“He must have seen Matt pick you up yesterday,” Isaac shrugs, as though that explains it all, and it does, thank God. I’ve never mentioned anything about my past before.
“Oh, you’re right.” I smile at him and shake my head. “No biggie.”
“Are you sure? I’ll fire the bastard.”
“I’m sure,” I shake my head and lean back in my chair as I push my hands through my hair and exhale deeply. “He’s a bit creepy, but this was the first time he crossed a line.”
“I’m going to be watching him. If anything like this happens again, you tell me right away and I’ll kick that little asshole’s ass, you understand me?”
“Yes, sir,” I reply sarcastically.
“I mean it, Bryn.”
“Okay,” I respond.
He nods and settles behind his computer. Today is his office day.
“How are the kids feeling?” I ask.
“A little better. Stace and I were up with them all night.”
He squeezes his eyes shut and pushes his thumb and forefinger over them.
“I know that feeling,” I reply with sympathy. “Let me know if you guys need help.”
“I think we’re almost out of the woods. Stacey’s mom is over helping her today.”
“Good.” I nod and switch to my payroll program to begin logging in hours worked by the guys. “I’ll call her when I get home today.”
“I’m serious, Brynna, if Levi pulls one more stunt…”
“Isaac, stop. I’m fine.”
He watches me for a long minute and then exhales deeply. “Okay, I’ll drop it.”
He mutters under his breath something about Caleb killing him and hiding the body if he finds out about it, making me smirk.
“Caleb wouldn’t do that,” I tell him with a wide smile.
“Oh, honey, you clearly don’t know my brother very well.”
I know him very well.
***
“Where is Caleb?” Maddie asks and turns her big brown to me as she pushes her chicken nuggets around on her dinner plate.
“I told you earlier. He’s having some fun with his brothers and his dad.” After I finish slicing up some cantaloupe, I dish it out onto their plates and then return to cleaning up my mom and dad’s kitchen.
“I miss him,” Josie sighs dramatically.
“He just dropped us off an hour ago, girls,” I remind them with a roll of the eyes.
“Hey! I’m not gonna watch this damn Nemo fish by myself!” My dad yells from the living room, making the girls giggle.
“Hurry up and eat so you can go watch Nemo with your grandpa.”
After scarfing down their nuggets and fruit, they climb down from the stools at the breakfast bar and run to join my dad in front of the television.
“They seem to really like Caleb,” my mom mentions casually as she walks into the room.
She’s not fooling me.
“We all like Caleb,” I tell her and grin. “He’s family.”
“Hmm,” she replies non-commitally.
“What’s your point?” I ask and prop my hands on my hips. Mom shakes her head and shrugs as she gathers brownie mix, eggs and oil, ready to make a treat for the girls.
“It was an observation.”
“Mom,” I begin but she interrupts.
“I’m happy that the kids like him,” she murmurs as she opens the box. “He’s a good man.”
I frown and nod, watching her closely.
“And you’ve been alone for a long time.”
“Mom,” I try again but she turns to me with big tears in her eyes and I’m rooted where I stand.
“You’ve been alone for a long time,” she repeats and swallows, blinking rapidly. “I wish you’d come home much sooner, and I’m sorry that you had to come under these circumstances. I’m so proud of you baby girl.”
I move across the kitchen and wrap her in my arms, hugging her tightly. I get my height from my mom, along with my dark hair and eyes.
Eloise Quinn is a beautiful woman, inside and out.
“If he is who you and the girls want, I say go for it,” she whispers in my ear and then steps back and smiles at me before returning to her brownies.
“Mom, I never said anything about feeling that way about Caleb,” I reminder gently.
“I’m not blind or stupid, Brynna Marie.”
She’s got me there.
I fall silent and listen to the whirl of the electric mixer as she stirs the batter and get lost in my own thoughts.
Is Caleb who I want?
Oh, who am I kidding? Of course he is.
Chapter Eight
~Caleb~
“Well, ladies, you might as well just hand over your money now ‘cause daddy’s going home a winner.” Will smirks at us and plops down in his chair as he passes everyone a fresh, ice-cold long-necked beer.
It’s Thursday poker night at our parents’ house, just us brothers and our Pop. We try to do this every month, and usually succeed, especially now that I’m no longer being called out on deployment at the drop of a dime.
“Big talker,” Pop murmurs and studies his cards.
“You’re losing bad, old man,” Isaac taunts our father, his gaze on the small stack of chips before him.
“I’m about to hit my stride anytime now.”
“It’s okay, Pop, Will has a tendency to choke in the second half of the game anyway,” Matt laughs and reaches over to ruffle Will’s hair, who quickly evades.