"Probably better than Tobias is." Titus turns my stool until I'm facing him. "He doesn't love being reminded of how badly he fucked up."
"Does anyone?" I hold tight as Titus takes my hands in his and pulls me off the stool.
He gives me a little smile. "No, but Tobias is extra sensitive about this particular fuck-up." He hooks an arm around my waist, leading me toward the dining room. "If you ever hear someone say the name Brooke in front of him, get the fuck out of there, because all hell is about to break loose."
Yeah. I’m definitely missing a big chunk of the story. A story that must involve a woman named Brooke, and Tobias’s unwillingness to cohabitate.
I'm dying to know everything, but I only have time for one little question, so pick one that might give me insight on Titus as well. "Why didn't Tobias want to live with a woman?"
Titus’s eyes come to my face, holding tight. "Because he's a dumb ass."
His immediate and unwavering reply makes something flutter in my belly. And since they’re still too teeny to feel, I know it's not Peanut.
Pulling out a chair, Titus urges me to sit then takes the one beside me. Deidre and Ted join us a minute later, and conversation picks back up. I do notice Deidre’s eyes keep drifting to the empty chair at Titus’s other side, and it makes me feel bad for her. I can't imagine what it would be like to mother five grown men, but I don’t suppose it would be easy.
Especially these particular five grown men. They sure seem like they’d give you a run for your money.
22
Titus
“That was a weird dinner." I open the garage door, holding it as Mariah passes me into the house.
"I'm really glad you said that, because I wasn't sure if someone storming out before we even sat down was a normal occurrence in your family or not." She peels away her coat as she walks into the kitchen. "You think Tobias is okay?"
"No, but he hasn't been okay for a while. Pretty sure he's used to it by now." That's what happens when shit goes wrong. When your life doesn't unfold the way you expect.
When you wish you’d done everything differently.
Mariah slings her coat over one of the barstools before turning to face me. "Am I allowed to know what happened?"
"It's not a secret. I'm surprised you haven't heard it yet." I stack my coat on top of hers, sliding the empty containers of the dessert we brought onto the counter. "One of Tucker's favorite stories to tell is about how Tobias inherited Copper as a fucked-up thank you for letting his ex go live her best life in California."
Mariah angles a brow. "That clears up absolutely nothing for me."
I step close to her, ready to touch her the way I can’t when my family’s around. Yet. "Tobias was dating someone we all thoughtwas amazing, until he accidentally got his head stuck up his own ass and let her get away. She took a job in California. Her new apartment didn’t allow pets." I shrug. "So he ended up with her horny miniature poodle as a parting gift to remind him of the worst mistake he ever made."
"Is that what he says? That it's the worst mistake he ever made?" Mariah sounds more than mildly curious, and I have to wonder if she's comparing my brother to someone in her past.
Possibly someone responsible for sending her straight into my arms.
And it makes me want to lie. To tell her Tobias honestly doesn't give a fuck. To bend it so she doesn't get her hopes up that the prick who ran away from her and the baby will come back into her life begging for forgiveness.
If he does, I guess I'll have to explain to her how hazardous this area is. That it's likely he was dragged off by a mountain lion and will never be seen or heard from again.
Is considering homicide a normal reaction when the woman you haven't even established as yours could be stolen away by another man?
I think so.
"No." I sigh, unable to give Mariah anything but the truth. "But it's pretty fucking obvious he's kicked himself ever since. Besides me, Tobias is the only one of us who's ever really been in a relationship. Tucker fucks around with any woman who’ll have him. I don't know what in the hell Trevor and Walker do, but they've never brought anyone around. I have to imagine they're keeping any adult activities they might be participating in extremely casual.”
I probably could have tried something similar over the years, but I've never been the casual type. I was probably the only nineteen-year-old kid perfectly happy to have only touched one woman his entire life. And when Kara died, I figured I might as well keep the streak going. Then I wouldn't have to lose someone a second time. The risk simply wasn't worth the reward.
Until Mariah walked into my house, cleaned up all my shit, and made it impossible for me to stay away.
"That's kind of sad." Mariah's face scrunches up, head tilting as she considers. "But it's also kind of what he deserves for being a dumbass."
"Agreed." I hook an arm around her shoulders, leading her to the stairs. "But that's his problem to deal with."
