Page 114 of Driven Daddy

“No thanks needed. We all make mistakes, Brig.” The need to make her feel better burned inside of me. So much of how she reacted reminded me of Rita. As if she was so used to a harsh word over empathy. Hell, before Rita, I might not have reacted the same way, either. I gave her an exaggerated smile. “Yes, even me. I know, who knew?”

“No. I will never believe it.” She gasped comically, making me smile wider. “But I’ve always known you to be a fair guy, overall. Not someone to react without provocation. Sure, people change, but I don’t think you’ve lost that part of your personality. So, that begs the question.”

“No, it really doesn’t.” I bowed my head for a moment, my smile fading. “You don’t have any answers for me, and I don’t have any for you. Let that stand for now, okay?”

She tipped her head, staring at me with far too knowing eyes. “Do you need someone to talk to? Someone who doesn’t have a penis or a self-assured attitude that can make you feel as if you are three inches tall?”

I chuckled. “No, but gotta say that description may be the best one I’ve ever heard for my brothers. I do have a younger sister too, in case you’ve forgotten.”

“I definitely have not. Maddie was always my favorite. She never judged anyone. Or at least she never judged me in any way I could tell.”

“That sounds like my baby sister. Did you hear she married some super rich older dude and became the mom to his kid and had one of her own?”

“I heard something like that one of the times I was in town. Gossip mill is still active in the Cove.” I smiled weakly. “Is she happy?”

I thought about it for a moment. I’d been out of town for that, as well. Seemed like I was missing a hell of a lot when it came to my family these days.

I was starting to wonder if the possible deal with Asher was one more nudge to think about moving back to the Cove.

“Best as I can tell, yeah, she is. Christian would’ve liked to arrest the dude if marrying a younger woman was illegal, but since he did the same, hard for him to bitch.” I glanced over my shoulder at my brother. He’d been another one sucked into a quick romance.

I was beginning to think babies weren’t the only thing in the water around here.

“Not that it stopped him.” I laughed. Christian looked like he was about to be felled by Jack Skellington. “Guess I better join the Halloween militia.”

She followed my gaze with a wince. “Yeah, me too.”

We crossed the lawn and split off while she went to talk to Travis, and I faced my stick up-the-ass brother.

“What are you doing?”

The triple pumpkin was floating toward the tree, the stake bouncing behind it, and Jack was drooping over Christian’s head. He tried to push it off, but the arm was wrapped around him.

“Help me, maybe?” Christian growled.

I laughed and chased after the pumpkin first, dragging it back to the hole in the grass. This big mama jama needed a few more than two spikes in the ground.

I was still snickering over Christian’s wrestling match with Jack as my brother was making out with Bridget. To be honest, I didn’t think my brother had ever looked at another woman after he’d set eyes on Bridget Sheppard.

Even when he was at the height of his football days, he’d never wavered.

I never knew how that could be a thing until I met Rita.

Everyone else paled in comparison.

My brother was still getting swallowed by Jack so I decided to rescue him. For my trouble, I got volunteered to climb on the rooftop to position skeletons.

I spent far too much time doing that, especially since the sun had long since set. However, the entirety of my brother’s front lawn was lit up. I did not envy his electric bill.

By the time I got down, people had scattered for what sounded like an impromptu game of basketball. Nice of them to invite me. Not that I was good at sports in the least.

Since there was a surplus of decorations, and I was beyond done with my brotherly duties, I decided to sneak a flamingo to surprise Rita with.

She’d get a kick out of the witch hat.

It was a little trickier to get around to Rita’s cottage path in the dark. I ducked under the low branches and skidded over a few rocks and hopped down a few feet to the shed near the house.

I did not need a busted knee like my brother had years ago. Maybe I should have gone around the other way.

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