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“Fuck them for even trying,” he growled.
“They didn’t even let me pitch the plan.” Suddenly, she was very tired. All she did anymore was fight losing battles.
“Have you brought it to Xander yet?”
“What? No. You and I haven’t officially decided to move forward yet.”
Mike rested his elbows on the arms of his chair and folded his hands beneath his chin. Despite his lighter hair, he looked so much like Charlie right then, it was almost like her stepdad was in the room. “Bullshit. You were afraid of running into Kane.”
“Fuck you. I saw Kane the last time I went to one of Xander’s sites. I’m still standing. Things have been over with us for a long time.”
Her brother always saw straight through her bullshit. “Things will never be over for the two of you. I still don’t understand why you broke things off.”
No way. They weren’t going there. “You want me to talk to Xander? Fine. I could see Kane a hundred times, and it wouldn’t change ancient history.”
“You’re not happy,” he said solemnly. “You haven’t been for a long time.”
“Being here makes me happy. Spending time with Joshua these past few years has made all the difference…and now Aliyah.” She cleared her throat against the rising tide of emotion. “You’ve always made me feel like a real part of this family.”
“Because you are.” He wrung his hands, his eyes fixing on a spot behind her shoulder. “Sometimes I think you regret giving him to me.”
“Never.” Her answer was immediate and unwavering. “I love him, but I could never have done the job you and Cindy have. God, Mike, I was such a wreck back then, and I was alone. The two of you had so much to offer him. You still do.”
He flicked his eyes to hers then back over her shoulder. “He knows Cindy’s not his mom.” With her dark skin next to Joshua’s pale white complexion, it would have been a tough sell. “We’ve told him the truth. It was past time, really. I’d always planned for you to be there, but when he asked, I couldn’t put him off. I’m sure he’ll want to talk to you about it.”
Her heart froze. She should have been there. But Mike was right; they should have dealt with this ages ago. But it hurt so much. “If you thought it was best, you know I support you. It doesn’t have to change anything. You’re his parents in every way that counts.”
Heart heavy, she forced herself off the comfortable couch and rose to her feet. She spoke carefully, infusing her voice with a lightness she didn’t feel. “I’m sorry I didn’t catch him before he went to his buddy’s house. Tell him I love him, and we’ll talk soon.” She kissed her brother on his scruffy cheek. “I’ll meet Xander on Monday, but you’d better shave before I see you next. You know how much I hate kissing a man with a beard.”
***
Kane
As much as it irritated him in the summertime, Kane was grateful for his heavy beard in falling autumn temperatures. Though Atlanta wasn’t known for cold weather, it did get chilly a few months out of the year. And riding a motorcycle, the wind could be a sharp slap in the face. He arrived bright and early at the build site in Decatur and switched out his helmet for a hard hat.
Robby waited with his clipboard in the shell of the double garage, ready to start the new workweek. The kid wore his regular khakis and a button-down shirt, but an Incredible Hulk T-shirt peeked through underneath.
He warmed to the kid despite himself. Robby looked younger than his twenty-three years, with his floppy dark hair and guileless puppy dog eyes, and the superhero shirt made Kane want to take him out to a baseball game or—no, not that—a strip cluband load him up with dollar bills.
Shit. Maybe a male strip club. Robby was batting for the other team.
Whatever. The kid needed somebody looking out for him. He was pretty sure Robby had no one except Brick, who’d become his surrogate big brother.
“Love the T-shirt, kid.”
Robby gaped as he looked down over his white Oxford. Obviously secondhand, the fabric was thin from too many washings. His cheeks colored. “Oh no. You can see it?”
“The Hulk? Yeah, but don’t sweat it. Who isn’t into Marvel?”
Frowning, Robby plucked at his button-down. “You’re missing the point. Graphic-T’s aren’t very professional.”
“So why did you wear it?” He’d never seen Robby dress down, even the one time they’d been out at the same bar.
The kid toed at the sawdust residue on the concrete.
He was sure an answer wasn’t coming when Robby finally looked him in the eye.
“For Brick. I, uh, I think about him like the Incredible Hulk sometimes. I’m worried about him. I miss him, you know? The shirt…” He shrugged. “I guess it’s my way of rooting for him to get better. Guess it sounds kind of stupid.”
