I had a million things to do and didn’t feel like doing a single one. No one else was going to do it, so I needed to get going. I grabbed my keys and opened the door just as Brody was raising his hand to knock.

“What the fuck are you doing here?”

“Hello to you, too.” He looked behind him. “Did you see me out here, or did one of your neighbors call?”

“I have shit to do. I didn’t know you were out here or I would’ve gone out the back.” I walked out, shut the door, and unlocked my car. “What do you want?”

“What’s with the attitude?”

“What’s with the unannounced visit? Aren’t you supposed to be on your honeymoon?”

“We’ve been back a couple of days.” He got into the car when I did. “I wanted to talk to you.”

“That’s what the telephone is for. Or, better yet, emails.”

He buckled up and sat there with his hands on his lap. “Where are we going?”

“What do you want?”

“I’ll talk to you about it later. You’re in no mood to discuss it right now.”

“I only have one mood, Brody.” I backed out of the driveway and went on with my errands. I didn’t give a fuck if he was sitting next to me or not. I had shit to do.

Brody was a big man. He filled the passenger side of my car and was hard to ignore. I looked up to the top of his head and smirked when his brown hair didn’t touch the top. “Maggie’s going to make you keep up with the haircuts.”

He scoffed. “I know. I told her I’d go back to the buzz cut I used to get when I was a hard ass, but she didn’t like that idea, either.” He reached over and ran his fingers over my hair as if I were a child. “You never did get into the buzz cuts. You’re more of a metrosexual guy, aren’t you?”

I smacked his hand off my head. “What the fuck does that mean?”

“According to Maggie, a straight guy who cares how he looks.” He shrugged and looked at me. “You are straight, right? That isn’t why you and April broke up, is it?”

I glared at him and looked back to the road. “I’m really fucking sick of you and your comments about my sex life. You’re always busting my balls for something, but I’ll have you know I have bigger balls than you.” I glanced at him again. “And remember, I’ve seen you naked.”

He put his hands up in mock surrender. “Whoa, I’m just razzing you a little. I know you’re straight. Actually, I heard you were pretty active in high school.”

“How did you hear that?”

“I may not have gone to college, but I did attend the parties. I guess people saw the family resemblance more than we did because I was asked a lot if I was your older brother.”

“You were?”

“Yeah, by the big sisters of the girls you fucked. Occasionally cousins. But, you got me laid more than you know. I was too out of my mind to really pay attention to them, but now that I’m sober I can recognize it for what it is.”

“What’s that?”

“My little brother was stud.”

* * *

It was different having Brody around for the day. It seemed a little like old times, but I never remembered having as much fun with him as I did that day. He was playful and happy. It was frustrating at first, but when he challenged me to a sword fight in the toy section, all bets were off.

I knew there was bad news coming. He wouldn’t have flown all the way back home to horse around with me. The errands were done, and we were putting my groceries away. I knew the good times were coming to an end when he kept clearing his throat.

“You’ve already told me there’s something on your mind, so just spit it out already.”

He folded the last sack and ran his hands over it to smooth it out more than it needed. He was nervous. “I want to contact Dad.”

I gripped the counter behind me as I leaned on it. “Why? He made it pretty clear he didn’t want to see you even though you were possibly on your deathbed when you got shot.”

“Yeah, but maybe if we keep trying. Maybe if I reach out too it will be easier for him to meet us halfway.”

“You reached out when you got sober and he wanted nothing to do with you.”

He wouldn’t look at me. “I know, but I have to do it.”

“Why, Brody?”

“It’s just something I want to try.” He looked at me. “Maggie’s pregnant. I want my father to meet my children.”

I looked down. “I’m glad your swimmers still work, but don’t get your hopes up about Dad.”

“I have to try. They’ve got Maggie’s mom for their grandmother, but they don’t have a grandfather. Bev’s great, but I need that male figure for them and Maggie’s dad has passed.”

I looked at him. “I thought Bev was seeing her head cook.”

“Don’t tell Maggie, but I think that’s just for sex.” He laughed. “I think Bev likes her independence too much.”

“I can understand that.”

“Will you help me with Dad?” He tried to turn it around for my benefit. “Come on. It’ll already be done so when you have kids it’ll much easier for him to be a part of it.”

I pushed myself off the counter and narrowed my eyes. “I’m not having kids.”

“You’d make a great dad.”

“Look, I’m tired of taking care of other people’s bullshit, and now you want me to bring more people into this world to be responsible for? Fuck that.”

“I was hoping to have your help, but I will do it without you.”

“You won’t get very far with or without me. The bastard didn’t say two words to me when I called him.”

“I’m not going to call him. I’m going to show up.”

I shook my head. “That’ll get you shot.”

“He won’t shoot me. He’d never risk prison over me.” He inhaled long and hard, causing his chest to expand. “He’ll shut the door in my face, but he won’t shoot me.”

“When are you going?”

“I was leaving it open for you, but I want to do it soon. I think it would be better if we went together.”

I didn’t want Brody to go alone, but I didn’t want any part of it. A person could only take so much rejection and I’d had my fill. “So, that’s the reason you got married.”

Brody narrowed his eyes but smiled when he figured out what I was talking about. “No, Maggie didn’t find out until just before the wedding. She told me after we were married.”

“Smart girl.”

He tossed the sack he folded at me. “I’m actually excited about it.” He smiled, but it was short-lived before he gripped the edge of the island and leaned forward a little. “I admit I was scared shitless when you told me there was a possibility I had a kid out there, but it was only because I didn’t want to lose Maggie.

“I kidnapped Laney just because her father asked me to and got her into bed. It would’ve served me right to be straddled with a kid in another state, but I was so relieved when he wasn’t mine. I hadn’t pieced it all together yet, but I was in love with Maggie.

“I’d already asked her to forgive me for so much with my addiction and the poor choices I made before I met her, but how could I ask her to forgive a child I didn’t know I had?”

“People do have children with people they aren’t married to every day. You just work it out.”

I had to admit, I was relieved when it wasn’t his child, too. He kept Laney Mosley safe from her father and his men when he took her, but he also kept her from her fiancé, Bryce, and tried to get her to fall in love with him. He’d only used women for sex. When he actually spent time with one, he realized he liked it.

Kidnapping wasn’t the way to meet women, though. He was lucky the DA only gave him a charge of obstruction after he turned evidence against Laney’s father. Joshua Mosley was an evil son of a bitch who deserved to rot in prison, but I wished it were someone other than Brody who had gotten in the middle of all that.

He shook his head. “Maggie had enough to overcome with my past. We didn’t need a kid thrown into it. Besides, I didn’t want to deal with Bryce for the rest of my life.”

I laughed. “I’m sure he didn’t want to deal with you, either.”

“Don’t tell anyone Maggie’s pregnant.”

“Why?”

“She wants to keep it quiet for a little while. Her mom and you know, but that’s it.”

“Sure, I won’t say anything.”

“Thanks.” He looked at his watch. “I should probably head back to the airport. Security is a bitch normally because of my size, but a guy flying alone with no luggage? Yeah, that raised a few eyebrows on my way out here.”

“Next time you decide to get married, pick a closer town.”

He smiled, but not because of my joke. It was the dreamy look he got whenever he thought about Maggie. “There’s no other woman for me, brother. What about you and April? What have you done to win her back?”

I grabbed my keys. “Come on. Let’s head to the airport.”

“I want to know what’s happening.”

“Nothing is happening. We show up for work, we get our work done, and then we go our separate ways. If you want that ride, it’s now or never.” I twirled the keys on my middle finger.

“I want you to be as happy as I am with Maggie.”

“Not all of us are meant for that kind of a life.”

“I used to say that, too.”

“Well, it doesn’t matter anyway. She’s seeing the doctor she begged me to hire.”

“Are you talking about Hank?”

“Hank.” I scoffed. “Don’t name your kid something that dumb.”

“Oh, I think someone is jealous.”

“I’m not jealous of Hank or his stupid name.”

“Okay, so what are you going to do to win her back?”

I stood up straight and clenched my fists. “Do you have a hard time hearing today, or are you just like the old Brody and only listen to what you want to hear? She’s with Hank.”

“No, she isn’t.”

“You don’t know fuck. Call a cab. I’m done with this.” I tried to storm off, but he was on me quicker than I could get out. “Let me go!”

“You’re the one who isn’t listening today, and I’m not finished talking to you.”

We scuffled until he had my face pinned against the wall with my hand behind my back. “I will tear you to shreds when you let me go.”

“I’m not fighting anymore. I’m done with that part of my life.”

“Then you’re done with me.”

“Stop. Just stop, Tim. This isn’t you. This isn’t the brother I grew up with who came to my room every morning just to make sure I was breathing. This isn’t the brother who ran home after classes and before his late shift to check on his dying mother and worthless brother.

“You don’t give up. You’ve never given up. Do not give up now. Go after the woman you love, and don’t stop until you get her.”

“He was there today.”

He eased up and let go when I didn’t fight. “Who was where?”

“Hank.” I turned and rubbed my wrist where he had gripped it. “We drove by April’s house on the way home, and his car was in the driveway. She’s with him now.”

“And, that’s it? You just give up? What happened to the fight in you? Why are you letting him win?”

“I’m not letting Hank win. I’m letting April. Too much has happened. I can’t fix it.” I shook my head. “I can’t fix this one.”