Only a Millionaire (The Sinclairs #6.5)(34)

I closed the fridge and leaned back against the counter. “What makes you think I’d hurt her?”

Noah walked by me to pull out a beer. “Didn’t say you would,” he said in a disgruntled voice. “It’s a warning.”

I’d discovered that Noah never had much to say, but when he did, it was either threatening or supportive. He’d obviously kept a fairly tight rein on his siblings, but at least he’d done so in an encouraging way.

I lifted the energy drink and slammed back half the can before I answered. “I get it. I have a younger sister.”

Noah shot me a look that seemed to be saying that I knew nothing about what he’d been through.

And maybe I didn’t.

Honestly, I admired the guy, even though he was being an asshole. I couldn’t imagine what it would have been like to take care of all five of his brothers and sisters after his mom had died.

He screwed off the top of his beer and took several gulps before he answered, “Brooke has been through a lot, and now she has to deal with all of this bullshit. I want this to be the last time I see her upset for at least a decade.”

“I don’t ever want to see her cry again,” I confessed, vividly recalling how my heart had gotten sliced into a million tiny pieces last night when Brooke had let go of her pain and confusion. “But don’t think I’m going to let her be controlled anymore. It wasn’t my fault she was upset.”

“I don’t control her,” Noah rasped, his eyes flashing with anger and indignation.

“Bullshit. You could have told her sooner than you did.”

I had my share of anger toward Noah Sinclair, but I was willing to drop it for Brooke.

He’d had to fulfill a lot of roles in his siblings’ lives when they were younger. I couldn’t say I’d ever had to stand in his shoes.

Honestly, the whole Sinclair clan had done what they felt was best for Brooke, but I knew she resented not being told earlier.

“I couldn’t,” Noah retorted hotly. “Do you think I didn’t agonize over every single decision we made about her? She wasn’t ready to deal with anything more.”

“So you thought,” I challenged. “You were making decisions for a grown woman. Brooke is much stronger than you think she is.”

“I still think of her as a little kid,” Noah admitted.

“She’s not,” I informed him without hesitation.

“I never wanted to be her father. The last thing I wanted to do was hold any of my siblings back,” Noah said with remorse. “I just wanted all of my family to fucking be okay.”

I could see the concern on his face, and the heavy blanket of responsibility that still seemed to be hanging on his shoulders. “I can’t say I know completely how you feel,” I told him. “But I know it must have been hard for all of you. Give yourself a break. You had a hell of a lot to handle. But your brothers and sisters are all grown up now.” I had a feeling that Noah needed to start living his own life, something that he’d needed to put aside for his family earlier in their life.

Brooke had told me enough about how she was raised for me to understand the hell that Noah must have gone through when he’d had to take on the responsibility for a half-grown family when he was barely old enough to vote. They’d all seen it, and in return for Noah’s sacrifice, they’d all tried to help as much as they could.

Not very many people could do that and have their family come out as good as Noah’s had.

His face was grim as he replied, “You have no idea. I knew if I couldn’t support them, I’d lose them. I had moments when I thought they’d be better off with a foster or adopted family. But I couldn’t see that happen.”

I understood. Adopted or foster kids didn’t always have a happily ever after, and they didn’t always end up with a good family. It would have been hit or miss, and like Noah, I doubted I could have taken that chance with Tessa if I’d had to make that call. “They’re all grown now, man,” I said in a calmer tone. “You did it, even without the help of the Sinclair name or money. You need to own that.”

I’d met everyone this morning except for Owen. Brooke’s youngest brother was out of state doing his residency.

Jade looked so much like Brooke, but they weren’t identical. And they both had their own distinctive personalities. But I could sense the same inherent kindness in Jade that I did in Brooke.

Okay, Seth and Aiden were both assholes, but I knew they were trying to protect their siblings in their own obnoxious ways.

Against all odds, the California Sinclairs had turned out to be somewhat normal, even if they were a little rough around the edges.

Noah ran a hand through his dark hair as he looked at me with a frown. “I think I have post-traumatic stress from raising them all. It’s hard to let go.”

I imagined that giving them all some space now to make their own mistakes was difficult. Noah had been an older brother and stand-in father for many years. I’d seen the way he listened to everything his brothers and sisters said and did, and then stepped in with advice. He reminded me of myself with Tessa. “Sometimes they have to figure things out for themselves. I have a sister who went deaf at a very young age. Our parents died in an accident, so I was all she had.”

Noah swallowed some of his beer. It took him a minute of thought to answer, “If that had happened to one of my sisters, I’m not sure how I would have reacted.”