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He splayed his hands. “It’s tough single-handedly running a hospital.”
“I’m sure it is.” There was no sarcasm in Curt’s voice. His brothers were all impressive. Except for Malik, who seemed completely lost since Mum’s death, the rest of them turned to working harder. Truthfully, though, Malik had seemed lost even before Mum’s death.
Steffan pulled a chair out and sat. “When are you going to finish that table and trade them out?”
“I finished it.” He grinned. “Been waiting for a brother to show up to help me move them.”
“You really finished it?” Steffan’s brow squiggled.
Curt stood and led the way through the back door, across the fresh-cut weed and grass mix and to his shop. He felt strangely proud as he swung open the door and led Steffan inside.
Steffan walked around, running his fingers across the surface of the new table. “It’s amazing.” He looked around. “You’ve finished some other projects.”
“A couple new bureaus and clocks for the bedrooms. Those I could move myself.”
His brother nodded, but then his eyes swept the room again and he asked suspiciously, “Where’s your climbing gear?”
Curt shifted his weight and rubbed at his jaw. “In the shed with my dirt bike. I’ve been climbing every afternoon.”
Steffan’s eyes narrowed. “So when I told you to not be an idiot at the airport, but you still were …”
“In my defense, that was a little vague. Was being an idiot splaying my heart and selfishly keeping her here, or letting her go home and heal?”
“Letting her go.” Steffan rolled his eyes. “If I met a woman that incredible who was interested in me …”
“Wow, it’s ‘getting so deep in here I need my hip waders’.” Curt’s eyes widened as he realized he’d just quoted Aliya. Her funny expressions went through his head regularly, usually made him smile and always made him miss her, but quoting her was pushing it. Especially with the brother who’d called him an idiot for letting her go. “You have incredible women throwing themselves at you all the time.”
“Okay, let’s ignore the fact you are now quoting Aliya and I’ll clarify. If I met an incredible, funny, Christian, humble, and perfect-for-me woman like Aliya is for you, I would never let her go.”
Curt had that feeling again. Like when she’d walked away. Like somebody had stabbed an ice pick into his gut, or maybe his heart.
“She’s been through something horrific and traumatic. She needed time to go home and heal.”
“Have you ever even watched a romance movie?”
“Kiera made me watch some Disney movies. Does that count?”
“We’ll work with it.” Steffan shook his head and folded his arms across his chest. “The woman wants to know you love her so much you’ll move mountains, you’ll walk across continents, you’ll paddle across oceans. You’re supposed to help her heal. You have to go to her. Figure out how to make it work between you.”
Curt’s heart thudded dully in his chest. “Steffan. I haven’t even left the mountains to come to church since Mum and Suzanne died. You think I’m going to fly to America?”
“For Aliya you will. You love her. She needs you, and you need her.”
“I don’t know her well enough to love her,” he protested. He definitely needed her, but did she need him? Aliya was tougher and braver than he’d ever dreamed of being. When the going gets tough, the tough get going, she’d loved to say. It fit her so well. She refused to give up and always stayed positive.
Was Curt tough or brave? He used to think he was.
Steffan lifted his eyebrows. “Why are you suddenly completing projects and climbing mountains instead of just wandering around, wasting your life away?”
Curt wanted to protest that he hadn’t been wasting his life away. Ray considered him a very valuable resource and protection for their country. How could he explain to Steffan what was happening inside? He wanted to heal, but even more, he wanted to be worthy of Aliya, be there for Aliya. Yet … fly to America?
“C’mon. It’s me. At least try to get it out.”
Curt swallowed. “Staying insanely busy helps me not ache for her every minute.”
Steffan’s brows rose, and he looked very smug. Ray would’ve hit him, but Curt just glanced away.
“And she inspired me. She was so full of life, so happy no matter what …” He paused, choking up, which was embarrassing, but also trying to think how to phrase it. “She has been through something worse than most of us ever have to endure. Something so brutal that she blocked it out, and the uncertainty had to make it worse. But she never complained, never sought pity, didn’t dwell on it. She made the most of the time she had here, with me. She made each moment incredible, no matter if we were playing a card game or holding some silly yoga pose.” He smiled. “I’m not saying I’m healed, but she showed me how to live through trauma. She made me want to accomplish things again and get past Suzanne and Mum’s deaths.” He paused. “Not that I’m going to get past Mum’s death, but you know what I mean.”
