by Beth Andrews
“No trick. Dog just has good instincts. What are you doing here?”
Zach was, as always, less than happy to see any member of the Bartasavich family. Oakes tried not to let it bother him. No sense getting angry about it. He couldn’t change Zach. Couldn’t change what the real problem was—the circumstances of Zach’s birth.
Though if anyone had a right to be touchy about Zach coming along, it was Oakes. His mother, after all, was the one who’d been duped, the one who’d trusted Susan Lynch with caring for her son, only to have that trust thrown in her face when a nineteen-year-old Susan came to her saying she was pregnant with Senior’s child.
Still, it didn’t matter what Zach’s particular problem with Oakes was. His brother had issues with every member of the Bartasavich family—he just seemed to have the biggest issue with Oakes.
And that was why Oakes was here today—to make sure Zach wouldn’t have a problem with Daphne going to Shady Grove with him. It was the least he could do, Oakes figured, and if the situation had been reversed and he had a younger sister who was going to be traveling halfway across the country with one of his half brothers, or even a friend, he’d want to be told about it.
Not for the first time he thanked God he didn’t have any sisters, only a niece. And Estelle had Kane, her father, to worry about her. To look after her. Even if it was from a distance, as Estelle lived in Houston and Kane was in Shady Grove.
“Just thought I’d drop by,” Oakes said smoothly. He may be a nice guy, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t lie when needed. “See how you’re doing.”
“I’m fine,” Zach said, then whistled for the dog.
Cyrus ran up the ramp and slipped into the house and Oakes knew if he didn’t enter, Zach would simply shut the door on his face and go on with his day as if Oakes had never been there.
Some days this particular brother bugged the hell right out of him.
Still, he’d cut the guy some slack. He’d lost a lot—not just his arm and leg, but the military career he’d always planned on.
Zach used the hand control to back up his motorized wheelchair and Oakes took the opportunity to step inside the entryway and shut the door behind him.
Zach’s flinty gaze went from Oakes to the door and back to Oakes. “I’m getting ready to watch the game,” he said flatly.
Oakes checked the time on his phone. “It doesn’t start for another forty minutes.”
To settle the matter—and because it’d be a cold day in hell before Zach offered him a seat—Oakes brushed past him and walked down the short hall to the living room and sat on an armchair in the corner. He’d been in the house only once before, when Zach was finally discharged from the hospital. Daphne had asked him and C.J. to help move furniture around, making it easier for Zach to maneuver through the house in his wheelchair. But as soon as they’d finished, they’d left, not wanting Susan to know they’d been there.
Bad blood. So much of it between Susan and Rosalyn, Zach and...hell...most everybody he was related to. At least on Zach’s end.
Forget Senior’s business acumen, what he really excelled at was hurting people. At least, he had until his stroke. Now he couldn’t even feed himself.
Oakes wasn’t sure if that was karma or overkill. No one deserved to be stuck inside a useless body, unable to communicate or take care of themselves. Not even his father.
Now, Oakes took the time to check out the house where Zach and Daphne had been raised. It was small, but warm and well-maintained. A far cry from their father’s huge mansion, or the roomy, open house where Oakes himself had grown up with his mother, stepfather and younger brothers.
The living room, like the rest of the house, was bright and airy and colorful, the walls a muted green, bursts of color coming from pillows on the sofa and the paintings on the wall. A tall leafy plant stood in a sun-drenched corner, while a large, flat-screen TV on the wall flashed the Texans’ pregame show.
The soft whir of a motor grew louder and a moment later, Zach rolled into the room.
Oakes grinned and settled deeper into the chair, a man not going anywhere. “It’s good to see you. How’s the rehab progressing?”
Zach steered the chair to a spot next to the couch, turned it so he faced the television. “Fine.”
“You look good.”
The only response to that was a low sound in the back of Zach’s throat.
But Oakes had spoken the truth. When Zach had first arrived stateside after the explosion, they hadn’t thought he would make it. He’d been severely hurt, had internal injuries and burns, not to mention the loss of his arm and leg. But he’d pulled through. The bruises had faded, the burns had mostly healed, leaving only a few scars, and he seemed to have accepted his limitations.
Oakes had been worried that Zach would fall into a depression. Never exactly happy—not even as a kid—he’d been prone to moodiness and melancholy, been bitter and resentful about his lot in life. Pissed at the world in general, the Bartasaviches in particular. With all the news about military personnel returning home without enough support and guidance, suffering from their external injuries and PTSD, Oakes had worried Zach would have trouble finding his strength, his new purpose in life.
He’d been wrong. Zach had not only found some inner strength, but he’d also become determined to live as normal a life as possible, going so far as to push away any offers of help.
Still, it wasn’t easy seeing his brother in that chair. Oakes wanted to fix it, as he knew his older brothers wanted to, as well.
“Spit out what you came here to say,” Zach said, his eyes on the local sports anchor, who was discussing the Texans’ offensive line. “Before the game starts.”
No invitation to stay and watch the game. Then again, Zach would probably rather invite Oakes to take a quick trip to hell than to spend a few hours in his company.
Not sure where to begin, Oakes shifted in his chair, hoping inspiration would strike. When it didn’t, he forged ahead. “I heard you’re not attending Kane’s wedding.”
“Word gets around fast.”
That was it. No explanation. No excuse, though he sure as hell had a couple of good ones. “I’d be happy to travel with you if—”
“No.”
“Are you sure? Kane will want you there and—”
“He’ll survive,” Zach said dryly. “It’s good for a Bartasavich to hear the word no from time to time. Keeps them humble.”
Irritation climbed Oakes’s spine. He ignored it. He’d always given Zach leeway, had let him lash out, and he sure as hell couldn’t change that now, not when his brother had been through so much.
“If you came here to talk me in to going,” Zach said, “you’ve wasted your time.”
“I didn’t. I came to tell you I’m taking Daphne. To the wedding. In Shady Grove,” he added, just to be clear.
That got his brother’s attention. Zach turned—first his head, then his upper body, then finally, slowly, his wheelchair—and narrowed his eyes. “What?”
“I’ve asked Daphne to be my plus one at Kane’s wedding,” Oakes said, deciding Zach didn’t need to know Daphne had actually invited herself to fill that position. “I thought you should know.”
“Why?”
That stunned him. “Excuse me?”
“Why did you think I should know?”
“Because she’s your sister.”
Zach nodded. “She is my sister. But she doesn’t need my permission to go on a date.” He raised his eyebrows, the expression reminding Oakes of their father—a comparison he was sure Zach would hate. “Unless you’re the one asking for my permission?”
Oakes sighed. He couldn’t win with Zach. Sometimes he wondered why he even tried. “Not permission. I just thought it would be...considerate. Letting you know. Guess I was wrong.”
&
nbsp; “Guess you were,” Zach said quietly, watching him intensely, as if trying to figure something out.
Oakes stood up, hands in his pockets, but there was nothing more to say. “See you around,” he simply said, but he knew that he wouldn’t. Not unless he made the effort to seek out Zach.
No response, not that Oakes expected one. He walked out, stopping to give Cyrus a pat on the head before heading back out into the crisp day, feeling uncertain and unsettled, as if he had unfinished business.
It’s good for a Bartasavich to hear the word no from time to time.
An image of Daphne as she’d looked last night on his porch flashed through Oakes’s mind, then one of her this morning, her makeup rubbed off, her hair a mess. Want hit him, hard and piercing, in his chest. He rubbed the area over his heart. Blew out a heavy breath.
No one, not even a Bartasavich, could get everything he wanted. Not all the time. So, yeah, Zach had been right. It was good for a Bartasavich to hear the word no.
But that didn’t mean he had to like it.
CHAPTER FIVE
“IT WON’T WORK, you know.”
At Zach’s words, Daphne studied her mother’s huge dining room table. She was silently counting place settings and chairs. “It’ll be fine. If we get any extras, we’ll set up a card table or two in the living room.”
They never knew how many people were going to show up to their mother’s weekly Sunday dinner. Some weeks it was relatively peaceful with only a dozen aunts, uncles, cousins and assorted neighbors. But that one week a few years ago when Zach was home on leave they’d maxed out at fifty-two guests. Thank goodness it had been late spring and they’d been able to set up extra tables outside.
“I’m not talking about dinner,” Zach said, something in his tone warning her she was about to get an earful. The only problem was, she couldn’t imagine what she’d done to earn herself one of Zach’s lectures. “I’m talking about you going after Oakes.”
Oh, well. That. Yep, that would definitely put Zach into lecture mode.
She folded a napkin, her movements slow and deliberate. “First of all, I don’t care for your tone. Second of all, what is that even supposed to mean? Going after? You make me sound like I’m a bounty hunter or something.”
And how, in all that was good and holy, had he found out? She hadn’t even properly celebrated her successful first step in her budding, possible relationship with Oakes, let alone told anyone about it.
“Don’t play dumb,” Zach told her, but his tone had improved, wasn’t quite so low and harsh. “It’s beneath you.”
That was her big brother. Always building her up, always telling her she could do anything, be anything she wanted.
Always thinking she was better than she was.
“You’re right.” She set down the napkin. Picked up another. “It is beneath me. I take it you’ve somehow heard about my accompanying Oakes to Kane’s wedding?”
He nodded and her brain went into overdrive. The only two people who knew about it so far were her and Oakes. And while she’d certainly planned on letting her family know she would be out of town the weekend before Christmas, including Christmas Eve, she hadn’t planned on sharing that tidbit until she absolutely had to.
Preferably the night before she left.
So that meant...
“Oakes told you?” she asked.
“He stopped by a few hours ago. Said he thought I should know.”
She wasn’t sure whether to laugh at Oakes being so predictably nice, so forthright, or be pissed that he’d run to their brother and basically tattled on her.
Something to figure out later when Zach wasn’t watching her so closely.
She shoved a handful of forks at him. “If you’re going to be in here, at least make yourself useful.”
He took the forks in his hand before setting them down on the table so he could pick one up at a time, even that easy movement not coming naturally. He was right-handed—or had been right-handed. Now he had to relearn everything—signing his name, eating, reaching for a door handle. Stupid, everyday things that most people took for granted he had to stop and think about. Figure out how to make it work.
But he was here. Alive and, while not exactly whole, not even close to being broken.
He was her hero. Always had been. Always would be.
He spread a napkin on his lap then put the forks on it before moving around the table, using his left hand to work the wheelchair then stopping at each plate to place a fork next to it. She turned her attention back to folding the napkins, had to bite her lower lip to stop herself from telling him never mind, that she’d set the table. She hated seeing him struggle, even a little bit, but she knew he had to learn how to do things for himself. That he wanted to.
Even if it took him twice as long as it would have before his injuries.
She wouldn’t coddle him like their mother and grandmother, wouldn’t try to do everything for him, wouldn’t try to make his life easier. His life wasn’t going to be easy. But he was strong enough to get through it—was strong enough, smart enough and stubborn enough to succeed on his own. And he deserved to have that sense of pride, of accomplishment that came with overcoming a huge, life-changing obstacle.
Just like he’d always taught her to be strong, to be independent. To think for herself and make her own choices. He’d always believed in her, always supported her decisions, even when he knew she’d end up crashing and burning.
He’d always been there to cheer her on to victory. Or to lend a helping hand in getting back on her feet. So she would now do the same for him.
However, if he changed, turned into some overbearing, overprotective, bossy older brother, she would swiftly kick him in his shin. And not feel bad about it one bit.
“So Oakes told you I asked him to take me to the wedding?” she asked when Zach was on the opposite side of the table.
He paused, his head lifting like a predator catching a scent of prey.
Or a brother catching a whiff of a lie. “He said he invited you.”
Of course he had. Oakes, always so sweet, probably thought he was somehow protecting her by not telling Zach what really happened. Sweet, but seriously misguided.
She folded the last napkin. Slid the pile of knives toward Zach. “He probably didn’t want to tell you that I showed up at his door at three o’clock this morning. Drunk. Or that I asked him to take me to Kane’s wedding so I wouldn’t have to suffer the humiliation of being in Houston when Ricky gets married.”
“Ricky’s getting married?”
At least someone hadn’t known how quickly her ex had moved on.
“Yep. In two weeks. People are already placing bets on whether or not his fiancée is pregnant.”
“And it bothers you?” Zach asked in a quiet, contemplative tone. “Ricky moving on?”
She bristled. Her feelings were no one else’s business, not even her brother’s. She did have some pride after all and she refused to...to...pine for her ex.
Though she had set herself up to play the part of the rejected, dumped fiancée.
She really should have thought this through more.
“Of course not.” She kept her gaze averted, focused on a fork he’d just put down. “I’m...glad Ricky’s found someone who can make him happy.”
Zach snorted.
She slammed her hands on her hips. “And what, exactly, is that sound supposed to mean?”
“Just that you’re full of shit.”
“Thank you, so much, for your support, brother. I thought you’d be thrilled to see how well I’m handling this. Weren’t you the one who told me Ricky wasn’t good enough for me?”
“Ricky’s an idiot. You were lucky he broke things off with you.”
If Ricky had broken things off,
that might be true. “It didn’t feel lucky,” she said.
“Ricky wasn’t for you.” Zach studied her intently. A lesser woman would have squirmed under his scrutiny but she knew his tricks. The heavy, see-through-you-to-your-soul looks, the I-have-all-day-to-wait-for-you-to-say-something-incriminating-or-to-blurt-out-the-truth silences, the flinty, man-of-few-words act. He wouldn’t break her, by God. “And neither is Oakes.”
Ah. So that’s what he was getting at. “Is this the part of the conversation where you expect me to deny being interested in Oakes?”
“Yes,” he said, the word coming out like a bullet. “And as forcefully as possible.”
She batted her eyelashes at him, keeping her mouth firmly shut.
“Aw, hell,” he said on a drawn-out sigh. “I knew it.”
“Knew what?”
“That this whole wedding thing was one of your schemes.”
She rolled her eyes. Glanced behind her at the open doorway when she heard the back door open, followed by the sound of her Aunt Regina’s and Uncle Lonny’s greetings as they entered the kitchen. “I’m not a cartoon villain, Zach. I don’t scheme. I plan. There’s a difference.”
He snorted. “You plan your diabolical schemes.”
Her lips twitched. “Diabolical? Big word. Are you studying for the SATs?”
He flushed. “I’ve been doing a lot of reading,” he said, his tone defensive.
“And it’s improving your vocabulary. But your imagination is working overtime. Look, it’s very simple. If I’m not in Houston then our cousins can’t ambush me again into going out and searching for a replacement Ricky. Nor do I have to worry about everyone expecting me to burst into tears at the mere mention of his name. Like I already mentioned, attending Kane’s wedding will save me from a weekend of humiliation and awkwardness.” She patted his shoulder. “It’s a win-win-win situation.”
“Is that what you told Oakes? Because he’s just gullible enough to buy it.”
“He’s not gullible, he’s...nice. You should try it sometime.”
“You fed him a line of bullshit and he fell for it. Because we both know you’re not afraid to tell our cousins no or to refuse to go to Ricky’s wedding, regardless of what people might think. No one forces you to do anything.”