One to Chase - Tia Louise Page 0,86

I want to apologize to our beautiful mother for so much. I betrayed her with my fear.

“It was not our fault.” His voice is husky. “The only thing we did wrong was believe him.”

With those words, the fist inside me opens. “Oh, Stuart.” I feel my body melt into him. I feel the wall of stone I’ve constructed around my heart start to crumble. “If only I knew. If only I knew you knew.”

A large hand moves slowly up and down my back. Never in my life has my oldest brother been so comforting. All I’ve ever known is the wall he built up, the one he used to push us all away. The same wall I carried inside me. He expressed his hurt differently, but we were both running from the betrayal planted so deep by one of the two people we should’ve been able to trust.

A few moments pass. My breathing calms, and I feel him pulling back. Arms relax, we step apart from each other. I touch under my eyes with his handkerchief before handing it back to him.

“Thank you,” I say quietly.

He pats my shoulder and stands a little straighter, always the good Marine. “I guess this explains a few things.”

My troubled teen years. The wreck I made of my life in high school. The reason I went so far away to college. The reason I ran... Until now.

“You couldn’t have known.” We’re quiet a few moments longer, and my brow lines. “Does Patrick...?”

Stuart shrugs. “He’s never mentioned it.”

“It’s not something you can really ask.”

“It never was before.”

The change in his voice breaks through my confusion. “Bill.”

“I think he loves her.” He steps back, hands in his pockets. “All those years I spent with him. The time I was there last fall. He’ll treat her right. Like she deserves to be treated. Like she’s always deserved to be treated.”

My chest clenches, and I nod. Heat fills my eyes, but I don’t want to cry anymore. I want to bury the past. I want to stop carrying the sins of my father and allow my mother to be happy. I want to be happy.

“You know him better than all of us,” I say. “If you think he’ll make things right, he’ll love her—”

“I’m sure he will. I’ve seen them together.”

Nodding, I blink up to meet his eyes. “Then I’m onboard.”

He touches my hand briefly. “She’ll be okay, and you can move on with your life. Find someone and settle down.”

I manage to smile, thinking of a Sunday afternoon not so long ago. I won’t settle down. I’ll fly.

Chapter 20: Settling Scores

Marcus

China Girl is the hottest up-and-coming restaurant on the Near North side, and as such, our firm is invited to their soft open tonight. I’m sure they’ve invited all the Chicago elite. It’s perfect opportunity to establish my separation from Paige, and my reunion with the amazing, brilliant, lovely... so sexy Miss Amy Knight.

The idea makes me smile as I lean back in my office chair, reading over Evan’s final court documents on McGruder. He’s got it in the bag, and my eyes drift every ten minutes to the clock on my desk. Finally, it’s six-thirty and I can go to her.

Dropping my feet to the floor, I stand, sweeping my blazer off the chair and dropping my phone and wallet in my pockets.

“It’s ready,” I say, entering Evan’s office. “Be sure you get everything in on time, and let me know if you want me to appear with you.”

He beams with pride, as well he should. “You headed to China Girl?”

“Sure,” I say, nodding. “You going?”

“I’ll drop by for cocktails at least.”

“See you there.” I’m out the door.

Walking the blocks that separate us, I shoot Amy a text. Headed your direction. We got an invite to China Girl’s soft open.

She was so happy this morning in spite of her fears for her mother. We weren’t able to chat much today, as I had to make up for being completely out of touch yesterday. It was okay. Her brothers are in town, her mother is out of the woods, and I was pretty confident she’d be covered.

I’ve actually been back long enough to know about this. Not sure if it’s a good thing.

I grin at her cryptic text. It’s a great thing. We’ll be the toast of Chicago.

We should probably talk about that. I have things to tell you.

This woman, I shake my head. She has no idea. I want to hear everything you have to say.

No