Page 64 of Somebody To Love

Sure as hell felt like it sometimes.

“What I know is you’ve both been too scared to take the leap from friendship to something more until recently. I knew when you got physical it would change things and so did you. Even if you told yourself it wouldn’t.”

Dammit! Why the hell did his brother have to be right all the damn time? Anger, pain, and fear all whirled within him, a tempest of emotions threatening to burst out of him at a moment’s notice. So he did what any half-drunk irrational man would do in this situation. He went on the attack.

The scrape of the wooden chair legs against the tile floor pierced his ears, the sound overwhelming in the quiet room. “And what the hell would you know about relationships, Ace?” He stood, coming around the desk to tower over his brother. “When was the last time you were in one?”

His twin slowly pulled himself up from the chair, getting right in his face, not backing down. Retreat wasn’t in the Jackson family DNA.

“Not for a long time, but maybe that’s why I’m good at spotting when two people need to pull their heads out of their ass and go for it. When you don’t have the real thing, it kind of pisses you off when someone else lets it pass them by.”

He took a step, invading Ace’s space. “I’m not letting anything pass me by.”

Ace mirrored his move until they were inches apart. “Keep lying to yourself, BJ. But eventually she’s going to stop waiting for you.”

Body vibrating with anger, his hands curled into tight fists. Blood pounded through his veins, muscles tensing, poised for a fight. He wanted, no, he needed to kick some ass. Since his brother was here, ramping him up, who better to take out his aggression on? Ace could take it. Hell, the jackass deserved it for all the crap he’d been spouting tonight.

“You’re going to want to shut your mouth. Right now.”

“Make me.”

Just the words he’d been hoping for.

Grabbing a fist full of his brother’s shirt, he brought his fist up, ready to unburden all these confusing emotions with a good old-fashioned brotherly brawl when the sound of his name, his full name, stopped him.

“Bravo Carver Jackson! You let your brother go this instant, young man.”

Oh crap. No matter how old he got, the full name yell from his mother always had him feeling like a kid getting caught sneaking cookies before dinner.

He released his brother, stepping away to turn and face his mother, face burning with shame.

“Hi, Mom.”

“Don’t you ‘hi, mom’ me,” she said, storming into the office door. “Your sister called and told me to get down here because, and I quote, ‘the second Jackasson twin needs a talking to.’”

Damn Charlie! He groaned. “I’m sorry, mom. Everything is fine. She shouldn’t have woken you.”

“I wasn’t asleep. I like to stay up and watch that late night show on that comedy channel. The new host is so attractive. I always have the best dreams after watching his show.”

He didn’t know what was worse. Having his sister tattle to their mom or hearing his mom talk about the late-night guy giving her sex dreams. The dreams thing, hands down. He was going to need some mind bleach to get rid of that image.

“I’m fine, mom. Really.”

“Oh really?” One dark brow rose. “Is that why I came in here to find you about to clobber your brother?”

He glared at Ace, but the bastard had moved to the office door. “I’ll let you two talk it out.”

Once his coward of a brother bailed, his mother motioned with a hand.

“Well, go on. Explain.”

Maybe it was the gin or the fights with his siblings or maybe it was seeing how happy Del was and aching for such contentment while knowing at the same time he couldn’t handle it, but something made him open his mouth and spilled out the entire story. He kept the intimate details to himself, because there were some things a man never, ever, discussed with his mom.

When he finished, she simply stood there, taking it all in. After a moment, she spoke.

“Well, it’s not the most conventional way to get a grandchild, but a baby is a baby. I can’t wait to spoil my little grandbaby rotten.”

Chest crushing in on itself, he sighed. “I’m not sure there’s going to be a baby. At least, not with my help.”

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