All Ronan ever wanted was for his family to be happy and safe. He’d gotten exactly what he’d asked for, but that didn’t mean there wouldn’t be bumps along the road. Over the last four months, since Ten learned he had a brother, Ronan kept his mouth shut about David, waiting until Ten brought the subject up on his own. He had a feeling it wouldn’t be long before his father-in-law paid a visit, especially with the news that Kaye was going to Las Vegas with Eagle.
Fireworks were coming. It was only a matter of when.
4
Tennyson
After they’d left the party, Ten got the kids settled in the living room withCinderella,which was Brooke’s favorite movie. Ronan had popped popcorn, and the kids helped themselves to juice pouches from the cooler left over from dinner at Fitzgibbon’s. Ten thought it was a genius way for the kids to get a drink without having to interrupt to ask for one.
“I’m gonna sit with the kids so you and River can have some time to catch up.” Ronan kissed Ten and headed into the living room, doing a squeaky-voiced imitation of Gus-Gus the mouse. Barb had gone home with Kaye so she could spend some time with her mother-in-law and get settled in.
“How are things in St. Pete?” Ten asked.
“Almost back to normal.” River sighed. “Being arrested for Bart Livingston’s murder did a number on my reputation. I lost a lot of business and added a lot of lawyer fees on top of things. Kaye was so kind to send money to help with those bills.”
“Mom sent you money?” This was the first Ten was hearing of this. Not that he minded; Kaye could spend her money on anything she chose.
River nodded. “We spoke all the time after you all came back to Massachusetts. She understood what my arrest had done to affect my business and wanted to help. I couldn’t help but wonder if she felt guilty for the way David treated me when I was growing up.”
“Maybe,” Ten admitted. Everything had happened so fast in Florida back in February. Meeting River in jail and helping to find the person who actually killed Bart Livingston, along withDavid not wanting to take responsibility for his oldest son and his own behavior, had really taken the wind out of Ten’s sails. He’d spent the rest of their vacation getting to know everything about his brother.
“Speaking of David, have you spoken to him since that last time?” River’s voice was quiet, as if he were afraid to hear Ten’s answer.
“No.” Ten shook his head, allowing a bit of his frustration with his father to shine through. “I told him I didn’t want to speak to him until he was ready to be a man and face the repercussions of his choices. Mom and I talked a lot about what life would have looked like with you in it. Hell, I did a lot of daydreaming. Neither of my parents understood what it was like to be gay; maybe you would have helped them understand or would have been there to stand up for me against people who bullied me.”
River’s face lit up. “Without a doubt. I would have had your back then, like I do now. I always wanted a sibling growing up. My mother was so focused on making sure we were self-sufficient. She didn’t want to accept a handout from anyone and didn’t have a lot of time to date. Or rather didn’t make time. I would have been okay with her going out. I needed a father figure in my life. I know she was lonely.”
“I saw the same thing in Kaye after our father died.” Ten sighed. Those were dark days. For the first time in her life, Kaye was completely alone. “She threw herself into the church back home in Kansas, then busied herself with Everly, Aurora, and Wolf when she moved to Massachusetts. Every now and then, I’d see an envious look in her eyes when Ronan would hug me out of the blue or when Jude would dance with Cope when he thought no one was watching.”
“Tell me more about Eagle. Who is he, and how does Kaye know him?” River wore a curious look.
“Running Eagle is Jude’s Navajo grandfather. His mother died in childbirth, and Jude’s father was murdered when he was thirteen. He went to live with Eagle in Navajo Nation after that. Their family dynamics were complicated for a lot of years, but things started to work themselves out when Jude adopted Wolf. Eagle came to visit for Christmas, and everyone fell in love with him, especially the kids. He stayed at Kaye’s house while he was here, and they struck up a friendship. Mom took Eagle to her favorite places and restaurants, and he cooked her his favorite meals.” Ten wore a wistful smile. “I hadn’t seen Mom that happy in a long time. I knew she was lonely but didn’t know what I could do about it.”
River laughed. “Seems like Eagle knew exactly what to do. You all just came back from seeing him, right?”
Ten nodded. “They spent a lot of time together in Arizona, but today was the first time I’d heard her mention going out west to spend time with him.”
“Is Eagle anything like our father?” River asked.
“Not in the slightest. Dad was always worried about appearances. What people would think of him or would say behind his back. Eagle lives life on his terms. He’s not a man who is stuck in his ways like Dad. I know that’s one of the things Mom likes about him. Things are easy, which I think she absolutely deserves.”
“I can’t agree more.”
“Barb’s got a lot of family on her side of the family, right?” Ten asked.
River nodded. “She’s the oldest of four sisters.”
“Damn.” Ten whistled. “Do you spend a lot of time with them?”
“The two next youngest sisters, Candy and Peg, live in California. Peg’s husband is an entertainment lawyer, and his wife is his office manager. They both have two kids of their own. Two boys for Candy and a son and daughter for Peg. We see them a couple of times a year. Barb is much closer with her little sister, Dinah. She is absolutely in love with Brooke and can’t wait for the new baby to get here. She’s a physical therapist in St. Pete. You wouldn’t believe the number of oldsters who are hurting themselves playing pickleball.” River snorted. “Dinah has more clients than she knows what to do with.”
Ten chuckled. “Have you joined the trend?”
“No way! I figure that’s something we’ll do when you and all of your friends retire to Florida. I have a feeling Ronan and Jude will be hypercompetitive.”
“The last time the two of them and Fitzgibbon played basketball, Jude ended up in the hospital with a torn tendon in his knee.” That injury had put him in the bullseye of a killer angel who’d been stalking prey at Salem Mercy Hospital. Ten would keep that information to himself. River didn’t need to know about their close calls. “You want all of us to retire near you in Florida?”
River slapped the table. “Hell, yes! I spent the entire first half of my life without my brother. I want to spend all the time with you I can get now.”
