Page 127 of Love Without Demands

“Estrella,” Auburn filled in, his gaze intent on mine. I still wasn’t sure how to read him.

Our other brother snapped his fingers. “That’s right, and then she left town because the evil egg donor fired her.”

I spoke up for the first time. “And threatened her.”

Monty’s top lip curled. “God Chloe was such a bitch.”

I couldn’t disagree. “I can fill you in more on that later, but that topic is what landed, um, our d-dad in here.” I stumbled over the word, unsure how my brothers would react to it, but neither flinched. In fact, Monty grinned and rose from his chair before coming around to the side of the bed where I was sitting in a vinyl chair.

Standing to face him, I released Dad’s hand a second before Monty pulled me into a hug. Not one of those half-ass bro hugs, but a real one with both arms. “This is so fucking cool,” he rasped, and I chuckled out a laugh when we finally released each other.

“Sorry, I wasn’t sure what y’all’s reaction would be, but it wasn’t that.”

“Why not?” he asked, playfully slapping my arm. “We hit it off from the first minute you picked me up from the airport. Now I know why. We’re brothers.”

I hadn’t realized I’d been hunching my shoulders with worry until relief lowered them a few inches. “I’ll be happy to take a DNA test or whatever,” I assured them. “I don’t want anything. I just came to New York for answers.”

Auburn nodded sagely. “Makes sense. Your father had just died, and you didn’t want to question your grieving mother about something so sensitive.”

“Yes,” I breathed, as more of the tension left my body. “You don’t seem very surprised by all this.”

He smirked at me. “I had my suspicions.” At the lift of my eyebrows, he explained. “When I was reading over your personnel file during employee assessments at the end of the year, I noticed your mother’s name was Estrella, and I remembered the story Dad told us. Then, with your blue eyes and the way you look so much like Monty…” His eyes moved between us. “It just clicked.”

“Oh. Wow.” I couldn’t think of much else to say.

“And don’t start that DNA bullshit. If Dad says you’re his son, we accept that.” His eyes shifted to Monty for confirmation, which he gave with a firm nod.

“Right.”

The air in my lungs shuddered out, and my father met my gaze, his telling meI told you so.

“Is that why you gave me that absolutely ridiculous raise?” I asked Auburn, and he chuckled.

“No, I did that because my wife told me to.” And to my utter shock, my oldest brother stood and pulled me into a hug, his voice low near my ear. “Even before I suspected you might actually be related, you’d already become like family to me, Gianna, and the kids.”

Auburn pounded me a couple times on the back before releasing me and reverting to his gruff demeanor, his eyesshifting between me and Monty. Auburn was the tallest, but Mont and I were much broader than him.

“Would you two hulks sit down and relax?” he grumbled before settling on the bed beside our father again. “Little brothers are so annoying, Dad. Can we sell them or something?”

Paul Bouvier’s eyes shone with tears, and yet the man—our father—looked happier than I’d seen him since the first time I met him. I said a silent prayer for my father and the medical staff that was about to do surgery on his heart.

He had to be okay. He just had to.

Six weeks later, I was on a fancy golf course with my two brothers and our dad. Paul and Auburn were awesome at the sport. Monty and me? Not so much. But we were having fun.

All three of us had gone to our father’s last cardiology appointment with him, where we’d listened intently to the doctor’s instructions. When Paul asked about golfing, Dr. Leeman told him it would be excellent exercise for him but to use a golf cart between holes.

Monty, Auburn, and I walked toward the sixteenth hole, all of us keeping an eye on our dad in the golf cart in front of us. He stopped to talk to someone he knew, and we paused.

Monty nudged me with his elbow. “Hey, you know that Instagram account we follow, The Adventures of Garfield and Snoopy?” I nodded. “The owner of the account sent me a DM and said they’re making a trip to New York. We’re going to meet up.”

“Oh, that’s cool. It will be like meeting a couple celebrities.”

He laughed. “Right? You’re welcome to go with me and Kass.”

“Yeah, that sounds like fun.” I hesitated before asking, “Can I ask you guys a serious question?”

“You should ask me,” Auburn said firmly. “Monty will probably give you a stupid answer.”

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