Read Online Love Me Sweet (A Bell Harbor Novel) by Tracy Brogan - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Tracy Brogan
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you, all grown up,” Grant said as they moved in for a clumsy embrace and thumped each other on the back.
His brother’s smile was still the same, though, and similar to his own. “Yeah, six years will do that to a guy,” he answered as they sat down.
Grant pulled off his coat. “Six years. Hasn’t been that long, has it?”
“Since the last time you’ve been back? Yeah.” Tyler’s voice was neutral, and Grant unexpectedly had the sensation of running into an old acquaintance at the airport rather than his own brother. They’d shared a childhood, but few things in their adult lives overlapped. Time lost its meaning in the jungle but obviously it had marched on back at home.
He looked around, taking in the view. The restaurant was small, with a relaxing, homey interior, the dark walls and heavy wood furniture giving it a rustic feel. Big windows looked out over the street where snow continued to pile up. “So, this place is called Jasper’s, huh?” Grant said. “Does that have anything to do with Jasper Baker from Bell Harbor High?”
Tyler’s blond hair was cut short, and his eyes were the same bright blue as their mother’s. “What do you think? How many Jaspers do you know?”
“One.”
“Guess that’s your answer, then.”
They both laughed, sounding like each other, and Grant felt hope they’d find common ground. He’d missed his brother, he just hadn’t realized how much until that moment.
“Jasper opened this place a couple of years ago,” Tyler said, signaling for the waitress. “I even worked here last summer.”
The waitress came over, and they ordered drinks.
“You worked here?” Grant said after the server walked away. “You’re still an EMT though, right?” He hadn’t missed every detail, had he?
“Yes, and now I’m studying to be a paramedic. I started that in September.”
“Wow, sounds like you’ve been busy since I talked to you last. Where’d you find time to get engaged?” The question was supposed to sound casual, but Tyler’s expression tightened up.
“Everything with Evie was easy. When you know, you just know.”
“Like Mom knew with Hank?”
Tyler’s smile fell away completely and Grant wanted to rewind. God, sometimes he had the meanest mouth.
“This is nothing like that, Grant. I hated Hank as much you did. Mom made a mistake and she knows that now, but she was scared.”
“Scared? Of what?”
Lines of frustration formed across his brother’s forehead. “Is it really that hard to figure out? She was scared of being a single mom with five kids to feed. You and I probably could’ve managed all right, but Aimee, Wendy, and Scotty were still little kids.”
Grant’s other brother and sisters. They’d been young when he left, all freckles and knobby knees. At first there’d been lots of letters from them written in dark, clumsy pencil, but those had dwindled as they got older. Then he had trouble remembering things like birthdays. He’d sent presents, sometimes. When he thought of it. But he’d fallen out of the habit of wondering about the things, and the people, he’d left back in Bell Harbor. Work was easier than family, but his mother had reminded him last night that he’d missed a lot. His brother was about to remind him too. He could sense it coming and the realization made him feel lonely and old. And then it made him feel defensive.
“Four months, Ty. Four months after Dad dies and she brings that jackass into our house? Into Dad’s house. Grandpa would’ve helped her. I would’ve helped.”
Tyler leaned back and crossed his arms. “Helped? You mean the same way you helped when Hank left and took all the money? Or how about when she lost her job? Or when Scotty got arrested?”
Grant felt sucker-punched in the solar plexus. He hadn’t known about any of those things happening, but what hurt worse was that his brother didn’t sound angry so much as he sounded resigned. As if his expectations of Grant were so low,
His brother’s smile was still the same, though, and similar to his own. “Yeah, six years will do that to a guy,” he answered as they sat down.
Grant pulled off his coat. “Six years. Hasn’t been that long, has it?”
“Since the last time you’ve been back? Yeah.” Tyler’s voice was neutral, and Grant unexpectedly had the sensation of running into an old acquaintance at the airport rather than his own brother. They’d shared a childhood, but few things in their adult lives overlapped. Time lost its meaning in the jungle but obviously it had marched on back at home.
He looked around, taking in the view. The restaurant was small, with a relaxing, homey interior, the dark walls and heavy wood furniture giving it a rustic feel. Big windows looked out over the street where snow continued to pile up. “So, this place is called Jasper’s, huh?” Grant said. “Does that have anything to do with Jasper Baker from Bell Harbor High?”
Tyler’s blond hair was cut short, and his eyes were the same bright blue as their mother’s. “What do you think? How many Jaspers do you know?”
“One.”
“Guess that’s your answer, then.”
They both laughed, sounding like each other, and Grant felt hope they’d find common ground. He’d missed his brother, he just hadn’t realized how much until that moment.
“Jasper opened this place a couple of years ago,” Tyler said, signaling for the waitress. “I even worked here last summer.”
The waitress came over, and they ordered drinks.
“You worked here?” Grant said after the server walked away. “You’re still an EMT though, right?” He hadn’t missed every detail, had he?
“Yes, and now I’m studying to be a paramedic. I started that in September.”
“Wow, sounds like you’ve been busy since I talked to you last. Where’d you find time to get engaged?” The question was supposed to sound casual, but Tyler’s expression tightened up.
“Everything with Evie was easy. When you know, you just know.”
“Like Mom knew with Hank?”
Tyler’s smile fell away completely and Grant wanted to rewind. God, sometimes he had the meanest mouth.
“This is nothing like that, Grant. I hated Hank as much you did. Mom made a mistake and she knows that now, but she was scared.”
“Scared? Of what?”
Lines of frustration formed across his brother’s forehead. “Is it really that hard to figure out? She was scared of being a single mom with five kids to feed. You and I probably could’ve managed all right, but Aimee, Wendy, and Scotty were still little kids.”
Grant’s other brother and sisters. They’d been young when he left, all freckles and knobby knees. At first there’d been lots of letters from them written in dark, clumsy pencil, but those had dwindled as they got older. Then he had trouble remembering things like birthdays. He’d sent presents, sometimes. When he thought of it. But he’d fallen out of the habit of wondering about the things, and the people, he’d left back in Bell Harbor. Work was easier than family, but his mother had reminded him last night that he’d missed a lot. His brother was about to remind him too. He could sense it coming and the realization made him feel lonely and old. And then it made him feel defensive.
“Four months, Ty. Four months after Dad dies and she brings that jackass into our house? Into Dad’s house. Grandpa would’ve helped her. I would’ve helped.”
Tyler leaned back and crossed his arms. “Helped? You mean the same way you helped when Hank left and took all the money? Or how about when she lost her job? Or when Scotty got arrested?”
Grant felt sucker-punched in the solar plexus. He hadn’t known about any of those things happening, but what hurt worse was that his brother didn’t sound angry so much as he sounded resigned. As if his expectations of Grant were so low,
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