Page 81 of More Than I Can Bear

“There’s always gotta be someone who listens to everyone’s input, then makes the best decision for the team. Everything can’t be done as a committee. There needs to be someone experienced enough, with enough objectivity…”

Adam’s voice trailed away as Kaine leaned over the table and then shook his brother’s hand.

“Together,” Kaine agreed finally. “Whatever we do going forward, we do it together.”

Chapter40

Kaine

Fuck, maybe this might just work.

I let out a long breath as my brother and I came to an agreement. It felt like a weight had been lifted for just a second, before my brain strove to make clear what a bad idea that was.What about when Adam…? And then when he…?But I was forced to shove that shit to one side. That’s what this whole thing was about, right? About trying to find another, better way forward. My brother wasn’t an idiot and no one had ever said that about River, but maybe…? Maybe we could start pulling together in the same direction instead of whatever parallel play shit this we’d been doing. The fact that everyone in my sleuth seemed to want to wander off on their own and do their thing quietly drove me insane. The bear, he growled, knowing how this shit worked. We were stronger together and we always would be, and he was just pissed it’d taken me so long to work that out.

“Well, in the spirit of cooperation, let me order for the lot of you,” I said.

The waiter was doing his best to be patient and I empathised with how he felt. I waited on tenterhooks for their answers.

“You need this.” Freya stated that softly, with a kindness that I probably didn’t deserve, before smiling and then nodding, letting me play the game that I loved the most.

I was fairly sure Adam thought I was an overbearing dick, but he didn’t have to live with himself. Every time I thought I had him pegged, had his favourite sports drinks stocked and a fridge full of the kinds of meals his nutritionist recommended, he’d decide that he needed to eat his body weight in pizza instead.

And he didn’t know what that did to me.

I needed this, the challenge of skimming my eyes down the Mill menu, instantly rejecting some meals and holding others in my mind as I curated our order in my mind. I accepted and rejected ideas as rapidly as I could, until I was pretty sure I had it. I rattled off the dishes, watching the waiter’s pencil work on his notepad, struggling to write down everything I listed.

“So what’re we eating tonight?” Adam asked, once the waiter was gone. “Fillet mignon for you and stale bread and gruel for me?”

“A selection of lean protein, vegetables and some slow carbs for you,” I replied. “It’s the kind of diet you’ve been on since playing footy, so while you might need to reduce your calorie intake due to less training, the macros still agree with you.” I shifted my focus to Freya. “Something rich and indulgent for you.” I loved the way her cheeks flushed at that. “And some lighter sides to contrast with that. While I think eating something decadent agrees with you, you’re not used to a lot of it and it’ll just end up making you ill.”

“And me?”

People always underestimated River, but they never saw the challenge in his eyes that rose periodically.

“You treat food like fuel, something you need to put in your body to keep it going,” I replied. “So I got something substantial, but with some sides that are quite special. They might remind you that sensual pleasures are something to be enjoyed, not endured.”

Both our eyes slid to Freya, something that had her wriggling in her seat, but not for long. The waiter returned all too quickly with our entrees, presenting them with a flourish.

“Oh my god…” she gasped and that was everything I needed from tonight. “This looks amazing!” I couldn’t have been prouder if I’d made the food myself.

“Damn…” Adam’s cutlery hovered in the air as he chewed on his first mouthful. “This shit is good.”

“Very good.” River nodded to my own untouched plate and it was only once I had seen their approval that I could turn to my own food. A confection made from burrata, tomatoes that they grew on site and fresh pesto, the mixture of acid, creamy cheese and tangy pesto exploded in my mouth, all the better for the company I was with. Because when they were all together, around the table, enjoying what I provided for them? That’s when I could truly taste every flavour of my own food.

“So full…” Freya groaned as we pushed the last course of the night away from us, scraps of the delicious desserts going uneaten: not because we didn’t want to, but because we couldn’t fit another morsel in. “You’re gonna need to roll me into the car park and shove me into the back of the car because I am done.”

“Perhaps a little walk before we head back might be in order?” I gestured to the waiter who swept forward with the bill, then took care of it before offering her my arm. Freya stood with a smile, fussing with her pashmina before I stepped in and tucked it tightly around her shoulders. I kept it in place with my arm as I walked her down a small slope to the destination I had in mind.

The mill was built in a small depression which had a thin trickle of a creek running through it. And while there was a park adjoining the restaurant, that was not where I steered her. The whole area was thick with trees, creating a massive canopy the stars were forced to peek through, the only gaps those where walking tracks had been created. Locals no doubt used them for exercise each day. But at this time of night, there was no one else here. I moved her off the road, grabbing her around the waist, smiling when I heard her gasp, her hands around my shoulders as I carried her from one bank of the creek to the next, before putting her down on the track.

“So is this what you’re promising me?” she asked with a smile, taking my hand. “I’ll never have to cross a creek alone again?”

“Point me at any obstacles you face,” I replied, “and I’ll make sure you get over them. Whatever stands in your way? I’ll get rid of it.”

“You’re a fixer,” she said, staring up at me. “That’s what makes you happy.”

“Sort of,” I replied.

“Kaine wants to know where the problems are before they arrive,” Adam said, popping his elbow up on my shoulder. I barely suppressed the urge to drive my elbow into his ribs, which should have earned me major brownie points. “Pretty sure he believes with just the right amount of anal retentiveness, he’ll be able to nip every problem in the bud.”

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