he unlocked the doors and made sure the space was safe enough for her to venture inside.
“Where’s Wes?” she asked as she inhaled the smell of freshly shaved wood.
“It’s one of his college days.” Kaiden set his coffee down on his workbench. “He won’t be in until tomorrow.”
“So what’s going on with your dad?” Julia asked, obviously surprising him. He’d probably expected her to tell him all her problems and forget about his.
“He hates being stuck in bed, he makes the worst invalid ever, and if someone doesn’t murder him in the next few days, I’ll be very surprised.”
“So, pretty much as expected, right?”
“Yeah.” He rubbed his hand over his jaw. “I had to have a few words with him this morning about his attitude.”
“How did that go?”
He paused. “He didn’t react as badly as I thought he would. I think underneath all the bluster he’s scared, and he doesn’t want anyone to know it.”
“My dad was the same.” She nodded. “They just don’t know how to stop working and take care of themselves.”
“So what did you do to help him get out of that mind-set?” Kaiden asked. “I feel like I’m letting Dad down here.”
“I just kept asking questions, I gave him space to talk, and I tried really hard not to jump in and tell him how he should be feeling.” She shrugged. “It took quite a while to get him to admit that things would never be the same again, but eventually, he worked it out, and adapted. I’m sure your dad will do the same.”
“Eventually.” Kaiden grimaced. “It’s hard seeing him like this.”
“I know. Just remember how much harder it is for him right now.”
He nodded. “Thanks, that was helpful.” He took a tentative sip of his coffee. “So what put that frown on your face this morning?”
She leaned back against one of the sturdy supporting poles. “Miguel finally called me.”
“And?”
One of the things she really liked about him was that he always gave her one hundred percent of his attention.
“He doesn’t want to come back, he doesn’t want the ranch, he doesn’t care that Dad is ill, and he expects me to somehow convey all that to Dad without him having to lift a finger.”
“That’s totally unreasonable,” Kaiden said. “I hope you told him so.”
“I told him he was a coward, and that he needed to come back, face Dad, and tell him straight out.”
“Knowing Miguel, I bet that didn’t go down well. He always had a problem facing up to the consequences of his actions.”
Despite the fact that Kaiden was criticizing her brother, Julia didn’t have the heart to contradict him. She’d spent years making excuses for Miguel’s behavior and she wasn’t prepared to do it any longer.
“It’s not fair for my dad. He deserves better.” Julia met Kaiden’s concerned gaze, and she had to swallow hard. “Miguel suggested he’d wait until Dad was dead, and then he would turn up and sort it all out. I kind of lost my temper with him at that point, and he hung up on me.”
“Shit.” Kaiden moved so fast that Julia was in his arms before she realized it. “It’s a good job your stupid brother isn’t around because if he was I’d be kicking his ass again.”
“You kicked his ass?” Julia looked up at him. “From what I remember, you were the one on the bottom of that particular pile.”
“I was just letting him wear himself out.”
“Or praying my father and I would pull him off you,” Julia said. “And, seeing as he’s special ops now, he’d probably kill you. What was that last fight all about, anyway?”
His face hardened. “You’d have to ask Miguel.”
“Why can’t you tell me? It happened a long time ago.”
With her faith in her brother so shaken, she was actually interested in hearing Kaiden’s side of the story.
“Because it’s not my tale to tell.” He kissed her very deliberately on the forehead. “You’re frowning again.”
“I can’t believe Miguel won’t come back.” Realizing she’d lost that particular battle and more than willing to get back on topic, Julia carried on speaking. “What am I supposed to say to Dad? He’ll be heartbroken.”
Kaiden hesitated. “Can I tell you what I really think, or will you get mad at me?”
“Go ahead.” She sighed. “It doesn’t matter if I do get mad at you anyway, it never seems to bother you.”
“What I think you mean to say, Julia, is that you can’t resist my charms, but you do you.” He continued to hold her