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“Do you want water or anything?” he asked, moving to the fridge to pull out a couple of cold water bottles.
“Sure,” she said as she paused in front of a collection of pictures he had on the end table in the living room. They were of him and Rhett.
Carson watched as she picked one up and examined it.
“You look a lot alike, but there are plenty of differences, too,” she said in a soft voice.
“Yeah.” Carson crossed to her, both water bottles in hand. He set the water on the end table, behind the photos. The photo in her hand was of his high school graduation. Carson was decked out in the graduation robe, and Rhett was in his classic cutoffs, a button-down shirt, and a tie for good measure. That was Rhett’s way of dressing up.
The grin on Rhett’s face made Carson want to both smile and cry at the same time. But here, standing with Evie and gazing at the photo together created a newer, different type of ache. His brother would never get to meet this woman—the one he was falling in love with, if she’d let him.
The fact that she was standing in his apartment was definitely an improvement compared to the last couple of days.
Evie set down the graduation picture, then picked up the one of him and Rhett as younger kids. Both of them on horses. He remembered the day like it was last week, when his grandad had taken that photo. Right after, Rhett had dared Carson to a race. And they’d both urged their horses into a run, with Grandad hollering after them to slow down.
That was Rhett . . . always adding a challenge to everything.
“I can tell your brother loved you,” Evie said, setting down the picture and turning to him. She slipped her hands to his waist. “And he was lucky to have such a great younger brother.”
Carson gazed into the clear blue of Evie’s eyes. “Thanks, sweetness.”
She lifted a hand to his face, her fingertips soft against his skin. “I’m sorry I won’t get to meet him.”
Carson blinked against the burning in his eyes. “I’m sorry, too.”
She raised up on her toes and pressed her mouth to his in a brief kiss. Before he could take it deeper, she drew away and patted his chest. “Yeah, go shower, handsome.”
He smirked and grabbed one of the water bottles. “Make yourself at home,” he said, then headed down the hall, his heart skipping about two paces ahead.
