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“He rented,” she said. “He told me that. We didn’t talk much about the money. I wouldn’t do that. I don’t care. Without knowing about the company he sold, I’d just assume he had a great job.”
“It sounds it. You’re worried he’ll think you want him for the money?” Whitney asked.
“You’d know what that is like.”
The Butlers were worth a lot. Whitney’s ex wanted the money and she’d learned the hard way. Her brother had those fears, too, but Whitney had put him in his place.
“I do know. You have to come to terms on your own. I don’t think Rick feels that way based on your night. He didn’t have to tell you what he had.”
She didn’t think of that. If Rick was worried wouldn’t he keep it a secret?
“No,” she said. “He didn’t. He did it so that I could decide if I wanted another date.”
She explained more of that conversation too.
“That’s very sweet.”
“It was. At first I thought it was because he might not be as interested, but he read between the lines when I said I’d been with Mike for ten years prior.”
“How much did you tell him about that?”
“Not much. Only that I felt stuck and my life moved by while I was sitting there. Finding out about Ben was the kick I needed to move on. He said good for me.”
“Sounds like a great understanding guy if you ask me,” Whitney said.
“Yeah,” she said. “He does.”
“I wish I could see your face right now. You just sighed that sweet one that someone with a crush does. Are you grinning?”
She heard the humor in Whitney’s voice. “I am. I didn’t realize it until you asked.”
“Do you have a crush on him?” Whitney asked, laughing.
“Is it a crush when you are dating and going to see him again?”
“Nope. I don’t think so. When is the next date? I still think we should double date. Trey is going to want to meet him when he finds out.”
“You didn’t tell him?” she asked, surprised.
“No. It wasn’t my place. Maybe it would have flopped. Who knows? But it’s up to you to tell your brother things. You know he worries.”
Which she hated. “He has no reason to worry,” she said. “I’m fine.”
“He knows you’re fine, but he didn’t like that he never saw the things with Mike for years. Let him be the big brother.”
“Trey is a great big brother. He does more for me than he should.”
“Don’t go there on the rent again,” Whitney said firmly. “Trey isn’t lying to you. That house is costing him nothing. The tenants downstairs are covering the mortgage with taxes. It’s a wash and his sister is safe and in a good location and able to get a start on her life for when she needs it. You know, that fresh start you wanted.”
“Which I appreciate. I didn’t feel bad about it when I had Ben all the time. Now I don’t.”
“Don’t. It’s what family does and you know that. You didn’t hesitate to change your life drastically to help your brother.”
“I didn’t just do it for him,” she argued.
She felt bad that she started to use that as a crutch when she was talking to Mike. It’d started with her saying she needed to help Trey to see Mike’s reaction. Nothing. Not at all. It was as if Mike didn’t care she might be spending nights at Trey’s and asked if she’d have dinner left for him that night. It seemed like she was his mother at times.
“You tell yourself that all you want,” Whitney said. “But we know even if things were great with you and Mike you still would have stepped up and had Ben the same amount of time.”
