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And suddenly, the words I need to say come to me. “Seth?”
“Hmm?”
“I…” I lick my lips, my stomach doing a weird dip when his gaze lowers to them briefly, and then continue. “Have you thought about Jake?”
It’s been three weeks since we talked to Jude, so I expect it when he nods.
“Are you going to ask your father to tell him about you and Jess?”
“It might make our lives more complicated,” he says softly, conflict warring in his eyes. “I don’t want that. Not for us and not for Jess.”
“Maybe. But if Jade had said she wanted to reconnect, it would’ve made our lives more complicated. You’d have done that for me.”
Just like his father, he dips his chin.
I place my hands over his on my cheeks. “Do you want the chance to meet your brother, Seth?”
He closes his eyes briefly at my touch, a muscle tightening in his jaw, and opens them again. “Yes.”
“Okay.” I lean forward and brush my lips over his, forcing myself to pull away before he can tug me closer. “How about you call your dad, then?”
Chapter Fifty-Two
Seth
If you would’ve told me at the beginning of this summer that I would be engaged, getting ready to present four teens with scholarships courtesy of my new foundation, and meeting a brother I never knew about until a few weeks ago, I wouldn’t have believed you. I probably would’ve considered checking you into the nearest mental hospital because it sounds utterly ridiculous.
And yet, here I am. Standing in a pair of tan khakis with a pale blue polo in the front yard of Marie’s house, waiting for my cue from the mayor. The late August sun overhead is surprisingly potent, and beads of sweat form on my forehead. Or it’s the fact that, other than when I give a briefing at the station, I don’t speak in front of people. I would much rather be behind the scenes, out of the spotlight. I don’t need my work highlighted for all the world to see.
Today, however, I’m going to have to face that fear.
And because someone clearly thought today was a good day to deem Make-Seth-Face-All-His-Fears, I’ll also be meeting my brother. It’s fine, I’m fine. Totally fine. Absolutely—
No, I’m not fine, because the mayor catches my eye and gives a slight nod. I acknowledge the cue with my own nod, hoping the nerves playing hopscotch in my stomach right now aren’t visible from the outside.
“You’ve got it,” Jenna whispers, bouncing up on her toes to kiss my cheek. Her hand is on my chest, my mother’s ring sparkling in the sunshine, and her smile helps soothe my nerves. Marginally. “I love you.”
Just for that, I drop a light kiss on her lips before I duck out of the conversation we were having with Jess, Ember, and John. The mayor falls into step beside me, slapping me on the shoulder in a good-natured way as we take the steps up onto the stoop.
Leo lets out a whistle that should make me go deaf, but it silences the crowd gathered. There are a lot of faces I recognize—Jen and the kids, all of the Bryants, the teens and their families, to name a few—as well as people I don’t know well. And no, my father isn’t here yet. I’m wondering if he’ll actually follow through on the last text I received that saidWe’ll be there.
I’m not holding my breath.
“Good afternoon, everyone.” Leo’s voice booms into the microphone. “I trust you all have enjoyed the refreshments made by Jess Bryant as you toured this beautifully renovated waterfront home, yes?”
I gotta give the man points—he just seamlessly promoted my sister’s goodiesandupsold the “beautifully renovated waterfront home.” Bonus points because everyone nods and murmurs their agreement.
“Part of the reason we made today such a big to-do is because of these four fine young adults. Luka, Colin, Mazzy, and Alessia, would you please come forward?” Leo gestures to the teens as they reluctantly leave the group they were huddled in with Luka’s sister, Finley, Alessia’s siblings, and Jen’s kids. The boys are wearing slacks and polos, and the girls both have sundresses on, all four of them sporting nervous smiles. “It is thanks to these kids—and their mentors, Seth Johnson and Jenna Williams—that this house looks the way it does today. Can we give them a round of applause?”
I can’t help but smile as the teens’ cheeks all turn red when everyone claps and whistles, even Colin and Mazzy. While Jen and I might’ve spearheaded the project, these four figured out what they wanted it to look like and went after it. And honestly, I don’t think I could be prouder.
“Seth, I’m going to hand this one over to you now,” Leo says once the noise has died down. He shakes my hand, passes me the mic, and then rejoins his wife, Charlotte, in the yard.
“I’m generally not one for doing speeches, but for the sake of these kids, I’ll do my best.” My comment receives a few chuckles, but I focus on the group of teens. They’re what matters today. “Because of these four, yes, this house looks the way it does. But that’s not the only project that came of this summer. We all learned plenty about ourselves and friendship and when someone’s in your corner and when they’re not.”
Movement near the back of the crowd catches my eye—I might be off duty, but I’ve still kept a watchful eye out—and I’m forced to pause when I realize who it is.
He showed up.
