiration. Eve turned right, heading for the bay, but stopped short when she was almost run over.

I’m so sorry, dear, the woman said apologetically, readjusting the white bag she carried that looked like laundry. The hotel is so busy and it’s only me today to run it, so I’m all over the place. I’m afraid I wasn’t watching where I was going.

It’s alright, Mrs. Bailey. Eve smiled. Mrs. Bailey was an elderly woman who ran the hotel. She looked like she should have retired years ago, given her age, but Mrs. Bailey said her hotel was her life’s work and would work it as long as she was able.

Can I offer you a hand? Eve was anxious to get into town and start drawing, but her conscience couldn’t let Mrs. Bailey work herself to death.

I could never ask a guest to help me. Mrs. Bailey gasped in horror. The very idea. I am more than capable of carrying a few bags of laundry. Mrs. Bailey sniffed with indignation.

My apologies, Mrs. Bailey. I can see you are more than capable.

"No apology