Ink Enduring (Montgomery Ink #5)(62)

He ran a hand over his face. Hell, he needed to get out of his head.

“What’s up, man?” Murphy asked as he nudged Jake’s shoulder. Owen handed up a cup of coffee, and Jake’s shoulders relaxed a bit. His brothers cared, even if he felt like the odd man out.

“Just thinking, but ready to get to work.”

Graham studied his face. “You know you can talk to us if you need to, right? Because I know there’s shit going on with you, and you’re not doing anything about it. Or if you are, you aren’t telling us. I don’t like that you keep yourself apart from us, Jake. We’re here. Don’t run from us. Okay?”

Jake blinked, a little disturbed that Graham had nailed his thoughts right on the head, though he shouldn’t have been. His older brother had always had the uncanny ability to seek out underlying problems when it came to others, though he wasn’t very good at doing it for himself.

“I’m fine,” he lied. “Just feeling a bit off-kilter, I guess.”

Owen frowned. “Well, we’re here if you need us. I know you think you’re not part of the Gallaghers because you don’t work with us full-time, but you are. Okay? You’re one of us no matter what.”

“What they said,” Murphy added. “You’re our brother, dipshit. So keep that frown off your face and let’s kick ass on this project.”

A weight lifted off Jake’s chest, though he knew it wouldn’t be that easy every day. But hell, his brothers knew him inside and out, even when he was worrying about all the wrong things. He knew he’d focused on his place in his family rather than his place with Maya and Border because his place with his brothers was one thing that would never change. He was a Gallagher, even if he sometimes felt like he was different.

As for Maya and Border…well, he didn’t know. He just prayed it wouldn’t fall apart in his hands like a bad turn on his table with a piece of clay.

“If we’re done discussing our periods, will you guys tell me what’s going on with the site today?” Jake knew he was being as ass, but it was easier than showing them what their words meant to him.

Murphy snorted. “I’ll have you know I don’t need to bleed every month to talk about my feelings. I’m an enlightened man.”

Jake choked on his coffee as Owen rolled his eyes, and Graham shook his head in exasperation.

“Whatever,” Jake said. “Let’s get to work, shall we?” His brothers nodded, and they started on the plans they needed from him. He fell into step with them, knowing that this would always be his family through thick and thin. He just hoped that he’d be able to expand it to include Maya and Border, as well.

Because if he couldn’t rely on that in his future? Well, he wasn’t sure what he would do.




Jake rolled his neck as he made his way into the café for a late lunch. He’d rather have gone to Taboo, the place next to Montgomery Ink, but he was too far away. Hailey knew his order even if he didn’t get the same thing every day. She knew her audience well, and he didn’t have the same comfort level at this random place near the job site. Though, in reality, he wasn’t sure that anywhere held the kind of ambiance that Taboo had. Hailey was a freaking genius and a magician.

He ordered a sandwich and iced tea at the counter and went back to one of the empty booths to wait. Apparently, the waitress would bring his food to him. He was fine with that since his legs hurt like hell. He might be in shape, but his brothers worked freaking hard. It probably hadn’t helped that he’d been up most of the night f*cking Maya while being f*cked by Border. Between that and spending the entire morning bent over his worktable, his body wasn’t too happy with him at the moment.

Jake rested his head against the back of the booth and was just about to close his eyes when movement in his periphery caught his attention. He froze, blinking.

“Holly?” he asked, his voice a little rough. Hell. He hadn’t seen her since she’d dumped him, and while he’d felt like shit afterward, he’d been so focused on the new part of his life, he hadn’t set his mind on her much since Border had come back. That made him feel like a heel and a horrible boyfriend. No wonder she’d dumped his ass.

Holly sat at a booth cattycorner to him so they pretty much faced one another with not a lot of room separating them. She gave him a small smile and played with the edge of her plate.

“Hey, Jake.” She cleared her throat. “I didn’t realize you came to Hannah’s Eatery.”

Jake looked around for the name of the place he’d come to and shrugged. “I’ve never been here before, but it’s closer to the Gallagher site than Taboo.” He sighed and got out of the booth, knowing he needed to not be an ass about seeing her. Sure, Denver was a huge city, but he’d met Holly at Taboo because it had been her favorite café. If she were here now, it was either because, like him, she was closer to this place, or she was avoiding the place she’d liked more.

“It’s good to see you, Jake,” she said, and hell if she didn’t sound honest about it.

He sank into the bench opposite her after he gestured and she nodded. “You, too, Holly.” He paused, feeling a bit awkward. “Were you working around here?”

Holly snorted and shook her head. “No, Jake. I work at the same place I always have. But since it’s a Saturday, I figured I’d venture out for food and leave my little cave of lesson plans and grading.”