Page 85 of By the Letter

“I’ve heard that from them more than once. Nate’s the oldest. By rights, he should be the one in charge, but they always looked to me. We kept those roles as we grew up. Ade might be pushing thirty, but he’s still my baby brother.”

It was quiet, but I didn’t miss her huff.

“Shir, he’s a good guy, but he was a dick to you at the hospital. You should’ve heard Benny letting him have it today at lunch. I had some words too. He won’t treat you like that again.”

She shook her head. “You guys don’t have to defend me. I promise; I’m used to making a terrible first, second, third, etcetera impression.”

“Well, that’s bullshit.”

“Your first impression of me was terrible, and not just because of what you thought you knew about me. It’s okay, Roman. I know I come off as cold. It’s up to me to either rectify that or accept when I’m disliked. Adrian’s your brother and Beanie’s uncle, so I’m not giving up. I have a game plan.”

My throat was tight. I hated that she was so used to people misunderstanding who she was that she’d accepted it as fact. But I loved that she wasn’t giving up on my asshole brother.

“What’s the plan, baby?” I asked.

“Kill him with kindness. If he scowls at me, I’ll just pretend it’s a smile, smile back, and ask him how his day was. If that doesn’t work, I’ll bribe him with Beanie snuggles.”

“Like that plan, but I hate that you think you have to do it.” Kissing the top of her head, I inhaled her lavender scent. “He’ll dig his head out of his ass.”

And if he didn’t, we’d have words—and they wouldn’t be pleasant. If I had anything to say about it, the days of Shira accepting mistreatment were over.

Chapter Twenty-nine

Shira

The time for mybabymoon girls’ weekend had arrived before I knew it. Bea, Clara, and I were in Breckinridge, only a couple hours from Denver, but it felt like an entirely different world.

I wasn’t a skier, and neither was Frank, so we’d never come here. As soon as Clara drove us down the main strip, I fell in love with the town. Even more when we wound our way up a mountain to our cabin. It was early spring, so it wasn’t as busy as it probably was during the height of ski season, but less hustle and bustle was a nice change.

Our cabin was set back on a wooded lot. Huge picture windows overlooked ski ranges in the distance. The interior was modernrustic, with wood beams, vaulted ceilings and massive stone fireplaces which could be turned on with the flip of a switch.

As soon as I chose my bedroom, I took a picture and texted it to Roman.

Me:We’re here! Bea and Clara gave me the bedroom on the first floor so I don’t even have to climb stairs. Stop worrying about me. I’m great, and the house is beautiful. We’re going to find something to eat before our first spa appointment.

Roman:Looks nice. Make sure the locks are secure.

Me:Locks? What are locks?

Me:The locks are fine, Rome. I’m fine, and so is Beanie. Dr. Sharma told you not to worry. I promise I’ll keep you updated on my activities and how I’m feeling.

Roman:Not the time for jokes when you’re thirty weeks pregnant and hours away from me.

Roman:Sorry, Goldie. I want you to have a really nice, relaxing weekend. Ignore me. It’s hard for me not to hover.

Me:I don’t mind reassuring you, so, no, I won’t ignore you. But don’t spend the entire time I’m away worrying. I would hate that.

Roman:I’ll give it a whirl. ?? Be good. Say hi to your girls for me.

Me:Talk to you soon. XX

I tossed my phone down and smiled. It was cute how concerned Roman was about Beanie and me. He didn’t even try to hide it. The man needed to be within touching distance of my bump as often as possible, or he got cranky. He possessed a fierce protective streak only a notch down from his need to caretake. I didn’t try to deny him either.

Like when I complained about my hatred of my bras, he went out and bought me a pile of angel-soft nursing bras. He’d researched this for several days before making the purchase and had presented a list of backup options in case I hadn’t liked them. There was no need, though. My boobs now felt like they were nestled in a cloud.

Doing this sort of thing was who he was.

I had a feeling by the time I got home Monday, he’d be pacing and tearing his hair out. Either that or driving his brothers crazy.

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