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Aiden winced as realization dawned. “Sorry, Dec. Didn’t mean to talk about Bree like that. I take it back.”
Declan grunted and gave a brisk nod.
“So, how was it?” Aiden said.
“I’m not going to—”
“Ye were just telling me brother ye had the ‘best fucking sex of ye life’ and ye didn’t want to tell me? And I’m supposed to be one of ye best mates?” He brought out his Irish brogue, so Declan was sure to know Aiden was pissed.
Aiden stood from the sofa to walk over to the kitchen. He was probably in search for something to drink. Or to grab an utensil to knock Declan on his arse.
Declan followed his cousin into the kitchen. “Bree wants to keep it a secret. She regrets it ever happened, and she doesn’t want to talk to me.”
Aiden searched for something in the fridge, his back to Declan. Declan rolled his neck back and forth and then took a deep breath.
“Keenan only knows because he saw Bree leaving my house this morning. She hightailed it out of there at the crack of dawn. Too damn afraid to stay and talk.”
Aiden handed Dec a beer. “Okay. I get it.”
“Thanks,” Declan said as he accepted the beer and took a pull. He wiped his lips with the back of his hand and leaned against the kitchen table.
“Now that you finally made your move, it’s time to work on closing the deal.”
“I fucked up, Aid. I should have handled things differently. I never should have taken her home and—”
Keenan walked into the kitchen. “Let’s work out a plan.”
“Guys, I don’t think—” Declan tried, but his cousins were like dogs without a bone.
“I hate seeing you this way, Dec,” Keenan said as he accepted a beer from Aiden.
“Blondie’s asleep?” Aiden said, and Keenan nodded.
“And I hate seeingyouthe way you are, Keen. You need to let us help you more with Blondie,” Aiden said while closing the fridge again.
Keenan scratched his beard. “Aid… I’m doing the best I can. Evangeline—”
“And that’s another thing. I hate seeing you still pining over her arse!” Aiden said while pointing his beer at his brother.
“It’s because you’ve never been in love,” Keenan said. “Once you’ve been there, you’ll know. Until then, shut the fuck up.”
“Guys…” Declan tried to stop the brothers from saying things they would regret later. He stepped closer to Aiden and placed a hand on his shoulder to stop him. But Aiden was on a roll now. A vein in his neck bulged as he clanged his bottle on the kitchen counter.
“She left you. And left that beautiful angel boy upstairs. He was only three years old,” Aiden's voice hardened.
“I was there, Aid. You don’t need to point it out every two weeks,” Keenan bristled and widened his stance. Declan placed a hand on Keenan’s chest. He wanted to remind Keenan he was there in case he’d forgotten and wanted to knock his brother on his arse.
“What kind of mom does that? He still cries about her in his sleep. I can never forgive her.” Aiden let his words trail and wiped at the corner of his eye.
“Luckily, you’re not a factor in this,” Keenan said, his nostrils flaring as he tried to calm himself down by taking a deep breath.
“This isn’t helping any of us,” Declan said. “Keenan and Tommy are on their own now, and Keenan, you’re doing a damn fine job at being a single dad.” He slapped Keenan on his back. Keenan cleared his throat and looked down at the kitchen tiles in front of his feet.
“Evangeline is gone,” Declan told Aiden. “She left and is probably never coming back. Aid, you know it’s still painful. Not only for that sweet little boy upstairs in his dinosaur pajama’s, but also for your brother. You don’t need to be a dick about it, okay?”
“Okay. Sorry,” Aiden held out his knuckles for Keenan. As their knuckles touched, Declan let out a sigh of relief. “Okay,” he said, reluctantly. “Let’s talk about a plan for me to work things out with Bree.”
Bree jumped when the hot-blooded Arab kicked his long leg against his stable door. Fianna had just taken him out and guided the glossy brown animal with her hand on his rope halter. “Easy,” Fianna said as she placed a hand on Bree’s arm.
