Page 13 of Worth the Fall

“I’m glad you knuckleheads stopped by,” I said before taking a sip of beer.

“Eh, we were in the neighborhood,” Patrick said with a grin before Matthew laughed.

“And we heard that Mrs. Green made lasagna.”

Rearing my head back, I gave them a smile. “I knew it had to be something. Everything going well with your place?” I asked Patrick, and he gave me a curt nod.

He was in the home stretch of building his dream home about a mile down the road. It had come a long way from the initial pile of debris and dirt that it’d started out as. Patrick had purchased the old Aimsley farmhouse at auction and promptly torn it down. He had the architectural sketches and plans ready to go a week later. Gotten everything approved and gone to work immediately, like there was a fire lit under his ass.

None of us was sure what his rush was, but whenever we asked, he mentioned supply shortages and getting materials before they ran out. I had no idea if that was even true, but didn’t have it in me to argue with him over it. Patrick was fighting demons only he could see. Who was I to judge him for it?

“Should be done by next weekend,” he said.

My mouth dropped open. “Really? Move-in ready and everything?”

“Yeah. I have final inspections scheduled for Friday.”

“What will Dad do without you?” Matthew teased.

“Annoy me a lot less,” Patrick responded with a grin.

“And probably me more,” Matthew whined.

“You could always move back in with him,” I suggested, and Matthew practically choked.

He was currently renting a condo in a complex that was mostly rental properties. It never made any sense that he continued to rent when he had enough money to buy the whole damn building, but he seemed happy...enough. Whenever I asked him about buying a house or what his plans were for the future, he would say that it wasn’t the right time—whatever that meant. He wasn’t ready to talk either, so I never pushed. It was the O’Grady MO—have feelings, shove them down.

“Hell no. I’d move in here before I lived with Dad,” he said before shrugging a shoulder. “Speaking of, why didn’t you live here instead?” He shifted his gaze between me and Patrick, like there might be some nefarious response coming.

“I didn’t want to disrupt Clara. Knew it would be chaotic if I lived here, only to move out and leave her,” Patrick said thoughtfully.

“You didn’t offer, did you, Grumps?” Matthew pinned me with a disapproving stare.

“I fucking offered, dick,” I countered.

As if I wouldn’t give both of them the clothes off my backs if they needed it. Patrick and I’d had long discussions about him moving in initially. I’d told him he was more than welcome to stay here, but he always refused.

“I knew it was going to take about sixteen months to build, barring any delays. That was too long. We’d get into a routine here, and then I’d go and blow it to pieces when I moved out. I couldn’t do that to her.”

“She would have understood,” I tried to reassure him, but he was having none of it.

“But she would have been sad.”

“She definitely would have been sad,” I agreed.

“I get it.” Matthew nodded. “We don’t do things that make Clara sad.”

“She’s lucky to have you both,” I said, feeling myself get a little emotional. I needed to change the subject. Clearing my throat, I said, “Moving on. I got some news today.”

“What kind of news?” Matthew asked, his brow furrowed.

“Sierra is quitting and moving.”

“Shit. Really?” That was Patrick. “Who are we going to get to replace her?”

Taking a drink, I blew out a long breath. “She’s going to talk to Brooklyn McKay about the job,” I started to say.

“Oh, that’s actually a really good call.” Patrick nodded his head before taking a drink of his own. “She’s great. She’d be a good fit. Was always really nice back in high school and does a lot of events already. I’ve seen her around and heard a lot of good things.”

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