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He’d rounded the stairs, his boots thumping on the wood floor. If he darted up the steps, he might avoid being caught. Unfortunately, he knew better. Annabel wasn’t likely to let him take off without saying hello.
Caleb heaved a sigh and turned around to head the few feet into the kitchen. He glanced around to see most of his siblings and their spouses seated at the table or hovering near the counter where fixings for sandwiches were spread out.
Annabel smiled broadly. “I thought that was you.”
He glanced once more around the overflowing kitchen. “It doesn’t appear that it could have been anyone else.” As soon as the words left his lips, he regretted them. Everyone knew that wasn’t true—but no one more than him. Carter could have come home. He was the only Keagan missing.
Caleb cleared his throat and gestured toward everyone. “Looks like a family reunion. Is there some occasion I wasn’tmade aware of? Someone getting married? Someone moving away?” He leaned in the doorway, his tone light. Nothing could have soured his mood at this moment.
For a moment everyone glanced around the room as if confused about what Caleb was asking. Then Wade stepped forward, clearing his throat. “We weren’t going to announce this yet, but seeing as everyone is here—everyone local—Brielle and I want to share the good news.” He reached an arm out toward his wife, and she stepped forward. “We’re expecting.”
Gasps and cheers erupted in the kitchen. The women all swarmed around Brielle, and the men raised their glasses in congratulations. Caleb nodded toward his brother and slipped out of the kitchen. He was happy for Wade. If anyone deserved to have this kind of good news, it was him.
Thankfully, with the attention on his oldest brother, Caleb was able to hurry to his room and not be given the third degree. It didn’t appear that Daniel had told anyone. Otherwise he would have been questioned about the stranger who had been at Mateo’s place.
Caleb would have to remind himself later to thank his brother for keeping his secret. Once in his room, Caleb went right for his dresser and pulled out a couple items he’d be needing if he had to stay for a few more days. He shoved them into a bag and turned to leave, then jumped back, startled. “Daniel! What are you doing?”
His brother leaned in the doorway, much like Caleb had done before. A smile played at his lips—teasing him, taunting him—at least that was how it felt.
Folding his arms, Caleb frowned at his brother. “You need to stop sneaking up on people. You’re lucky I wasn’t armed.”
Daniel chuckled. “I came to see how you are. We didn’t really get a chance to chat.”
“There’s nothing to chat about,” Caleb insisted. “Because none of what you saw was any of your business.”
His smile widened. “And what exactlydidI see?” He pushed himself into the bedroom and absently wandered around, examining items that were on Caleb’s dresser. “Because it seems to me that you’re finding yourself exactly in a predicament that you insisted you would never be.”
“Yeah? And what’s that?”
Daniel shot him a look. “You know exactly what I’m talking about. I’ll tell you now that you’re not exactly the best at hiding it either. The second you went upstairs, Annabel asked me why you were in such a good mood. Liam noticed, too.”
“I’d hardly say that two people asking?—”
Daniel’s pointed expression was more than enough to confirm that it was more than just two people who had paid attention. “Some of the girls think you’re in love.”
“You swore you wouldn’t tell anyone,” Caleb accused.
“And I didn’t. I didn’t say a single word. It’s not my fault you were a grump before you left to help Mateo, but now you’re like… Mr. Sunshine.”
“What?! No, I’m not,” Caleb stammered. “I’m exactly the same as I’ve always been.”
Daniel laughed. “Boy, you need to rewind the clock or something because you most definitely aren’t acting like the Caleb everyone is familiar with. You’ve been brooding and playing an excellent game of avoidance since Liam and Margot?—”
“Is there something that you wanted?” Caleb asked. “Because I’m not going to have this conversation with you—the one regarding Sophia’s friend. If there’s something else?—”
“Have you heard from Carter recently?”
Caleb stiffened. His twin had officially gone MIA. Not even Caleb could incentivize the man to return to their family’s home.Carter refused to respond to calls, messages, and emails. He had gone radio silent. For all Caleb knew, he was dead in a ditch somewhere.
Well, that last bit wasn’t entirely true. Caleb had a sixth sense about his brother. If something really terrible had happened to him, Caleb liked to think he would have known.
“Hello? Caleb? You listening?”
Caleb jumped and brought his focus back to Daniel. “What?”
“Have you heard from Carter? None of us can seem to get a hold of him. I even drove all the way to Colorado Springs to see if he was still staying in that motel. But no one has heard from him in over a month.”
Caleb’s gut twisted. “You’re sure?”
