Falling for the Brother

He nodded. “It’s…surreal.” He seemed…almost lost, and it occurred to her that they were both in shock.

“How do you feel about this?” If she focused on him, she felt stronger.

“You want the truth?”

“Of course.”

“I’m thrilled to death. That little sprite…she’s mine. Mine and yours.”

Everything changed then. Got personal. She nodded.

“When I think of Bruce and the years I’ve lost and the future I’m going to lose… But for the moment…”

She knew what he meant. What lay ahead of them, keeping their secret, going on as though nothing had changed, was going to be impossible. Already guilt was filtering through the initial state of shock.

“We’ll set up regular visitations,” she said now. “She’ll get to know you, to spend time with you. You can teach her things and come over for dinner. I’ll call you every day with school updates…”

“And what if Bruce catches wind of it and thinks we’re starting something between the two of us?”

He was right, of course. “So we’ll make it more sporadic,” she said. She owed a loyalty to Bruce. But she owed Mason, too. He was the father of her child. “No one will know if we talk every night, if you call for updates.”

His intense stare made her reconsider the world she was creating. If they talked every night, they’d be playing with fire. And Bruce was the one who’d get burned.

Again. He’d hurt her, but he’d never cut her as deeply as this would cut him.

What about Mason? She studied him, the father of her child, and needed to wrap him in her arms and hold on for life.

“We should get back,” she said instead. “It’s time for you to pick up Grace.”

He kept looking at her, searing her with emotion.

“Are you okay?” he asked, standing his ground.

She nodded.

“How do you feel? Are you disappointed?”

“No.” Tears filled her eyes then, as shame swept through her. “I was hoping it was you.”

He seemed to settle into a calmer state, and motioned for her to lead the way back to the main building.

They weren’t lovers. Would never be a couple with Bruce, their feelings for him and Bruce’s love for Harper, standing between them. And yet she felt as though they’d just gotten married.

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

APOLOGIZING, CITING WORK as his reason for barely taking time to say goodbye to Gram, Mason accompanied Grace out to his SUV. He vowed to get back to Santa Raquel as soon as possible and make it up to her. Gram had been there for him all his life. She was floundering and it was his duty to be there for her now.

First, he had to deal with Elmer Guthrie.

And get himself back in line.

He was a father. And couldn’t tell anyone he cared about—particularly not Gram. She’d never mentioned the night he spent with Harper; it was possible his brother had kept his word and never told her about it. From what he understood, Bruce had simply explained that the brothers had had a falling-out and that it was between the two of them.

Gram would definitely not approve of what Mason had done. Infidelity was one thing, and bad enough. Sleeping with your brother’s fiancée was something else entirely. Especially since he’d been on a mission for Bruce—sent to comfort Harper, to make sure she was okay, until she calmed down and Bruce could talk to her.

Made from the same cloth as his grandmother, Mason didn’t approve of what he’d done, either.

Thankfully Grace talked, and did whatever she was doing with her yarn, most of the way home. She and Gram had a great visit, she said, and they’d caught up on so much. Gram hadn’t offered any insights that could help Mason’s investigation and Grace hadn’t pushed. She hadn’t wanted to lose Gram a second time. She’d apologized, on first getting in the car, for not learning anything new regarding Gram’s injuries.

“I really do think she fell off a stepladder,” Grace told him again as they approached Albina. “She looked me straight in the eye when I asked her about it. I don’t know, maybe I should have pushed harder, but that’s what caused our problem to begin with. I just kept hoping she’d tell me something, but… I didn’t ask her about that man you mentioned, Elmer Somebody. I figured if she didn’t bring it up, I shouldn’t, either.”