The Good Brother

by Nia Arthurs

  “Then what are we arguing for?” Lauren throws her arms in the air. “It’s settled.”

  “Dad, I… I can’t. Harry knew what he wanted. It was his dying wish to have me take care of his daughter. And I’m going to honor his request. Reece stays with me. In Belize.”

  I smirk in victory. You go, Ben.

  He looks back at me. There’s an apology in his voice and in his blue eyes. “But I don’t think it’s right to keep them from her either.”

  My jaw drops. “Ben…”

  “Reece deserves to meet her grandparents. They deserve to have a place in her life. We are her family.”

  “Biologically,” Lauren says, her tone dripping with disdain.

  “That’s right, son.” Kurt nods.

  “Fine.” My chest heaves. “Do whatever you want.” I turn on my heels and stalk toward the exit.

  “Logan! Wait!” Ben chases me down and catches up with me in the foyer of the restaurant. We’re alone. Our footsteps echo against the walls. He clamps his hand on my elbow.

  I wrench my arm free and spin. “What? What do you want from me? You’ve already made up your mind so I don’t need to be here.”

  “Why are you getting so angry? I didn’t say they could take her.”

  “And you think letting them near Reece is a good idea? After your dad just tried to buy me off?”

  “It’s what he does.”

  “Am I supposed to accept that?” I snap. “He’ll stop at nothing to get Reece.”

  “That may be true.” Ben winces. “Look, that’s exactly why you can’t leave.”

  “Watch me.” I stomp toward the door.

  “Think about Reece!” Ben yells.

  I stop, my hands suspended in the air and hovering above the doorknob. My shoulders heave as I struggle to breathe through my grief and fury. “That little girl is all I think about.”

  I hear Ben’s footsteps thudding closer to me. Feel his presence hovering over my shoulders though I don’t turn around. “She’s going to meet them. She’ll be confused. Overwhelmed. She needs someone who’ll be there for her. Who’s always been there.”

  “Get Lydia. She’ll do just as well.”

  “It’s not the same, and you know it.”

  I turn slowly. Ben is in my personal space. His eyes are a fiery, burning blue. Here’s a guy who lost his brother and gained a child all in one day. His father just delivered a verbal beat down and threatened to take away his financial support.

  He needs me.

  I shake my head, too self-conscious to give in to him. “I can’t go back in there.”

  “Why?”

  “They broke Harry’s heart.”

  “And they’ll never get a chance to apologize. Isn’t that punishment enough?”

  I look away. “Your dad will try to come after Reece.”

  “I won’t let him.” He takes my chin in his hands and gently lifts my head. “Anything else?”

  It’s embarrassing,” I whisper. “I made a scene. I can’t go back in there.”

  “We’ll say you went to the bathroom.” Ben takes my hand. “Come on.”

  I tug him back. “Are you okay? Your dad was pretty harsh.”

  His smile turns brittle. “That’s just the way he is.”

  I pull his arm again so he’s forced to look at me. “You’re not going to wreck Reece’s life, Ben. You’re not going to wreck your own either. I won’t let you.”

  His lips curve up in a small smile. “Is that a promise?”

  I nod.

  Ben lets out a weary breath. “Let’s get this over with.”

  Though I don’t like it, I follow him back into the restaurant and slide into the booth. Kurt blinks in surprise. Lauren glowers. The fact that she’s angry with me actually makes me feel better.

  A woman’s instinct is akin to a superpower.

  Mine tell me that Harry loved Lauren, even to the day he died. And that pisses me off. But the fact that Lauren’s furious says she suspects Harry’s relationship with me might not have been platonic. Which makes me feel like I just won a million bucks.

  “Let’s start over,” Ben says. He slides the remnants of his father’s check back across the table. “No bribing. No threats. No drama.”

  Kurt Duncan slides his hands beneath the table. I notice him trembling and realize that he might be trying to hide his tears.

  Lauren scoots closer to him, a hand over his shoulder. I look away in disgust.

  I don’t think I’ll ever warm to her.

  Finally, Kurt composes himself. When he looks at me again, it’s without that cocky veneer that he wore when we first met. I can see Harry in his face, in the shape of his mouth and the depth of his eyes. The Duncan men have an uncanny resemblance.

  “My son.” Kurt sniffs. “Was he… happy?”

  “Yes.”

  “Was he healthy?”

  “Yes.” I tilt my head. “He would pull some long hours at the hospital. He also ate out a lot. Like all the time. Apart from that, he was good.”

  Lauren’s expression tightens as if she’s trying not to show how she really feels. “Sounds like Harry was lucky to have you.”

  Kurt Duncan looks out the window. “I know how you feel about me. About what I did.” He moves his gaze to me. His pale blue eyes are wide, imploring. “That’s why I need to take care of Reece. I want to make up for my mistakes.”

  I stare at my hands, lulled by his sincerity.

  “I want to spoil her. Give her the bedroom with all the toys she could ever want. Take her to amusement parks and musicals. I can offer an experience she’ll never get in a city as small as this one.”

  I glance over at Ben. His jaw is clenched and he’s staring at his napkin. The sight of him jolts me back to reality. Kurt Duncan has a silver tongue. I was almost wooed by the pretty picture he painted. But if he wasn’t there for his sons, why should I take the chance that he’ll do better with Reece?

  “I appreciate your honesty, Mr. Duncan. I do. But Belize is where Reece belongs. And Ben is who she belongs with. I believe in him.” I stare him straight in the eyes and challenge. “Why don’t you?”

  Kurt Duncan remains silent and never gives me an answer.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Ben

  “So my grandparents will be here in ten minutes?” Reece asks, her fingers twined in the fabric of her T-shirt hem. “Why didn’t you tell me earlier?”

  “We’re telling you now,” Logan says. She’s sitting on the edge of the armchair, one brown leg slung over the other. Her hair is free from her usual sleek ponytail and fine, black strands sprawl over her shoulder and back.

  “Were they at the funeral yesterday?”

  I nod. “They wanted to meet you so badly, but they didn’t want to overwhelm you or make you feel even more tired. We told them to come later, when you were feeling better.”

  “You had us so worried last night,” Logan says from the couch.

  I silently agree.

  Reece had arrived home from the burial site bawling and exhausted. Logan could only feed her a few spoons of soup before she refused to eat any more and returned to her bedroom to sleep.

  Logan monitored her temperature all night while I took the couch and demanded progress reports every fifteen minutes. Reece seemed much better today at least. Which was good news.

  “I should change.” Reece frowns at her jeans. “How much time do I have?” She shakes her head. “It doesn’t matter. I’ll be quick.”

  Logan smirks as Reece sprints down the corridor and disappears into her room.

  “She’s taking it better than I expected,” I muse. “When Reece met me for the first time, there were more tears in her eyes.”

  “She’s taking it so well because of you.” Logan stares intently at her phone. “If you had turned out to be a horrible person, she would have been wary of meeting any more of Harry’s family.”

  I smile. “So you’re saying I’m a good person?”

  She flicks he
r eyes away from her phone for a minute. “Nope. I said you’re not horrible. There’s a difference.”

  “I’m hurt.”

  “Get out of the guestroom then I’ll call you whatever you want.”

  That sass again. I move over to her. “Who’ve you been texting all day? Tanya?”

  “None of your business.”

  Curiosity gets the best of me. I slide behind her and crane my neck to spy on her screen. Logan catches on and pulls the cell phone into her chest to hide it, but it’s too late. I’ve already caught a glimpse of the name and the message.

  “Who’s Anthony?” I dig my fingers into the arms of the chair. “And why is he sending you videos of dancing animals?”

  Logan lifts her foot and swings around. We’re, suddenly, only a breadth apart. Her brown eyes twinkle with annoyance. I can see every fleck in her irises. Her cocoa-brown skin looks smooth to the touch.

  She smells like vanilla and something else that’s equally sweet. My pulse quickens. Which doesn’t make sense. Shouldn’t make sense. What I’m feeling right now goes against all my principles.

  I don’t do good girls. Or girls with standards. Or girls who like Harry. And Logan, incidentally, falls under all three of those categories.

  Then she bats her thick black eyelashes and all my arguments jump out a window.

  Has she always been that pretty? Or is she just prettier up close?

  Logan sighs. “Do you really want to know?”

  I nod, though I’ve mostly forgotten what we were talking about.

  She shrugs and studies the outline of her cellphone. “This guy came into the salon the other day and asked for my number.”

  “Just like that?”

  “Just like that. I told him I wasn’t ready for a relationship,” Logan adds. “But he convinced me to give him a shot at being friends.”

  I snort. “You don’t actually believe that’s all he wants, do you?”

  “Of course not.” She arches an eyebrow. “I’m not stupid. But… it’s nice having someone to joke around with, someone to make me smile when all of this—” she gestures to the living room—“gets overwhelming.”

  “Is living here that hard on you?” I ask quietly.

  “Sometimes.” Her gaze lands on my hands that are bracketing the chair and caging her in. Her brown eyes slam into my face. “Are you going to back up or…?”

  “Sorry.” I wheel away.

  She climbs out of the chair and stands beside me. “Are you sure this is a good idea?”

  “Letting Reece meet my dad and Lauren?”

  She nods.

  At that moment, a knock sounds at the door. I let out a breath. “It’s too late to change my mind.”

  Footsteps scurry down the corridor and Reece appears, breathing hard. “Is that them?”

  “Honey,” Logan stoops in front of her, “take a deep breath. They’re just people, okay?”

  “They’re not just people.” Reece’s big grey eyes find mine. “They’re family.”

  My breath hitches. Man, I hope Dad doesn’t try anything stupid.

  I turn away and open the front door. Instead of a human, a huge stuffed bear walks in. The bear is thrust aside, revealing my father’s face. Lauren enters behind him, her arms filled with a gift basket and pink balloons.

  “Is that for me?” Reece squeals, bouncing on her toes in excitement.

  “Where’s my granddaughter?” Dad booms.

  Reece points to her head. “Right here!”

  “Here you go.” Dad shoves the giant teddy bear into Reece’s skinny arms. The doll is so big it almost topples her.

  Logan circles Lauren, a dark expression on her face. “That’s a lot of stuff.”

  “We stopped by the store, but we didn’t know what to get her.” Lauren shrugs. “So we just got everything.”

  “Awesome!”

  “Dad…”

  “What? There’s nothing wrong with spoiling my granddaughter.”

  Reece tosses the teddy bear at me. “Can you hold that, Uncle Ben?”

  I barely manage to circle the bear’s waist. My teeth catch on a mouthful of fur. I spit it out to the side and then toss the bear into the sofa.

  If Dad’s strategy is to buy Reece’s love, it’s working like a dream. Her grey eyes are sparkling like she’s seeing Santa Claus in the flesh.

  “Why don’t we all sit down?” Logan suggests.

  “Actually, we were hoping to go out for ice cream,” Lauren says. “If that’s okay with you, Ben?”

  “Sure. Let me just grab my wallet—”

  “You don’t need to come.” Dad beams at Reece. He must have gone soft in his old age because he was never so desperate to take his sons out for ice cream. “We were hoping to have some one-on-one time with our granddaughter.”

  “Like hell you are,” Logan mumbles beside me.

  I put a fist over my mouth and pretend to cough so I can cover my chuckle. “I was just thinking that ice cream would be great. Logan and I would love to come with you.”

  Lauren shoots me a scolding look that I ignore.

  “Very well.” Dad nods. “Let’s head out.”

  Lauren takes Reece’s hand and leads her down the stairs to their rental car. I hang back to lock up the house. When I turn around and pocket the keys, I stop short at the sight before me.

  Lauren still has a hold on Reece’s wrist. But Logan has a secure grip on the other hand.

  Reece stands between the two women, her face stamped with confusion. I hurry toward them, hoping to put out the fire before it rages out of control.

  Lauren clenches her jaw and speaks through gritted teeth. “Can you please let go, Logan? We’re taking her in our car.”

  “There’s no need, Lauren,” Logan replies frigidly. “She’ll ride with us.”

  “How about we walk?” I ask. Both women turn and shoot me death glares. I smile charmingly. “There’s a shop nearby, and it’s a beautiful day.”

  “I’d like to walk.” Reece breaks free and runs to my side. Her eyes are wide and she leans in to whisper, “What’s with them?”

  “I have no idea.”

  Dad, who’d already been diving into the driver’s side of his rental, climbs back out and slams the door. “A walk sounds like a great plan.”

  “Fine.” Lauren huffs.

  “Fine.” Logan glares.

  Oh boy…

  Reece clings to me as we walk the couple blocks to the ice cream shop. Dad opens the door for the ladies. Lauren sprints ahead to be the first to walk through the door while Logan sulks from behind.

  I have no idea what has gotten into them.

  As we find a booth and settle around it, I catch Logan by the elbow. She wrenches her arm free and glances behind her shoulder to pin me with a scathing look. “What?”

  “Calm down,” I whisper.

  “I am calm,” she snaps in a tone that suggests she is anything but.

  “Alright then…”

  I let Logan squeeze in beside Reece and I take the seat at the end of the booth. Silence descends as we all try to come up with something to say.

  Before anyone can break the quiet, a waitress bounces toward our table. She’s dressed in an obnoxious pink dress covered by a bright yellow apron. I start to go dizzy just from looking at it. Tight curls frame her small, pixie-like face. Her white smile contrasts with her dark skin.

  “Ohmigosh!” She squeals. “Look at this beautiful family! My name is Dawn. I’m new here, so please bear with me while I get the hang of things.”

  “No problem, Dawn.” I nod at her.

  Her smile broadens when she gazes at me. “Mister, has anyone ever told you that you’re handsome?”

  Dad coughs.

  Lauren looks away.

  Logan snorts.

  I shift in discomfort. “Not so blatantly.”

  “Well, you are.” Dawn’s gaze slips past me to Logan. “Is she your wife?”

  “No,” Logan straightens and waves her hands e
nthusiastically, “I’m—”

  “You’re his girlfriend, right?” Dawn’s dark eyes twinkle. “I have a knack for this stuff. The energy swirling between you two is so… intense.” She points a finger at Reece and drawls, “That must be your daughter.”

  “No.” I stop Dawn before she can make any more weird statements. “That’s my niece and this is my…” I stare at Logan, at a loss. “She’s my… we’re…”

  “Friends.”

  “Ah.” Dawn nods. She points to Dad and Lauren next. “Let me guess. Those two are father and daughter.”

  Lauren looks outraged.

  Dad only waves Dawn away. “Can you give us a minute before we order?”

  “Yes, of course.” Dawn slides the menus over the table. “Take your time.”

  Lauren fans her pink cheeks with the laminated menus. “Are all the waitresses in Belize so chatty?”

  “Not really,” I mumble. “Reece, what are you having?”

  “Oreo cookie!” Reece and Logan blurt at the same time. They laugh together.

  Logan drops a quick hug on the little girl. “We never order anything else.”

  “I’ll have that too.” Lauren closes her menu and sets it on the table.

  Dad waves Dawn back to us. She bounces on the tip of her toes and pulls out a pen and paper. “Fire away!”

  After we order and she scrambles to the counter, Dad folds his hands together. His blue eyes are somber, intense, like he’s gearing up to make an announcement. The unease I felt when I met with them yesterday returns.

  “Last night, Lauren and I had a discussion about the future and what we wanted to do now that Reece is on our lives.”

  I straighten my shoulders, prepared to tear Reece away from the table if Dad makes any sudden movements. “And what is that?”

  “We’re moving to Belize.”

  Reece tilts her head in confusion.

  Logan gawks.

  My heart sinks to the bottom of my stomach. Shock twines around my neck. My thoughts rush in a million different directions.

  “I’ve given my entire life to the hospital. I think I deserve a few weeks of vacation,” Dad explains. “It’ll probably be for a month or two, but I’d like to spend as much of those days as I can with Reece. I missed out on so much with my son. I don’t want to make the same mistake twice.”