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Eli’s heart skipped a beat. Their conversation in the church had been raw and vulnerable, but it’d filled him with hope. No matter what happened with Dalton, Sienna would walk through it with him. So would his fellow rangers. And God. Eli wasn’t alone, and that small comfort gave him the strength to approach this situation with an open heart and mind.
“Dalton, there you are. Come in out of the cold.” She pushed the screen door open, a smile bunching her cheeks. “Hope you came hungry.”
“I did.” Dalton hugged her.
Henry, the family Labrador, stood at Sienna’s side. The dog greeted Dalton with a lick to the back of the hand as he entered the house before shifting to Eli to demand more attention.
He obliged, stroking the dog’s ears. Then he leaned over and kissed Sienna’s cheek. Her eyes sparkled with joy, but there was a touch of concern buried in their depths. Worry for him. And Dalton.
Leila exited the kitchen, followed by Wyatt. They both greeted Dalton with big hugs. Landon, Sienna’s brother, shook his hand.
At one time, his brother had been a part of their family. Before he relapsed into addiction, before Eli broke up with Sienna. It was amazing how quickly they all fell into old patterns. Eli and Dalton set the table while Landon arranged extra folding chairs. Sienna helped her mother finish the last meal preparations, and Wyatt made sure everyone had something to drink.
Sunday dinner was a staple in the Evans household, and pretty soon, extended family arrived. They poured into the house with kids and food and conversation. It was loud. It was chaos. But it was warm and homey and everything Dalton and Eli hadn’t grown up with.
He’d missed it. More than he’d let himself admit to before now. This farm… this family… Sienna. They were the things he wanted for his future. He wanted to raise his children around people who loved and cared for them.
Eli glanced at the beautiful woman by his side. He’d spent the last five years without her but was determined to spend the rest of his life with her. It was too early to discuss forever—Eli needed to prove that he was a changed man—but his intentions were set.
He prayed Dalton would be a part of that future.
The next several hours were spent eating, laughing, and swapping stories. Sienna's giggles never failed to make Eli laugh too, which sent pain shooting through his midsection thanks to his cracked rib. But he didn’t mind. It’d been a long time since he’d seen her happy. It was nice to set the case—and the worries—aside for a while. Even Dalton seemed to have a great time. He and Landon were the same age and spent most of the evening catching up on each other’s lives.
Finally, after dessert and dishes, when most of the extended family had left, Dalton pushed away from the table. “It’s getting late, and I should head home. I have work tomorrow morning.” He turned to Leila and Wyatt. “Thank you for everything.”
“Come back and see us.” Sienna’s mom hugged him. “There’s no need to be a stranger.”
“Yes, ma’am.” Dalton shook Wyatt’s hand, said goodbye to everyone else, and shrugged on his jacket.
Eli followed him onto the porch. The screen door slapped closed behind him. “Mind if we chat for a minute?”
“No. In fact, I was going to ask you the same thing.” Dalton shifted in his boots, as if gathering his courage, and then let out a breath. “I owe you an apology. The way things ended between us… I was messed up and made some terrible decisions. It took me a long time to realize how much I’d put you through and I’m sorry for all the pain I caused. You should also know I’m not that person anymore. It doesn’t change the past, but I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me.”
“Of course I can. If you’ll forgive me.” Eli took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “I failed you, Dalton. Dad’s abuse and Mom’s depression shaped us. It made me hyper responsible. It made you reckless. We were both hurting, but I failed to recognize that your bad choices were born out of that pain.” He met his brother’s gaze. “I’m not saying it was wrong to draw healthy boundaries around our relationship, but I am sorry for not supporting you when you made the right decision to seek help.”
Tears glittered in Dalton’s eyes and he swiped at them. “Bro, you gotta stop now. I’m not gonna cry like a baby on the Evans’ porch. Talk about embarrassing.”
Eli laughed. “You always were a softy.”
“Better than being an emotionless robot.” Dalton went to punch his midsection, but froze, fist midair. “Oh yeah. I can’t hit you after those guys beat you up.”
“Jerk.”
“Loser.”
They embraced. This time, there was nothing awkward about it. For the first time in a long time, Eli had his brother back. A love he couldn’t describe stole his breath. He didn’t think about the case. Or the charity. Or the money laundering. Instead, a thousand childhood memories flooded through him. Helping Dalton with his homework, building a fort to hide in when their dad came home drunk, tossing a baseball around in the empty field behind their house.
They shared a bond that was unique. Eli had never had a child, but the love he felt for his brother was close to it. He’d raised Dalton. Being estranged had created a hole in his heart no one else could fill. Eli wanted to freeze this moment when everything was right between them.
Dalton backed away. “All right. We got all the touchy stuff out of the way. How about we go to a ball game next week? I’ll get the tickets.”
“Can I tell you in a day or two?” Eli glanced behind him at the house. “Things with the case aren’t settled, and until they are, I don’t have any free time.”
Dalton touched his head with the heel of his hand. “Duh. Of course.” He leaned against the railing. “Are y’all still looking for Jesse O’Neal? I saw on the news that he’s a person of interest.”
Eli’s dinner swirled in his stomach as a sour taste filled his mouth. He didn’t like the direction this conversation was taking. “Yeah. Why?”
“I was Jesse’s counselor at Fresh Start. He’s been through a lot of rough stuff over the years, which led to his addiction. I’d hoped he’d stay sober and keep out of trouble this time. He did well for a while before all of this happened.” Dalton’s voice was layered with sadness. “It’s never easy to see someone with so much potential make such bad choices.”
