Unending Devotion (Michigan Brides #1)(45)

His brother had gotten Rosemarie. And after he’d married her, it had only made sense for their dad to give him the supervisor position over the sawmill so he could stay in Bay City near his wife. Of course, Dad had built them a big house. Now Tierney was living a life of luxury and ease, part of the wealthy circle of timber-rich families, going to dinner parties, dances, and the theater.

“It’s too cold out there.” Tierney tugged off his thick boots.

Connell ground his teeth to keep from saying anything. Little did Tierney know how difficult it was to work in the bitterly cold wilderness day after day, doing backbreaking work, eating the same plain fare for every meal, sleeping in a tiny unheated room in a hotel, and sharing a frigid outhouse with the fourteen other men who boarded at the Northern.

Tierney had no right to complain about anything. Ever.

“I tried to convince Dad to let me wait to come up here until it warmed up,” Tierney said. “But he was pretty adamant that I head out to check on you.”

At Tierney’s words, Connell stiffened and had the brief urge to wrestle his brother to the ground.

As much as he wanted to clobber his younger brother from time to time, he figured it wouldn’t do any good. It wouldn’t change what had happened.

He returned to his spot in the corner and picked up his spectacles.

“Besides, it was past time for an update on production.” Tierney sauntered toward the fireplace.

Connell slid back onto the bench, his defenses rising like a wall. “You know we’re behind after last week’s thaw.” Why was it that the visits from Tierney and Dad always made him feel like a little boy who couldn’t live up to expectations?

Tierney tossed a log onto the fire. “We’re confident you’ll find a way to make up for the loss.”

Connell didn’t know which was worse, having Dad come and criticize him for every failure or having Tierney visit and act like the boss. Dad always said he’d leave the business to whichever of them worked the hardest for it. But Connell figured Dad was more likely to hand the reins to whichever son he liked the best.

And somehow Tierney always seemed to come out on top.

Tierney warmed his hands over the flames for a moment. Then he turned and gave Connell a wide grin, one that had a characteristic hint of devilish mischief. “Truth be told, Dad was in a hurry to send me up here because we got a report you were causing some trouble.”

Connell sat forward. “Trouble? What kind of trouble?” But even as the words left his mouth, he knew what Tierney was going to say, and he didn’t want to hear it.

Tierney’s eyes glittered and his grin turned crooked with carnality. “We got word that you’re living with a whore.”

“That’s not true.” Connell jumped to his feet and hot anger tumbled through him, setting him off-balance.

Tierney laughed, but it was hard and crass. “Aw, come on, big brother. When I heard the news I was proud of you. I figured it was past time you made a man of yourself.”

Connell clenched his fist, resisting the urge to go after his knife. “I’m not living with a woman.”

Tierney only laughed again. “You don’t have to deny it to me. You know I don’t care.”

And the sad thing was that Tierney really didn’t care. That’s why every time he came to Harrison on so-called business, Connell had to turn a blind eye to the fact that Tierney spent more time in the brothels than in his business office.

“The truth is, Tierney—” Connell started. But the hot words died on his lips. What difference would it make if he finally got up the nerve to tell Tierney the truth? That Rosemarie was a sweet woman. That Tierney was treating her dishonorably. That if Connell had been the one to marry her, he wouldn’t have needed to find pleasure in the arms of any other woman. Rosemarie would have been enough.

What Connell really wanted to ask his brother was why he had wooed Rosemarie away from him when he hadn’t planned to give her the kind of love she deserved. But of course, Tierney hadn’t respected Rosemarie before they’d gotten married. Why would that change afterward?

“Look,” Tierney said. “I know Dad is boiling mad about the whole affair, but you can be honest with me.”

“Well, you can just take your sorry behind right back to Bay City and tell Dad there’s nothing going on.”

“Don’t worry. That’s what I was planning to do.” Tierney winked. “But in the meantime, you’ve got to figure out a way to be more private with your affairs.”

Connell growled out his growing frustration. “I don’t have anything to hide.”

The front door opened with a blast of evening air, and Stuart stepped inside. He rubbed his hands together and blew into them.

He greeted Tierney, who shook hands with him as if they were long-lost friends. That’s the way Tierney had always been—charming. And it irritated Connell that Tierney could so easily sway women and men into liking him. Even Stuart, the one friend who knew the struggles he had with his brother, had fallen prey to the charm.

“I had to stop in Averill on my way up here.” Tierney plopped down on the bench next to Connell. “Nothing like a couple drinks from the Red Keg to warm me up for the rest of the ride.”

Stuart laughed, and Connell couldn’t understand why.

“Stuart?” a soft voice called from the kitchen. Lily’s voice.