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Drew pulled up short, his insides shutting down. Pain and anger roared through him.
His brother-in-law lifted his face. "Can I come in?"
He’d known this man since he was fourteen. Jeff wasn’t just that guy married to his sister. Jeff was a brother.
"Were you ever faithful to her?" he asked, gritting his teeth when his voice broke.
Jeffrey stiffened. "I’m not going to talk about my relationship with Amanda to you."
And thank God for that. Drew had never understood their marriage. But he hadn’t really wanted to either. They were his family. As long as they stayed that way, he didn’t care what kind of odd bond they shared.
"Then what’re you doing here?"
Jeff seemed to wilt before him. "It’s the kids," he said, glancing down at his hands. "I’m worried about them."
Drew shrugged. He’d seen the man’s kids minutes ago. They looked fine to him. Even Natalie hadn’t suspected anything. Probably because they were used to Daddy being gone on trips and didn’t yet realize he wasn’t coming back this time.
"What about them?" he asked.
&
nbsp; "Drew. Let me in." Jeff shuffled uncomfortably. "You wouldn’t even have this place if I hadn’t let Amanda give it to you."
Drew froze. That was true, and it was a low blow.
"I don’t owe you anything," he hissed. "If you had a problem with me living here, you should’ve said something a long time ago. You can have it back if it’s that important to you."
Jeff sighed, letting Drew know he’d been bluffing. "I don’t want your stupid house," he mumbled. "I just want to talk to you."
"About the kids?"
"Yes!"
"You don’t want to stay here for a while?"
Jeff’s head came up and he stared at Drew in surprise. "They shouldn’t have to go through this," he finally muttered.
Drew snorted incredulously. "If you were so concerned about how it would affect them then maybe you shouldn’t have messed up your marriage."
Glancing away guiltily, Jeff mumbled, "I know your parents’ divorce bothered her. She always talked about how that wasn’t going to happen to her children."
Drew shuddered. "So why are you making it happen to them?"
"You don’t understand what it’s like," Jeff groaned. He spun away and paced the length of the porch. When he returned, he only looked more agitated. "When I was in school, I was it, you know. The most-popular, best-looking, biggest athlete."
Folding his arms to show how unimpressed he was, Drew leaned against the door frame. "So?"
"So? Now, I’m nothing. Some middle-class worker in some middle-class world, living some middle-class life. When I met Piper …"
Shuddering, Drew narrowed his eyes, hating the animated way Jeff said her name. He waited for Jeff to continue but was glad when he didn’t.
"You want to know something," he responded. "I know one woman and three small children who would think you’re amazing if you just spent some time with them once in while. You might not be anything to the world, but you were the world to them. Were," he repeated cruelly. "Not anymore."
Jeff’s jaw dropped as if he’d never realized that fact before. He blinked repeatedly. Then he murmured, "They always adored Amanda more than they did me."
"Maybe because Amanda is a parent to them," Drew suggested. "You’re just that guy that lives in their house and yells at them when they get in his way. You could be so much more if you’d just stop sleeping with every hairdresser that smiles at you and spend that time with your family."
Clearly taken aback, Jeff asked, "How did you know she works as a—"
