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She shot a confused look toward Wade just as the porch door banged open and two of the Keagan brothers charged past her. Charlie jumped between her brothers, holding up her hands as she shouted something but not quite loud enough for Brielle to understand.
Elijah and Lucas pointed at Wade and joined in on the yelling match. Wade remained calm, but his hard expression would have been enough to make her take a few steps back. She couldn’t imagine what it must have been like to grow up with the three of them.
The door behind her opened and shut, then Annabel wandered out and leaned against the porch railing.
Brielle glanced up at her, half-expecting her to head out into the fray herself. Instead, Annabel shot a look in Brielle’s direction. “Let me guess. Wade got in a fight… again.”
Tad chuckled. “I wouldn’t say it’s a fight when it’s one-sided.”
Annabel eyed him, her expression unreadable. “Yeah? How do you figure?”
He gave Brielle an incredulous look. “Wade doesn’t have a scratch on him.”
Wade’s sister pushed away from the railing and headed down the stairs past the two of them. “Not all wounds are physical.”
Brielle and Tad watched Annabel stride toward the men, and Brielle turned to him. “What do you think she means by that?”
Tad shrugged. “Beats me. Probably just being a protective sister. That’s a thing, right?”
“I guess so.” She turned her attention back to the group of Keagans. Their voices had quieted when Annabel reached them, then died down completely when she spoke. It was obvious that she was the voice of reason when things got a little too much to handle.
Funny how Brielle could see the same kind of characteristics in a few of her sisters—mostly Adeline.
Brielle didn’t meet Tad’s eyes when she murmured, “You’re not going to press charges, are you?”
His Australian accent was even thicker when he laughed. “Crikey, no. I’m the imposter.”
“You’re not an imposter,” she argued. “You’re a guest.”
He chuckled again. “Don’t go putting labels where they don’t belong, love. I don’t belong here any more than a wallaby would belong in one of those pastures. The only reason I’m here is to spend time with you.” Tad reached out and grasped her hand. His thumb brushed her knuckles, and when she lifted her gaze to meet his, she felt the faint flutters return. They weren’t as strong as what she experienced with Wade, but they were strong enough that she knew she couldn’t just discount their existence.
He pulled the bag of peas from his face and placed them at his side. “You’ve given me more than I probably deserved as it is. Perhaps it’s time for me to take my leave.”
“You’re wanting to leave early?” A tightness clawed at her throat. It didn’t make sense. She should be celebrating, thanking him for relieving her of the burden they were both carrying. But she couldn’t. It didn’t seem fair. She hadn’t given him a decent shot. “I thought you were going to stay for the whole month. We’ve only just started to get to know each other.”
Tad offered her a small smile. “I was a fool to believe that I could sweep you off your feet when you so clearly have a connection with Wade over there. I see it in the way you two have been looking at each other. I don’t think I can compete with that.”
“Don’t go.” The words spilled from her lips before she had a chance to examine where they came from. “I agreed to have you stay for a month. I can’t say that my feelings for Wade are stronger than the ones I have for you… they’redifferent,to be sure, but you can’t just leave.”
He shook his head. “There’s nothing I can offer you that—”
“There was a reason I was willing to throw caution to the wind when I agreed to marry you all those years ago. I need to explore that. Examine it.” She glanced toward Wade, startled to find him staring at her from where he stood. He’d be furious if he knew what she was saying to Tad.
A lump formed in her throat. What she was saying made sense and no one would be able to convince her otherwise. There were too many variables. What if the feelings she had for Wade weren’t the right ones? He had certain characteristics that scared her—not in the way that she thought he might hurt her, but in the way that could take him away from her.
She couldn’t lose another person. All it would take was Wade getting in a bar fight and he’d be gone. There were too many uncertainties surrounding him. It didn’t mean she was going to stop exploring her feelings for Wade… It just meant she wasn’t prepared to give him her whole heart.
Brielle felt sick to her stomach. Her thoughts swirled in her head with a vengeance, making her feel dizzy and nauseated all at once.
“You okay, love?” Tad came into focus, concern marring his handsome face. “If you’re so worried about my leaving, I’ll stay for a bit longer. Though I don’t know that Wade’s going to be very happy about that.”
Her gaze flitted to Wade once more. No longer staring at her, he was scowling at Elijah. “You don’t have to tell him you were thinking of leaving. He knows you were going to stay for the month. Besides, you’re the one being the bigger person. He hit you.” Brielle patted his knee. “I think it’s time I take you on a date—show you where I grew up. Do you think you’ll be up for it?”
Tad’s bright smile did little to put her at ease. She was doing the right thing—staying committed to the terms she agreed to. Wade was the one who had overstepped, and he needed to get his head on straight and accept that the evening they’d spent together didn’t mean that they were going to end up together.
On top of that, his behavior left a lot to be desired. If he couldn’t control himself, she wasn’t sure he would be the right fit for her.
* * *
