The Dating Plan(84)

Brendan let out a long breath. “I deserve that. I’ve not been the best brother, but then neither have you. Ten years is a long time to stay away. If not for Jaxon, we probably wouldn’t have seen you until the funeral.”

Very true. Until Jaxon was born, Liam had never even considered calling Brendan when he was in town for conferences and meetings. Lauren had been the one who invited him to meet his new nephew, and after that first meeting, he hadn’t been able to stay away.

“I didn’t think you’d care,” he said honestly. “But I’m fine. Minor concussion. Nothing serious. I’m back in New York now.”

“He’s fine,” Brendan called out, his voice slightly fainter.

“What about Daisy?” Lauren’s voice was muffled in the background. “The article said he saved her.”

“Is Daisy okay?”

“She had a more serious concussion,” Liam said as his heart squeezed in his chest. “But she’s good.”

“She’s okay,” Brendan called out. Then to Liam, he said, “So, you’re still together?”

Ah, now the truth came out. As he had suspected, it was about the distillery after all. “Don’t worry, Bren,” he snapped, his blood heating to a boil. “You can have the damn distillery. I’ve been offered partnership at Evolution so I’ll be staying in New York. There’s nothing for me in San Francisco.” He had to force the words out. “Daisy and I aren’t together anymore. So, I can’t meet the terms of the trust.”

Silence.

“It was real.” A statement. Not a question.

Part of Liam wanted to just hang up the phone and be done with the whole damned conversation, but another part, a pathetic, sad, and lonely part, still wanted to believe that Brendan cared, that he’d called because he had genuinely been worried about his brother. Liam hadn’t talked to anyone about Daisy, or the accident, or how badly he had messed things up. The temptation to open his heart to someone who actually knew him was almost overwhelming.

“It’s complicated, but yes, in the end it was very real.”

“I’m sorry,” Brendan said. “I’m sorry about Daisy, and the accident, and the fight at Grandpa’s house, and . . . fuck . . .” He cleared his throat. “I thought you were dead. It kind of puts things in perspective.”

Still trying to process the unexpected show of emotion from his brother, Liam had no words.

“When you’re in town again, maybe you could come over for dinner,” Brendan said. “Jaxon would love to see you.”

“Brendan!” Lauren’s voice was louder this time, her admonishing tone clear.

“Christ,” Brendan muttered. “At least now you know who wears the pants in this family.” And then louder. “We’d like to see you.”

They chuckled together, and Liam realized for the first time that they shared the same laugh. He didn’t really know the man his brother had become. What else did they have in common, other than the secrets they’d kept about their family?

“Come home,” Brendan said, his voice laced with amusement. “Please. She won’t leave me alone until you do. That story was one hell of a wake-up call.”

Home. He’d never thought of San Francisco as home, but everything that truly mattered was there.





? 28 ?


“SURPRISE!”

Daisy froze in the hallway. She’d just picked Layla up from work to have a quiet dinner at home with Priya and her dad. Forty relatives, Bollywood music blaring through the house, kids running everywhere, and the scents of an Indian banquet weren’t what she’d had in mind.

“Your father invited us over,” Mehar Auntie said. “And look who is here! Roshan!”

Daisy smiled at the pleasant-looking man beside her auntie. She barely remembered Roshan from the conference. He was a few inches taller than her, his hair dark, thick, and glossy, curling into the collar of his blue shirt. He had a neatly trimmed beard, and his eyes, rich chocolate brown behind designer glasses, were warm and sympathetic.

“For the record, I was opposed to another sneak attack,” Roshan whispered under his breath. “But your aunties are very persuasive.”

Daisy smiled. “I have a feeling you’re being overly kind. Knowing my aunties, I wouldn’t be surprised if they’d knocked you unconscious and dragged you here against your will.”

Max came running over to her and she lifted him for a cuddle. He sniffed at Roshan and turned away, burying his head in her arms.

“This is Max. He’s usually a bit friendlier. Do you like dogs?”

“My family is allergic so we’ve never had one.” He gave Max an awkward pat. Max sniffed and gave him the doggie equivalent of a cold shoulder. Quite right. Roshan wasn’t even a candidate if Max couldn’t be around his family. Not that she was looking. There was only one man she wanted, and she’d pushed him away.

“I’m sorry I didn’t get a chance to talk to you at the conference.” Daisy put Max down so he could charm her relatives into giving him treats.

“No problem.” His lips turned up at the corners. “I could see you were otherwise occupied. Are you still together?”

Her first kiss with Liam. It felt like a lifetime ago.