Page 174 of Embracing the Change

“This is true,” Mika mumbled.

“So why did he get a job far away from all that when he graduated? Gage didn’t. He went right to work with Judge, doing something that doesn’t even use his degree. And Sully told us today that the firm in New York that has been trying to recruit him for ages just upped their offer. And he’s seriously considering taking it. Which leads me to believe he’s escaping something, and that something isn’t in our posse.”

I paused to listen to her chuckle.

Then I finished, “Because half that posse is in New York. He’s escaping something else, my dear. Did he have a bad break with a girlfriend?”

“Not that I know of.”

“Hmm,” I hummed.

“Should we make subtle queries to investigate?” she asked.

“Dearest, what a silly question. Of course we should,” I drawled.

I listened to her laugh again.

We didn’t talk much longer before we hung up, and I sat there, upending my phone on my knee, wondering if I should go down and check on Jamie, and I did this until the door opened.

I set my phone aside, took my feet and turned to Jamie.

He looked emotionally worn out.

So I used my feet to take me to Jamie.

He wrapped his arms around me, and I did the same to him.

“How did it go?” I whispered.

“It was a lot,” he replied.

“I can imagine. Do you want to talk about it, or do you want some time away from it?”

He shook his head, guided us both to the couch, and brought us both down, pulling me into his arms again so I was twisted to him and resting my chest against his.

“He’s headed home, and he’s going to talk to his wife. They’re going to figure out how to share about me with their boys. He asked me to give it some time just in case it didn’t fly very well with them.” When he saw my expression change, he went on hurriedly, “Not that he thinks they’re going to pitch fits. But you have to agree, you reach your forties, and your dad tells you that you have an older half-brother, and he’s me, they might need some time.”

Yes, I had to agree to that.

“All right, darling,” I murmured.

“Once that’s done, we’ll come back. So will Judge and Dru, though Dru might be difficult because she got the gig with Ashe. But that tour won’t be running for a while, so hopefully they won’t take that much time to get used to the idea of me.”

“Hopefully.”

“He was more worried about what was happening between AJ and me. It wasn’t lost on him that AJ hit him up for the meet to do something spiteful and mean. He just refused to waste the opportunity presented him where he could meet me.”

My God.

I loved that.

“I’m glad he didn’t waste the opportunity,” I said softly.

He gave me a squeeze. “Me too.”

“This brings to mind that obviously, AJ knew who fathered you.”

Jamie jutted up his chin. “Once I started to grow up, you have to admit, sweetheart, unless he was half-blind, it’d be hard to miss it.”

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