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“I will.”
“Oh, and how was the reception?”
“Amazing. I caught the bouquet.” I wasn’t sure why I’d shared that with him or why I continued to share more. “And Kane caught the garter.”
Thankfully, my brother only half-listened to most things I said, especially if he had something he needed to say.
“Cool,” he said distractedly. “Hey, I just wanted to make sure that you are for sure coming out next week before I let Misty know.”
Remi had been on the receiving end of my waffling back and forth about what I wanted to do. I spoke to him a couple times a week, and with each phone call, I was leaning toward a different decision.
“Actually, um, my agent called this morning. I got an offer to be in a new reality show in New York.”
“That’s great!” he enthused.
“Rhodes!” I heard someone call out in the background.
It was probably his captain. He was in Northern California, fighting a huge brush fire.
“I gotta go, but make sure Kane calls me, and congratulations on the show. Love you, Sis.”
“Love you and thanks, but I don’t think I want—” The line cut off before I could finish my sentence.
I’d wanted to get my brother’s opinion on my epiphany. Not that I was in love with Kane; I was pretty sure I knew how he’d feel about that. I wanted to know what he thought about my decision not to pursue performing any longer. I didn’t want to disappoint him or for him to think that I was giving up.
An unsettled restlessness seeped through my chest as I climbed out of Kane’s truck and headed down the walkway and up the steps of JJ and Destiny’s ranch-style house.
No, I told myself. Stop it.
I knew that feeling; it was the first sign of a panic attack. I was not going to allow this decision to trigger a mental health spiral. Or at least, I was going to do everything I could to prevent that from happening. Closing my eyes, I took a deep breath in through my nose, but before I could exhale out through my mouth, I heard the door open.
When my eyes opened, I saw Destiny with a baby on her hip. I recognized him as Benji. He was Whitney’s nephew, which now made him Destiny’s nephew by marriage. I’d seen him at the wedding the day before. Dolly Briggs had him glued to her side practically the entire day.
“Hey, chickadee.” Destiny opened the door wider, inviting me inside. She lowered her voice as she asked, “How’s Kane?”
It didn’t surprise me that Destiny knew, considering Harmony was her best friend and, hell, even Remi knew about it.
“He’s okay; he’s resting. Does Harper know anything?” I asked, hoping that she hadn’t heard her dad got shot.
“No.” Destiny shook her head. “I didn’t say anything, and neither did JJ. The girls are in Lilah’s room playing beauty shop. I can keep her tonight if Kane needs?—”
“No, that’s okay.” We hadn’t talked about it, but I was pretty sure Kane would want to see her first thing, and he would also want to be the one who told her about the incident.
“Are you sure?” she double-checked.
“Yeah.”
“Okay, well, we’re here if that changes or you guys need anything.”
You guys. I wish we were a ‘you guys.’
“Harp, Ruby’s here!” Destiny called out as the oven timer went off. “Oh, I made cookies. I was going to decorate them with the girls.”
“Here, I’ll take him.”
“Thanks.” She handed Benji over to me and he grabbed a piece of my hair in his fist.
As I held him, I thought about Kane’s reaction to him not using protection. He looked like he wanted to be sick at the thought of me getting pregnant. He never made any secret about his desire for more kids, a wife, or a family. So why did the realization that he hadn’t strapped up make him look like he’d been kneed in the balls?
