Page 84 of Love, Lies, and Celtic Knots

The decision is made for me when the door swings open, and a woman steps out, almost colliding with me.

“Oh!” she gasps, her eyes widening in surprise before recognition settles in. “Ryan?”

Her voice pulls me back into the past. “Joselyn Vargas?” I ask, taking her in. She looks older, of course—more polished, her hair maybe a shade darker, her features sharper—but there’s no mistaking her.

“Yeah,” she says, smiling hesitantly. “Wow, it’s been a while.”

It has. I remember her from before I left, when she was just a girl Brennen couldn’t stop talking about. I thought they’d split up long ago but seeing her here makes me wonder.

“What are you doing here?” I ask, my voice laced with curiosity.

She hesitates for a moment, glancing back inside. “I came back to make peace with my past. Brennen and I are dating now,” she says, her tone matter-of-fact.

That catches me off guard. So much for my assumptions. “Good for Brennen,” I say, stepping aside so she can pass.

Joselyn nods once and moves down the steps, her pace brisk, as if she’s eager to give us space. I watch her go before turning back to the open door.

Brennen is waiting inside, leaning against the doorway of the living room. He doesn’t look happy to see me.

“Nice bike,” he says dryly.

“Nice vineyard,” I reply, my tone just as sharp.

He doesn’t answer, just gestures for me to come in. I step over the threshold, setting my saddle bags down near the wall.

The silence between us is thick and awkward, the kind that comes from years of unresolved tension. Finally, I break it.

“We need to talk,” I say.

“You think?” Brennen shoots back, crossing his arms over his chest.

I sigh, running a hand through my hair. “Look, I know this is awkward...”

“Awkward?” he interrupts, his voice rising. “You show up out of nowhere, after years of nothing, and expect me to just roll out the red carpet?”

“I’m here to help, Brennen,” I say firmly. “Whether you like it or not.”

“Help?” He laughs bitterly. “You mean, swoop in and play the fucking hero? Save the vineyard because you suddenly decided it matters to you?”

“I’ve always cared,” I snap, my patience wearing thin. “I’ve been keeping tabs—on you, on Emma, on this place. Just because I wasn’t here doesn’t mean I didn’t give a damn.”

“Then where the hell were you when things began falling apart? When I was busy realizing the extent of the crippling debt and bad business decisions dad left me?”

His words hit hard, and for a moment, I have no answer. He’s right, in a way. I wasn’t here when it mattered.

“I couldn’t stay,” I say finally, my voice low. “Not after mom died…”

“They said it was suicide.”

“I don’t care what they said. Mom would never have left us. Never. He killed her. I know he did.”

“And your answer to that was to leave us with a man you thought was a murderer?”

“He would never have touched you. He was too angry and focused on me. Besides, there were people here to keep an eye on him. The sheriff didn’t buy suicide as the cause of death. I know what was written on the coroner’s report, but only because they couldn’t find anything to support murder. I don’t know, maybe he just drove her to it.”

“But you didn’t believe that,” accused Brennen. He’s still so angry.

I shake my head. “No, I don’t. All I know is that if I hadn’t left, I’d have killed our father. Maybe not that day, but some day. I’d have ended up in prison for the rest of my life. So, I joined the Navy and found some positive ways to channel my rage and need for control.”

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