Page 32 of Be My Compass

Heath runs a hand through his hair. “Mom’s not going to like that.”

“Kae knows. She’s banking on it.”

“And you?” Heath fastens his gaze on me.

“I’m not that convinced.”

“That it’ll work or that you can fake it?”

“That I’ll be able to stop.” I lift my eyes and let my brother see everything. “It’s dangerous if it becomes real.”

He blows out a breath. Winces. “Kas…”

“I know.”

“And she doesn’t…” He eases forward. Gestures to the air. “What if she feels the same way?”

“There’s too much to lose.”

Heath pastes his hands together. “And if you go with mom?”

“I join a matchmaking agency. The one that matched Brett McQueen.”

He rubs the bridge of his nose. “No wonder.”

“What?”

“I got a call from mom’s best friend yesterday.”

My shoulders tense. “Harriet?”

“Yup. She wanted to tell me that I missed an opportunity with her daughter.” Heath’s eyes slam into mine. “That if I wanted to be in the family, I needed to make a move now or I’d lose my chance.” He scowls. “To you.”

“That all she said?”

Heath’s eyes move to the floor. I know what he’s hiding. Harriet’s ignorance is the ‘oops, was that racist?’ kind. I’m sure she mentioned my ethnicity in a derogatory manner and then laughed it off sheepishly.

I grunt in annoyance.

“I told her off,” Heath says.

“Of course you did.”

“She wants mom’s connections. She’s willing to use her daughter to get that.”

An invisible hand snakes out and chokes my throat. Harriet and mom are a lot alike. Both pushy. Ambitious. Insatiable.

I put up with mom because I love her.

Because she chose me.

But if I marry Harriet’s daughter and join Harriet’s family—that woman’s going to drain my soul.

“I need confirmation.”

“Go ahead.” Heath gestures to my phone.

I swipe my cell and call mom.

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