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“It’s okay.” She holds her fist out for a knuckle bump, which my nephew gives her with a big grin. He turns to me as he walks out of the room and thanks me for the ride home.
“You okay?” I ask the second we’re alone. “Did that hurt?”
“I’ll live.” She rests her head on the pillow propped behind her back and closes her eyes. “This is making me nuts, Truman.”
“I know.” I do know. Harper is one of those people who is always on the move. Sitting still like this has to be hard on her. “At least you can work from home.”
“True.” She slits her eyes open and stares at me. My sister looks tired. It’s not a look I’ve seen on her too often, and less so since she got out of college and joined Mom and Dad in the business. “How was the game?”
“Fun.” I shrug. “The coach had Ethan on first for a bit.”
“Julie sent me a few pictures.”
“Yeah, I saw that.”
“How come you brought Ethan home?”
Not sure why it matters, I narrow my eyes at Harper and shrug. “I offered.”
“Was Julie put out that I asked her to drive Ethan?”
“Not at all.” I shake my head.
“Okay.” Harper nods. But from the way she’s looking at me, I can tell she has more on her mind. More about me and Julie.
“What?”
“It’s just too bad you and Julie don’t do these things together.”
“We sat together at the game, Harp.” I hope I sound casual, because I feel anything but, and I don’t want to have this conversation with anyone, least of all Harper.
“But you should have driven to the game together. You should be there with her and Ryle now. At home.”
I should be. If I hadn’t been so selfish when she told me she was pregnant, things might be different.
“I was supposed to be in Miami this week.”
“Oh, I know.” The sharp edge in her tone makes me sit up straighter. Is she mad at me for skipping out on the travel?
“I didn’t want to miss his first game,” I confess.
“Good.”
“It’s a lot.”
“Being a dad?”
“Being on the road all the time.”
“Truman, you don’t have to be gone all the time. That’s why we have employees. And Zoom meetings.”
I know that. But part of me worries that Julie won’t be happy with me if I end up around here more often. Sure, she’ll let me see Ryle, but what happens if I cut my travel way back and want to spend more time with him through the week? That’ll cut into her time with him.
I clear my throat and nod. “I know.”
“Do you still love her?”
Harper and I have always been close without being close enough that we talk about feelings like this. Uncomfortable with the thought of anyone prying into my business, it’s hard to look my sister in the eye right now.
