the hundredth time. “I helped her get back with Damien and now she’s shoving me out of her life. I don’t believe it.”
“Tell her,” Ashleigh said.
To this he only glared more. “She should know this already. Jerry hasn’t earned the right to be thought of as her father. You don’t just give that job to anyone. That’s an honor and Jerry didn’t earn it. I did.”
Keefe sat down, finally out of steam. “What’s happening?” he asked Ashleigh, knowing she wouldn’t be able to answer.
“I know you want to blame Damien but I think you’re off base. He wouldn’t care. He’s grateful to you. I know he is.”
“Then I don’t know what to do. There is no way in hell I’m allowing Jerry to walk Mia down the aisle.”
“I thought you liked him.”
“I do and if I were dead, I wouldn’t mind Mia asking him. But I’m not dead. I’m very much alive. And if you think I’m letting him give my sister away, you’re as crazy as she is.” Keefe blinked, and blinked again, wincing at his words. He’d not meant to call Mia crazy. But still he had no intention of having Jerry step in after he’d done all the work.
“What are you going to do? Call him up and tell him not to come? What if he tells her no?”
“I’ll do as I’ve always done. I’ll save her ,” he muttered so softly that he knew Ashleigh couldn’t hear him. “I’ll do it myself.”
“Why do you and your sister go through so many obstacles to avoid talking? You’re always second guessing each other and you’re always wrong. Why don’t you just tell her you want to walk her down the aisle? She worships you, Keefe. I’m sure she would say yes.”
“I shouldn’t have to ask her. It should be a done deal. It was a done deal.”
“You’re still trying to blame Damien. I agree that something is going on with your sister, but I don’t really know her that well. I did notice that she wouldn’t look at you when she said she wanted Jerry to walk her down the aisle.”
“I wouldn’t know if she looked at me or not,” Keefe growled.
“I know. You didn’t look at her either. I swear, I don’t get the two of you.”
Keefe couldn’t prevent the scowl. Ashleigh didn’t understand that he didn’t want Mia doing him a favor by saying yes. He wanted her to want him, to need him as she always had.
“Why do you treat her as if she’s so delicate? She’s probably much stronger than you think.”
Keefe stared for a few seconds in Ashleigh’s general direction. “Mia is strong. I know just how strong she is, but I also know that inside she’s still a little girl. I know she has demons, Ashleigh. And I haven’t been able to help her get rid of them.”
“I know that your mother abandoned you and that you raised her. But that’s in the past, isn’t it? If there’s something more going on, why don’t you tell me? Maybe I’ll be able to help.”
“I don’t like talking about it.”
“Not even to me?”
He smiled wanly. He didn’t tell many people about his experiences or Mia’s in foster care. He’d always wondered about the things that had happened to his sister when he’d not been there to protect her and he felt guilty as hell for whatever might have occurred.
“You know most of it already,” Keefe offered as he attempted to smile at Ashleigh, not quite pulling it off.
“I want to know it all,” Ashleigh countered. “I love you, Keefe, trust me to understand.”
He sat beside her, sighing, and took her in his arms. He loved her; it was time to share his life with her.
“Mia and I were put in foster care,” he began, “for a short time, but it seemed like forever. It was the first time I’d ever failed my sister.”
“Keefe, you’re taking responsibility for things that weren’t in your control. It was your mother’s fault, not yours. If anyone failed Mia she did, not you.”
“Mia never expected our mother to protect her. I was the one she trusted.” He sighed again. “Maybe
“Tell her,” Ashleigh said.
To this he only glared more. “She should know this already. Jerry hasn’t earned the right to be thought of as her father. You don’t just give that job to anyone. That’s an honor and Jerry didn’t earn it. I did.”
Keefe sat down, finally out of steam. “What’s happening?” he asked Ashleigh, knowing she wouldn’t be able to answer.
“I know you want to blame Damien but I think you’re off base. He wouldn’t care. He’s grateful to you. I know he is.”
“Then I don’t know what to do. There is no way in hell I’m allowing Jerry to walk Mia down the aisle.”
“I thought you liked him.”
“I do and if I were dead, I wouldn’t mind Mia asking him. But I’m not dead. I’m very much alive. And if you think I’m letting him give my sister away, you’re as crazy as she is.” Keefe blinked, and blinked again, wincing at his words. He’d not meant to call Mia crazy. But still he had no intention of having Jerry step in after he’d done all the work.
“What are you going to do? Call him up and tell him not to come? What if he tells her no?”
“I’ll do as I’ve always done. I’ll save her ,” he muttered so softly that he knew Ashleigh couldn’t hear him. “I’ll do it myself.”
“Why do you and your sister go through so many obstacles to avoid talking? You’re always second guessing each other and you’re always wrong. Why don’t you just tell her you want to walk her down the aisle? She worships you, Keefe. I’m sure she would say yes.”
“I shouldn’t have to ask her. It should be a done deal. It was a done deal.”
“You’re still trying to blame Damien. I agree that something is going on with your sister, but I don’t really know her that well. I did notice that she wouldn’t look at you when she said she wanted Jerry to walk her down the aisle.”
“I wouldn’t know if she looked at me or not,” Keefe growled.
“I know. You didn’t look at her either. I swear, I don’t get the two of you.”
Keefe couldn’t prevent the scowl. Ashleigh didn’t understand that he didn’t want Mia doing him a favor by saying yes. He wanted her to want him, to need him as she always had.
“Why do you treat her as if she’s so delicate? She’s probably much stronger than you think.”
Keefe stared for a few seconds in Ashleigh’s general direction. “Mia is strong. I know just how strong she is, but I also know that inside she’s still a little girl. I know she has demons, Ashleigh. And I haven’t been able to help her get rid of them.”
“I know that your mother abandoned you and that you raised her. But that’s in the past, isn’t it? If there’s something more going on, why don’t you tell me? Maybe I’ll be able to help.”
“I don’t like talking about it.”
“Not even to me?”
He smiled wanly. He didn’t tell many people about his experiences or Mia’s in foster care. He’d always wondered about the things that had happened to his sister when he’d not been there to protect her and he felt guilty as hell for whatever might have occurred.
“You know most of it already,” Keefe offered as he attempted to smile at Ashleigh, not quite pulling it off.
“I want to know it all,” Ashleigh countered. “I love you, Keefe, trust me to understand.”
He sat beside her, sighing, and took her in his arms. He loved her; it was time to share his life with her.
“Mia and I were put in foster care,” he began, “for a short time, but it seemed like forever. It was the first time I’d ever failed my sister.”
“Keefe, you’re taking responsibility for things that weren’t in your control. It was your mother’s fault, not yours. If anyone failed Mia she did, not you.”
“Mia never expected our mother to protect her. I was the one she trusted.” He sighed again. “Maybe
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