I suddenly didn’t like him so much for ignoring his brother.
But setting that notion aside, all four of the Collins men were handsome as fuck. Big surprise.
Yet I still couldn’t get away from the Garrett dude. “Why isn’t he speaking to you?”
“A few different reasons,” he hedged, almost thoughtfully. “He was mad when I left Auckland.”
“Why?”
“We played on the same team together there,” he said, like that explanation as enough. “We played on the All Blacks together too.”
It wasn’t. “So is he mad at your other brother for playing in Australia?”
“No….” He trailed off, considering that with a tiny frown. “We were close when we were young, but since I left home….”
“What else is he mad at other than you making a decision that made you more money?”
“He said it shouldn’t be about the money.”
I rolled my eyes. I was sure his brother, who I figured wasn’t hurting for endorsements, didn’t make any decisions based on financial matters. Yeah, right.
“But he hasn’t spoken to me since I was injured. I told you I didn’t speak to anyone other than my nan and granddad for months.” I knew he grimaced because I peeked at him right when he did it. “Including him. When I finally did call him back, he told me to fuck off. Called me a tall poppy, an embarrassment… heaps of other things I don’t want to repeat. So, yeah, we haven’t spoken in ages.”
The urge to kick his brother in the backs of his legs was strong.
So was the urge to look up what a tall poppy was, but that was for later. Because right then, all I wanted to do was wipe off the sad look on Jonah’s face. So I went with the first thing I thought of.
“Want me to sweep him if I ever meet him?”
His laugh went straight to my heart.
The arm he threw over my shoulders before tugging me into that enormous side was the topping on the damn cake.
“I don’t think I’ve ever wanted to give you a cuddle more.” He chuckled, dipping his head down to look at my face as he said that.
I smiled, relieved that had done the job. “I like hugs,” I told him honestly.
He grinned at me as he planted his mouth on my forehead and gave me a kiss there like it was the most natural thing in the damn world.
And I wanted it to be.
But I took the happy silence between us as we walked along the path with his mom and Mo up ahead. Moments later, with his arm still over me, our thighs brushing together as we walked, he broke the silence between us.
“Would you like to look at some of the pictures of my nan’s farm? Of home?” he asked, sounding almost... hopeful? “You loved that time we went out of the city and into the countryside, and I like to think that home is even more stunning. Most beautiful place I’ve ever seen.”
Home.
Damn it, hadn’t I just thought we needed to talk about that? How the hell had he sidetracked me so easily?
I nodded anyway. We could discuss it later. Tonight, I figured when he handed me his phone. I looked through at least one hundred pictures, maybe even two hundred. Beautiful green landscapes that looked straight out of a movie. Of sheep. Of a countryside, and if I was to use the word charming correctly, a really fucking charming little house tucked into a spread of grass and fence line.
One picture after another was filled on his phone of random things. Of an older woman who had to be his grandma, a man who looked like an older replica of Jonah who definitely qualified as GILF material with equally massive shoulders, dark hair, and rich skin. There were more pictures of people around his age with about the same skin color as his—the nicest blend of olive—a testament to their heritage of Samoan, Māori, Scottish, and who knew what else grandparents. There was this family mixed up of so many shades between cream and brown, it was unique and beautiful.
When I got to the last picture in his gallery, my finger hesitated over the options button.
And like a sneaky fuck, I hit the info button. The first picture had been taken months ago. Right around the same time he’d said he’d come back into the world, when he’d been sure he would be able to play again.
Something that was so much more than just relief filled up every cavity