“It’s not your fault that she was a piece of shit. Hell, I don’t even know if it was her fault.” Raina sighed, her brow furrowing like she wished she could immediately drawback her words.
“Yeah, I get that.” I sighed, thinking of my dad—ofourdad. I wanted to knock him out for straying from mom even for a minute, but there was always more to the story—I knew that better than anybody.
We all made choices that had consequences we might not have seen with our backs pressed against the wall. We were all products of our own backstories, but I was beginning to see that what we did with the future was entirely up to us. Taking control of my own had taught me that.
Leaving both the coffees black, she brought the mugs over to the counter I sat at, setting one down in front of me. I picked it up, hesitating before sipping it.
“I finally convinced my boss to spend a little more on coffee.” She assured me from the other side of the counter, sipping hers without flinching. “Now that we have rock stars frequenting our diner, he gave in.”
“Glad we could help.” I brought the white ceramic mug to my lips, pausing. “I’m sorry to hear that. About your mom, I mean. A kid should never be told those kinds of things.”
“I was told a lot of things before the caseworker finally removed me from her care,” Raina replied, looking away. “She’s dead now. My mom, I mean. Overdosed a few years back.”
“I’m sorry,” my brow knitted together, heart hurting. I’d been a big brother for as long as I could remember, and the urge to protect my little sister was always a strong one. All along, I’d recognized that there was a connection to this abrasive server, a familiarity I couldn’t put my finger on. To hear that her life hadalwaysbeen a struggle was painful.
“It’s fine,” she assured me, her icy blue eyes locking on mine to drive the point home. “It’s been six years. She was never much of a mother to me, anyway.”
I drew in a heavy breath. “Did he know?”
Raina blinked, tilting her chin up in defense. “I don’t know. My mother was a narcissistic pathological liar. She was so manipulative. I never knew the truth of anything.”
“So…how did you find out?”
She turned her head, looking at the farthest point in the room from me. Drawing in a breath, she pursed her lips and shook her head, finally looking at me again. “Her high school yearbook. I found it when I was eleven, and she split my lip when I asked her who Michael Jacobs was. I never asked again…but I remembered the name and the face. You have the same one.”
“Yeah, I’m aware.” I resisted the urge to crack the tension from my neck, leaning forward a little. “Him and I, we have a complicated relationship…we’re too much alike. But he has always been amazing with Connor, my—our little sister.”
She stiffened. “I’m not ready for an instant family, Calum. I know that’s your thing, but it’s not mine.” Her harsh words would hurt weaker men, but I just grinned—which pissed her off even more.
“You’re going to have to get used to it, facts are facts. Welcome to the family, sister.”
Four hours later, I parked the Jeep in my parents’ driveway. The click of Asher’s seat belt acknowledged he’d already unbuckled it, and Harper followed suit, pausing when she realized I hadn’t moved.
I unbuckled my belt too, sending her what I hoped was a comforting smile. She knew I’d stopped in to talk to Raina this morning, confirming my suspicions were true. She understood that I was mad as hell at my father—for being unfaithful to my mother, for not rescuing Raina from a shit childhood. But I also didn’tknowfor certain if he’d known. About Raina, anyway.
I really didn’tthinkmy father was the type of man to abandon a child, but I couldn’t ask him during our first family brunch. What a mind fuckthatwas. Opening my door, I stepped outside and prayed that I’d make it through the next two hours without saying something stupid.
We walked up the front walkway. Asher rang the doorbell, and a moment later it opened. My dad stood on the other side. “You don’t need to ring that, just come in next time.” His words—while gruffly spoken—were free from the usual bite I was accustomed to. The reception this time around was…warmer.
Asher wrapped his arms around my dad’s waist, hugging him. “Hi Grandpa!”
“Hey, Asher.” The smile on my dad’s face could only be described as bright—similar to the ones he used to give me when I was young enough not to get under his skin at every breath.
I released a breath I hadn’t realized I’d been holding. Harper’s hand found mine, and she squeezed it, tugging me gently into the foyer. Hearing the sound of our voices, my mom and Connor drifted out from the dining room, along with the scent of all the breakfast staples—bacon, sausage, eggs, toast, pancakes.
Once the hugs and greetings were out of the way and we wandered into the dining room. I glanced at the beautiful oak table and the delicious spread of food laid out on it, and my heart pinched a little.
Whatever troubles I’d had with my father in my teens and beyond, I know I’d been given a good childhood.
Sensing the somber change in my emotions, Harper’s hand pressed against the small of my back, rousing me into stepping forward. I pulled a chair out for her and waited until she’d sat down in it before pulling my own seat out. My mom had seen to Asher, setting him up across the table beside Connor and my dad.
“What would you like, honey?” Mom’s voice asked, gesturing to the options in front of us. As Asher told her his favourites and she loaded up his plate, I tried to relax and enjoy the moment.
It was our first time attending a family brunch as well, as a family—and thatwassomething to be thankful for. But my thoughts kept going back to Raina and Nik, to yet another branch of my family I had no idea existed.
“I said, have you found a contractor yet?” My father repeated, his impatient tone and scowl pulling me from my thoughts. I blinked, reminding myself that now wasn’t the time.
“For the home studio, yes. For the other stuff…not yet. We’re in no rush, though.”
