Breathless (Steel Brothers Saga #10)(30)

I quieted her with a gesture. “You and Henry are my family. Nothing else is in the cards for me. I’ve accepted that. Besides, I’m thirty-eight years old. I’m too old to start a family now.”

“That’s silly, Bryce. I know you’ve taken care of me and Henry for the past couple of months, but I’m your mother, not your child. I appreciate all you’ve done since your father’s death, but you don’t have to take care of me.”

She was kind to say so, but finding out her husband of forty years was a psychopath living a double life had taken its toll. My mother was a strong woman, but I couldn’t ask her to live alone.

“You’ll come with Henry and me wherever we go,” I said.

“Not if it means you’re sacrificing having a real family. I won’t do that to you.” She sniffed back a sob. “I can’t. Not after everything. You deserve happiness.”

“Who says I’m not happy?” I forced a smile.

“I see it all over your face. You’re not moving forward, Bryce. You need to do that.”

“I think that’s what taking the job with the Steels is all about.”

“That’s something to earn money, to occupy your mind. You can’t run forever.”

“I’m glad your therapy is helping you, Mom.”

“That’s not coming from my therapist. That’s coming straight from me.”

“I have no desire for a relationship or more of a family than you and Henry. Trust me. Don’t you think if I wanted those things I’d have found someone long before now?”

“Not necessarily. You just haven’t met the right woman.”

I couldn’t help a small chuckle. No use arguing with my mother. She was, after all, my mother. “Look. This is what I need right now. I need to provide a home for my son. And for my mother.”

“I’m not your responsibility, Bryce. Henry is, it’s true. But I am not.”

Before I could dispute her words, my cell phone buzzed.





Chapter Nineteen





Marjorie





“Shit,” I said under my breath. Then I smiled. “What are you doing here?”

“Jade wanted a smoothie before we went home, so I—” He glared at Colin. “What are you doing here?”

Colin seemed to shrink in his chair. And he seriously wanted me to arrange for him to speak to Jade, when he couldn’t even look her husband in the eye?

Still, I needed to cut him some slack. Colin had been through hell since his last altercation with Talon.

“You going to answer me?” Talon pressed.

“Just getting a smoothie.”

“With my sister?”

“It’s a free country,” he said. “She happened to be here, so I joined her. We used to be friends in another lifetime.”

“Tal…” I hedged, looking away. My brother knew well what had happened to Colin. He of all people should take a bit of pity on him.

He seemed to understand, thank goodness. “I’ll get Jade her smoothie.” He walked to the counter.

“Still want me to try to arrange for you to talk to Jade?” I asked sarcastically once Talon was out of earshot.

“Well…yeah.”

“My brother is shooting at you with his eyes,” I said. “Don’t forget what you did to his wife.” Though honestly, it all seemed insignificant given what both Talon and Colin had been through. Still, I had no great love for the man across from me. Pity, yes. Love? No way.

“Jade’s a big girl. Isn’t it her decision who she talks to? Or does she let that animal control her?”

Now I was angry. He’d definitely crossed a line. “Look. I know you’ve been through hell, but Talon is my brother. If you want my cooperation, you’ll stop the name calling. He treats Jade like a queen. Much better than you ever did.”

“I doubt that.”

“Yeah? He showed up to their wedding.”

That shut him up.

He stood and handed me a business card. “Please. You can reach me here. Let Jade know I really do need to talk to her.” Then he walked out the door.

Talon returned holding his smoothie. “Good riddance.”

I said nothing. I was having a push me-pull you ambivalence about Colin. He’d been a jerk, no doubt, but he hadn’t deserved what Tom Simpson put him through.

“You need a ride home?” he asked.

“I’ve got my car. How’s Jade? I didn’t want to ask in front of Colin. I’m not sure he knows she’s pregnant.”

“She’s okay. Still nauseated, but that’s nothing new.”

“What did the doctor say about the bleeding and cramping?”

“Apparently it can be normal in the first trimester, but if it happens again, I have to take her right back in. In fact, he wants to see her every week now instead of every four weeks, which is fine with me.”

“I’ll be able to drive her to Grand Junction.”

“No way. I’ll be taking her myself,” Talon said.

I nodded.

“They did an ultrasound, and the baby is growing normally and the heartbeat was fine, so we’re out of the woods. For now, at least.”