Page 29 of Always Yours

He cuts me off again. “No, you didn’t think. You just thought you’d handle it all yourself. We’re your brothers. We want to be here for you.”

I hold my hands up to stop him, but the truth of the matter is he’s right. He’s absolutely right. I have tried to handle all this myself. I cross my arms over my chest. “Look, I know what you’re saying. The only thing that matters to me right now is Ally and the baby. I know you disagree with that, and that I should be here, but—”

“No, I fuckin’ don’t. Quit putting words in my mouth,” he tells me with his voice hard.

My eyes about pop out of my head. He looks like Ford, but he sure as hell doesn’t sound like him. “But…”

He shakes his head. “For the longest time, Blaze has been our whole life. We worked hard to build it to what it is, but the most important thing is our family.” He holds his hand up. “And yes, that includes Ally. You’ve loved her forever, and she’s always been a part of this family.”

Still unsure, I lift my shoulders. “But I thought…”

He leans toward me. “You thought I’d be upset that you were taking time off to take care of your family. I know through the years, I’ve put all my focus on the distillery, but I know what’s important, Austin. When one of us is going through something, the others step up. We stepped up when Lucas took off when Bella had the baby. We stepped in when Huddy needed help with Elle’s stalker. You all stepped in when I spent the summer traveling with Lilian and Ollie. That’s what we do. It’s your turn now. Let us help you.”

I blink at him. “I just thought you’d think I was slacking off.”

“Fuck, Austin. You’ve worked tirelessly to make this work. The recipes and the running of the distillery has been all you. No one would think you’re slacking off.”

Emotions roll through me. My brothers and I have always been close, but the majority of our lives have been involved with running this company. The fact that I don’t have to feel guilty for missing work or working from home takes a weight off me that I didn’t realize I was carrying.

“Thank you.”

He nods and then walks over to the couch in my office and sits down. “All right, so now that we have that out, talk to me. How are Ally and the baby? How are you? What can I do?”

I lean against the edge of my desk and go into the story of everything we’ve been experiencing. All the worries I have that I don’t say to Ally because I don’t want to add even more stress to her. I break it all down, and by the time I’m done, I’m slumped over in my chair feeling helpless. “I just don’t know what to do. I know the answer. If she’d just marry me, her problems would go away. She could leave her neighborhood that’s filled with ex-cons and drug addicts. She could work when she wants to instead of stress over not being able to work enough.”

When I stop, Ford leans forward. “And?”

Confused, I ask him, “And what?”

“And she’d be married to a man that loves her and loves her baby like it’s his own.”

“That’s a given.”

He laughs, “Yeah, so she knows you love her?”

I roll my eyes at my big brother. “How could she not?” I give him a look, layered with annoyance. “Come on, Ford. This is Ally we’re talking about. She’s not stupid.”

He nods, agreeing with me. “You’re right about that, Ally is not stupid. But she has been your best friend for over half your lives. Of course her best friend is going to be there for her and try to help her.”

I tilt my chin at him. “Are you saying that she thinks I’m doing this… that I’m asking her to marry me and spend the rest of her life with me because we’re… because she’s my best friend?”

An explosion of laughter escapes from his lips. “That’s exactly what I’m saying. Maybe if you came clean and told her how you felt… told her why you’ve waited this long to tell her how you truly feel about her, then she might be able to make decisions based on truth instead of some bullshit idea you’ve put in her head that you’re doing this for her own good.”

I’m on the edge of my seat, ready to argue every point he just made when it hits me. He’s right. Fuck, I know he is. The only way I’m going to get what I want—what we both want—is if I come clean with her and tell her how I feel. I glare at my older brother. “Does it make you happy to always be right?”

He whips out his phone. “Uh yeah, can you say that again because I’m going to record that shit.”

I brace my forearms on my knees. “Fuck you. I’m not recording that. Anyone asks, I’m denying I even said it.”

He shrugs and puts his phone in his pocket. “All right, so you got a plan?”

I nod. “Yeah, I’m going to stop and get flowers and ice cream and then go home. It’s time Ally and I talk this out.”

Ford jumps up from his seat and walks over to the door, jerking it open. “Damn right it is.”

I can’t help but laugh. My brother has definitely mellowed since he and Lilian got together. “Thanks, brother.”

He smacks me on the back and follows me through the plant. “Anytime.”

---