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“I was out of line. About so many things I’ve lost count,” I said.
“Ella’s innocent. How could you say that about her?” My brother barely contained the lid on his temper.
Patrick dug a warning finger into my back.
“It was wrong. There isn’t an excuse.” I stepped closer to him. “I’ll tell you what I told Holt and Dad. I don’t want to lose you.”
“Funny way of showing it.”
“Can we try again?”
“I’m not sure I want to know you anymore. You’re my sister, and I love you, but the line keeps moving farther back. It’s one thing if you hurt me, but entirely different when you drag my girls into it.”
I swallowed hard. “I know.”
“I need more time. There’s so much shit to wade through. I don’t know if I want to or not.”
“You’ll be there for your niece. Just like I am for mine.” Patrick’s voice was firm.
“She’s not your—”
“The hell she isn’t. You’re the only brother I’ve got. We’re bound together as a family more now than ever. I love your kid like she’s my own.”
A choked noise came from behind Andrew. Trish appeared, an armload of glasses in her hands. “Thank you for that, Patrick. Ella needs all the support in her life she can get.”
“I’m sorry, Trish.” All eyes went to me in surprise, but I forged on. “For the crap I’ve said and done. I wish I could promise it won’t happen again, but I’m not going to stand here and lie.”Why was apologizing the hardest thing in the world?
“I appreciate that. I’m willing to put it behind us if you are.”
I could’ve hugged her. Except I wasn’t the type. So I shoved my hands in my coat pockets instead and nodded. “I’m willing.”
She wrapped her arms around me and squeezed. “I’m so excited another little one is on the way.” She glanced toward Andrew. “He’ll come around.”
“I hope so.”
She hooked her arm through mine. “You must be starved.”
“Her pizza is the one with the big W on it.”
“You mean M?”
“No, it’s a W,” I said without further explanation.
“Do you want to finish this? Slug it out and get it over with? Because there’s too much shit going on for you to duck out on me,” I challenged.
“Shit,” Blake screamed.
Patrick’s face turned red. “Not a good thing to repeat, little dude.”
“Dude.”
“Go with your mom. See if she can clean up your potty mouth.”
“Ass.”
“No. No. No. Don’t call her that.”
“It’s true,” I said, trying not to laugh.
