Page 56 of Hale Yes
I feel a bit like an ass and soften my tone. “I know, brother. If I ended up with a kid like Reece, I’d count myself as the luckiest bastard in the world. You know I think she’s amazing. If I could have kids without a woman in the picture, my house would be full of them. I just…” My lips press together so hard they ache.
“I understand. After what happened, you have every right to be skittish. Speaking of that, have you heard anything recently?”
I subconsciously rub the scar on my shoulder and mutter, “No, nothing.”
He’s quiet for a moment, and I know he’s worrying about me, though he’s fully aware I don’t like talking about what happened to me five years ago. Luckily, he shifts away from that topic.
“You know if you want kids, you can adopt or get a surrogate, right?”
Allowing a grin to crack my face, I ask, “Can I adopt Reece?”
My twin smears a hand down his face. “Don’t ask me that right now. I’m so exhausted, I might be tempted. We had dinner with Dad and Rebecca last night, and their housekeeper slipped Reece some candy. She was completely wired until almost midnight.”
That’s when I notice the dark circles beneath his eyes. “I’ll come pick her up when I get home Sunday. She can stay the night with me.”
“You don’t have to do that, bro. You’ll already have her on Tuesday.”
“So I get double the time with my best girl this week. What’s the problem?”
“I’ll be out of town for two nights in a couple weeks. I hate leaving her that much.”
“Phoenix,” I say patiently, “we’re twins, so I feel like Reece is partly mine anyway. I know you feel guilty, but you know she doesn’t mind staying with me.”
My brother chuckles. “I think she likes you better than me sometimes.”
“She loves you more than anything, bro. You’ve been her sole caretaker since she was born.”
His lips press together into a line, as if he’s disappointed in himself. “With a lot of help from my family.”
“Because we want to, not out of obligation but out of love.”
He smiles, and the corners of his lips turn up. “Thanks, Helix. I’ll let you know about Sunday.”
We chat for another minute, and as I’m hanging up, Nicolette returns to the cabin. She looks stunning in slim black pants and a spring-green top that makes her eyes pop. Her sandals are black and have a small green flower on the toe. Dainty earrings and a simple gold chain are her only jewelry.
And she wore her hair down.
Nicolette is seated across from me, and I watch as she tugs at her shirt, checks her makeup in her phone camera, and then fools with her hair. “Why are you fidgeting so much?” I ask.
Her hands drop to her lap and twist into a nervous knot. “My family is just a lot.”
I pop one eyebrow up. “I’ve told you stories about my family.”
She finally laughs, and I absorb the sound, loving the way it feels in my chest. “Your family is a lot in a funny way. Mine is…” Her eyes turn to look out of the panoramic window. “The man my sister is marrying used to be my boyfriend.”
Something coils in my stomach. Jealousy maybe? “And you still have feelings for him?”
Her horrified gaze jerks to mine. “God no. Not at all. It’s just that my mom took their side when Rory cheated on me with Angelica.” I’m in shock, but she continues in a ramble. “Not to mention, my mother looks for any reason to criticize me, from my hair to my clothes, and that makes me a nervous wreck to be around her. I do my best to fade into the background because that makes family dinners easier, but then my dad tries to bringme into the conversation. And that only pisses off my sister because she likes being the center of attention.”
Nicolette shoves a hard breath from her lungs and stares at me with a grimace on her face. “Like I said, they’re a lot, and I’m… embarrassed that you’ll be there to see it.”
Sadness wars with anger in my chest, and I take a moment to think about what to say to all that.
“Do you like wearing your hair down, Nicolette?”
She seems startled by the question, and her gaze wanders the cabin for a second as she thinks about it. When they come back to mine, the green irises are resolute. “I do. I like my curls, but?—”
I cut her off with a raised palm. “No buts. It’s your hair, and if you like it down, fucking wear it down.” Leaning forward, I lock our gazes together. “I need you to promise me something.”
