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“There isn’t anything wrong with this one,” his father argued.
“Other than it’s almost as old as Raine,” River said. “We have these conversations with you every year.”
“Then stop asking him and just do it,” his mother said.
That was the first his mother said that. Which told him there must be something wrong with the chair.
His parents never asked for anything. For years River and he had wanted to pay their house off for them. Get them new things. Help out any way they could.
They were always told no and they would have to find a way around it by being sneaky.
He and River were good with their hands and once or twice a year they’d do something in the house. Redo the bathroom, paint some rooms. Fix something up while their father was at work. It felt like it was the only way to give back to them.
“That means you get a new couch,” Raine said to their mother.
“This thing is more uncomfortable than that chair must be for Dad,” Brooks said.
“It’s fine,” his mother said.
“Patty, if you can say that about my chair then I can tell you I only sit here because that couch has springs that could pop into my ass and cut me.”
Brooks let out a snort and shifted some just in case it was true.
“Then it’s settled,” he said. “Raine, take Mom shopping tomorrow to pick out what she wants and get it done.” He pulled his wallet out and found his credit card. “Here. Put it on mine.”
He knew his sister didn’t have the money that he and River did. She’d put her share in with no questions asked, but her teacher’s salary and living alone didn’t give her the ability to charge that much, he was sure. He wasn’t going to take a third from her either. He was positive River would agree.
Shit, he’d helped River out when he was at Yale for years, letting his younger brother live in his tiny apartment and not pay rent. His brother was going to make something of himself and he was going to help see it happen.
His job as a security officer didn’t pay a lot, but enough for them to get by. It’s not like he needed much back then.
Once he was hired by the state police, he had more money than he ever thought he’d have. He took all the OT he could too.
River was doing great now, but he had student loans. Emma had a good job, but he knew they were looking to buy a house as they were outgrowing River’s condo that he’d helped his brother renovate years ago.
Raine picked up the card he’d tossed at her. “Do I have a limit?”
“As if Mom is going to let you spend a lot,” River said, snorting. “Let me know what you need and I’ll transfer the money to you.”
His brother understood without him saying the words. They’d be picking up the bulk of it but wouldn’t want to insult their sister either.
“Now that the talk of Christmas is all settled,” Emma said. “River and I have an announcement.”
“Are you having a baby?” Raine asked.
“Geez, Raine. Why don’t you take their thunder from them?”
“Stop it, Brooks. Your sister is just excited,” his mother said. “Are you pregnant, Emma?”
“I am.”
There was some squealing in the room. He was thrilled over how excited his mother was to be a grandmother. He’d heard more than once that as the oldest they figured he’d have a kid by now.
Nope. Needed a woman he could hold onto first.
“When are you due?” Raine asked when she jumped up to give Emma and River a hug.
“Early July,” River said. “Not even out of the first trimester, but we wanted to share. Emma is going to let her family know tonight.”
