Page 141 of Chasing Sparks

He’s far softer than I am, emotionally speaking, but he also concedes that growing up in my world would harden anyone.

I’ll admit, when he first told me we were brother and sister, all I wanted to do was grab the closest bottle of whiskey and hide in a cave for the next year. Too much, too soon. My heart didn’t think it could handle any more surprises.

I wasn’t ready to discuss our father. I’d clung to my anger for so long, and hearing a different side of the story was a new pain. But it also turned out to be therapeutic.

My dad hadn’t forgotten me. Quite the opposite.

Eddie had a vast sea of stories to tell. He shared how our father talked about me all the time, even setting a place for me at every holiday dinner—not that I ever bothered to attend or RSVP.

But my brother wasn’t mad about my absence. He understood the pain I suffered, how distance was the only salve. Still, he longed to know his sister. And when our father was on his deathbed, he made Eddie promise to look out for me.

My brother took that promise seriously, and that’s how he wound up in Sparkwood.

Of course, I was skeptical at first, wondering if there was a more insidious reason behind his sudden appearance—mainly my inheritance. Turns out, that wasn’t the case. Eddie received the same amount from our father.

Then he brought out pictures, and that’s when the tears arrived. Memories of days I chose not to be a part of because I never wanted my mother to question my loyalty.

Look, one stroll down memory lane won’t erase the scars, but I feel better than I have in years. Plus, it feels good to know my brother has my back regarding the baby, even if he agrees with Mina that Ash needs to know.

“I’m going to jump in the shower,” Eddie calls from the bathroom.

“Don’t use all the hot water.”

“No promises.”

With a laugh, I slip on my coat and shoes. “I’m running out to get the mail. I’m waiting on a package.”

Spring is finally making her way to Sparkwood, albeit slowly. The mountains love their winters and aren’t quick to release her for another year.

But the snowdrops have broken through the ground, and soon the daffodils and tulips will follow. New life is springing forth everywhere.

Including inside me.

Imagine that.

Pulling the package from my mailbox, I glance up and notice something unusual.

Ash’s truck sits parked next to mine—and Ash is in the truck.

What the hell?

As I get closer, I see he’s asleep, so I knock gently on the windowpane. Ash jerks awake, shooting me a surprised look as he rakes his hand through his hair.

After a beat, he cracks the window, his gaze flicking to mine. “Hey.”

“What are you doing here?”

“You’re here.”

“Have you been here all night?”

“Yeah. I planned to slip away before the sun came up.”

I shake my head, trying to decipher the meaning behind his actions. “You planned this? Sleeping in my parking lot?”

He nods, shifting uncomfortably in his seat. “I’m worried about you. After you hung up on me and didn’t respond to my text, I stopped in the shop. Mina told me you were out to dinner.”

Ah,there’sthe reason. Do I disclose I was dining with my recently discovered half-brother or let him stew?

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