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“Mom,” Gabriel cuts in.
He and I share a look. It’s not like her to be so forthcoming, so it makes me squirm.
“There are a lot of aspects of how we were raised that made us better people,” Gabriel says. “We learned how to work hard, how to be disciplined. Besides, look at you now. Things are different and we notice that.”
She swallows hard and her gaze goes between me and my brother.
“Besides, Mom,” I say. “We didn’t just talk about business growing up. We talked about sports, too.”
She laughs and rolls her eyes. “Yes, you did. Which reminds me, how do you think the Wolves are going to do this year?”
“They’re going to totally suck without Alec like they did last year,” I say.
“I’m just glad he’s been rehabilitating his knee so well. Last time I saw him, I barely noticed the limp. And that’s mostly thanks to Oakley.” Mom smiles, her eyes brightening.
As if on cue, Alec and Oakley walk in.
“I regret giving you the code to my place.” I groan as I stand to make room. Not much later, Oliver and Sophie arrive. All the hugging and cries of joy have me feeling claustrophobic, and I go stand in my kitchenette.
I do like being with my family. But sometimes I prefer watching from a distance.
I’m glad two of my brothers have found the women they love. I don’t think that’s in the cards for me, though, and I’m mostly okay with that. What my mom might not know is I haven’t been on a date in probably six months or more. There’s not really anyone to date here in Longdale, and even if there were, I’m not capable of having a good relationship. I tried and it didn’t end well.
I can’t ask a woman to climb aboard this crazy train—my work-addled brain and my determination to outrun my dad—to create a good life for my brothers in all the ways my dad never would or could.
There’s something about Longdale that has pulled me back to it. I never anticipated building a resort here. It’s by far the smallest town we’ve ever built in, and I don’t think we’ll build in someplace small and quaint again. But something was drawing me to this lake, and it feels like more than a simple nostalgia for our happy summers here growing up with Aunt Stella.
Elianna’s face comes to my mind, urging me to wake up and pay attention.
And it’s gotten me sweaty and stressed. Why would I think of her when I think about why I’ve built this resort? She’s temporary. She has a life in California. Besides, she’s my assistant, and getting involved with an assistant is the exact opposite of the kind of man I want to be. It screams amateur. It screams weak. It’s a disgraceful cliché. And I just cannot do that. Not to Elianna, and not to my family.
I can’t stop thinking about her until the family’s conversation turns to Henry. We always, inevitably, talk about Henry. How can we not? He’s our absent brother. Except for at Christmas, we don’t hear from or talk to him much. Aunt Stella does, though, as I learned a few months ago. And he does keep in touch with our mom. But Henry’s a lone wolf, he always has been. Which is ironic considering he’s the only one of us with a family.
Not that he and Quinn are together anymore. But there’s Navie to think about.
“Where is Henry these days?” Gabriel asks, his brow furrowed. He unfolds his arms to scratch the back of his dark blonde hair, the only brother without a shade of brown.
“Malaysia,” Mom says, her voice tired. I know she worries about him. She had insomnia when he was in the military, and I doubt it’s improved much since then.
“What’s he doing there?” Alec asks, sounding frustrated.
“What does he do anywhere?” Oliver adds.
Sophie sighs. “I’d love to see him again before the wedding. It’s been years.”
Oliver grabs her hand and wiggles her diamond ring. “Christmas. He always comes home for Christmas.”
“For at least a whole day,” Alec complains.
“At least he does that,” Gabriel says. “He doesn’t have to, you know.”
“Yes, he does!” Alec says, his cheeks flushing. “It’s the least he can do. If he can’t even communicate with his brothers for months on end, the least he could do is come home for Christmas.”
“Guys, we don’t know why he does what he does,” I say, unease filling my chest. The way Henry operates in his life isn’t what I would do, ever. I have an obligation to my family that I won’t shirk. But I can’t help but think Henry has a good reason for the things he does.
“Sebastian’s right,” Mom says. “We just need to love and support him the best way we can.”
Alec and I share a look. It’s a little hard to wrap our brains around this new and improved Mom.
