Page 4 of Hero's Heart

“Don’t say that.” Aaron jumped up, fists balled at his sides, and Callum already knew what was about to happen.

Kyle—like most little brothers—didn’t know when enough was enough. He stood too and stepped closer, like he was trying to give Aaron advice. “Why shouldn’t I say it? It’s the truth. You can’t hesitate with something you want, man. Especially when it’s someone as beautiful as Macie.”

A growl preceded Aaron’s lunge, and a second later, the two were tumbling onto the grass with grunts and curses. Callum looked up into the night sky, hoping someone—aliens, Jesus,whoever—would help him keep his temper with these two morons.

Meanwhile, Macie stood nearby, hand over her mouth and tears in her eyes.

Callum let them get in a couple more hits each—they obviously needed to let off steam, and hell, he appreciated a good fair fight too—before pulling them apart.

“Knock it off!” Callum grunted, trying to avoid what he hoped was an accidental headbutt. He didn’t want to have to charge the kids with attacking an officer. The eldest was barely sixteen.

The second the boys were free, Macie rushed over to Aaron, tipping his face so she could see the damage. “You’ve got to stop this. I can’t stand to see you hurt. Why are you fighting with your brother?”

Aaron melted when he looked at her, and the sight sent a pang through Callum’s chest that he ignored. He’d been that way for a woman’s touch once. But it had been a long time.

“It’s fine, Mayday. I’m okay,” Aaron said.

“You’re bleeding.”

Her indignant voice made Aaron smile, and he looked back at Callum, who still held his shoulder. “Can you let me go? I need to hug my girl.”

Callum could practically see Macie’s eyes turn to hearts at the endearment. “You going to hit your brother again?”

“No,” Macie answered for him, burrowing her face into Aaron’s chest. “I’ll make sure he doesn’t do any more fighting.”

Callum looked at Kyle—who seemed more smug than angry that the girl he’d been so intent on asking out was now in his brother’s arms—and it all suddenly made sense.

This had all been a setup.

Aaron was a smart kid, so it didn’t take him long to figure it out either, now that his head wasn’t full of anger. He narrowed his eyes at Kyle. “You did this on purpose.”

“Just trying to help a brother out. She was getting tired of waiting.”

Aaron pulled back from Macie to meet her eyes. “Explain.”

Her cheeks went red, and her voice was barely more than a whisper. “Kyle asked if I wanted help getting you to ask me out. I said yes, but I didn’t know this was what he meant. I thought he was just going to talk to you or something. But I shouldn’t have done it at all. I’m sorry.”

She was nearly crying, eyes thick with unshed tears. Aaron wiped them away, gentling his voice. “Why didn’t you tell me you wanted me to ask you out?”

“I thought you just wanted to be friends.”

“Oh, Mayday. We’ve always been more than friends.”

Aaron held her gently, and Callum looked away as they shared a first kiss rife with young love.

He remembered his own kiss with Amelia, the one that had reshaped him from gruff law enforcement officer tohers. Even now, seven years after he’d scattered her ashes to the wind, he was still Amelia’s.

Would always be hers.

When the lovebirds separated, Kyle stepped forward. “I’m not sorry. You needed the push.”

Aaron swung again, and Callum stepped forward to intercede, but the younger brother ducked and came up laughing.

Aaron shook his head, chuckling to himself as he kept Macie flush against his side. “You’re an ass.”

Just like that, the tension was gone. From drawing blood one second to joking together the next. That was the true magic of siblings.

“But you both are still in trouble.” Callum shook his head at the brothers’ rounded shoulders, although he’d decided they’d been punished enough. Kids would be kids, and what had happened here tonight did not require more interference from law enforcement.

---