Chapter 13
Thirteen
Julie
I covered my mouth with my hand to keep from spitting food across the table as I struggled to control my laughter.
Patrick’s eyes lit up as he told Daisy the story about the time we came to the inn for Christmas one year, and I was so hungry that I ate all of the popcorn from the strands we had made to decorate the tree.
“In all fairness, your mom was about your age, if not a little younger,” Dad said with a dimpled smile as he looked down at Daisy, who was nestled between him and my mother.
I loved how much she loved her grandparents and hated how long it had been since we’d seen them. While they came to visit us whenever they could, things had been different after Mike died.
“No one told me we couldn’t eat it,” I replied, holding my hands up.
“It’s partly why I didn’t offer to make popcorn earlier,” Gage teased, giving me a wink that sent a jolt straight between my thighs. “I wasn’t sure I could trust your mom not to eat it again.”
“Mommy,” Daisy said with a sigh as she pressed her little hand dramatically to her forehead. “You were so silly!”
I shrugged, loving how happy she was.
She grinned, but it was quickly erased as a big yawn pulled across her face instead.
“Looks like it will be an early night tonight,” I said softly, watching her as she fought the tiredness that was washing over her. We had been up early, and it was a busy day filled with fun and unexpected surprises.
“I’m not tired,” she objected, looking nervously up at my mother.
“I was thinking that maybe we could watch a movie in our bedroom tonight,” my mom said softly to her. We all knew that a few minutes into the movie, Daisy would be out cold. “I saw a TV in there. We could cuddle up together and watch a Christmas one.”
“Yeah! Let’s do that!” Daisy’s sudden burst of excitement temporarily disturbed Duke as he lifted his head to see what was happening before returning it to the floor as he went back to sleep.
Glitter had covered the majority of the house, not even sparing Duke, as the top of his head glistened in the light.
“Well, if you guys want to go start getting everything set up for your movie night, I’ll get the table cleared and then come say goodnight,” I said, pushing away from the table.
“I’ll help you clean up,” Gage offered, not looking the least bit bothered by the look my brother gave him.
“Thanks,” I replied as I started collecting the dishes from the table and ignored the tension building in the room as my parents took Daisy to their room, leaving Patrick alone with us.
“I don’t like whatever this is,” Patrick said, his voice turning into the one I hated when I was a kid.
“You don’t like what exactly?” I asked, turning to face him with a hand on my hip.
“Don’t act like I’m stupid, Jules. Everyone can see something is going on between the two of you.”
“Are you fucking kidding me?” I felt Gage step beside me and knew that no matter what happened with my brother, I had his support.
“Nothing is happening between us other than he’s keeping me and your niece safe from some asshole who is stalking me.
Get your shit together, Patrick, or I swear to God. ..”
“You swear to God what, Jules?”
“I’ve gone a long time doing this on my own, so don’t think for a second that I won’t help you pack your shit and kick you out.
Whatever this crap is between you and Gage is between you and Gage.
Leave me the hell out of it and mind your own business.
If you came down here to fight with him or accuse us of something, then you can leave. ”
“I came because I was worried about you. I wanted to help. And I wasn’t lying when I said that it would be great to spend Christmas together as a family,” Patrick said, his tone softening some.
“Then act like it,” I bit out, letting my emotions from the past few days get the better of me. “I don’t need any additional stress right now, Pat. I have enough on my plate as it is, so if you’re here to make things harder for me—”
“That’s not my intention. I’m sorry. I just thought I saw something between the two of you, and I guess I just... I don’t know. It triggered something inside of me.” Pat held his hands up and gave me an apologetic look.
“So what if there is something between us?” Gage asked, leaning against the counter with his ankles crossed and his arms folded over his chest.
Why did he not know when to shut up? I didn’t need them fighting over anything right now.
“Are you saying there is?” Patrick pushed, mimicking Gage’s rigid pose.
Gage shrugged, but I noticed the way his jaw ticked as he stared at my brother.
“We had an agreement,” Patrick said sharply.
“Yeah, when we were eighteen. Things change.”
“So it seems.”
I didn’t miss the way Patrick’s words were laced with venom, but my mind was racing as I tried to keep up.
“What agreement?” I asked, looking between the two of them.
What felt like minutes went by without anyone speaking, forcing me to raise my eyebrows and stare at them until one of them gave in.
“We made an agreement that you were off limits,” Patrick said, looking from Gage to me.
“I’m sorry—what?”
“When we were eighteen, we made an agreement that you were off limits,” Patrick repeated.
“Why?”
“Because you were my little sister, and I didn’t want to see you get hurt. I knew that Gage had a way with getting whatever he wanted from girls, and I didn’t want that for you. So, we made an agreement that you were off limits.”
“Oh my God,” I muttered with a heavy sigh as I pressed a finger against my temple and rubbed it. “Pat, we’re not kids anymore. I’m not some sixteen-year-old girl who needs her brother to protect her from his friends. I’m thirty-six years old with a child, for God’s sake!”
“That doesn’t mean that I don’t worry about you, Jules. You think you know him, but you don’t,” Patrick objected.
“Really? We’re going to go there?” Gage said, his eyes narrowing.
“What? You don’t want my sister to know what you did?”
Patrick turned to face Gage again, taking a few steps until they were standing chest to chest as Gage pushed off from the counter.
“Do you even know what I did? Or are you still going by what Melanie told you?” Gage cocked his head to the side as he stared at my brother.
“Fuck you. I told you not to ever speak her name again,” Patrick growled as I stepped out of the way.
I had no idea what was going on, but I knew this wasn’t going to end well.
“And I told you to go fuck yourself if you think you have any control over what I do.”
“Like fuck my fiancée?” Patrick spat out, making me flinch.
My eyes widened in horror as I looked past Patrick to Gage, whose jaw tightened as he glanced at me. All it took was that split second of being distracted for Patrick to land a blow as his fist made contact with Gage’s eye.
I gasped and stepped out of the way as Gage threw a punch at Patrick, hitting him in the ribs. Before I knew it, they were both going at it with fists flying and curse words louder than the dishes they had knocked to the ground.
A few minutes later, my father came storming into the room, the vein in his forehead protruding as he looked at the mess they’d made in a matter of seconds.
“What in the world has gotten into you two?” he scolded, looking at them as they stepped away and wiped the blood from their faces.
I covered my mouth with my hands and stared in disbelief.
“Your mother is trying to get Daisy settled in, and the last thing she needs to see is all of this bullshit. You two get this cleaned up right now. Julie, come say goodnight to your daughter.”
I nodded as my dad shook his head at the guys and stormed out as quickly as he came in.
I could feel both of them watching me as I stepped over the broken glass and walked away, not bothering to look back.