Page 6 of Mine to Keep

Nathan laughed. “You were off duty, and you’re not a doctor.”

Jamison shrugged. Every time he saw one of his brothers, they always tried to shoot the shit like nothing had changed.

Wheneverythingwas different.

At least it was for Jamison.

His entire identity had shifted. Even though he tried to pretend that it hadn’t and that he’d forever be a Kirby when his biology said he was a Jayne, his world had changed. His heart ached, and his mind constantly churned all the things about him that were different from his brothers and his dad. Those thoughts haunted him daily.

“You would have done the same thing in my shoes.” Jamison didn’t feel like a hero, and he didn’t want to be labeled as one, especially by any of his brothers. Granted, he put his life on the line every time he ran into a burning building. What he did was dangerous. He understood that the good citizens of Lighthouse Cove needed heroes, and they needed their first responders to be exactly that.

But he was human. Flesh and blood like everyone else.

“I can’t say I’ve ever delivered a baby, much less revived one,” Nathan said, glancing around. “Have you talked to Mom lately?”

For fuck’s sake. Leave it to Nathan to have a shitty segue into that topic.

“This isn’t the time or place to get into it,” Jamison said.

“It never is.” Nathan glanced around before locking gazes. “Mom would be mad if she knew that I said anything, but she’s going through something, and I think you should know.”

Jamison rubbed the back of his neck. His mom had been dealing with shit for his entire life. He understood that her job was stressful and that it had caused many of the problems in her marriage to his dad. It was one of the reasons he’d chosen being a firefighter over being a cop.

But that was no excuse for ending up in another man’s arms.

And his choice of careers hadn’t helped his love life any.

“If Mom wants me to know what’s going on, she knows how to get ahold of me.”

“That’s really fucking funny,” Nathan said with a sarcastic tone. “You don’t answer her calls, and the last time she showed up at your house, you left by boat so you didn’t have to talk to her.”

“I had to get to work.”

“You can’t get to the fire station by water.”

“I don’t like it when people come to my home unannounced.” Jamison had had about enough of this conversation. “Get to the point. I have things to do.”

“Mom hasn’t said anything to anyone except Nancy and me, and that’s only because Nancy was getting a mammogram the same day.” Nathan ran a hand across his neatly buzzed head.

“Isn’t Nancy kind of young to be having those?”

Nathan and his wife had a couple of young kids, and Jamison had to admit he missed all his nieces and nephews. They were the only reason he went to family gatherings, but he never stayed long because if he did, he always ended up in a fight—if not with his mother than with one of his brothers—and that was never fun.

“She had a scare.”

“Is everything okay?” Contrary to popular belief, just because Jamison was pissed off at his brothers for expecting him to forgive their mother and accept Steve, he still loved and cared for them and their families. Just as he loved and cared about his mom.

Nathan nodded. “She has to have a biopsy.”

“Shit,” Jamison mumbled. He might have issues with his mother, but he didn’t wish cancer on anyone. “When is it happening?”

“Next week sometime. And Dad doesn’t know, so don’t tell him.”

“Why are you informing me?” Jamison didn’t really need to ask the question. Nathan meant well. All his brothers did, and if they didn’t all constantly push Steve in Jamison’s face, he’d still be hanging with his bros down at the Crab Shack every Friday night. “If Mom doesn’t want people knowing her business, I’m sure that includes me.”

“I thought maybe you’d cut her some slack the next time you ran into her. Or perhaps find it in your heart to forgive her.”

“Does that forgiveness include bringing Steve into my life?” Jamison pointed the key fob toward Bryn’s car and aggressively pressed the button.

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