Things We Never Said (Hart's Boardwalk 3)

I grinned at him. “I see.” I did. And I couldn’t believe they were stil

l making Super Mario Bros. games. “You’re awesome at this game.”

“I know, right.” His cocky grin reminded me so much of Darragh.

I glanced down at Levi, who was waiting patiently for my assessment of his drawing. It was amazing for a five-year-old. There were no stick people anywhere to be seen. That he might have inherited his artistic skills from me caused a flare of sweet aching in my chest. “Levi McGuire, you are an artist,” I pronounced. “And I’d be honored if you added me.”

He smiled shyly and took the paper out of my hand. Promptly, he ran over to his little table in the corner of the living room where all his crayons were and settled in to draw, looking over at me now and then.

I thought my heart was going to burst.

Leo was now deep in conversation with Dad, who was watching him play the video game on the television in the sitting room.

Mom and Dad bought the whole family a Nintendo one Christmas. It was agreed that it would be our combined main present that year. It was a big deal. The boys were the only ones with a TV in their room because Darragh had saved for one doing summer jobs. That meant they set the console up in their room and us girls hardly ever got a shot at it. I couldn’t imagine Mom and Dad allowing us to set up that console in the family room. The family room was their domain.

But it seemed Krista and my brother had allowed my adorable nephews to take over their entire house.

“I think they like Aunt Dahlia,” Krista murmured in my ear.

I turned around to see her leaning over the back of the armchair I was sitting in. Emotion bubbled in my throat, and I had to clear it to say, “They’ve been amazing. You all have.”

She squeezed my shoulder and gave me a pretty smile. “It’s so nice to have you back.”

God, I’d forgotten how much I liked my brother’s wife. Krista was one of those people who had a kind word for everybody. She hated confrontation, and my brother got frustrated sometimes that she was too soft-hearted with friends and colleagues who took advantage. But she also had this wicked sense of humor and, right now, I was particularly grateful for that and her ability to forgive and move on.

Dinner with my brother and his family was fantastic. In fact, I was kicking myself for allowing so many years to pass between us when it was clear Darragh never blamed me for any of what happened. I knew he blamed me for staying away and that underneath his attempts to move on, he was still a little sore with me. But he was trying, and it was wonderful.

My nephews were fantastic, and I was sad I’d missed so much time with them.

“I’ll give you a shot in a second, Aunt Dahlia,” Leo called over to me. He had a pair of lungs on him, and he wasn’t afraid to use them. I’d discovered he liked to talk at a louder decibel than everyone else, as if he thought we all had hearing difficulties. “I want to get past this level, and then I’ll show you how it’s done.”

My dad and I shared a grin.

Leo was full of confidence. I’d learned over dinner he was a pitcher in the junior baseball league. “I’m good too,” he said around a mouthful of spaghetti. “Like, really good.”

He was also in a tae kwon do league and could “kick butt.”

Levi was quieter, a little shy even. It could be his age, but I think he was more like his mom in nature. Physically the boys were the perfect mix of their parents. Krista had smooth umber skin, huge dark eyes, and long hair she wore in tight braids. The boys weren’t as dark as Krista but had a beautiful tawny-beige skin tone, their dad’s hazel eyes, and their mother’s hair. Where Leo’s was styled short in tight waves, Levi’s was a wild, amazing Afro. I wasn’t biased when I said my nephews were gorgeous little boys.

“Another coffee, Dahlia?” Darragh asked from the kitchen door. “Dad?”

“Not for me, I’m good,” Dad answered.

I got up from my chair. “Let me help.”

Krista stayed out in the sitting room, and I found myself alone in the kitchen with my brother for the first time. Immediately, I went to him and put my arms around him.

Darragh hugged me close, and we stood like that for a few seconds.

My hug said I was sorry for all the years I’d wasted.

His hug said he understood.

Pulling back, I gave him a soft smile. “The boys are amazing, Darragh.”

My big brother grinned. “Yeah, we did all right there, huh?”

“You did.” I leaned against the counter as he set about making us coffee.