Page 77 of Without Judgment

“I’ll get out and help you with your suitcase,” Mason offered.

I’d barely stepped out of the truck before my brother engulfed me in a hug. The kind that made me realize, no matter what, he had my back.

“You okay?” he queried, stepping back to meet my eyes.

“Yeah. I’m good.” I found I meant it.

Emma went next with a hug. Since she wasn’t overly affectionate, it meant a lot when she embraced me. “Let’s go inside and leave the luggage to the boys.”

Sounded good to me. I stole one last look towards Mason, raising my hand in a half wave. “Bye, Mason. Thanks again.”

He appeared tense. Unnaturally so. “Sure. Take care.”

And that was it. That’s how we said goodbye. My brother and he exchanged some words. Judging by the way Trevor met us in the ticketing line, I guessed those words hadn’t begun with, ‘so I slept with your sister.’ Apparently, Mason simply drove away.

Once I had my ticket, and we’d all checked in for our flight to Dallas, Trevor started asking questions. “How was staying in Mason’s cabin?”

“Good. It’s off the grid. You ever been? It’s nice.”

He laughed. “I’ve been on a couple of occasions, and I can’t say I would’ve believed you’d ever call a cabin in the woods nice.”

I bristled a bit. “I’m not a complete princess, thank you very much.”

“Sorry. I’m having a hard time picturing you roughing it. Everything okay with you and Mason?”

Now he was studying me in the security line.

Do not turn red, do not turn red. And whatever you do, do not think about the subject at hand naked. “Yeah. He’s still moody as shit but was very hospitable. Even offered me the bed while he volunteered to take the couch.” It wasn’t totally a lie. Knowing my brother, it was exactly what he’d been after. An understanding of the logistics.

Proving it, he relaxed. At least until his phone rang. “Shit. It’s Dad. Again.”

“Does he know I’m with you?”

“Not yet, but you’d do me a favor by talking to him. He’s been worried.”

“All right. I will.” Might as well get it over with.

Trevor answered. “Hey, Dad. Good timing. I’m with Avery.”

I steeled myself to take the phone from him and speak with my father but was surprised when Trevor’s voice changed.

“Yes. Nope. Okay, we’re on our way. I will. Bye.”

My father hadn’t wanted to talk to me? As soon as Trevor hung up, I asked, “What’s going on?”

He quickly ushered us out of the line and to the side, where he turned to face me. “There’s been an incident. Edward was badly beaten. He’s at Memorial Hospital in Houston. The police are there, but he’s asking for you. Won’t talk to anyone but you. Dad offered to meet us there. But you can say no, sis. We can instead get on this plane to Dallas and let the police sort this without you if that’s what you’d prefer.”

He was giving me a choice. And, oh, how tempting it would be to continue ignoring my father, to forget Edward, and to avoid dealing with this mess that wasn’t mine. Yet I was knee-deep in it. And I could sense I was near to understanding why it had started in the first place.

“Let’s go to Houston.” I was a mix of anxious and resigned. Yes, I had to face my father, but maybe I could be done with this drama once and for all.

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