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“She chose Dax.” Jasmin shakes her head with the beginnings of a proud smile “He and her husband, Blake, hit it off and she liked something about Dax. She said she had learned to be a good judge of character. And Dax passed whatever personal test she had set. Either that, or she felt sorry for us. Two orphans being thrown into a business we had no idea how to run. Dax was only twenty-one, and I was fifteen when our grandparents died and we inherited the estate. He did it all himself. We got by fine. But it was years later when we won that contract things really improved, and the business started thriving. Dax barely had time to enjoy it before he got convicted.”
“You guys are incredible.” I reach over and squeeze her hand. “You’ve done an amazing job. And you’ve made more profit than predicted. Dax told me that you both want to give the staff a bonus.”
“Yeah. They’ve been great. The ones who’ve stuck with us.”
“Well, looking at your figures, you can easily do it. You could even give them more if you wanted to.”
She smiles at me and squeezes my hand back, taking in a deep breath. “Thank you, Rose. You coming here has been great for all of us.”
“How’d you figure that?”
She laughs.
“Well, apart from being a lady-boss at your job, you’ve done something to Dax. He may be moody still, but… I don’t know. He’s here. He’s present. I used to look at him when he first came out and wonder if part of him was left behind. Still locked in that cell. But recently he’s been… Dax again. Mostly the grumpy version. But I see the way he looks at you. He likes you being here. You don’t treat him like a criminal. You don’t judge him. And you also don’t take his shit.”
“I have a brother who likes to mess with me. Believe me, I know how to not take shit. He sat on the TV remote for three hours once so me and Casey couldn’t put a movie on when he wanted to watch a soccer match. He let us turn the house upside down looking for it, and it was under his ass in his wheelchair the entire time.”
“He sounds like a typical brother.” Jasmin laughs.
“Yeah. I guess he is.” I blink back the sudden stinging in my eyes.
What if I haven’t been fair to Brett? Here I am complaining that my family tell me what to do, and all think they know what I need, what’s best for me, treating me differently since Brett was hurt. What if I’ve been like that to him? We’ve still had our normal moments living together, getting on each other’s nerves. But they’ve been far fewer. I’ve shut him out. I’ve blamed myself for what he’s been through. When maybe I should have been speaking to him instead. Have I made him feel like a victim? By always seeing his injuries and blaming myself for them?
Have I hurt him even more?
Jasmin’s phone rings, and her face illuminates as she looks at the screen.
“I need to take this. I’ll catch you later?”
“Sure.” I smile weakly as she leaves, then pick up my phone and dial Mom’s number.
I just want to hear their voices.
Brett answers on the third ring.
“Hey, Sis. Harls? Rose is on the phone. Hang on, I’m going to put you on speaker.”
“Okay.”
“Hi,” Harley pants. “Sorry, I just ran in from the backyard.”
“She and Reed were out there making a porno on Mom’s sun lounger.
“We were not,” she gasps.
“Could have fooled me. Your lips are permanently attached to him.”
“Ignore Brett.” Harley giggles. “He’s just jealous because he has this new physical therapist he has the hots for, and she’s not interested.”
“It’s not that,” Brett grumbles. “She says she can’t date me because of some stupid patient and therapist rule.”
“Really?” I snort, smiling at their squabbling. This was always the three of us before. Winding each other up. Dad had to play peacemaker so many times.
“I’ve got it all worked out,” Brett announces. “I’m going to ace the program she’s got me on, and then when I smash it and she isn’t my therapist anymore, I’m going to ask her out.”
“Uh-huh,” Harley quips.
“I am. She knows it. I’ve told her.”
