I tugged her unwillingly behind me. I heard my dad tell Jaxson to get out, and he followed close behind me. We headed to his rental, and I took the keys from his hands. He looked as if he was in shock, and I wasn’t sure he should be driving.
I headed to our house in his SUV, the normally short drive seemingly taking forever. The windows were so covered in snow and ice, visibility was almost nonexistent, and I didn’t stop to scrape them. I pulled up and turned off the engine, grateful to have arrived.
“I should just go,” he muttered.
“You can’t drive in this, Jaxson. It would be suicide.”
We led him inside, and he sat down heavily on the sofa. Addi went and got the ice pack, pressing it to his rapidly swelling cheek.
“Gracie,” he breathed. “I need to go back.”
“No,” I insisted. “You need to stay right here and let Gracie figure this out with her family. You’ll be involved soon enough.”
“What just happened?” he asked in a daze.
I clapped him on the shoulder. “Welcome to the family, Jaxson. Brace yourself. It’s gonna be a bumpy ride.”
I sat down, pulling Addi to my lap. “Enjoying your honeymoon?” I quipped, trying to lighten the air. “What’s a family holiday without a secret being leaked and fistfights happening? I mean, usually, it’s the triplets and eggnog is involved, but at least this one was different.”
“This is awful,” she whispered.
“Christmas took an unexpected detour,” I agreed. I hugged her close. “It’s going to be okay, Addi. Somehow, it will be.”
“What are we going to do?”
I looked over at Jaxson. I thought about Gracie’s tears. Richard’s fury. The chaos that had no doubt continued after we’d made our escape. I indicated Jaxson, sitting with his shoulders hunched over on our sofa. I kept my voice low.
“They need to figure it out, Addi. It’s their story to tell. Their future to decide.”
She rested her head on my shoulder. “Will we ever know what happened?”
I had to admit, I hoped so.
It was a tale I wanted to hear.The Father Circle of TruthBENTLEYI stared inside the large, elegant room, watching Addi move around, her dress floating like a cloud around her tiny frame. She looked so much like Emmy did when I married her. Young, beautiful—with her whole life ahead of her.
Where the hell did the time go?
It seemed like only yesterday I was holding her in my arms, cradling her safely. Protecting her from the world. I was the one to slay the monsters under her bed. I held her when she had a nightmare. Kissed away the tears when she scraped her knee. She always looked at me as if I were a hero who could do no wrong. As if I were the center of her universe.
And now, I had been replaced.
I took a long draw on the scotch in my glass, ignoring the cold that surrounded me.
I should have worn a coat.
I should have brought the bottle of scotch outside instead of just asking for a triple shot.
I should have pitched Brayden over the balcony when I had a chance.
I drained the glass, holding it against my chest.
Addi looked to Brayden now for comforting. It was his arms she sought for protection. His counsel she listened to. The little bastard had usurped me.
“Bent, you’re growling.”
I startled at the sight of Aiden and Maddox standing beside me. I hadn’t even heard them come outside. Aiden handed me my coat.
“Emmy said you needed this.”
I shrugged it on, not letting go of my glass.
Maddox chuckled and held up a bottle of scotch. “I thought maybe you needed this as well.”
“You’re going to have to share.” Richard VanRyan appeared beside Maddox.
“I brought glasses,” Reid offered.
Hal Smithers chuckled darkly. “I brought a second bottle.”
Van’s deep laughter echoed in the dark. “You guys are a sorry lot.”
I glared at him. “Wait until Sammy’s getting married. When some little shit steals your baby girl.”
“Hey, that little shit is my son,” Maddox protested.
I waved my hand. “I was talking in general terms.”
He laughed. “You were talking in scotch-soaked terms. You know they were meant to be together, Bent.”
He was right. Brayden was perfect for Addi. He respected her. Encouraged her. Let her fly. No one could be as proud of her as he was, aside from me. She was smart. Brilliant at running ABC. Another man might have felt diminished by her, but not Brayden. He was comfortable enough in his own skin to know how special she was. He knew the real Addi. The sweet, loving woman behind the stern mask she wore as a businesswoman. She was lucky to have him.
Maddox added some more scotch to my glass and filled up the other ones. We toasted in silence and sipped the liquor.
Jen appeared, a hand on his hip. “A BAM convention on the balcony. Six sorrowful-looking men, drowning themselves in scotch.” He shook his head sadly, although his eyes danced with glee. “Six hot-looking men, I might add. I had hoped you would bypass the sob fest, but I came prepared.” He walked over and lit the propane heater, the warmth almost instant. He indicated the cleaned-off table and the closed box on the surface. “You can sit and drink. I don’t want any of you pitching over the edge into the water. And there are some cigars. At least be civil, sit, wallow, and have your smoke. Your wives will drag your sorry asses home when you’re done.”