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He should have expected this. Brandon was like an annoying truffle pig who could snuffle out anything meaningful to Ryder so he could take it for himself.
Esme appeared flustered and amused by the younger Hayes brother’s charm. She laughed at his jokes and beamed when Brandon played peek-a-boo with the two babies, whose carriers had been fastened in infant seat cradles next to each other at the table.
“How are you adjusting to life in Chatelaine?” Esme asked Brandon after the food was brought to the table—cheeseburgers for Ryder and Brandon and a club sandwich for her. “The pace of life here must feel slow compared to what you’re used to in Houston.”
“I like that there’s no traffic,” Brandon said, popping a fry into his mouth. “The local highways feel like they’re made for hitting the gas pedal. Have you ever driven a Porsche, Esme?”
She giggled. “I can’t say I’ve ever had the opportunity.”
“We’re going to have to remedy that,” Ryder’s irritating brother said with a wink. “Daddy Daycare over there—” he pointed toward Ryder but didn’t take his eyes off Esme. “—can babysit while we go for a drive.”
“It’s not babysitting,” Ryder said through clenched teeth, “when I’m their father.”
“Sure, sure,” Brandon agreed. “Everyone in town is so nice, and it’s obvious you’re no different, Esme. Do you like picnics? I could take you on a picnic.”
Ryder sniffed. “I can take her on a picnic.”
“I asked first,” Brandon countered.
“So what?”
Esme held up her hands, palms out. “Hold on. There’s no need to argue about a hypothetical picnic.” She grimaced. “Is this what we have to look forward to with Chase and Noah?”
“No,” Ryder answered at once. “Our boys are going to be friends.”
“What the...?” Brandon looked legitimately hurt, which made Ryder’s gut clench. “We’re friends, bro.”
Ryder shook his head to clear it, unable to believe what he was hearing. He loved Brandon but had never considered them friends. “Then why do you always try to best me in every way?”
Ryder placed his napkin over his plate, stomach suddenly churning too much to think about eating. “I understand Dad set us up for that when we were kids, but we’re grown men, Bran.”
“You’re my big brother. I don’t want to best you.” Brandon laughed and loosened his tie like it was choking him. “I want to be you. I always have. Clearly, Dad wanted that, too, so he pushed me to do everything you did. I could never be you, so I had to be better.”
If Brandon had revealed he was heading off to join a monastery, Ryder couldn’t have been more shocked.
Had he made a terrible mistake in keeping his distance? Had he let their father’s behavior influence his feelings to the point that he’d missed out on being closer with his brother? Could he make it better now? What would he risk if he tried?
“I love knowing this about the both of you,” Esme told them with a wide smile. “I could tell you shared a bond, even if it was messed up for a while. It’s how I want Chase and Noah to grow up, only...” she grabbed Ryder’s hand “...how about we skip all that business about competition and pitting them against one another?”
He nodded numbly while Brandon roared with laughter.
“Oh, you’re a keeper,” his brother told Esme. “You’re going to be good for too-serious-never-cracks-a-smile Ryder. I can tell.”
“I smile,” Ryder proclaimed with a frown.
“Maybe when you pass gas like a baby. Otherwise, it’s all business.” Brandon leaned toward Esme like he was revealing a secret. “The crazy part is people love him for it. Almost every day, I bring in a treat for the staff. This week was doughnuts on Monday and cookies on Wednesday. I even rented a karaoke machine for an office happy hour last Friday night.”
Esme focused on Brandon but didn’t let go of Ryder’s hand. He was grateful for her steadying touch.
“That must have been so much fun,” she said.
“Not one of them can carry a tune, although that didn’t stop the sales staff from belting out the worst songs imaginable. But as much effort as I put into being the fun boss, apparently, I need to bulk order rubber bracelets that say WWRD. That’s the theme of the office—‘What would Ryder do?’”
“I told him he should return to work,” Esme confided, her head close to Brandon’s so that it also appeared as if she were sharing something private.
Ryder tapped his own chest like he needed to make sure he wasn’t invisible. “You both know I’m sitting right here.”
“Yeah. You’re hard to miss.” Brandon waved a hand in Ryder’s direction. “But I’d much rather focus on your better half.”
