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The door opened, and Megan popped her head out. “Hey,” she said gently, apologetically. “I’m real sorry we barged into town like this, but Nash said it’d be all right.”
“Nash is a thief and a liar.”
Nash appeared behind her and kissed her cheek, but it didn’t smooth the worry and sadness she wore.
“I know about what he’s done,” she assured me. “I know he’s hurt y’all. But that’s why we’re here. He’s different now. You’ll see.”
“Thanks, baby,” he said softly, taking her hand for a moment before descending the steps. “Come on, big brother. Let’s talk.”
“Talk? You’ve been gone for five years after stealing Mama’s savings. How could you do it? Why would you do it to her?”
Nash shook his head. “I wasn’t in my right mind, Duke. I brought the money back. I’m here to make it right.”
“Make it right?” My teeth ground in my skull as I took a step toward him. “You’re lucky I don’t beat the shit out of you and turn you out.”
“I’d have earned it. But if you’ll give me a little time—”
“You can’t stay. God knows what drugs you brought with you or what you’ll steal while you’re here.”
Megan hurried down the stairs and to his side. “He’s clean. Been clean for months, goes to meetings and everything.”
Nash dug in his pocket, and when his hand extended, several tokens laid in his palm. “Just got my ninety day chip.”
I picked one up, suspicious. Surely he’d gotten them online. He couldn’t be clean. He wasn’t really trying to get himself straight, was he? I looked up, blank faced as Megan tucked herself into his side, her face full of sweet defense of my shithead brother. I couldn’t find a lie on either of their faces.
I put the token back in his palm. “Congratulations.”
“Listen,” Nash started, “I know I’ve fucked up more times than not. But I’m tryin’. I know there’s no going back, no fixing things. I’m making peace with that, and I want to prove that I’ve changed. All I’m askin’ is for a chance, Duke.”
There was no rational argument. I could have made him leave right then, despite how mad Mama would be. Maybe I should have. But with my brother who I’d always watched over so earnestly begging me for a chance, my determination to reject him crumbled. The doe-eyed girl at his side believed in him, it was written all over her. Nash was never going to get clean for himself. But in that moment, I believed he might do it for her.
“One toe out of line, and I’ll have you run out of town,” I promised.
A smile spread on Megan’s face, her eyes shining with tears when she looked up at Nash. “I told you. I told you they’d give you a chance.”
“You sure did.” He kissed the top of her head. “Thank you, Duke.”
I nodded once and turned for the house, anxious to get away from them. Evangeline followed silently.
When we were inside, she asked, “Are you okay?”
“Nope.” I ripped off my tie.
“I think you did the right thing.”
“That’s because you don’t know him.” I sighed, dragging a hand through my hair. “I hope I’m wrong and he’ll surprise us all. But this isn’t the first time I’ve had that hope. I spent my entire life wishing he could be the person I saw in him. All he’s ever done is break our hearts. Hard to imagine it’ll be any different this time, and the stakes are higher now than they’ve ever been before with the election. One scandal, and I’ll lose.” I shook my head.
“Then we’ll watch him, and like you said—at the first sign of trouble, we’ll get him out of here.” It was her turn to sigh.
I headed for the stairs. “I’m going to shower the heat off me and change, then maybe we can go down to the offices and work. I’m not ready to play nice with him.”
“Works for me.”
I stormed my way into the guest room and started the shower, feeling those pieces of me stretch thinner and thinner.
I only hoped I wouldn’t break.
Each moment of the day ticked closer and closer to seeing Poppy. And I lived every breath for it.
Once out of the house and in our campaign offices, I felt more myself. The distractions in Lindenbach had scrambled up my head and heart, but in the cool office space, working on the campaign, life made more sense. Here, it was simple, the objective clear. There was a plan, a path, steps to take to reach the end of the road. Beyond those doors in the town where I grew up, I fumbled around in the dark with no direction.
I took those hours to prepare myself for dinner with my brother, and by the time it rolled around, I was able to survive the affair without losing my cool or my mind. My brother was a perfect gentleman, regaling tales of his travels with Megan. He’d sobered up in Sedona, and they’d stayed there for the last few months working odd jobs, saving up to come back to Lindenbach. I kept my mouth shut, listening and sipping a beer until I couldn’t do it anymore.
