Page 41 of Brother to Brother

“Don’t ask me, please?” I said and he and Rush exchanged a nervous glance.

“Why?” Nox asked and I knew his meaning and answered him honestly.

“Because it really is the best thing I could do for Noah, and if you start asking I’m going to start questioning and pick it apart… I’ve made up my mind and I don’t want to do that. Let’s just… let’s just not make it any harder than it already is, okay?” Both of them shut their mouths, and nodded almost in unison. “Thanks.”

“Man, I can’t wait for him to be old enough to play Jenga, I’ve been wanting to make a set forever.”

“So what’s stopping you?” I asked.

He thought about it a second, “You know what? Good point. I can always make it a wedding gift, am I right?” I smiled and nodded and Rush smiled back.

“Well, I for one, welcome the opportunity to call you family, Mel. Always thought Grind was a dumbass for not making it official,” Nox said. “Here’s to second chances.”

I knew he meant well, but sometimes Nox just lived up to his namesake inadvertently. He didn’t mean to come off obnoxious, he just did sometimes. Rush was looking at him horrified but I just smiled and took what he said for the compliment he meant it to be, rather than for the painful truths he’d dragged out of the darkness and unleashed into the bright light of day.

“Thank you, Nox. That means a lot,” I said.

He smiled and asked, “You mind if Little Man and I go play?” he asked and Noah smiled and reached for Nox. I relinquished my son into his uncle’s care and Rush said, “As long as you can keep him busy to give Mel a break and let me keep working, it’s all good Brother.”

“Wanna go play?” he asked Noah.

“Yah!”

I watched them go out into the grass and took up Nox’s spot on his stool to watch after him and my boy as they played horsy. I had a feeling with all of the brothers, he would be a rather adept rider in no time.

“I can’t not ask,” Rush said quietly, “you’re sure? You’re really sure?”

I nodded, pressing my lips together, “I’d be lying if I said I weren’t scared, but I’m sure, Rush. It’s the best thing for my son. He needs healthcare, he needs a father, and Archer treats him really well.”

“And what about you, Mel? How do you factor into all of this?”

I smiled a little sadly, eyes fixed on my laughing and squealing child, and answered Rush truthfully, as much as it ached to do it, “I don’t, Rush. I don’t matter at all.”

He snorted harshly, “Bullshit,” he said and sighed, “I think once you crack that thick as fuck shell around my brother, you might be surprised at what Archer has to offer you,” he said. I turned to look at him, his rich, warm brown eyes fixing on mine.

“I hope you’re right,” I said with a faint echo of a smile which I know held a lot of sadness.

He nodded and said, “Just give him time and a little more credit than you feel he deserves. He’s a good guy deep down. I mean, he’s stuck with me and Nox this long, hasn’t he?”

He switched his sander on, effectively drowning out whatever reply I could have made so I didn’t bother. Instead I smiled and waved at Noah, bringing out my phone to take pictures of him and Nox and his epic uncle pony ride. His laughter making my heart lighter and reminding me, solidly, that I had everything to laugh, live, love, and be happy for in one neat little package. Nothing else mattered.

Chapter 20

Archer

“You’ve been movin’ around this place like some kind of ghost since we got back from the club. It’s driving me nuts, so how about you tell me what’s up? You having second thoughts or some shit?”

Melody looked up from where she sat, Indian style in the middle of the bed. It’d been something like two or three days since we’d been at the club and she’d been quieter than usual, which she’d practically been a fuckin’ church mouse to begin with. Her phone forgotten in her hands she opened her mouth to speak, thought better of it, closed it, opened it again only to turn around and shut it again.

To make my point that I wasn’t going anywhere until I got some kind of an answer, I crossed my arms over my chest and leaned a shoulder against the edge of the open doorway. She leaned way over to get a look around me into the living room.

“He’s out cold already,” I assured her and she leaned back slowly, resuming her seated position in the middle of my bed. I’d kept sleeping on the couch, figuring I’d be back in it soon enough once she and I were married, a couple of weeks more didn’t make much difference.

She pinned me with those beautiful blue eyes of her and nervously pushed some of that gorgeous blonde hair of hers behind her ear. Melody damn sure was a beautiful woman. I was lucky on that score. Even luckier that she was a fine mother and homemaker. Still, I was getting tired of her looking so rundown and fuckin’ scared all the time, but I couldn’t fix it if I didn’t knowwhatwas freaking her out so hard.

“I’m scared,” she admitted finally, and it was a start.

“Of what?” I asked, needing to know which dragon to slay would be an even better starting point, but I could tell by the expression on her face I was gonna have to drag it out of her. I hated that. Why couldn’t women ever be straightforward like most dudes? I ask a question, I expect an answer but if what I suspected were true…

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