It was light, easy, and possibly the most carefree I'd felt in months.
After a bit, I catch the way his nails scrape the label on the neck of his bottle and his weary expression that is a million miles away.
"Are you okay?"
His eyes cut to mine, and it's obvious something's bothering him. "Yeah, sorry, my mind drifted to the day."
"A lot happened today. Anything specific?" God, I hope he doesn't bring up the scene from this morning.
He studies me for a second and takes another gulp of his beer. "It's personal. You able to handle that?"
His tone isn't rude, but it still stings. I've shut him down hard when it comes to my personal life, and it's hypocritical for me to ask him to open up. But at this moment, I'm breaking my own rules because whatever is on his mind is important to me.
"I deserve that, but yes. If you want to talk about it, I'm here to listen."
"I'm worried about Darby."
His admission causes my chest to seize. He doesn't have to explain for me to understand what he is saying. Miller briefly described his conversation with Pierce this morning. When we arrived at the bakery today, my instincts went on alert. Darby tried to put on a happy appearance, but something was upsetting her.
That's when I saw the side of Miller as the loving brother and brother-in-law that almost shattered my resistance. I'm walking into a minefield with my heart right now because whatever he says will only drag me deeper. Yet, I can't stop myself from commenting. "I've never been pregnant, obviously, but I think she had a valid reason for her sadness. Her life is taking a drastic change. It's a lot."
He pierces me with a hard stare. "You really think that's it?"
I rake my bottom lip between my teeth and shake my head slowly. "No, I don't think that's it," I admit softly.
"Me neither, it's a bullshit excuse she's trying to hide behind."
"Maybe she has her reasons."
"You don't understand. Last time she hid deep-rooted feelings it was a clusterfuck. Sometimes I think we're all still recovering from it."
I suck in an audible breath, jerking back. "That's not fair."
His eyes flare before filling with guilt. "You're right. It was a shitty, dick thing to say. Things have changed. If Pierce heard me say that, he'd level me out."
Austin and Andrew come to mind and their own protective way of thinking. "I didn't mean it like that. You have a right to be concerned. As his brother, you've been through a lot. What I meant is that it's not fair to assume the worst. As you said, things have changed."
"Do you know what happened to them?"
"I heard Darby's version years ago when we first met."
"I'm sure you got the gist of things from her perspective."
Memories of the first weekend I met Darby come to mind. Stephanie had warned me her best friend had a heartbreaking past, but hearing Darby's story and witnessing her breakdown was devastating. "It was pretty bad."
"We lived in pure hell with Pierce." There's a hint of something in his tone that sounds slightly like anger, and I feel the need to defend her.
"Hell is a step up from where she was. It was a long time ago, but I still remember the pain and agony Darby was living through. I was visiting Stephanie for a few days. The second night, she got a call. I could only hear one side of the conversation, but it was intense. The next thing I knew, we were in the car and she was driving like a maniac to get to Darby. No amount of forewarning could have prepared me for what we walked in on that night."
Flashbacks explode in my brain, and a chill runs up my spine, recalling what happened next.
"Jesus, Ashlyn, you look like a ghost. What did you walk into?"
"The saddest, most gut-wrenching scene I've ever experienced in my life. A woman I'd never met was curled on the floor, her body visibly convulsing as she wailed into the room. Mail surrounded her. I stood back, ready to call nine-one-one. Stephanie immediately had Darby in her arms and pried a piece of paper out of her hands. When she read it, her own body quaked as she cried with her friend. Darby began to chant the same thing over and over. It didn't make sense until later, when the pieces came together."
"What was she chanting?"
I take a sip of wine, suddenly feeling like I'm revealing Darby's deep secrets. "It's not my place to say. I probably shouldn't have told you this much. It was a rough time, and as you mentioned, life was hell for both of them."
"What was she chanting?" he pushes.
"Why is that important?"
"Because it means something to me."
"I'm not sure I remember exactly."
"You're lying."
I grip the stem of my glass, knowing it's useless to deny him. "Fine, you're right, I'm lying. I'll never forget her words or the torture in her voice. She was saying, 'Cole Matthew, Cole Matthew, Cole Matthew. He gave him my name… my name… I was supposed to give him a Cole Matthew.' That was the first time in my life I saw what true anguish and suffering really was."
"Holy fucking shit." Miller's face has now gone pale as it sinks in. "Did you know what she was talking about?"
"Turns out Darby's mom had sent her a package and dropped some mail in the box that had been sent to her house. She unintentionally sent the birth announcement for Pierce's son."
"Cole is Pierce's middle name,
