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“Do you? Cause you inherited Dad’s stubbornness.”
“Pot, meet Kettle, little brother.”
He laughs. “We’re not talking about me right now.”
“Your concerns have been heard. I’ll work on it.”
“I plan on calling you out if you don’t.”
“Oh, I have no doubt you would.”
He laughs. “Since we’re talking about uncomfortable topics. I saw Daphne the other day.”
I flinch. “Did you say hi?”
“No. I wasn’t close enough. Have you talked to Daphne?” He stares me down.
“No. I haven’t even seen her yet.”
“She’s staying at her parent's right now.”
“You know a lot about what she’s doing.”
“Does that bother you?”
Yes.“It’s a free country.”
“So, you’d be okay with her ending up as your sister-in-law.”
The thought makes me cringe. He grins, and I swear under my breath. “No need to answer. Your face said it all.”
“I need to get to Pages.”
He laughs evilly. “Right. See you on the site tomorrow.” Flipping him off, I walk to the driver’s side of my truck, mentally cursing him out. No one knows how to get under my skin like my little brothers. I marinate over the truth bombs he’d detonated. I’m worn down to the marrow. I run on minimum sleep and have forgotten how to refill my well. I navigate the familiar streets on autopilot as I crack open the emotions I’ve kept enclosed in a box. Darkness rushes out like demons who lay in wait for an opportunity to escape. Chest tightening, I grip the wheel as I’m bombarded by painful memories of road trips, dinners with friends, nights at the local bar and grill, and hikes.
Like an eraser, I blur her image and picture myself alone doing the things that once brought us joy. The days of avoiding places where we might run into each other are over. It’s time for me to start living. Parking in the back of the shop, I use my key to enter the back door and move through the stock room.
“I’ve been thinking about selling Page for years now.” The sentence shatters my world. Since when? She’s never said anything about selling the store. With dad gone, what will she do once the store is gone? Images of her lonely and fading away flood my mind. Stomach turning, I storm past the shelves.
“I’d love to take it off your hands –.” The sweet voice is attached to the face that haunts my dreams.
“Daphne,” I whisper.
She meets my gaze, and the air grows thick like molasses. “What the hell are you saying to my mother?” I snap.
She rears back.
“Newton Alexander Raglin,” Mom barks making me flinch.
“You’ve never said a word about selling Pages. She shows up.” I gesture toward her. “And suddenly, you’re ready to hand over the key.”
“No one said that, and if I did choose to go that route, it’d be my right as the owner.”
Her eyes flash with anger, and my stomach curdles like sour milk. I don’t even recognize the woman standing in front of me. “Dad built this place with his own hands. How could you just give it away?”
“She wasn’t.” Daphne draws my attention back to her. She’s edible in her burnt orange dress with ruffled edges and a v-neck showing her ample breasts. Her tan skin stands out against the rich hue, and my dick stirs in my pants. I scowl. This is the last thing I need right now.
“You’re going to tell me about my own mother now?” I arch an eyebrow.
