A Wish For Love (Gates-Cameron 2)

“He died before—when I was very young,” he amended.

“So you became the man of the family,” Bailey concluded. Was that why Anna’s marriage had come between them? she wondered. Had Bran been reluctant to give up his lifelong role as her champion? Had he felt supplanted in his sister’s life by Dean? Somehow, she thought there was more to it than that.

“Yes. Has Anna told you nothing of our family?”

“Not a thing. I don’t even know how she and Dean met.”

“I see.”

“Of course, I’ve only been with her a few times,” Bailey admitted. “And I was only here a week before she and Dean left for their vacation.”

“Anna isn’t one to talk about herself much.”

Bailey yawned as her muscles began to relax. “She isn’t the only one,” she murmured.

Watching her closely, Bran nodded. “A family trait.”

“Tell me more about your childhood,” Bailey urged, squirming into a more comfortable position on her pillows. “Was your mother able to stop your nightmares?”

“Not entirely. She remarried when I was quite young. After that, I learned to keep my fears to myself.”

“You didn’t want her to remarry?”

“No.”

“Didn’t you like your stepfather?”

“No.”

“Was he mean to her? Or to you?”

“No, he wasn’t mean. He was just… dim.”

She couldn’t help smiling a little. “Dim? Do you mean he wasn’t very bright?”

“He smiled a lot and said very little. Mother thought it was because he was quiet and reserved. I always thought it was because he had nothing of particular interest to say.”

“Did he love your mother?”

“He was very fond of her inheritance from my father,” Bran muttered.

“That doesn’t sound very promising. Was she happy with him?”

“She never complained to me, but I don’t think she was particularly happy. She died when I was a teenager. She contracted pneumonia after a long illness and just slipped away. It was almost as if she didn’t care to live any longer.”

“I’m sorry,” Bailey whispered, hearing the echoes of pain in Bran’s voice. “That must have been awful for you.”

He nodded. “The next few years weren’t particularly pleasant ones, either. I didn’t get along with my stepfather, I couldn’t get my hands on the—on my inheritance from my parents because of the terms of my mother’s will. I was so angry, I ended up driving away most of my friends. If it hadn’t been for Anna…but then I couldn’t even protect her when it mattered most.” He was looking away, his expression distant, his voice muted—almost as though he were speaking to himself.

“What do you mean you couldn’t protect her?” Bailey asked carefully. “Did something bad happen to Anna?”

Bran seemed to rouse himself.

His frown told her that he’d said more than he’d intended. More than he wanted to reveal.

“Never mind that,” he said. “The reason I told you these things is because I don’t want you to make the same mistakes I did. Life is too short to waste with useless regrets. Don’t dwell on the unpleasant things that have happened to you, or continue to blame yourself for the failings of others. Put it behind you and start making a new life for yourself. You have so much to offer, and you deserve so much in return. I want you to be happy, Bailey.”

She looked at him in surprise. He’d spoken so forcefully, so intensely. It was probably the most he’d ever said to her at one time.