I came here to confront him. To demand answers. But when I take a good look at him, my angry resolve loosens and a bit of compassion trickles in. I can’t help but feel bad for Eli. Now that I’m here, it’s hard to find the right words.
After a few beats of silence, when it becomes apparent to my brother that I’m struggling for what to say, he speaks. “How’s life?” Even his voice seems harder than I recall.
I shrug. “It’s been good.”
Eli’s mouth twitches with a half grin. “Jude and Cannon are both in relationships now?”
It looks like our parents have kept him filled in on the big events he’s missed out on since he’s been here.
“Yeah.” I wear a little grin of my own.
“I still can’t picture that happening,” he admits. “Especially for Jude.”
I chuckle. “Yeah, that one had us all pretty shocked.” Our youngest brother is such a damn jokester. Him falling in love and settling down so soon really hadn’t been on anyone’s radar. But Iris is a Merlini and those women steal souls.
“And what have you been up to?” He leans back in his chair.
“I…uh…” This is a little harder to explain. “Penny wanted to have a baby. So, I’m helping her out with that. You know. Just to help her out,” I mutter.
His eyes widen. “She’s pregnant then?”
“Yeah, she’s a little more than three months along now.”
“Well, congrats. You and Penny always did belong together.”
I’m already shaking my head. “Nah. Nah, it’s not like that. We’re not together like that. I’m just helping her.”
Eli frowns. “Okay. So you knocked her up and are still just friends? Whatever makes you happy then, I guess.”
It’s hard to explain something I don’t understand myself so I shift the conversation, no longer wanting to be in the hot seat. I tell my brother about the renewable energy technologies we’re exploring on the farm. Eli talks about the shitty food and about how he keeps himself busy during the day. Talking to him still feels easy, familiar. I pull a small bit of comfort from that. But his eyes keep darting to the large clock on the wall.
I raise a brow. “You got somewhere to be?” Sarcasm rips through my tone.
He chuckles softly and lowers his head. “Nah, nah…I’m just regretting our time closing in on us.”
When he looks up at me, I get a glimpse of the man he used to be before all this shit happened, the brother I could relate to once upon a time.
But I can’t let myself forget; his reckless and irresponsible behavior landed his ass right here. He committed fraud and got busted, leaving behind a wife and child who depended on him.
Now that there’s a woman out there carrying my own child, I need to get answers from my little brother. I need to understand how he could be so reckless. It’s been eating at me. We still have ten minutes left when I get the balls to say what I really came here to say.
“I can’t understand how you’d do this. How you’d commit a crime, knowing it could land you in prison.” I shake my head, frustrated. “Now that I’m going to be a father, I’d never do anything that would compromise my family. Nothing’s more important than protecting them.” I halt when my mind registers the words that just came out of my mouth. Penny and the kid aren’t yours, idiot, my brain reminds me. “I guess what I’m asking is, why? Why did you do it, Eli?”
“I didn’t.”
“Didn’t… what?” I fight back my irritation. I can’t believe he’s going to lie straight to my face. “Didn’t commit fraud? That ten-page court verdict sure says otherwise.”
He shakes his head. “I didn’t do it, Walker. You won’t believe me. No one will. But I am innocent,” he insists.
“You pled guilty, Eli. Explain that to me.”
His eyes dart around. “I can’t. Just know that…I’m protecting my family, despite all appearances.”
“How is this protecting them?” I gesture to our surroundings. “Your wife ran off, left your kid without any parents. Ma and Dad are protecting her. I’m protecting her. Hell, the nanny is protecting her. Not you.”
The veins in his neck bulge. He speaks through gritted teeth. “Y’know, it means a lot to me that you guys are looking out for Callie. More than you’ll ever fucking know. But you don’t have the full story.” His shoulders slump. He pinches the bridge of his nose. “And I had no way of knowing that Gabby would file for divorce and disappear—”
“Divorce?!” I bark out.
He scrubs a hand down his face, looking defeated. “Yeah, divorce, man. It got finalized a few weeks ago.” He meets my eyes. “Just…just don’t tell Mom and Dad. I don’t want them worrying any more than they already do.”
Shit, this is a lot. I give him a curt nod. “I’m sorry, man.” I hesitate. “How would you feel if I told you I know where Gabby is?”
Eli’s eyes narrow. He examines my face like he’s trying to determine whether I’m bullshitting him. Then his expression turns to stone. “I’d say Gabby could go fuck herself. I don’t want a damn thing to do with that woman. The best thing she could do at this point is just stay the hell away from Callie.”
I think my shock comes through on my face because that’s not what I was expecting him to say. I was expecting him to demand that I hunt down his ex and drag her home to be the mother Callie deserves.
It’s like my brother can read what I’m thinking. “I’m serious, Walker,” he insists. “I don’t want Gabby anywhere near my child…She’s gone. Let her stay gone.”
I’m so damn confused by all the things he’s telling me and I’m concerned there’s more that he’s not saying. But by his hardened expression, I know whatever it is, I’m not going to get it out of him today.
He changes the subject. Now he’s the one scrutinizing me. “You know
