Page 133 of Destiny

“You said it all. Brendan and I will see you tomorrow or the next day in Wyoming if you’ll be back by then.”

“I’m heading back tonight. I’ve been in Denver, visiting Brittany, and I got back here yesterday, where I found the folder.” He rises and slowly heads toward the front door.

Once Doc leaves, I kiss Mom and Dad goodbye, and I drive home.

Home.

Where Brendan is.

Chapter Forty-Three

Brendan

“Yeah, Jack?” I say into the phone.

“Bingo,” he says. “Your hunch was right. Or Ryan’s or whoever’s it was. Turns out my mother is a full sibling to Ryan Steel.”

Damn. I need to tell Ryan. “Jack, I think you’re about to become a rich man.”

“Mom and I are doing fine. We don’t need any of the Steel money.”

“Be that as it may, you’re entitled to it. And I think Ryan will see it the same way. So will Joe, Talon, and Marjorie.”

“This is all so unreal. My grandmother is gone, and my mother is a daughter of Brad Steel. I can’t believe this.”

“Believe it. It all makes an eerie kind of sense. I’ll tell Ryan, and he’ll call you. I’m sure he’s going to want to meet you and your mom.”

Jack is silent on the other end of the line.

“You okay?”

“Yeah, yeah. In the last week, I’ve found two cousins in you and your dad, and—”

“You have two more. My dad has a sister, Ciara, and a niece, Carmen.”

“Jesus… Plus now I’m related to all the Steels.”

“You always were. You knew that.”

“Right, but Mom always said her mother said they’d never accept us. So we never reached out. We never wanted to.”

“They would have always accepted you and Lauren, Jack. Wendy was the bad seed.”

“Right. I know.”

“So you want to meet them?”

“Sure. I do want to meet them. Ruby was nice enough, so I’m sure her husband is a good man.”

“He’s the best. After all, he made Ava. I can’t wait for you to meet her too.”

“All right. Get everyone together, and just let us know where.”

“I think at your house, if you don’t mind. You and your mom will feel more comfortable on your own turf.”

“Makes sense,” Jack says. “Mom is reeling about all of this.”

“I’m sure she is. She’ll get through it, and so will you. I’ll be in touch.”

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