Page 56 of Greedy Grizzly
“Of course I came.” I moved to the foot of the bed. “It’s not every day that you text me. How are you feeling?”
“Scared but okay.” She looked me over. “I hate that you’re still gorgeous and I’m a hot mess with all these bandages and just my false eyelashes.”
I didn’t know how to reply. “Give yourself a break. You’ve been through surgery.”
“It wasn’t that bad.” She waved me off. “Are you just going to stand there or do you want to sit down?” She pointed to the chair beside her.
I sat since she mentioned it, then took in the private room. It was unassuming with pink accents.
“How’ve you been? Where have you been?” she asked.
“I’m good. I live in Minnesota, actually, with my boyfriend.” I’d already planned to call Landon my boyfriend and he was fine with it.
“Wow, that’s convenient. Where is he?” She was curious. Was that good or bad?
“Out in the waiting room. I was told only I could come in.”
“Yeah, I’d need to add him to the list. I’d like to meet him, but maybe tomorrow, if you’re staying in town.” She seemed hopeful I’d say yes, but was trying to hide it.
“We can stay.” Or rather I hoped we could. I didn’t want to get in the way of Storm and his crew finding the men who bombed his dad’s club.
“His name isn’t Bryan, is it?” She smirked like she used to, back home in Cleveland. Some things never changed.
Well, it was good to know she was still my bratty sister. “No. It’s Landon.”
“Sorry, I just had to ask since Bryan is the reason we’ve been estranged.” She laughed and shook her head.
“Right. Are you still in Cleveland? What have you been doing for the past decade?”
“I moved to South Dakota about six months after my arrest.”
“Really?” I was shocked. “I didn’t think there was much in South Dakota.”
“There’s not. Bryan made me promise to leave you alone. Said he could get my release reversed if I didn’t cause you anymore trouble. I was sure you’d gone back to him after I slammed the door in your face.”
“No, I didn’t go back to him. I left Ohio and drove west until I found a spot I liked.” I chewed on my bottom lip. “He shouldn’t have threatened you like that.”
“He loved you and thought he was protecting you. It’s fine.”
“It’s not fine with me. Maybe we would have made up before now.”
“You didn’t exactly try to get in contact with me. I just figured you were living your best life and wanted nothing to do with me.” Her words were like a punch in the gut. And they were very true.
“I didn’t think you wanted to hear from me.” I hadn’t reached out to her. I could have sent her a Happy Birthday or Merry Christmas text. Even just,hi. But I’d been too wrapped up in my own life that I hardly thought about my sister.
“For years I didn’t give a shit about you.” She paused and wiped the emotion from her eyes. “But you’re the only family I have. There’s been a huge void in my life and I know it’s been you. Getting breast cancer like Mom, scares the tar out of me. I don’t want to go through this alone.”
Her words, the genuineness in her tone had me on my feet and taking her hand in mine. “You’re not going to be like Mom and die. Medicine has improved. You have a fighting chance and I will be by your side for the fight of your life.” I kissed her hand, then her cheek as tears rained down my face.
Nothing in this world would keep me from supporting my sister. She was right, we were the only family each of us had. The past needed to stay behind us so we could mend broken fences and look forward to the future.
After a good cry, and some generic pleasantries, I left her alone to rest. Tomorrow, we could get a little deeper and find out what we’d been up to for the last ten years.
But tonight, I wanted to hash out my relationship with my men. We finally had privacy where no one in the club could overhear. Landon wouldn’t get to put our talk off any longer.
Then maybe, just maybe, I could be with both of them, the way Toby and I had dreamed of.
The ball would be in Landon’s court. Would he join our love fest or would he continue to reject the three of us being together?
