Page 24 of Silent Partner (Pine Falls 3)

Aspen patted my shoulder. “I hope it makes you feel better. Tristan is an idiot. And like I said, he’s already having major regrets. Miles had to talk him out of coming here tonight.”

I grabbed my heart. “He’s in town?” I stammered.

“No. No. Sorry to scare you. He was going to hop on a flight at midnight last night, but Miles very plainly told him that wasn’t fair to you.”

I let out a slow breath, trying to get my heart rate down. “I appreciate what Miles did.” The last person I wanted to see was Tristan. Besides, wasn’t he seeing someone else already?

The shock of Aspen’s words had my head and heart reeling so much, I made a fool of myself. “Kinsley,” the most beautiful voice said. And what did I do? I jumped and let out a tiny yelp.

All the ladies raised their brows at my odd behavior.

I shut my eyes and spun around, not knowing how close he was. I practically spun into his arms, and he had to steady me. Yes, he touched me. We hadn’t touched since that night two years ago. Time hadn’t stamped out how wonderful and right his touch felt. That was wrong, though. It had to be.

He seemed in no hurry to let go. He just stood there with his hands on my arms, his eyes capturing and captivating my own.

I barely heard Shelby whisper, “Well, well, looks like maybe Mr. Right has already shown up. I told you, ladies.”

I was going to deny it, but my brain had shut off, and they all walked away before I could articulate a word. Besides, I was mesmerized by a pair of deep-as-the-sea blue eyes.

“Kinsley,” he said so affectionately.

So affectionately, that I said “Brant” before I could stop myself. I hadn’t said his name in months. It scared me so much, I stepped back.

He dropped my arms but smiled. “You said my name.” He sounded surprised, as if he had noticed I hadn’t been using it.

I had said his name, and I wanted to kick myself. Why did he affect me so much? Maybe I should name a cockroach after him. But that seemed wrong because there was something not right with him . . . with Brant. I was done fighting saying his name. It had been useless. I hadn’t fallen out of love with him. Besides, he was hurting. I could see it in his forlorn countenance and in the weight he had lost. He didn’t deserve to be torn apart by a meerkat. Something else already seemed to be doing the job. Oh my goodness . . . was he dying? A light bulb went on, and suddenly everything made sense. Dani’s odd behavior and her saying he’s “involved” in things. I bet it was the reason why Sheridan was living with Brant instead of getting her own place. And the reason he’d dropped his bid to run for the Senate. Plus, he seemed to be absent a lot. He was probably receiving treatment somewhere out of state. It all made perfect, awful sense. My hands flew to my mouth.

“Are you okay?” he asked.

“Are you okay?” That was the real question.

“I am now.” He grinned.

He was lying. He wasn’t okay. I could see it in his eyes. But I couldn’t just ask him if he was sick. Obviously, he didn’t want anyone outside of his family to know. I could respect that.

“Brock wanted me to get you. They want to sing ‘Happy Birthday’ to you and Gemma before we have cake.”

I grimaced. I didn’t want to be sung to.

Brant chuckled. “It won’t be that bad . . . well, it probably will be, but you don’t want to disappoint our niece, do you?”

“Maybe just this once,” I teased.

“I guess I will be her favorite, then,” he said way too smugly.

My left brow popped. “I don’t think so. You saw the cake.”

“Yes, but you missed it when I gave her the unicorn.”

I’m sure she’d died and gone to unicorn heaven over it, but . . . “Don’t worry, I’m already planning the ultimate sleepover to maintain my spot.”

He opened his mouth to respond, but Dani happened upon us looking harried, like she had caught us just in time before something terrible happened. She grabbed my hand. “It’s time for cake,” she said, way too pitchy. It was how she sounded when she was scared. I knew that voice all too well. It was how she’d sounded the first year after we were placed with Grandma and Grandpa. It was how she’d sounded after she had miscarried last year. Now it was because she was worried I would give my heart to a dying man.

I grabbed my stomach. As much as Brant’s rejection had hurt me, I couldn’t stand the thought that he was sick or dying. That thought hurt in places I didn’t even know existed. But Dani didn’t have to worry. I was over men. All of them. I would wish Brant well from a distance. Pray he would get a miracle and I would get mine—to fall out of love with him.

---