Capturing Peace (Sharing You 0.5)(25)

He pulled me into a hug and moved me away from the door so he could shut it. “I am, we’ve been moving all day. I just ran back here to get the last truckfull. Erica’s been unpacking all day, so it actually looks decent. You wanna come by tonight and see it? I’ll order pizza.”

“I can’t. Parker and I have something going on tonight.”

“Like . . . ?”

“Um . . .”

“Well, shit, Ray! You’re playing with your hair, so now you’re freaking me the f*ck out. Tell me what it is.”

“Keegan!” I hissed, and smacked his arm as I looked around for my son. “Do you have to cuss in front of Parker?”

He cringed for a split second before relaxing. “No, we’re good. He’s out back with Mom. Now, tell me what you’re doing tonight.”

Dropping my hair, I straightened my back and tried to look directly into my brother’s eyes. It didn’t work. He’s eight inches taller than me. “Coen’s taking us to dinner.”

“Coen’s taking you and Parker to dinner?”

“Yes, he is, and why do you look like that? I don’t understand you. Why would you try to set me up with your best friend if you would ever have this worried look on your face! I know you told me you didn’t think we’d actually date, but come on, Keegan. Tell me why you’re acting like this! Is there something I should know? Something I should be worried about?”

“No,” he huffed and rolled his eyes. “No. Steele’s one of the best guys I know.”

I shrugged and put my hands up to the sides of my head before dropping them. “Then what? I don’t understand!”

Keegan looked past me for a while before clearing his throat and asking, “Does he sleep?”

“What?”

“When he’s, uh, with you. Does he sleep?” he gritted out, and then mumbled to himself, “I’ll kill the bastard for touching you.”

“What? Keegan! No, we haven’t done anything! He’s kissed me, that’s all. But even if we had, I wouldn’t tell you about it.”

Keegan sighed in relief and I crossed my arms over my chest.

“No killing Coen. And don’t punch him either.”

“I’m not promising the last one. No f*cking way.”

“Keegan—”

“Ray!”

“Whatever!” I groaned, and ran a hand through my hair agitatedly. “Tell me why you wanted to know if he slept.”

“I—” he cut off and breathed out heavily through his nose. “It’s not my story to tell you. The only reason I’m worried is, well, other than the obvious of you being my little sister, and Parker being my nephew, and I would be worried no matter what. But, I know Steele’s seen some things, and I know that it’s f*cked him up—”

“His demons,” I whispered.

“What?”

“He told me something about that the other night before we met up with you and Erica at his condo, when you kept calling us.” Keegan just stared at me like he was waiting for me to continue. “Keegan, it was kind of personal.”

“Reagan. My guy told you about his demons, and you’re not gonna tell me what he said, and you expect me to let you take my nephew to dinner with him?”

I rolled my eyes and huffed. “He said I could silence his demons just by looking at him. He said it was because of his time in the army, about things during that time that he couldn’t tell me.”

Keegan no longer looked worried, or like the big, protective older brother. He looked shocked. “He said that to you?” he asked softly.

I nodded. “Why?”

He looked down, and a small smile crossed his face as he nodded softly. “Good for him,” Keegan said as he turned and walked toward the stairs.

I just stood there staring at his back, completely dumbfounded for a few seconds before I took a step toward him. “Wait, so you’re just okay with this now?”

When he looked back at me, he looked like he was trying to figure out what to say, and finally just shrugged. “Yeah, Ray. What he told you that night . . . that’s about as honest as he can get with what happened, and what’s going on with him. Knowing that he’s not keeping anything from you . . . and having seen how good he is with Parker. I think you’re just as good for him as he is for you.”

I was still staring at where Keegan had been when Parker came racing through the house. “Mom!”

“Hey, baby! Did you have fun today?”

“So much fun!” Parker launched into a play-by-play of their day, and I tried not to laugh when my mom walked in behind him and rolled her eyes before smiling.

“That crazy, huh?”

“Oh, it was nonstop today,” she said. “Did you want to stay for dinner?”

I shifted on my feet for a second before glancing down at Parker. “We can’t. Coen’s taking us to dinner tonight.” I’d barely looked up to see Mom’s reaction when Parker jumped up in front of me.

“Me too?”

I smiled widely at him. “You too, buddy.”

“No way! Come on, Mom, let’s go!”

“Okay, just a second, let me talk to Grandma first.” Looking up at my mom, my body tightened when I couldn’t read her expression. “Too soon?”