When Erin answered on the first ring, he knew he was right.
“Hi, Erin, it’s Brogan.”
“Brogan! Hello. What’s up? Shayna’s okay?”
“Yes, she’s doing great, actually. I’m sorry to bother you at home.”
“Hey, I told you to call anytime, and I meant it. Never hesitate, okay?”
“I know you just got back from vacation.”
“Actually, it was a staycation. I just needed some time awayfrom the office.” With suspicion, she asked, “Did you call there? They were told to let me know, no matter what.”
Wow. When Erin said for me to call anytime, apparently she meant it.Of course, she’d loved Connie, so it made sense that she’d prioritize anything to do with Shayna. “I did call the office earlier, but I didn’t give them any details.” He paused for only a second, then explained, “I’ve rented a lake house in Bramble. I’m set to be here for another three months.”
“Whoa,” she whispered. “Hold on. Let me get to a comfortable seat.”
Brogan had to smile. He’d liked Erin Benning from the moment he’d met her. Her love and concern for Shayna had been as obvious as her grief for Connie. “I should probably tell you that you’re on speaker.”
“Okay. So, who else is there?” Then in a dawning whisper, she asked, “Is it Pixie Nolan?”
Pixie grinned. “It is. Hello, Ms. Benning. It’s so nice to meet you.”
“Gawd,”she said with exaggerated relief. “You don’t sound pissed, so I’m going to assume you’re okay with Brogan and Shayna being there?”
“I’m thrilled that they’re here. Brogan did the right thing. Siblings should be together.”
There was a new, raspy tone in Erin’s voice when she spoke again, almost as if she held back tears. “Connie always said that you would understand. She would tell me that as a mom, she looked at things differently, and she was sure you would, too. She insisted that Brogan would be the perfect guardian and that you would never blame a child for what her father did.”
Those stark words dug into Brogan. No, Pixie wasn’t like that—but Ruth sure was. Her hatred toward him had been palpable even from Brogan’s earliest years. He could still remember her screaming at his mom, telling her she was trash … and so was her bastard kid.
Being with Pixie now only emphasized the differences between the two women and their individual capacities for love and acceptance.
“I wish I’d known Connie,” Pixie said. “She sounds like a remarkable woman. I’m sure we would have been friends.”
“She was,” Erin assured her. “If she hadn’t died so unexpectedly, she might be the one there now, getting to know you.”
Pixie’s gaze caught Brogan’s, and he knew exactly what she was thinking, because to his shame, he was thinking it, too. If things had been different, he wouldn’t have met her. He’d still trade places with Connie if he could, but he was damned grateful that he didn’t have to, that he’d have a chance to build a better life, with Pixie in it.
“I’m so sorry for your loss, Ms. Benning.”
“Since we’re all playing nice,” Erin said, “please just call me Erin. I loved Connie like a sister, and I adore Shayna. I hope we can stay in touch.”
Pixie grinned. “Please do.”
As far as Brogan was concerned, Shayna couldn’t have too many strong, positive role models. “I’ll make sure Pixie has your number, too.”
“I want either of you to feel free to reach out to me at any time.”
Brogan was glad he’d called after all. “Thank you. I appreciate that.” He got right to it. “Did Connie leave a number for her father?”
There was stunned silence before Erin replied, “Yes, of course, but Connie didn’t want him in Shayna’s life, so I strongly advise you not to reach out to him.”
“Normally, I wouldn’t,” he said. “I don’t want anything to do with him. The problem is that Ruth showed up in Bramble.”
“The hell she did!”
“She’s awful,” Pixie added. “She put in a few appearances,then seemed to disappear until a friend said Ruthie was at the grocery store talking about Brogan and slandering him.”
