Page 64 of Something Borrowed

Grady shot him a look, but only lifted the glass in a small salute. They both tossed back the contents and grunted. “That’s good. Smooth.”

“It should be. It’s Johnny Walker Blue.” Ethan poured another shot into both glasses, then into two others as Matthew and Wyatt joined them.

The men sat in the chairs around a small round table and sipped their scotch, not talking.

Matthew finally cleared his throat. “Caroline didn’t mean anything, you know. She just wanted to repair some of the damage from the past and maybe reclaim some of the closeness we all had back then.”

Ethan shot him a dirty glare while Wyatt snorted.

Grady stared and said, “I had no part of that, Matt. She should have left Brigid and me alone. Besides, you were right. We’re at different phases in our careers and lives. Hell, we’re on completely different trajectories and will never be on the same path.”

“So, you’re giving up? Just going to walk away?” Matthew said, swirling the amber liquid in his glass. “You’re all bailing?”

“Jesus, Matt,” Ethan exploded. “This entire week was a clusterfuck from the start. I get that you guys are happy and we’re thrilled for you. I’m fucking jealous that you found your true love in college and you found a way to make it work through everything. But it doesn’t happen that way for everyone. And that’s okay.”

Matthew shrugged. “Maybe not. But I’ll say one thing. You at least had a chance to resolve everything and not just leave it all on bad terms. You’re going to be seeing each other a lot; Caroline will make sure of it. So, if I were you, I’d be sure to settle everything, even if you’re not together. And be sure you’re not full of shit because ultimately, relationships come down to talking and compromise and working shit out.”

He stood and looked at Grady. “Mom’s here. I’m sure she’d like to see us before the ceremony.”

Grady snorted. “Really? She hadn’t seemed too interested while I was growing up.”

Matthew scowled. “Come on, dumbass. We talked about this. I want us both to see her. You don’t need to make up with her or anything. I just need you to get along for the day and not run out like you did at my promotion.”

Grady drained the rest of the scotch and stood. “Fine. Whatever the groom says. But I’m not kissing your ass after today.”

* * *

Matthew led Grady around the outside of the hotel toward the side where a small sitting area had been set out for people who had come out for the day. Before they rounded the corner, Matthew stopped him.

“Grady, I’m sorry about you and Brigid.”

“You warned me. Repeatedly. You told me we were too different, and sometimes opposites don’t attract. Look at Mom and Dad.” Grady shrugged, trying to toss the hurt right off his back, but it clung to him, digging talons into his skin and tearing him apart.

Matthew shifted, looking uncomfortable. “I know what I said, but maybe I was wrong. You were happy with Brigid, and so was she. Brigid is a good friend for both Caroline and I, but I also see her at work. She gets absorbed in her job, to the exclusion of everything else. You brought her out of that world, gave her something else to think about.”

Grady snorted. “It was just stress relief. I clearly forgot that.”

“Maybe. Brigid was happier when she was spending time with you, especially this week. And you’re different too. She gave you focus or something.” He looked so uncomfortable saying it, but Grady understood.

“Yeah, she gave me the guts to go after what I wanted, helped me work out the business plan. But that’s not a reason to date someone. We don’t fit, Matt. She left. She’ll always leave when her business calls. Just like Mom. Mom couldn’t be happy with a contractor for a husband, or even a son. Brigid wants more; she deserves more. I can’t fit in with her lawyer partners. I’ll be the one who works in their kitchens and their bedrooms, working for them, not seen as an equal. You know what I mean.”

“Caroline works for them. She plans events, and many of the partners’ wives hire her to run their parties. How is that different?”

“Come on, Matt. Caroline could never be thought of as a servant or anything other than an equal. I’m blue collar all the way, without the education, the manners, or the connections Brigid has. I’m fine for some fun on the side.”

Matthew’s eyes narrowed. “Did she say that? Because if she did…”

“No, she didn’t, but I know it’s there. It’s always been there between us. Even you saw it.”

Matthew stared at him for a long moment, then laughed. “I never thought of you as a snob. Brigid is as middle-class as you are. She’s worked hard to get where she is, and she respects hard work. I’m just saying you should consider talking to her again, seeing it from her perspective.”

“I’ve been seeing it from her perspective all along. I think I’ve been goddamn accommodating, Matt. Maybe too accommodating. I just can’t be second anymore. You forget, Dad and I were second-class citizens to Mom and her new life. We were completely ignored, forgotten, while she went on to a new life with her wealthy husband and you. I won’t be tossed aside, not a second time.”

A sound made him turn. A woman stood at the corner of the stone patio, her hand on her mouth, eyes wide and filled with tears. She was about five foot six, barely up to Grady’s shoulders, her salt and pepper hair neatly coiffed into a short, stylish cut. He’d spent enough time around Caroline and Brigid to know the dress cost more than his truck was worth. Of course, the truck was a piece of shit and more than a decade old. And her jewelry could probably fund his payroll for a month or more.

“Grady? It’s been so long. I had no idea you felt that way.”

He took a step back, but Matthew neatly blocked his retreat, forcing him into the confrontation. “What did you expect? I have only seen you a handful of times since you left when I was eight. You’re not my mother. You’re a stranger.”

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