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“I do know, honey. Trust me.” Lyric opened her arms, and the girl stepped into her embrace, sobbing now.
“You’re not alone,” she murmured. “Everything’ll be all right.”
“I gotta say, I didn’t think we’d finish this project in time.” Thatch used his paintbrush to touch up the wall behind the reception desk.
“We didn’t only finish,” Silas said from where he wasfixing trim across the room. “We knocked this one out of the park. This has been our biggest project to date in this town, and look at this place. It’s perfect.”
“Not quite. We still have some finish work to do,” Aiden reminded them. He always had to be the voice of reason.
But he was right. They’d likely be here for most of the night, which meant Thatch wouldn’t get to see Lyric until dinner with his family tomorrow. “I might have to take a break to at least go greet my parents.” They were scheduled to arrive in town anytime now. “But even if I have to leave for a while, I’ll come back to finish up.”
“We can handle it,” Silas assured him. “If you need to be with the fam.”
“Nah. A quick hello will be enough for tonight.” His parents always got tired after traveling anyway and, well, he didn’t know how things were going to go with Liam. It wasn’t like they’d be palling around or anything. But he planned to have a word with his brother. Over the last month, he’d straightened some things out in his own head and had come to forgive Liam and Sienna in the process. Things between them didn’t have to be this hard. Hopefully, this trip would be a new beginning for all of them.
Thatch searched the wall for more weak spots in the paint, but his touch-ups seemed to have done the trick.
“You going to introduce your family to Lyric?” Aiden started to screw in a light switch cover near the door.
“That’s the plan.” Even though he’d hardly seen the woman since they’d gotten back from the cabin, they’d been texting all the time and talking on the phone. And then last night, they’d managed to sneak in some romance.
Two weeks ago, he would’ve hesitated to introduce herto his parents, but they were together now, and he was looking forward to the future.
“I give it one year before you two are hitched.” Silas pounded a nail into the trim.
“Six months,” Aiden countered.
“I’ll take that bet.” Silas crossed the room and his two friends shook on it.
Thatch shook his head at them. “We’re not going to rush down the aisle or anything.” But yeah, he could see them getting there eventually. That was what he wanted anyway.
“Technically, you wouldn’t be rushing anything. You’ve known her for a few years now,” Silas reminded him. “It’s not like you just met.”
“And when it’s right, it’s right,” Aiden added wisely. “Hey, who’s that?”
Thatch turned away from the wall and gazed out the front windows. A truck had parked outside. His brother got out.
“That’s… uh… Liam.” But no one else was with him. Not Sienna and not their parents.This should be interesting.
“Your brother?” Silas openly gawked in the direction of the window. His friends knew he didn’t have a great relationship with Liam, but he’d never told them what had happened between them.
“Yep.” Thatch watched the man who used to be his best friend open the door and step inside.
“Hey.” Liam stopped right where he was, keeping a whole roomful of distance between them. “We just got into town, and Mom told me I could find you here.”
Thatch simply looked at him. Liam hadn’t changedmuch since he’d seen him at the Christmas gathering before he’d moved here. Staring at his younger brother was still almost like looking in a mirror. They were born only two years apart, and for most of their childhood strangers mistook them for twins.
Breaking the silence in the room, Aiden pushed Silas toward the door. “Hey, we were just about to go out and grab some dinner. You want us to pick up something for you?”
“That’s all right.” He wasn’t hungry. While his friends made a hasty exit, Thatch set the paint can and brush on the workbench and walked to where his brother stood. “Where’s Mom and Dad?”
Liam shoved his hands into the pockets of his coat. “They’re at the café getting a snack and a drink and chatting with your good friends Minnie and Louie.”
He wasn’t surprised. Minnie and Louie were the most gracious hosts. “Those two are the best.”
Liam nodded stiffly. “Listen, I’m not sure how this is supposed to go. This reunion or whatever it is.” His brother’s gaze kept cutting through Thatch’s vision, but Liam wouldn’t hold eye contact. “I guess I wanted to clear things up between you and me before we’re all together. Before Mom, Dad, and Sienna are around too. So things aren’t hard and awkward like they have been in the past.”
“Probably a good idea.” But Thatch wasn’t sure how this should go either. It had been so long since he’d seen Liam. He had a lot to say but wasn’t exactly sure where to start.
