He was distant because he thought he needed to be that way.
My brother didn’t particularly like physical contact, and getting to know family might mean he’d have to be close to someone other than me.
I shrugged. “I’m starting to like them.”
“I want you to like them,” Asher said firmly. “I want you to get close to the rest of the Remingtons if they’re going to accept you and care about you. Our father was scum, but I think our uncle was a good man. Sometimes I wish I’d just told him the truth, but I wasn’t sure I could trust him to protect us from our father. I wanted to help you, but I wasn’t sure telling our uncle would put you in a better situation.”
“We were kids, Asher,” I said as I ran a frustrated hand through my hair. “We were rightfully terrified of our father. Let it go. We did what we had to do to survive. You were only twoyears older than I was. There wasn’t a damn thing you could have done differently. We’re free. We have been for a long time. It’s time for both of us to let go of the past. Webothdeserve to be happy.”
“I think you’ll be happier when you’re in the company of your woman,” Asher said as he headed toward the door, completely ignoring my comment about both of us being happy.
Hell, maybe my brother just needed more time.
We hadn’t been back in Crystal Fork for long.
“What are you doing for dinner?” I asked as I followed him to the door.
He frowned. “My housekeeper left food, even though I keep telling her that I don’t need her to cook.”
“Is she a good cook?” I asked curiously.
“Too good,” Asher grumbled. “I’m going to hate going back to eating my own cooking. I’m going to have to talk to her again.”
There was something in Asher’s tone that made me ask, “Does this housekeeper have a name?”
“Sierra,” he said tersely. “It’s still a trial thing. I’m not sure if she’s going to work out. Maybe I’m not cut out to have someone in my home every day.”
I stared at my brother for a moment.
Yeah, he was just as stoic as usual, but there was something different about his tone.
“Young?” I questioned.
“I have no idea how old she is,” he said a little irritably. “Probably a few years older than Lauren.”
I’d talked about Lauren enough that Asher was very well aware of her age.
I’d actually mentioned that Lauren was probably too young for me once or twice before we started our new relationship.
“Maybe they know each other if they’re around the same age,” I mused.
“I doubt it,” Asher said tightly. “Sierra isn’t from Crystal Fork, and she lives in Billings.”
“Is she pretty?” I asked in what I hoped was a casual voice.
Asher shot me a disgruntled look. “You have a woman.”
I had to force myself not to smile.
My brother looked slightly unhappy about my question.
It was probably wishful thinking, but I had to wonder if my brother’s new housekeeper was chipping away at his morose exterior.
I held up a hand. “I was just curious. Don’t fire her. Let her cook you some decent meals first. Your cooking sucks worse than mine does.”
“We’ll see,” Asher said noncommittally as he strode through the door. “I find it annoying to have somebody underfoot every day. Later.”
I closed the door with a grin, hoping that this Sierra had an uncommon amount of fortitude.
