Page 80 of Bound Hearts

“Just don’t put it all on me… but fair enough.” His voice softens. “She got caught in the crossfire. I didn’t mean to upset her.”

Shaking my head, a sympathetic nerve is hit. “You don’t need to see me as competition or be jealous. Just don’t be the one who stirs up my life. Look, the company remains with us; it’s your show to run. I want nothing to do with it. You can have it.”

He sighs and walks to deposit himself onto the couch. “That’s great… but you do realize watching you create your own family kind of adds to the list of things you have that I wish I did too. You make it seem so easy to have, as though you didn’t even need to blink.”

“It’s not so simple. Sutton and I don’t do many things by the book.”

“Except for an honorable shotgun wedding,” he attempts to joke, and for once it isn’t a jab.

Setting my glass down on the side table, it causes a scraped clink against the glass. “The way we do things makes sense to us.”

“Then maybe you will find a way to make it sensible,” he says like he’s actually encouraging me.

I even have to narrow my eyes on him, checking if this is a trick, but it’s not. “I won’t allow any other choice.” I’m determined to make that true.

He nods gingerly. “Good. I would kind of like Thanksgiving to not be so awkward,” he quips.

I barely smile. “The baby will be a new page for all of us, I guess.”

“My whole ride over here, I debated if I should be an ass who takes pleasure in your current meltdown or actually be honest. But even I’m not that evil. Your wife is upset, she’s pregnant, and you have fatherhood ahead of you. I see the way Dad is with us. You may be his favorite, but he still treats me like a son. Since you have his genes, you probably have the same skill to deal with me, too. So I chose the calm and honest route. I might have tipped Sutton over the edge, but at the end of the day, you didn’t tell her. Put the blame on me, but that’s the easy way. For once, you don’t get to take that route,” he explains sincerely.

This is my life today. Confrontations on all fronts.

“You’re right.”

“I can be.” Now that smug grin of his makes an appearance.

“Promise that no matter what you feel about me or what is happening, just leave my wife alone,” I plead.

He pins his eyes to me for a long beat. “Okay.”

Our gaze holds for a long beat, then we give one another a curt understanding nod. My focus is on Sutton, but even I notice that this conversation might be a new stepping stone for us.

At least I don’t have to deal with him anymore this weekend. I’ll even turn a new leaf.

But as much as brotherly bonds run strong, the connection with Sutton runs deeper.

Wallowing for a little longer, I have to call it a day.

I'm giving Sutton the breather she asked for, but tomorrow, I'm driving out to Everhope because I’m not going to let the strain between us last long.

Maybe she can't forgive me. Then I'll grovel.

Maybe she can move on with us. Then I’ll never make such a profound mistake again.

Either way, our lives are entwined more than ever.

Walking down the hall to our bedroom, the closed door to the nursery taunts me.

Sometimes small secrets are the best surprises. But those ones were never intended to be secrets for long.

However, right now, I can't bear anything hidden between us.

I wrap my hand around the handle of the door, hesitating. This was her project. But I need something to hope for right now.

Turning the knob, I switch on the lights, and my heart melts, desperately wanting to hold on to Sutton and never let her go. I’ll shackle her if I must.

Because the room is light blue and beige, everything is perfectly set up except for a few boxes of clothes in the corner. It also clicks why she was talking to my dad at his birthday party.