Chapter 23
Graham
After I dropped off Quinn with a belly full of bacon, eggs, and toast, I watched her drive out of the tavern parking lot.
Then I called my brother.
August answered just when I thought I would be sent to voicemail.
“Hey.” He sounded out of breath.
“Is everything okay?” I strained to hear anything in the background that might indicate distress.
August sniffed, still sounding winded. “Yeah, yeah, I’m good. I’m at the gym.”
Perfect. “How much longer is your workout?”
“I’m almost done. About ten minutes.”
“Can I meet you in the office?”
He hesitated, but then said, “Sure. I’ll meet you here.”
August sauntered out of the gym when I arrived at Hearthstone.
Sweat glistened on his skin; his hair almost looked brown, it was so wet.
I tilted my head, studying him. It had been too long since I’d seen my brother.
Reid and his wife, Lark, had finally made an appearance at family dinner last week, but August and Emersyn had still been absent.
I saw him in passing in the office, but lately he’d been working more outside of the building.
August liked to be hands-on rather than chained to a desk, but as I took my brother in, it was clear how exhausted he was.
“What the hell happened to you?” I asked.
August frowned as he used the small towel from the gym to dab some of the sweat away.
“What do you mean?”
“You looked tired.”
His gaze flicked over me. “I could say the same for you, brother.”
I wouldn’t be surprised if I did, but there was no way the shadows under my eyes were as dark as his.
When I leveled him with a look instead of replying, he sighed and walked toward his office. I followed him. Once inside, he turned toward me, and leaned back against his desk trying to look at ease, but he couldn’t hide his tension.
“What did you want to talk to me about?”
I pushed my hand into my pockets, unsure why I was so hesitant about this conversation. “I want you and Emersyn to come to dinner tonight.”
He stiffened, looking away briefly. He stretched his neck from side to side, letting out a long, slow sigh. “I owe you an apology, Graham.”
My spine jerked straight. “An apology?”
He nodded. “I haven’t been a good brother, or a good partner, recently and I’m sorry for that. Fox has been picking up the slack here, but it’s time I take responsibility where I’ve dropped the ball.”
My jaw fell open. This hadn’t been what I expected.
His mouth thinned when I didn’t reply right away. “I know you’ve been dealing with a lot and I’ve just let you do it alone.” Disdain flashed over his face. “When that lawyer was attacked, we didn’t reach out to help.”
My heart squeezed as his eyes reddened, unshed tears glistening. “You would’ve never let me down like that. You would’ve never let anyone deal with something like that alone.” He shook his head like he couldn’t believe himself. “I’m sorry.”
Emotion tightened in my own chest. I shifted on my feet, clearing my throat. “It’s okay, August.”
“It’s not okay,” he snapped. “And you forgive too easily.” He let out a pent-up breath, his jaw clenched as he looked at me like—like my little brother.
August had always been a born leader. He didn’t often look lost, but in this moment, he did.
“This isn’t an excuse but things have been really different lately. It’s hard.”
I studied him again, a thought niggling at the back of my mind. He was right. He hadn’t been his usual self recently, but I’d attributed it to the general tension from the upcoming trial.
“What’s going on, August?”
My brother looked at me like he wanted someone to save him. He swallowed, looking like he might throw up.
“Emersyn is pregnant.”
I gaped at him. “Pregnant?”
He paled a little, but nodded.
I couldn’t stop the smile that broke across my face. “Congratulations!” I clapped him on the shoulder, ignoring his grimace.
“Thanks,” he said, voice tight.
My smile faltered. “Are you not…happy about this?” Even as I said it, it didn’t make sense. August loved kids. He loved Emersyn even more.
August shoved both hands through his hair. “We are—I am.” He let out a breath. “It was just a…surprise. And—and I was happy—I am happy.”
His jaw tensed. “But Emy has been so damn sick.” He went even whiter.
“I didn’t know it could make her so sick.
It’s mostly why we haven’t been at family dinner.
She’s barely been able to leave the house.
With the trial coming up and Jake struggling, it’s caused stress that’s made everything worse. ” His face crumpled with helplessness.
Guilt clawed against my ribs. “That sounds awful.”
August nodded. His hands balled into fists. “I just wasn’t prepared. I can’t—I can’t protect her from this, and I haven’t known what to do.”
The struggle was evident on his face. I scratched under my jaw. “What does her doctor say? Are they worried?”
His expression darkened. “No. They aren’t.”
“Well, at least that’s something.”
August scoffed. “I don’t know, seems like a bunch of bullshit to me. They act like it’s a normal part of pregnancy to be so sick you can barely get out of bed or keep any food down.”
He looked like he wanted to give someone a good right hook to the face. No wonder he’d been working out so hard. “I remember Mom being pregnant. And Lark said she never had to deal with sickness as bad as Em when she was having Thea Grace.”
“I’m so sorry, August.”
He shook his head as if dismissing my sympathy. “It just seems like there should be more that they can do for her.”
“There probably should be,” I agreed.
“I hate to see her hurting.”
I reached for him, gripping his shoulder tight. I wished I could take away his helplessness.
“I’m sorry.”
“Stop.” August frowned. “You have nothing to be sorry for.”
“I think I do.”
His frown sharpened as he stared at me, confused.
“You apologized to me for not being there when I needed you.” I swallowed. “But I wasn’t here for you either. I should’ve realized there was something else going on. I shouldn’t have let—”
August raised a hand, cutting me off. “Graham.” His tone was almost scolding. “You are not responsible for deciphering every little thing people are hiding. I didn’t tell you what was going on. We haven’t told anyone besides Reid and Lark.”
I looked away, the guilt chafing my insides.
Silence settled around us until his sigh broke it.
“Fine.” He gave me a tired half-grin. “We’ve both been selfish brothers—call it even?”
Some of the tightness in my ribs eased at the slight teasing tone in his voice.
“Okay.” I nodded, wanting us both not to hold on to any animosity. Some of my perceived loneliness ebbed as I returned my brother’s smile. “We’re even.”
August dipped his chin in acknowledgment. He pushed off his desk, straightening.
“So, why was it suddenly so urgent to track me down to demand I be at dinner tonight?”
I blinked, almost having forgotten the whole reason I’d come here.
“Oh.” I cleared my throat. “It doesn’t matter. If Emersyn is sick—”
“She’s getting better now,” he cut in. “I guess I didn’t mention that because these last few months have been so hard, but she’s finally doing a little better. We had been talking about going tonight. Emersyn misses everyone.”
I shifted, suddenly uncomfortable. “I have missed you guys, too.”
“But that’s not the reason you wanted us to come to dinner tonight.”
The back of my neck grew hot. “No, it wasn’t.”
August waited, folding his arms back over his chest.
I loosed a breath. “I invited Quinn to dinner. She hasn’t ever gone to Sunday dinner, and I wanted—I wanted her to meet everyone.”
August looked at me like something finally clicked for him. His mouth gaped open, and I immediately grew more uncomfortable.
“Oh,” he said slowly. “I didn’t realize that you two—”
“It’s nothing,” I cut in, too quickly. “She’s just lonely. She’s my friend, and I wanted her to feel…not that way.”
My face heated at how unceremonious the explanation sounded, but it was the only one I could give without choking on the rest of it.
August blinked, and that look crossed his face. It was brief, but unmistakable. The pity and concern were as clear as if he’d written his thoughts in ink. He looked at me like he understood the truth I refused to acknowledge.
“Of course.” He nodded. “We wouldn’t miss it.”
Some of the tension eased from my spine, but barely. I didn’t know what dinner would look like, or how Quinn would feel when she walked into the middle of the Ramsey chaos…but I wanted her there.
As I said goodbye to my brother and walked out of the office building, I realized inviting Quinn hadn’t been about helping her feel less alone.
It was about helping me feel the same.