Brothers of Paradise Series

She watches me in silence as I pull on my shorts and a T-shirt, sticking my feet in the pair of boat shoes I’d picked up just the week prior.

An impatient honk sounds outside.

I look back at Lily. She’s pulled on the same dress from yesterday. Her hair is in a high ponytail and her cheeks are flushed with intent. She looks amazing.

“Sorry about my brothers,” she says. “And my father.”

I shake my head at her nonsense and press a goodbye kiss to her lips. Her softness draws me in, and it’s by willpower alone that I break the connection. She’s a hell of a lot more enticing than the prospect of spending hours with two of her big brothers. I’m not sure if Rhys’s beating will be the only one I’ll have to endure today.

“Don’t be. I can take care of myself.”

“I’ll see you tonight,” she says.

“Can’t wait.”

Lily

I watch as Rhys and Hayden drive away. There’s sweat beading on my forehead, and I feel a bit shaky from the interaction. The cat is really out of the bag now-and far sooner than Hayden would have preferred.

Just a week ago, he’d asked me to wait to tell the family about our relationship. And here he is, forced to endure it all in one day. All I can is hope that the pressure won’t be too much.

Damn Rhys. He’d been gone without any settled return date, and of course he just had to make a surprise out of his return. I’ll have words with him later, too. I shoot my brother a text. Be nice.

There’s no response, but I know he’ll read it, at least before they set off. And Parker… I have no idea how my youngest brother will react. He’s always seen Hayden as a given member of the family.

I shake my head and reach for the car keys. I can’t deal with that right now-not when I have to go fight the dragon myself. It had been hard to hide my anger in front of Hayden. I didn’t want him to know just how much my dad’s actions had hurt me-not until I got a chance to speak my mind.

Luckily, I know exactly where my father will be on a Sunday morning. He’ll be in his study on the second floor of the family house, going over the latest housing developments and looking at investment opportunities.

My mom greets me with a smile when I arrive home. The smell of nail polish hangs heavy in the air, and she gives me an air hug to avoid ruining her freshly applied coat. I’m still angry at her too-it’s going to take a while-but she seems to have accepted that.

“I didn’t know you were coming today, chérie.”

“I’m here to talk to Dad.”

“All right. You seem stressed.” She leans in closer, peering at my face. “And you look flushed.”

“I just have something to take care of.”

“Here on business?” She nods to the stairs. “He’s upstairs.”

I knock twice on the door to the study before I head inside. This used to be a no-go zone when I was young. No playing hide-and-seek in here, and absolutely no disrupting Dad when he was working.

Now, I hope I disrupt him completely. I’m angry for nineteen-year-old Hayden, who had just been in a car accident, and I’m angry for eighteen-year-old me, who thought her boyfriend left on his own.

Dad looks up when I enter, his brow furrowing. “Sweetheart? I didn’t know you were coming by today.”

“I needed to see you.”

“All right. Can it wait?”

“No.”

Whatever he sees on my face stops him from arguing. He puts his reading glasses down and leans back in his chair. The gray in his hair only makes him look more distinguished, despite my mom fighting a losing battle against her own streaks.

“What’s the matter?”

“What did you tell Hayden after the accident, all those years ago?”

Dad sighs and reaches up to rub the bridge of his nose. “I only gave him some advice. He hasn’t had a father figure in his life, you know. I tried to guide the boy.”

“He has his uncle,” I say, trying to keep my voice from shaking with anger. “You told him to leave. You sent him away.”NôvelDrama.Org exclusive content.

“For his own good, and for yours, sweetheart.”

“The accident wasn’t his fault. The truck driver was driving drunk.”

“Yes,” Dad says calmly. “I know those reports by heart. But you’re always responsible to a certain extent when you’re in the driver’s seat. He took you out for a spin in the middle of the night, and as a consequence, you have a permanent limp. You could have died.”

“Not his fault. He nearly died too, and instead of showing compassion, you told him to get out of town.”

Dad’s eyes flash with irritation. “He was bad news. I let him stay here because the boy had potential, but he was wasting it, spending his days on the fishing vessels and his nights panting around you. I wanted him gone and I would do the same thing again.”

“It broke me.”

“No, it made you stronger, and it made him stronger, too. He’s a decorated vet now, isn’t he? And you went to Yale and got to try your hand in the art world.” My dad shakes his head, reaching for the papers on his desk. “You won’t understand. You never could.”

“No, I understand perfectly,” I say coldly, standing up. “And I refuse to let you play God in my life anymore-and not in Hayden’s either.”

“Have you taken up with him again?”

The way he phrases it… but I won’t let him make me feel less. “We’re together, and I don’t think that’s likely to change.”

Dad stares at me, a thoughtful look on his face. It’s not exactly acceptance, but he doesn’t look angry, either.

“He’s grown,” he says finally. “I suppose you could do worse.”

“Thank you for that ringing endorsement.”

“Always thought you’d end up with the Harris’s boy,” he says, returning his gaze to his papers. “He has a good sailing boat, that kid.”

I shake my head in disgust and head toward the door. Only then does it strike me that I haven’t told him everything. I turn back slowly, a smile on my face, and deliver the coup de grâce.

“I bought a space in town. I’m going to turn it into an art gallery.”

My dad pauses with his hand halfway to his face, about to put his reading glasses back on. I can see the exact moment the realization settles over him. He can say what he wants, but it won’t bother me. Not anymore.

“All right,” he says slowly. “I look forward to the opening.”