Come Back for Me (Arrowood Brothers #1)(59)

I’ve been avoiding his calls, saying I have no service and texting him updates instead. I don’t need a lecture or a reminder of what my brothers and I vowed to each other. None of that matters anymore. We’re adults, and if any of them don’t understand, they can fuck right the hell off.

“I have a daughter.”

Silence fills the other end of the phone. “You’ve been there for what, almost four months? How the fuck did you father a kid in that little of time?”

I sigh and launch into the explanation of Ellie and Hadley. I’ve held that night close to the chest. There was no reason to tell anyone because it was just mine. Telling Declan everything now makes me feel like a tool. He’s always been more of a father than anything and has the most guilt and disappointment over the things we’ve endured and done.

“Jesus Christ, Connor.”

I picture my brother in his fancy high-rise office, flopping down in his chair with his hand over his face.

“Look, I know you’re probably pissed at me, but I’m happy. I love this little girl, and I’m falling hard for Ellie. I can’t explain it, but it’s like she’s this perfect other half of me. I’m not asking your permission or asking for anything else other than your understanding.”

Declan releases a low, long sigh. “I get it more than anyone, brother. I’ve had that kind of love before.”

“Speaking of Syd, she’s Ellie’s best friend.”

“You’ve seen her?” There’s an animation in his voice that wasn’t there a moment ago. He can pretend with anyone else, but he can’t with me. He loves her. He always has, and she’s the reason my brother will never find happiness.

“She was here the other night.”

“Fuck. I can’t see her.”

“You’re not going to have a choice when you’re back in Sugarloaf for your six-month sentence,” I remind him.

My brother may be some big shot in New York City, but Sydney will bring him to his knees.

“And what are you planning to do with your new family? Are you moving? Going to get a job? Do something else?”

This is the main reason for my call. He’s going to lose his shit, but my other brothers will be worse. If I have any hope of selling this idea to them, I’ll need Declan on my side.

“I’d like to buy a parcel of the land.”

“I’m sorry, what?” He nearly chokes on the words.

“Hadley has only ever known Sugarloaf as her home, and we have enough acreage to buy a part of it. There is no mortgage, so I’d like to buy some of it.”

“Are you fucking insane? You want to stay in fucking Sugarloaf? Do you remember the reasons we left, Connor? Of all the damn things I thought I would listen to, this has to be the most asinine thing ever!”

Now it’s my turn to yell. “Yes, I’m fucking insane because I want to be a father to my kid! I want to give her what we didn’t have—stability. You may run from the things you love, Declan, but I don’t. I found the woman I literally dreamed of for eight years, and I’m not letting her go. If she wants me to live here and be buried on this land, I will.”

He huffs and doesn’t say anything. We’re both pissed off, and our tempers are known to get the better of us. We also love a good verbal sparring with each other, so I doubt whatever words get slung will have any lasting effect.

“And what are you going to do for work? How do you plan to buy this land?”

“I’m not an idiot. I can find a job.”

Not that I’ve gotten to that point yet because I’ve been busy serving out my sentence, but I’ll figure it out. I got my degree while I was in the navy, and while dairy farming isn’t really what I want to do, I could probably do fine with a smaller herd.

Maybe.

“You’re not thinking.”

“No, you’re not listening. I called to tell you about your niece, who is wonderful, and that I’m actually doing well and am happy, but you’re too much of a selfish dick to hear that.”

“This is just like you, you think only about you. What about Sean and Jacob? What are we all going to make you pay for a part of the land that you were going to inherit? Come on. I don’t want that damn farm or any of the land, but we all made a promise never to move back!”

That promise had been the one thing that kept me from talking to him about this. My brothers were the only things in this world that mattered to me, and I love them, but I can’t live my life like this.

“You of all people should know that things change, Dec. We aren’t the same boys we were.”

He doesn’t say anything right away, and I look down at my phone to see if he hung up. “No,” his voice breaks the silence, “I guess we’re not. Tell me about Hadley . . .”

Then I remember that my brother isn’t a bad guy. He’s just protective.





Hadley comes running to the barn, brown hair up in a ponytail and her nose is bright red from the chill. “Where’s Mom?”

“She went to see Sydney. I’m sure they’ll be talking for hours. Hand me the wrench,” I instruct her while I work on this stupid tractor.

No matter what I fix, replace, or tinker with, the damn thing won’t start. While I would love nothing more than to set it on fire and get a new one, it’s only three years old and should work. It’s a test of wills at this point, and I refuse to give up.