Page 25 of Beneath the Blindfold

Dominic’s hand was warm on my waist, but his expression painted in a scowl at this man he didn’t know. I would have laughed if I could get over what I was seeing.

“You must be the fiancé. I’m Kyle McCreary.” My brother extended a hand.

Once the information settled in, the tension in Dominic’s shoulders relaxed and a smile broke on his face. He took Kyle’s hand and shook it. “Hey, yeah. Dominic Ward.”

“Okay,” I said. “What are you doing here?”

“Mom told me what happened. I thought I’d see if I could catch you before you left.”

There was a thin gloss of sweat on Kyle’s forehead as if he’d hurried, and the purple plaid tie he wore with his gray suit was askew.

“So you ran from New York all the way to this restaurant?”

Kyle’s soft smile froze. “No, I live here now.” He pushed his suitcoat back so he could rest his hands on his hips and catch his breath. “You didn’t know?”

He looked so different from the last time I’d seen him, which had been . . . when? My college graduation? Kyle’s hair was more like Dad’s, the color of maple syrup. He’d let it go long on the top and it was a little wild. Soft curls turned up at the ends. I couldn’t tell if he’d skipped shaving for the last three days, or if it was perfectly maintained scruff.

Either way, it was a good look on him.

My arms moved without thought, and suddenly I was hugging him. Kyle stood straight and immobile, confused. My family didnothug. But then again, I’d always been the black sheep.

“No, Mom didn’t tell me,” I said. “She’stoo busy, I guess.” I stepped back from him and curled into Dominic’s embrace. “When did you move?”

“About six weeks ago. Dad got me a position with his firm.”

“What happened to New York?”

Kyle’s eyes clouded with an emotion I couldn’t interpret. He looked . . . unhappy? But in a flash, the emotion was replaced with an empty one. “That’s a story for later.” His gaze held mine. “Look, I can’t stay. My schedule’s crazy while they’re bringing me up to speed on my caseload, but . . . hell. We haven’t seen each other in a while.”

We certainly hadn’t. My older brother and I weren’t close growing up. I’d done my own thing while Kyle had been the golden boy. I didn’t envy him; the crown seemed heavy. Mom and Dad laid enormous pressure on him, so I understood when he’d high-tailed it out of Chicago, not a week after graduating law school. My parents felt disrespected he hadn’t come to the firm that carried the McCreary name.

But that had been years ago. Now he was back?

“So you ran twenty blocks in a suit to see me?” I asked.

“Mom said you were upset.” He took a deep breath and smoothed a hand down his tie. “Mom and Dad don’t get it. They think their stuff is more important than anyone else’s. I used to try really hard to make them understand, and honestly, my life got so much easier once I stopped.”

My mouth dropped open. It was the most honest I’d ever heard him, and he made his living spinning truths and twisting words.

“I also came to meet Dominic.” Kyle’s focus shifted to my fiancé. “As her brother, I’m supposed to threaten you with bodily harm if you don’t treat her right, but that’s not really my style. So enjoy my threat of litigation instead. I’m very good, and it wouldn’t be pleasant.”

“Aw, you’re sweet,” I said, my voice mocking. “But Dominic’s smart. He knows if he fucks up with me, I’d be his biggest threat.”

“Yes,” Dominic said instantly.

Kyle blinked again at the profanity. Not like he was offended, but more amused. Shit, how far apart had we’d been these last few years? He barely knew me anymore, and I’d never really known him.

“Okay, well, that’s good, I guess.” Kyle fiddled with his watch and checked the time. “I have to run. As in, literally.”

“Thank you for coming,” I said, hoping my voice matched how sincere I felt, because I was a little blown away.

“Should we grab drinks some night this week?” Dominic asked, but Kyle shook his head.

“I’d like that, but everything’s a mess with the move. You two will be back for good in a few months though, right? We could do it then.”

“Sure.”

We said our goodbyes, and I watched Kyle go. It was such a simple gesture for him to come over, and yet it meant so much.

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