Chapter 29 The Right Questions
THE RIGHT QUESTIONS
“Thanks,” Nelson said to West two hours later. He had the meeting scheduled; otherwise he wouldn’t just walk in unless it was important.
Wanting to thank his brother for lending his support was important, but not enough to barge in.
“You’re welcome.”
“Did Braylon tell you we were doing that?”
“Lily told him.”
He was happy that his wife had someone she could confide in. Didn’t seem as if she did it to him much.
He had to stop feeling sorry for himself about that.
They were still feeling each other out and he didn’t know her personality all that well.
Not what she did or how she felt, the way she handled stress or even if she was the type to talk to someone if she was stressed.
“Whose idea was it to join us for lunch? Lily’s?”
“Mine,” West said. “Problem with it?”
He smiled. “No. Not in the least. I think it went a long way with Kenzie too.”
“How are things going?”
“Good. Better than I thought they might be, but some days not nearly what I wished or hoped for by now.”
He’d been married one week shy of two months now.
Hell, he’d dated women for weeks who declared their love for him. Not even someone who lived with him.
But with the one woman he wanted to know how she felt, he couldn’t get the words out for fear she’d reject him.
Silence was all he’d need for that rejection.
“What are you hoping or wishing for?” West asked.
He shrugged. “I don’t know.”
West shook his head. “Don’t play that game with me. You did it all the time as a kid. You just don’t want to say it, hoping we’ll read your mind and go away, or give you the answer like it’s magic.”
Nelson hated the reminders that he still didn’t always take responsibility for things. Actions or feelings.
“I just thought we’d have more, I don’t know, emotional talks.”
“Have you started them or are you just waiting for her to do it?”
The side of his lip lifted. “Her. I don’t want to push.”
“She could think the same thing. That she came here and is feeling her way. There’s so much you don’t know about her.”
“I’m learning that.” He’d sat in the comfortable chairs off to the side of West’s desk. His right foot came up to his left knee. “I wish she’d talk more. I can tell when she’s stressed. She fidgets more, but she won’t talk to me about it. Seems she’s talking to Lily though.”
“And you’re out of sorts because she’s not talking to her husband?”
“Wouldn’t you be? You can’t tell me you wouldn’t be.”
“I would,” West said. “But I’d also tell myself that Kenzie most likely feels at ease around Lily. They are close in age, both were out of their element when they moved here, very independent and not wanting to ask for help. She’s looking for a confidant, not someone to fix her problems.”
He snarled. “I want to fix them.”
“That’s the problem right there,” West said, pointing. “I would too. And it got me into trouble. It still does. Ask, listen, don’t tell. Don’t fix unless she wants you to.”
“Come on,” he said. “She’s not going to want me to fix anything. I’ve offered so many things to make it easier for her and all it does is cause disagreements.”
“How do you handle those things?”
“Are you my shrink now?” he asked. It was the second time he’d ask a brother this.
West smirked. “You wouldn’t be able to afford me.”
“Why would you even charge me? I’ll tell Mom.”
West laughed. “See. Right there. Anything to get your way.”
Fuck. It went back to them always saying he had to grow up.
“I’m only joking.”
“I know you are,” West said. “But does Kenzie?”
He sighed. “I’ll talk to her tonight. Things are going well and I don’t want to rock the boat.”
“If you don’t, you won’t know which one of you is the stronger swimmer.”
“What did I miss?” Braylon said, walking in.
“West handing my ass to me again on my relationship,” he said.
“We’ve all been there,” Braylon said. “Even West. What’s going on? I thought things were well between you two.”
“Seems you might know more than me.”
“Don’t be that way,” Braylon said. “No one likes a pouter.”
“I’m not pouting. I’m just making a comment. My wife tells your wife more than she tells me.”
“Are you asking the right questions?” Braylon asked.
West laughed. “Probably not.”
“There you are. Today went well,” Braylon said.
“Seems it. I’m glad it’s out there. Not the way I wanted.”
“Because if you had your way, you would have just stood up in the cafeteria, introduced your wife and then told everyone to be on their way,” West said. “This isn’t college; it’s not even at home around the family.”
“I wouldn’t have done that,” he argued.
Not now. He would have done it in college though and hated his brother guessed that action.
“People have been talking,” Braylon said. “It’s fine and it’s not something that could or should be kept as a secret. There will be more talk.”
“She’ll be gone for it,” he said. “And if someone wants to come to me, I’ll tell them.”
“Tell them what?” West asked. “That you married a stranger in Vegas and have no recollection of it?”
“Noooooo,” he said. “I’ll say we are together. Not dating. Not married. Just together.”
Braylon’s head went back and forth. “Sounds like some lawyer speak to me.”
“I’m married to one,” he said, grinning. “Or she will be soon. And I came up with that all by myself.”
“You look so proud of yourself with your chest puffed,” Braylon said.
He hadn’t realized he’d done it and relaxed his muscles.
“It’s going to be a few days of chatter. I know that. She won’t be back until next Tuesday and by then, it will calm down.”
“It should,” West agreed. “Or some might get a few more licks in with your reputation and all. Just be prepared for that. They might think this is nothing more than a passing thing.”
He’d thought of that too but not much he could do about it.
There was no guarantee Kenzie would fall in love with him and want to stay.
He wanted forever with her more than his next breath, but not if it cost her joy. Her happiness was the one thing he’d never gamble with.
He wouldn’t shackle her to him the way it seemed her mother was to her father.
The conversation she’d had with her mother last night hadn’t made him feel any better about their situation, but it wasn’t anything he could control either.
He could say he’d protect her. Be there for her. Support her.
All those things he felt, they were only words to his wife.
Until she could open herself up to accept all of him, he would be left second-guessing his every move.
Something he hadn’t done in years.
“I can’t control what people think,” he said, his jaw tight. “But I’ll be damned if I let it get to me or anywhere near Kenzie.”
“And if you have that attitude about it, people will talk more,” West said. “Be the bigger person. Time is going to prove it all. To everyone and yourself.”
He was done talking about this. He didn’t need any more advice. He got enough of that in his life.
“If we are done dissecting my personal life, I’m sure you’re both busy. Can we get to work?”
His brothers looked at each other, laughed, then got down to business.
An hour later, rather than return to his office, he walked with Braylon toward the legal department.
“Going to check and see if she’s still there?” Braylon asked, his grin massive.
“I know she is,” he said. “But I can tell how she’s doing by looking at her.”
Braylon gave a brief nod before disappearing into his office.
Nelson strolled farther down the hall toward Kenzie’s desk, and in his wake, the chatter seemed to die mid-sentence like someone had pressed mute.
The sudden hush told him all he needed to know.
He and Kenzie were the topic of conversation.
He rounded the half wall to her desk. Her head was down working. She didn’t flinch, not once. Didn’t even seem to notice him there.
He moved closer and tapped her desk. She all but jumped out of her chair and almost landed on the floor. It was then he noticed she had earbuds in.
Shit. She was silencing the noise in her way.
She hit her phone on her desk to stop the music. “Hi.”
At least she had a smile on her face. “Hey,” he said, his hand going for hers on the desk. He just covered it lightly, his thumb brushing back and forth. “How is it going?”
His voice was quieter than normal. “Good,” she whispered back. “Keeping busy and minding my own business. Like other people should be doing.”
The fact that she had said that louder for it to be heard by those close enough had him laughing.
Good for her.
Maybe he didn’t have to protect her as much as he thought he did.
It went back to what his brothers had said to him. He had to ask the right questions and it didn’t seem as if he did that good of a job of it.
Fuck everyone around them.
He leaned down and gave her a kiss. “Keep it up. I’ll see you in a few hours.”
She gave him a little wave with her fingers, turned her music back on and got to work.
Guess he’d been put in his place by more than his brothers today.