Breathless_ Steel Brothers Saga - HELEN HARDT Page 0,35

may be her and Joe’s only chance for a biological child.”

“Oh, goodness. Well, then, I’m thankful it’s been so easy on her. And Jade?”

“Not as easy,” Marj said. “But she’s hanging in there.”

“I was sick as a dog when I was carrying Bryce,” my mother said. “But the outcome is always worth it.”

“How is Jade doing now?” I interjected, feeling I needed to do something other than stare at the three of them as if I were invisible.

“She’s good,” Marj said. “I just saw her. Talon stopped in town to get her a smoothie.”

“Was something wrong?” my mom asked.

“Oh. You didn’t tell her?” Marj said.

Why hadn’t I told her? My mother loved the Steels.

“Didn’t want you to worry, Mom.” I quickly filled her in and then realized why I hadn’t told her in the first place.

I’d been intentionally keeping Marjorie at a distance, and Jade was Marjorie’s best friend. Talking about Jade made me think of Marjorie. Not that I wasn’t thinking about Marjorie pretty much twenty-four-seven anyway, but I had to try.

“I’m glad everything’s okay with Jade and the baby,” Mom was saying. “I’m going to feed Henry his lunch. Would you like to stay, Marj? I was planning to make BLTs with avocado.”

Marjorie fidgeted a little. Was I supposed to say something here? Did I look like an asshole if I didn’t?

“Yeah, please stay,” I said, trying not to sound too eager. Instead, my words came out monotonous, as if I were a robot.

“I just had a smoothie,” she said. “I’m not overly hungry, but thanks all the same.”

“Oh, no worries. I suppose a BLT is too simple for a world-class chef like you.” Mom laughed.

“I hope you’re kidding. I love BLTs.”

“Of course I was kidding, dear. You know you are welcome here anytime. All of you Steels are.”

Again, I felt compelled to add to the conversation. “Of course you are.”

Marjorie smiled at me then. A soft smile, behind which I couldn’t quite discern the meaning.

“I know you need to get this little guy fed,” she said, “so I’ll be going. I’m sure Jade will need me at home.”

But I need you here.

The words were lodged in my throat, yearning to be set free.

But I wasn’t ready to acknowledge the truth in them.

I would never be ready.

Chapter Twenty–One

Marjorie

What a mistake that had been. I couldn’t get out of the Simpsons’ house quickly enough. Away from Bryce, the human icicle. He’d done a one-eighty from the heat we’d shared. Now he was cold as a tit on a boar, which frightened me.

Not in a scary way, but I was frightened for his son. I hoped he could show his son the love he apparently couldn’t show me.

I scoffed aloud as I opened my car door. Love? What Bryce and I had shared had nothing to do with love. I might be having serious feelings for him, but they obviously were not returned. Not in the slightest. I had the sinking feeling they never would be.

I had to be okay with that. Right now, Henry was way more important than I was. He needed his dad, and if that meant I stayed away from Bryce, so be it. Of course, if he took my brothers’ offer and moved into the guesthouse, that endeavor would be difficult.

But I’d do it. I had to. For the baby’s sake.

And speaking of babies, I needed to get home and take care of Jade. But first I’d pick up the boys from school. It was a little early, but it seemed silly to make them ride the bus out to the ranch when I was here in town. Plus they’d be anxious to hear how their mom was doing.

Two little boys in tow, I arrived back at the main house on Steel Acres Ranch. Donny went running in to see Jade. Dale, always quiet, walked in with me.

“How was school?” I asked him.

“Okay,” he said.

Dale was in fifth grade and Donny in second. They’d been through hell, and the family as a whole—with Dale’s and Donny’s input, of course—had decided to keep the boys’ ordeal quiet. The FBI had plenty of evidence to put everyone involved—everyone who wasn’t already dead—behind bars, so there was no need to drag the boys through any more horror.

They were both getting the help they needed, however, unlike their father. My father had kept Talon’s ordeal so quiet that my brothers hadn’t been able to get the help they needed to deal with it when they were young. My dad