Page 11 of Summer Affair

“Hey, big bro,” she said weakly, but with a smile that warmed his heart.

“Hey, sis,” he said, sitting down beside her. “How are you feeling?”

She sighed, and even before she answered he could tell she was tired and hurting. “Tired. But better now that you’re here.”

Dean took her hand gently. “I’m here for you, always.”

She leaned her head against his chest, and he wrapped his arm around her, trying to be as gentle as he could.

They sat in comfortable silence for a while, Dean’s presence offering Sophia a sense of peace. A few minutes after she’d fallen asleep on his shoulder, a loud knock echoed through the house, followed by a voice Dean recognized all too well.

“Open up!” Luke practically screamed.

Dean’s expression darkened as his sister jerked awake. “I’ll get it,” he said as their mother appeared, looking worried and angry.

“He’s been by three times in the past two days. Each time I’ve just ignored him. With your truck out front, I doubt he’ll go away anytime soon,” she whispered once they were out of the living room. His mother kept glancing back at Sophia.

“Keep an eye on her,” he said with a nod. He walked to the front door and opened it to find Luke standing there, looking disheveled and angry. “What do you want?” he asked.

“I need to talk to my wife,” Luke demanded, trying to push past him.

Instantly, Dean knew the man was drunk. He blocked Luke from entering the house, his voice calm but firm. “Ex-wife. And she doesn’t need this right now. She’s trying to rest.”

Luke glared at him. “You don’t get to decide that. She’s my wife, and I need to talk to her.”

“She’s my sister, and she’s been through enough today,” he shot back, his patience wearing thin. “If you care anything about her, you wouldn’t have left her when she needed you most.”

Luke’s face twisted with anger. “You don’t understand. I was overwhelmed. I didn’t know how to handle it. She lost her”—he held his hands up—“what makes her a woman.”

Dean’s eyes narrowed. “It’s just sad that you think that. And yet you think showing up here and starting a fight is the way to handle things now?” Dean retorted, his voice rising.

Luke tried to push past him again, but Dean stood his ground. “You’re not seeing her, Luke. Not tonight. She needs peace, not more stress.”

Someone honked and Luke glanced over his shoulder. He’d gotten a ride there, so at least Dean wouldn’t have to call him one. He was swaying and obviously too far gone to drive.

Luke’s shoulders sagged, the fight seeming to drain out of him. “Just…tell her I stopped by.”

“I’ll tell her. It looks like your ride is anxious to get going now,” Dean said after the car honked again. The fact that it was a woman behind the wheel pissed him off even more.

Luke nodded reluctantly and walked back down the path. Dean watched him go, wishing he could have punched the guy. Pity that he hadn’t stopped his sister from marrying such a loser in the first place. Back then, Sophia was too headstrong to listen to him anyway.

He closed the door and took a deep breath, trying to calm the storm of emotions inside him.

He returned to the living room and found both his mother and sister looking at him with concern. “Was that Luke?” Sophia asked.

“Yeah,” Dean admitted, sitting back down beside her as their mother watched. “He wanted to talk to you, but I sent him away. You don’t need that stress right now.”

Sophia sighed, tears glistening in her eyes. “Thank you. I don’t think I could handle seeing him right now. He’s seeing someone new.”

Dean squeezed her hand gently. “I know. You don’t have to see him if you don’t want to. I’m here for you, and so is Mom. We’ll get through this together.”

Sophia smiled through her tears, her grip on his hand tightening. “I’m so glad I have you both.”

“Always,” Dean said softly.

“Always,” their mother agreed.

He sat with his family watching television until Sophia fell back to sleep. He would do whatever it took to support her and help her heal, both physically and emotionally. She deserved nothing less.