Page 18 of Miss Trust

“Good. I guess thank you for making this work.”

“I promised, and hopefully it has eased Teagan’s mind.” I also hoped it had in some measure made up for my faux pas. I wasn’t a man who made mistakes often, but when I did, I owned up to them. In this case, I fervently sought to set things right. Reid and I might not yet have returned to our biweekly video games or brotherly talks, but perhaps this was a step in the right direction.

“It does ease her mind. Especially when she heard her niece has an appointment at Children’s Hospital.”

“I was happy to help.” Although my initial motivation had been to make things up to Reid and Teagan, I found myself grateful the little girl would receive top-notch treatment.

“Okay, well, I guess that’s all.”

I sighed into the phone, hating the tension between us. “Have you talked to Kelsey?” Our half sister lived in New York with her asshole fiancé. I worried about her as something seemed to have been off lately.

“Yeah, a couple days ago. You mentioned you were concerned. Why?”

When didn’t I worry about my siblings? I’m sure a therapist would have a field day over me and my quirks. With two emotionally—and sometimes physically—absent parents who thought more about themselves than their children, I’d taken on the parenting responsibility they had abdicated. I simply thought of it as my duty. It was something I’d always done. Even when they were grown and didn’t appreciate it, I still looked out for them.

“It’s not something I can pinpoint,” I told Reid. “She just seems sad. Her fiancé treats her okay while in front of us, but I wonder how it is when they’re alone. She deserves better.”

“Yeah, you planning to seduce him at the next family holiday party to prove it to her?”

I should’ve expected him to fire this shot, but I’d foolishly thought he’d let this go, having fallen in love with Teagan now. “Forget it. Have a good night.”

“Wait.” The word came out almost as though he hated to say it.

“What is it?”

“Tory and her daughter. Do me a favor and be nice.”

The fact he thought he had to remind me was insulting. A man with a heart might even have said it hurt. “Of course.”

“Teagan wants to fly in and spend time with them in the next couple months. Guess I’ll let you know when.”

Progress? Maybe. “Yeah. Please do. Have a good night.”

“You too.”

I hung up the phone thinking it was probably an improvement he hadn’t told me to go to hell.