He grins. “And I’m never going to forget how lucky. All that shit I used to say about marriage and all those casual flings, I think it was all more about me not thinking I was worthy of this kind of love.” He winces. “Shit. I sound like my therapist.”
“No. I think it’s great,” I say, genuinely happy for him. “So, if you’ve done all this maturing, what was up with all that‘woman’s work’ shit? I would have been happy to stay and help Daphne. It’s so 1995 to only expect the women to help.”
Brodie snorts. “Did you see that pinched look on Gentry’s face? She’s so easy to rile up.” He glances over at me. “Seriously, man? I’m an asshole, but I’m not that much of an asshole. Daphne wanted some girl time with Gentry and the kids. She pulls everyone into her family, and they’re next up.” He shakes his head. “I was just trying to get under Gentry’s skin. She’s my kid sister. It’s what I do.”
“Can you really not keep sending her money? I don’t think you understand how stressed Gentry is with the kids. It’s not easy, man. Especially with her working full time, going to school, and taking care of a house that’s going to need a lot of repairs in the near future.”
He glances over at me, brow creased. “Whenever I talk to Gentry, she says the house is great and everything’s fine.”
“Maybe she hasn’t noticed that the siding is looking worn out and will probably need to be replaced soon. Or that the air conditioning unit is as old as the house, which probably means the heating unit is close to the end of its life, too. She’s going to have some major expenses in the next couple of years.”
“How do you know so much about her house? Have you been spending a lot of time over there?” He narrows his eyes at me. “Stay away from my sister, man. Gentry’s relationship material.”
Clearly, he still has an issue with the idea of me dating Gentry. Just like he did three years ago when I tracked him down at the local bar and told him I kissed Gentry. He was going through some stuff and, when he forbid me from dating his sister, I listened.
Brodie was right. Back then, I wasn’t the right guy for her. Now, though... “Gentry wants nothing to do with me. And I’m not—”
“But you want something to do with her. When did this start?”
“It doesn’t matter. What I’m trying to tell you is that Gentry’s struggling and she could use your support.”
“What do you mean she’s struggling? She makes good money, right? And the kids are teenagers. They must practically take care of themselves.”
“Last night Emily snuck out and went to a party. She got drunk, and Gentry spent most of the night tracking her down and taking care of her.”
Brodie grins. “It’s nothing worse than we did as teenagers. Remember that one party at—”
“She’s a fourteen-year-old girl. And a seventeen-year-old boy took her to the party. It’s different for girls, man. Sophie and Emily both give Gentry nothing but attitude. They’re kids, and they need a lot of time and attention.”
Finally, this seems to sink in. He taps his fingers on the steering wheel. “Call my father. Tell him he can come to the wedding.”
I stare at the side of his face, shocked. “I’ve just used up all the favors I had with Annabelle to make sure your father got the messagenotto come to this wedding. You hate your father.”
“I do.” Brodie sighs and drags a hand over his face. “But Gentry needs him more than I hate him. You said he has a good job now, right?”
“According to Annabelle, but how can he help Gentry if he’s not a good guy?”
“It doesn’t matter,” he says, staring straight ahead at the road, knuckles going white on the steering wheel. “If he has money, he owes it to Gentry to help. Make sure he comes to the wedding, and I’ll talk to him. Make sure he does the right thing.”
“Not sure that’s a good idea.” It seems unlikely this guy will step up after abandoning them, but I don’t remember much about him. “You could just keep sending Gentry money.”
Brodie sighs. “I can’t do it, Levi.” He glances over at me, his expression devastated. “Daphne barely makes enough to live on in Denver. And… Look, you can’t tell anyone. Not a soul. Promise?”
“I promise.”
He puffs his cheeks and blows out a hard breath. “I, um, I…” He looks at me, swallows hard, turns back to the road. “I don’t have the money, man. I’m in debt up to my eyeballs.”
Shit. “How’d that happen?”
“I was an idiot,” he says. “It’s not like either of my parents taught me how to handle money. Everything I’ve sent Gentry the past couple of years I’ve covered with credit. I’m too deep in the hole. I have to start paying shit off if I’m ever getting out of debt.”
He’s clearly miserable, but I’m pissed. “Selling this car might be a good start at getting out of debt.”
He shoots me a glare. “Fuck you, Levi. You think I don’t know that? I’m selling it as soon as we get back home.”
And now I feel like an asshole. “Sorry. That was a stupid thing to say. I’m just worried about Gentry.”
Brodie sends some serious side-eye my way. “You think I’m not?” He clears his throat, his mouth twisting into a smirk, clearly moving on from the tough talk. “What exactly is your interest in my sister, man?”
