37. Max
***Max***
Twelve hours earlier I’d watched Daisy sleep in my t-shirt, on top of my project table.
I’d carried her into the house without her ever waking up and I’d done the thing I shouldn’t have done.
I tucked her into my bed. Then I’d watched her sleep some more before retreating back to my shop.
I wanted to go back to those moments instead of dealing with the one I was looking at right then.
There was a second workshop at the back of the estate where Wes hid his prized possession.
He’d rebuilt an old runabout with stunning mahogany wood that he’d stained, stripped, and stained a different color time and time again.
He’d never found what he was looking for.
Sitting on the boat inside the shed with my brothers, knowing what we had to discuss, made my skin crawl enough to want to break Wes’ precious boat.
The three of us sat as far from each other as possible, a good sign that none of wanted to talk. Yet, there we were. I gripped the back of my neck and shifted my legs out in front of me just to bring them back. I couldn’t get comfortable. “Ever think about making this piece of shit comfortable?”
Wes growled out a warning. “Leave my boat alone.”
“I’m just going to say what we’re all thinking.” Flynn looked like he’d been tugging at his hair. “I’m obviously the best man for Daisy.”
Hank came loping into the shed, having tracked us down with his impressive nose.
He jumped into the boat the same way we had and went directly to Wes.
He jumped into his lap and settled like he wasn’t the size of four lap dogs.
His tongue flopped out on Wes’ leg and just stayed there.
Almost immediately the dog’s snoring was echoing off the walls.
“Why’d you bring your dog?” I couldn’t help pushing Wes. Anything was better than getting into the Daisy talk.
“He’s not my damn dog. He’s a parasite that has attached itself to me.” Wes sounded tough but he was already petting Hank. “And I wasn’t thinking that you’re the best man for Daisy, Flynn. I was thinking I am.”
“You haven’t even gone on a single date since Sarah, Wes. Daisy isn’t someone you practice on.” Flynn wasn’t afraid of going straight to the heart of things. We hardly ever brought up Sarah. I knew we all still thought about her but hearing about her hurt Wes too much.
“I’m not practicing on her, asshole. Daisy is the first woman I’ve felt anything for since…Sarah passed.” He took a deep breath and blew it out in a rush of air. “It’s not new. I’ve been attracted to her since the very first day.”
I sighed and leaned forward to rest my elbows on my knees. “You think you’re the only one?”
They both looked at me like I’d grown a second and third head. Flynn found his voice first. “What? The almighty uptight Calloway brother? You had the hots for our baby brother’s girlfriend, too?”
I growled. “Don’t call me that. I’m not up-fucking-tight; I’m sober.”
That killed the teasing vibe. Wes was still petting Hank. “You’re a little uptight, man. I know other sober people who still laugh.”
“I laugh.” I considered it. “I laugh with Poppy. And with Daisy.”
“You laugh with two people.” Flynn groaned. “Admit it. You’re uptight. You’ve become a control freak.”
Anger burned through me. “It was either that or the other extreme, Flynn. Which would you prefer?”
“Jesus, Max, there’s a pretty big middle ground you’re ignoring. Is that why you kept hiding from Daisy and saying you weren’t interested when it was pretty clear that you were?” Wes looked like he wanted to stand up but Hank wasn’t budging.
“This isn’t the conversation we’re supposed to be having. I suggest you stay on task.” I was going to grind my teeth into little stubs if they didn’t move on.
“Yeah, no, we’re talking about what we’re supposed to be talking about because you want Daisy, too, but you think you can’t have her without becoming the worst version of yourself. Right?” Flynn paused after he said it and whistled. “Damn. I impress myself sometimes.”
“I’m leaving if this is what we’re doing.” I stood up to go but Wes held up his hand to stop me.
“Wait. Sit back down, Max.” He used his dad voice, the one he’d used on me when he was twenty and I was thirteen and our dad had just died. “Please.”
I sat despite wanting to throw myself off the boat. “Fine.”
“You can be with a woman without destroying your life, Max.” Wes said it like it was the simplest thing. “Just not Daisy.”
That got my back up. “Why the fuck not? Because you’re going to claim her? Yeah, right. Flynn’s right. You haven’t gone on a single date.”
“No, because she’s mine.” Flynn shrugged. “That’s just how shit is.”
“You haven’t made a hard decision for yourself in your entire life, Flynn. You really think you’re going to change now?” Wes hit back just as hard as Flynn had.
“I’m making the choice that matters. Her.”
I watched them bicker and then whistled to get them to shut up. “How does this work? We all want her. She isn’t going to choose one of us. She’ll be too terrified of hurting the family.”
“Then there’s the other thing.” Wes dropped his head. “Tyler isn’t perfect but he’s our brother. Are we okay with doing this to him?”
I let out a bitter laugh. “He isn’t perfect? He’s a piece of shit, Wes. Brother or not, he doesn’t deserve us protecting his feelings.”
“That’s not right, Max, and you know it. He’s family. He-”
“He’s family. Right. Do you know that you do the same thing Mom and Dad did with him?
No matter how big of a mess Tyler made, they were there to clean it up and give him a soft place to land.
That’s the reason he’s a piece of shit now.
You’ve let him come running back to the family trust time after time.
He went through his inheritance a decade ago.
Yet, he still manages to line his pockets when he comes home. ”
Flynn quietly piled on. “He’s not wrong, Wes. If you can’t see that he only comes back for the money, you’re a fool. He’d shit on this family a dozen times over if it got him a dollar.”
“He tossed her aside like she was nothing. He ran off with her sister, Wes. You think that’s a man who gives a shit about family?
” I forced myself to sit still and not give into the rage that could consume me when it came to Tyler.
The conversation had been a long time coming but it was still a surprise to end up in the middle of it.
“Of course, I know that he only comes back for money. Money I’ve always given him from my part of the trust. I’ve never once fucking touched either of yours.” Wes looked like he was about to explode but the dog didn’t give a shit. He wasn’t budging. “What’s the other option? If I don’t help him?”
“He goes and gets a job. Just like the rest of us.” I looked at him like he’d lost his mind.
“Are you really going to keep taking money that could support Hazel and her family when she has one just to give it to a man who is fully capable of working? He could work at the marina. We need the help. But, no, he thinks that it’s below him. ”
“I’m just trying to do what Mom and Dad wanted me to do.
I’m supposed to take care of each of you.
” Wes’ shoulders slumped and he looked his age in that moment.
“Of course, I think about Hazel and my future grandkids when I bail Tyler out. I don’t like anything about who he’s become.
For him to be able to hurt Daisy like he did…
He doesn’t deserve anything. Then I think of our parents… ”