Page 18 of Mine to Keep

Or maybe it did. Perhaps Cheryl and his mom had bonded over cheating on their husbands.

Shit. He doubted that was true, but his mom sure did want him to get back together with his ex, and that was never going to happen.

Not in this lifetime.

“I can’t control who you date or who is invited to a party that isn’t mine.” Jamison swallowed. He had no intention of disappointing his sister-in-law or any of his nieces and nephews. They were all innocent in this family feud. And if Jamison were being completely honest with himself, he wanted all his brothers in his life. The last two years without them had been harsh.

His father was right. It was time to fix those relationships. It wouldn’t be easy, and all six of his siblings would have to at least try to understand his point of view when it came to Steve. After the other night with Seth, that was looking like more than a possibility.

But he couldn’t forgive his mother. Not until she stopped forcing Steve and his four kids down his throat. His siblings needed to accept that, as well. Their situation with Steve was much different than Jamison’s, and they needed to stop pretending that it wasn’t.

“Does that mean you’ll be there even if I bring Steve?”

“Yes,” Jamison said, wishing Chip would hurry the fuck up with that damn beer.

“And what about if any of his kids are there? They are your half-siblings.”

“Thanks for the reminder that my other brothers, you remember, the ones youbirthed, are only actually my half-brothers,” he said sarcastically.

“They are all your family. That will never change,” she said. “Do I have your word you’ll be there.”

“I said I’m coming. I won’t back out.”

“You have no idea how much that warms my heart. Steve will be so happy. He wants to get to know—”

“You can stop right there.” Jamison leaned forward and caught his mother’s gaze. “I’m not going to spend time with that man, so don’t you dare ask me to, or put me in a situation that will force me to.”

“Thatmanis your biological father.”

A deep growl filled Jamison’s throat. He stood and turned his back on his mother.

She placed her hand on his shoulder.

He shrugged it off and spun on his heel. “Don’t you ever call him that. I have a father. You know, the man you cheated on.”

“I understand that this has been hard for you, but it’s not like I’m asking you to go and change your name or forget who raised you.”

“Well, thank God for small fucking favors,” Jamison mumbled. Too often, when he got into these conversions with his mother, he felt like a small child having a temper tantrum. The problem was that it wasn’t only the fact that his mother had had an affair that’d resulted in a child. Him. Or that she and his father had lied about it until two years ago.

It was that Steve had suspected that he was Jamison’s father and had done nothing until he came to town and decided that he was still in love with Jamison’s mom.

“Don’t be like that,” his mom said. “I don’t think it’s too much to ask that you show some kindness to Steve.” She swiped at her eyes before the tears that had welled in them could escape. “Hell, I wouldn’t mind it if you could be a little nicer to me.” She shook her head. “You forgave your father for lying, but you can’t find it in your heart to even try with me, and I don’t get why you stay so pissed off at your brothers.”

Jamison had different reasons for each of his siblings, but mostly it had to do with how he felt as if he’d somehow become an outsider in his own family. Not one of them understood how he saw the differences between himself and them all of a sudden instead of the similarities.

And it became worse when they pointed out how much Jamison looked like Steve. Or that he had the same hair color.

Or how he had some of the same mannerisms.

That was the last thing Jamison needed.

“I’m trying, Jamison.” His mother lifted her palms to the sky and then let them fall to her thighs. “I gave you space when all this came out because I thought you needed some time to digest, but the longer we go on like this, the harder it gets to talk about anything.”

“It all comes down to one thing, Mom. I’m not interested in knowing your boyfriend. I don’t want to have any kind of casual conversation with him or sit at a table and break bread. I will tolerate being in the same space at family gatherings hosted by my brothers, but I won’t shoot the shit with him or engage at any level. So, if you have any expectation of that happening, you’re only going to be disappointed.”

His mother pursed her lips. “What about our relationship? How are we to ever repair it if—?”

“Get rid of Steve. That would be a good start.”

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