Thomas’s eyes widened so much they reminded Kale of the time he had shown Thomas a three-foot snake he had killed near the pond. “I know it’s hard to believe. It doesn’t make any sense, but it’s true.”
“Kale?” It was the first time Thomas had spoken. He had an unfamiliar voice, deep and richer than when Kale had last heard it.
“Yes.” Thomas’s eyes flashed to John in the front seat. “Don’t worry, John’s a friend. You don’t need to worry about anything. John doesn’t own you, and he won’t hurt you. A company I own just bought your title. It’s a little complicated, and I don’t expect you to make sense of it right now. All you need to know is that I’ve got you, and I’m going to take care of you.”
“You’re free?”
“Yes, Little Brother, and I’m taking you home.”
Chapter Thirty-One
A little after eleven o’clock, Robert finally woke up for more than just a few minutes. Jason set his book aside as soon as he heard the change in his father’s breathing.
“What are you doing hovering over my bedside? Aren’t you supposed to be with Kale?”
Jason handed his father a glass of water. “Kale’s fine without me. I wanted to be here with you today.”
“I’m not going to die today. You should have gone.” Robert lifted his head and drank. He handed Jason back an empty glass.
Demetri piled pillows behind Robert and helped him get comfortable in a near sitting position. Once he was situated, Robert eyed the nurse. “Thank you for your help, but your services are no longer needed.”
“Excuse me, sir, but I’d like to stay. I can be of use here, help make you more comfortable.”
“I have Demetri for that.”
“Yes, and as long as Demetri doesn’t need sleep or food, I’m sure that would work out fine. As it is, you need help, Mr. Wadsworth. You’re only going to get more uncomfortable as time goes on.”
“I’m fine.”
“No, sir, you’re not. You’re dying. Men in your condition don’t get better. You’ve held on a remarkably long time. It’s time for you to make peace with what’s coming. If not for yourself, then for your loved ones.”
Jason braced himself for Robert’s explosion. It didn’t occur to him that his father didn’t have the strength for one. “What’s your name?”
“Sadie, sir.”
“You may stay, Sadie. I don’t have the energy to fight with you.”
Sadie smiled. “That’s why most of my patients agree to have me around, sir.”
“Son.” Jason leaned forward in his chair, eager to help in any way he could. “Go eat something.”
“I already have.”
“Then go look at the portraits Demetri pulled down from the attic.”
“That can wait, Father.”
“How about this: leave because your old man needs to piss, and I might be bossed into keeping nurses around, but I will retain some dignity in front of my own son.”
Jason blushed, embarrassed he hadn’t understood his father’s meaning.
“Gods, you blush just like Lena did. Kale must have fun with that.”
Jason blushed even hotter, and Robert made a gurgling sound that was supposed to be a laugh. “I’ll be back soon.”
Taking his father’s advice, he went to the parlor where Demetri had set the paintings. There were four in all, leaned up on the sofa. Jason sat cross-legged on the floor in front of them. It felt like being a child again, sitting on the floor, looking up at his mother as she sewed or read aloud from a book.
To the far left was a picture of her as a young woman before she’d married his father. She looked barely fifteen, with round pink cheeks and bright hazel eyes. She looked so young and carefree. The painting to the right of it was a wedding portrait of her with his father. Robert’s arm was possessively around Lena’s waist, as if he was scared he would lose her at any moment. His smile was much more reserved than Lena’s, but it was the happiest Jason had ever seen him. The next was a bust of his mother. Jason couldn’t determine her age, but he assumed it was around the time he was born. The final canvas was a family portrait. Jason was around four. He could remember sitting for it. The wool trousers had been itchy, and he wasn’t allowed any toys to play with, but his mother had sneaked him treats when his father wasn’t looking. Robert was much more relaxed in this one. Not only was he happy, but satisfied as well, as if his wife and child were his greatest accomplishments.
Jason picked up the family portrait and carried it with him to his father’s room.
“I thought you might like to have something to look at other than the bare walls.” Jason perched the picture on top of the dresser opposite the bed.
“It’s been a long time since I saw that. It’s hard to believe I was ever so young.”
“Yeah. We were one happy little family, weren’t we?”
“Yes, we were. Thanks for bringing it here. That was the best time of my life.”
“I had completely forgotten that it existed until I saw it today.”
“Probably blocked it from your memory. You threw a fit every time we tried to put you in those trousers after that day. The only way I could get you to keep still was to bribe you with sweets.”
“You? I thought Mother gave them to me.”
“Where do you think she got them from?”
Jason shrugged. “Do you ever wonder what she’d say if she could see us?”
“No. I know what she’d say. She’d tell us to stop being stubborn and realize we’re the only family we’re going to get, and that’s more valuable than pride or foolishness.”
“I wonder what she would think of me and Kale.”
“The same thing I do. She’d be happy that you’re happy.”
Jason’s blood ran hot at his father’s lie. “You hate the fact that I’m with Kale.”
“No, I don’t. You’re a good match.”
Jason wouldn’t let his father pretend like nothing had happened. “If that were true, why didn’t you accept Kale when I first brought him back here?”
“Your mother would have, once she saw how in love you were with him and that he returned it. If she’d been here, she would have talked me out of my idiocy. At the time, I didn’t know he loved you. I thought he was manipulating you.”
“It should have been enough that I loved him.”
“Perhaps, but you love far more easily than you should. You can thank your mother for that. Don’t think I didn’t hear about you and Eric Vanderhoff. First, it was him, and then it was Kale. It could have been someone else the next week for all I knew.”
“You threatened to beat him.”
“Yes, Jason. He was a slave, no matter how much you wished he wasn’t. I wanted to end it. All I saw for you going down that path was hurt. You had to go and fall for the one person with whom it would be most difficult for you to build a life. It was never anything against Kale personally. I liked him. That’s why I bought him for you. I just never imagined you would end up falling in love with him.”
“Kale persuaded me to come here, to try to mend our relationship. He always blamed himself for our problems.”
“I’m glad he convinced you to come. I wanted to write you, but I couldn’t bear the thought that you might refuse, and I had given you every reason to.”
“I didn’t think you’d want to see me, since you disowned me.”
“I regretted that as soon as you left. I didn’t mean what I said that day. I must have started two dozen letters, but I could never find the right words. I was ashamed of myself, if I’m honest. Then you began courting Renee, and it didn’t seem there was much point. After the wedding, I thought everything would be fine, but when things fell apart with Renee, I felt responsible. I knew it had to do with Kale. You never looked at Renee the way you did him, even on your wedding day.”
“I loved her.” Jason didn’t want his father thinking he’d married Renee for her money. “In a way, I still do.”
“I know. You l
oved her the way you love most things, but you weren’t in love with her. You were too young to know the difference, to know that you can love many different people, but that doesn’t mean you bind yourself to them.”
“You terrified Kale that day. He thought you still held his title.”
“I’m sorry about that. I was wrong to treat him the way I did. I only wanted to protect you. I reacted badly. I’m sure he was happy to get back to Perdana.”
“No, actually, he was furious with me for not giving in to you. I got quite the earful on the journey back. He insisted I was a fool, that he was just a slave, and you were my father, my family.”
“Kale’s a good man.”
“Yes, he is.”
“I like him, Jason. I really do. I think he’s good for you. I wish things had been different. When you both showed up here, I fell into my old habits. I didn’t know if he really loved you or if he had just used you to gain freedom. It doesn’t take long around the two of you to realize the truth.”
“And what’s that?”
“Kale loves you enough to risk enslavement again to bring you here. You support each other. It couldn’t have been easy for him to come back here, and even once he was here, he didn’t have to push so hard for our reconciliation, but he did. He talked to me as if he didn’t have any reason to fear me.”
“He doesn’t. He knows that.”
“Perhaps, but he didn’t need to make himself vulnerable to attack the way he did. It would have been easier for him to avoid me altogether, but that wouldn’t be serving you. I don’t know how it could have ever worked with him as a slave, but I’m glad you found a way around it. I would have liked more time to get to know him.”
“You still have time.”
“Not much. I can feel it.”
“But you’re so much better than you were last night.”
“That’s only because of the drugs Sadie gave me to calm my stomach and get me to keep food down again. It won’t last.”
“Then we’ll have to make it count.”
“When Kale gets back, I’d like to meet his brother. I also need to apologize to him. I wronged him as much as I wronged you, probably more given that he didn’t have any choice in the matter.”
Jason grinned. “If there’s one thing you need to know about Kale, it’s that he’s always exercised more choice than you’d expect. He did manipulate me, but only for my own good, or so he thought. I would have never sold him and married Renee if he hadn’t maneuvered me into it.”
“He has balls. When he kept me from striking you, I was so stunned I didn’t know whether to admire him or beat him. Obviously, I made the wrong choice. It wasn’t my place to threaten him. You took a dangerous path with him, but it was your prerogative, and I shouldn’t have intervened.”
“Thank you. There’s no point in dwelling on the past anymore.”
“No, there’s not. Why don’t you tell me about him and your life in Naiara? I’d like to know about it.”
“Naiara’s wonderful. We’ve made a nice little home for ourselves. Kale loves gardening. He keeps the entire place in bloom and grows vegetables for our kitchen. Oh, and he’s an artist.”
“Really?”
“Yes. He’s quite famous actually. Right before we came, he had a big opening at one of the most prestigious galleries in Calea. People came from all over the country for it.”
“I would have never thought.”
“He’s shy about it. The only reason he lets people see his work is because he feels like he has to contribute financially.”
“Aren’t you one of the richest men on the continent?”
“Don’t get me started. That’s Kale for you. He never wants to be a burden.”
Jason talked and talked, sharing tidbits about his life, funny anecdotes, stories about their friends, all the things only a parent would be interested in. Robert listened, asking questions where appropriate, and paying rapt attention. After a couple of hours, Robert’s eyelids began to droop, and he visibly struggled to stay awake.
“Why don’t you go to sleep now? We can talk more after you’ve had a nap.”
“That sounds good. I just want to know one thing before I go back to sleep. What’s going to happen to this place? You and Kale have a home in Naiara. I don’t expect you to uproot and move here, but the thought of it fading away, it’s unbearable.”
“I won’t ever let that happen.” Jason’s voice was fierce as he took his father’s hand in his own. “John and I, we’ll work something out. I promise you. Please don’t worry about it. We’ll grow the ranch, make it bigger than you could ever imagine.”
“Thank you, Son.” Robert reached over and patted Jason’s hand with his free one. “I’m just going to close my eyes now. Keep talking. I want to hear about everything.”
Jason obliged, never letting go of his father’s hand.
Chapter Thirty-Two
Little flutters of light escaped the thickness of the tress. They were almost to the ranch. Only their headlights—and now the lights from the cabin—broke the black of the moonless night.
“Thomas.” Kale shook his brother’s arm to wake him. “We’re almost there.”
Thomas opened his eyes, disoriented in the darkness. Kale and John had switched off driving a few times, but Kale had spent most of the drive in the back seat with Thomas. He had explained what had happened since they were separated, how he came to be free, who Jason was, and what to expect.
The drive had still been long and awkward. Thomas didn’t know how to react to all of the information he was given or his new, altered reality. Kale couldn’t blame him. It would take time for them to build a relationship. The two things that had made the drive more bearable were the food and sleep. They were both great excuses not to talk, and Kale was sure Thomas could use more of both.
“Remember, no one in this house has any power over you. Other than observing basic good manners, there are no expectations, but you can behave however you feel most comfortable. If it’s easier for you, just keep your head down and don’t speak unless spoken to. If you have any questions, you are always welcome to ask. No one will ever be mad at you for asking.”
“Yes…” Thomas’s voice trailed off. Kale had asked him not to call him sir, and certainly not master, so that didn’t leave Thomas with many options. It would take more than a day to break the habit of replying to everything with a “yes, sir” or “no, sir.”
John parked the car and grabbed the empty basket and canteens. “I’ll take care of everything, Kale. You two go on in the house.”
“Thanks, John. I really appreciate you coming with me today. I don’t know how I could have done it without you.”
“Don’t mention it. When else am I going to get a chance to drive such a fancy car? Go see what happened while we were gone.”
Kale took Thomas’s hand firmly in his and led the way. As soon as they were in the door, Jason leapt into his arms and greeted him with a kiss. Kale didn’t even have a chance to see it coming. He wrapped Jason in his arms and pulled him tight, breathing in the scent of his hair. It had been a long day, and having his arms full of Jason made Kale aware of the amount of stress he’d been managing.
As quickly as Jason had leapt into Kale’s arms, he jumped back. “So this is Thomas?”
“Yep. Thomas, this is Jason.”
Thomas nodded his head, but Jason was having none of that. He stuck out his hand, and Kale nodded to Thomas. Jason would let his hand hang there in midair all night until Thomas took it. As soon as Thomas met him for the handshake, Jason pulled him into a hug. “It’s so good to meet you. We’ve been waiting for you.”
When Jason stepped back, he turned to Kale. “Father wants to meet him.”
“It’s late. That can wait until tomorrow.” Kale wanted nothing more than to get into bed with Jason and talk through it all. His own head reeled, and he needed time to resolve all the changes in his life. Kale didn’t know how Thomas was holding it together when
he was having such a hard time.
“No, Kale, it can’t. Please. It’s important to him.” It wasn’t the pleading tone of Jason’s voice that convinced him. It was the raw urgency in his eyes.
“All right. For you.” Kale gestured for Thomas to follow them.
Jason stepped into the room first, and Kale followed with Thomas behind him. As soon as Thomas cleared the door, Jason introduced him. “Father, this is Thomas.”
Kale positioned his body between Thomas and Robert, off to the side. It was instinctual, as if Robert might leap out of bed and attack. He was prepared to step in should he need to shield Thomas from Robert’s words.
“Thomas, it’s a pleasure to finally meet you. I wanted to personally welcome you to my home. It’s important to me that you make yourself comfortable here. I consider you an honored guest as the brother of my son’s companion, and I extend you all the courtesies as such. No one here expects you to act as a slave, and no one other than your brother has any authority over you.”
Kale was stunned. He hadn’t really expected for Robert to be rude, but he hadn’t expected this either.
“Thank you, sir.” Thomas, at least, had his wits about him, which was more than Kale could say.
“My pleasure. I had the room next to Kale and Jason’s readied for you. If you need anything, just ask.” Robert didn’t wait for a reply before he settled his focus on Kale. “As for you, Kale, I owe you a long overdue apology. I was out of line all those years ago. You’ve never done anything other than try to protect my son, and I terrorized you for it. I’m ashamed of myself. I deeply regret my actions and the consequences of them. Losing my son was too high a price for my pride.” Frequent pauses for breath and the rattle behind his voice punctuated Robert’s speech.
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