“It’s someone you know. Someone you’re close to.”
Confusion marred his features, and then—
His eyes changed. He’d figured it out.
“You brought her into this?” Joe curled his hands into fists.
“I love her, man. I fucking love her.”
“Fuck!” He punched the air. “Fuck, fuck, fuck!”
“I didn’t want to—”
“Then why did you? Why? Damn! Now there’re four of us who know.”
“She’s strong, Joe. She’s strong, and we love each oth— Excuse me? Four of us?”
Finally I knew why Joe hadn’t thrown a punch when I started this conversation.
“Don’t even get on me now. You knew I couldn’t keep this from my wife.”
“So it’s okay for—”
“No, damn it. None of this is okay. Fucking none of it.” He punched the air again and then unclenched one fist and rubbed his forehead, his eyes squinting as though the sunlight was bothering him.
“Joe…”
“Don’t even. Don’t even talk to me.”
“You want to be mad at me? Fine. But be mad for a good reason, not for something you’re just as guilty of.”
“Melanie is my wife.”
“She is. But you made the same promise I did. You said no one knows. Not Melanie. Not anyone.”
“And sure as fuck not Marjorie.”
“I’m sorry. I love her, man.”
“She’s just a baby.”
“She’s almost twenty-six. She’s Jade’s age, and Jade is Talon’s wife.” I paused a few seconds. “These are all things I’ve been over and over again in my mind. I remember when she was born. I’d just turned thirteen. I remember all of it. Believe me, I didn’t expect this.”
“How am I supposed to protect her if—”
“You don’t have to protect her. That’s my job now. Your job is to protect Melanie.”
“Protecting my baby sister will always be my job, Bryce.”
At least he was back to calling me Bryce.
“How the hell did this happen, anyway?”
“We started to get close when she babysat Henry. Turns out she’s had feelings for me since she was a kid.”
“That was puppy love.”
“Yeah, that’s what I told her. But it turned into something real. For both of us.”