Titus took a deep breath. “I’m really sorry. I wanted you to know it.”
“It’s okay.”
My brother nodded, and we had trouble looking each other in the eye. He glanced at Declan and cocked his head. “Do you play for the Blizzards?”
“Yeah,” Declan said coolly.
“Can I have your—”
“No,” Jake snapped and ran his fingers over the back of my hand. Declan tightened the arm he’d slung around my shoulders.
Titus shuffled from foot to foot awkwardly. But he wasn’t the one I was concerned about. Mom wrung her hands and tears trekked down her cheeks.
“Mom?”
She winced. “I’m so sorry. I felt like I owed it to Miranda to give her every benefit of the doubt. They say that happens—that women who are abused, people don’t believe them. People you love can be monsters and you’d never know it.” She sniffed. “I love you, Logan, but… I just never wanted to be that person who would make another woman hurt and not believe her.” She wiped at her face. “Agent Kegler told me that she’s wanted for a lot of things right now. He couldn’t go into it, but I asked.” Mom rubbed the heel of her palm over her cheek.
The chair fought me as I tried to stand, and I ended up sinking back down on it. Declan helped me up, and I felt ancient as I stood there with the world doing unpleasant things for a moment before it stopped. I didn’t have far to go to wrap my arms around Mom. She held me and patted my back. I let out a juddering breath as she pressed a kiss to my cheek. “I’m sorry, hon. So sorry.”
“It’s okay.” There was a pissed-off noise from Jake’s direction, but nothing else, and I got where he was coming from, but this was my mom. I was just happy we’d worked this out. “I wish you hadn’t thought I was a jerk, but I’m glad you’re a good person.”
She laughed and the watery sound made my eyes well up. Titus glanced away from us, his face red. “You okay over there?” I asked, all at once feeling much friendlier toward him.
“Uh….” He tried for a smile, but it looked terrible on his face. “You can stay with me now if you need to do that. Connie is moving out. She’s still Team Miranda all the way. Thinks we’re being duped by you and the cops, too, and probably will be waving the M flag until there’s a conviction.”
Declan stood and made a production out of opening the drawer on the desk. He pulled out a notepad and pen. He shot me a grin as he scrawled on the paper. When he was done, he held it up. In his sturdy handwriting, the autograph said:
Thanks for finally being a man. Your number one fan.
Declan Greenwood-North
Titus took the paper from Declan, glanced down at it, then nodded. His mouth opened but no words came out.
Declan cleared his throat. “Logan’s going home with us. He has a place to stay, and he’s not leaving unless he wants to go. But you can come visit,ifLogan wants you to do that.” He glanced between Mom and Titus, and my mom patted my shoulders.
“You boys are really….”
“Yeah,” I said in exasperation. “Sorry it’s a big deal, but we’re together.”
She hummed. “It’s not that. I’m not a shut-in. I’ve heard of many things over the years. I just never anticipated my son would be involved with more than one person, let alone two men.” Mischief flashed across her face.
“What?”
“Oh, I’m just thinking this will be a good one when I get home tonight and interrupt your father’sLaw and Orderreruns. He refused to leave the house to have dinner with Miranda. He doesn’t like her.” She ruffled my hair and gave me another hug. “He never did. I’m sorry. I know… I haven’t been there as much as maybe I should have. Now that I’m retired and have more time for things, I’m thinking back on a lot of ways I wish I’d been there for you boys. Especially you, Logan. We were always running around after football practice, and… you were such a good boy. You never needed much. There were only so many hours in a day. I swear, retirement is wasted on our golden years. I’m sorry. I didn’t see what was going on when youreallyneeded me. That you were the one being—”
“You have to stop, Mom. I… it’s okay. I know things aren’t always what they look like from the outside.” But it was amazing to have her smiling at me again. It had hurt more than I could think about to have her against me.
Titus cleared his throat. “No, Mom should say it. Fuck, I should say it. You were being abused. I… didn’t take that seriously.” He sucked in a deep breath and his mouth thinned. “I’d like to visit. I’m sorry I didn’t try to help you. I just… I guess I let the fact that she was this teeny little woman stop me from… you know….”
My throat almost closed off, and I cleared the bad feeling away. “It still hurt when she hit me. It—” I shook my head. Jake’s face was a mask of rage when I glanced at him. Declan ran his fingers through Jake’s hair, then reached out and did the same thing to me.
There was a loud knock on the door, and then it was yanked open with enthusiasm.
“Wow” came an excitable male voice. “It’s like one of those clown cars in here. How many big, beefcake guys can you shove into one spot?” A baby-faced man with large brown eyes and a charming grin peeped around Titus’s shoulder. “Holy shit, is that Declan Greenwood for the second time in one day? Am I lucky or what?”
“Hey!” an amused, masculine reply came from somewhere behind him.
“Oh, don’t be jealous, Evan. You know I love you best. I’d never run away for a life as a hockey hussy,” he said over his shoulder. “I’m already living the dream. Besides, one man with clown shoes is enough for me.”
