patsy in a career-burning pipeline project built on false promises and falsified reports. Ben had been the only one to stand up to a company he’d been a part of and helped build, and he’d paid the ultimate price.
“I don’t know yet,” he replied. “It came for sale at a great price, so I saw it as an investment. Carrie, I think, would like to do more. What do you think about me becoming a fishing guide or hotelier?”
Seriously? Ben was about the last brother he’d think could pull that off. “If you said Joe, I’d say sure,” Samuel said. “Would be right up his alley—hunting, fishing, guiding. But you? You’re a lot like me and Jake, a city boy looking to make it big.”
This time, Ben gave him a look that was anything but friendly. He shook his head. “I’m not like you and Jake. That’s the thing, Samuel. You two are the babies of the family. We watched out for you. I wanted better, had better. Not so sure that’s what I want anymore.”
He glanced to his brother’s Range Rover, the nice alloy wheels. He had to wonder. “What is it you want?” he said.
Maybe he didn’t understand Ben. After all, he was still trying to figure out why he’d picked Carrie, a slim, short blonde who was cute and perky and far from the supermodel type Ben had always dated. Yet here he was with the environmentalist who’d fought him tooth and nail when he tried to sell her community on the pipeline deal.
“Peace is what I want,” Ben said. “Just to be happy. What about you, Samuel? What do you want?” He sometimes could be so philosophical, but at other times he was much more outgoing than any one of them.
“I was wondering when you’d get here,” Logan called out. He appeared suddenly, wearing a down vest, blue jeans, and hiking boots. His dark hair was threaded with even more gray than the last time Samuel had seen him at Christmas. The lines around his eyes weren’t just from age, as he was much older than Samuel, but because he’d seen more horror and dealt with more of life’s rougher side during his tours in Iraq with the marines. Logan was tall—they all were, although Samuel was two inches shorter than all his brothers. That bothered him at times, even though he was still considered tall at six feet.
Logan hugged Ben, patted his back, and then reached for Samuel, pulling him into a hug he hadn’t expected. It touched something inside of him, an ache he hadn’t acknowledged, and he reached around and hugged his big brother back.
When he heard a vehicle coming down the heavily treed road, he tensed.
He stepped out of the hug, but Logan kept his arm around him as they watched baby Jake, the football star of the family and the man who’d slept with Jill, pull in with a rental SUV. He parked behind Samuel, and it could have just been them in that moment when he opened the door and stepped out.
“Hey, guys, Joe,” Jake said, looking up. Samuel followed his gaze to see Joe on the balcony, watching them. “Okay, I’m here. You got me here, Logan, but seriously, whatever it is you think you’re going to accomplish, having us all here, I think you’re wasting everyone’s time.” Jake looked to Samuel with an unfeeling expression.
Logan actually squeezed Samuel’s shoulder—maybe to warn him, he wasn’t sure.
It was Ben who stepped between Jake and Samuel, ready to stop whatever it was he thought was about to happen: a punch, a brawl, anything. “Knock it off, Jake,” he said. “We all made a promise when we were kids that whatever happened, nothing would ever come between us, and that if something so bad happened that it would tear this family apart, we’d come, no questions asked. And you came. We all came.” No one said anything as Ben stared long and hard at Jake and then Samuel. “I, for one, am not leaving here until we’re a family once again.”
Samuel knew by the expression on Ben’s face that he meant every word of what he was saying. For Samuel, the only reason he
“I don’t know yet,” he replied. “It came for sale at a great price, so I saw it as an investment. Carrie, I think, would like to do more. What do you think about me becoming a fishing guide or hotelier?”
Seriously? Ben was about the last brother he’d think could pull that off. “If you said Joe, I’d say sure,” Samuel said. “Would be right up his alley—hunting, fishing, guiding. But you? You’re a lot like me and Jake, a city boy looking to make it big.”
This time, Ben gave him a look that was anything but friendly. He shook his head. “I’m not like you and Jake. That’s the thing, Samuel. You two are the babies of the family. We watched out for you. I wanted better, had better. Not so sure that’s what I want anymore.”
He glanced to his brother’s Range Rover, the nice alloy wheels. He had to wonder. “What is it you want?” he said.
Maybe he didn’t understand Ben. After all, he was still trying to figure out why he’d picked Carrie, a slim, short blonde who was cute and perky and far from the supermodel type Ben had always dated. Yet here he was with the environmentalist who’d fought him tooth and nail when he tried to sell her community on the pipeline deal.
“Peace is what I want,” Ben said. “Just to be happy. What about you, Samuel? What do you want?” He sometimes could be so philosophical, but at other times he was much more outgoing than any one of them.
“I was wondering when you’d get here,” Logan called out. He appeared suddenly, wearing a down vest, blue jeans, and hiking boots. His dark hair was threaded with even more gray than the last time Samuel had seen him at Christmas. The lines around his eyes weren’t just from age, as he was much older than Samuel, but because he’d seen more horror and dealt with more of life’s rougher side during his tours in Iraq with the marines. Logan was tall—they all were, although Samuel was two inches shorter than all his brothers. That bothered him at times, even though he was still considered tall at six feet.
Logan hugged Ben, patted his back, and then reached for Samuel, pulling him into a hug he hadn’t expected. It touched something inside of him, an ache he hadn’t acknowledged, and he reached around and hugged his big brother back.
When he heard a vehicle coming down the heavily treed road, he tensed.
He stepped out of the hug, but Logan kept his arm around him as they watched baby Jake, the football star of the family and the man who’d slept with Jill, pull in with a rental SUV. He parked behind Samuel, and it could have just been them in that moment when he opened the door and stepped out.
“Hey, guys, Joe,” Jake said, looking up. Samuel followed his gaze to see Joe on the balcony, watching them. “Okay, I’m here. You got me here, Logan, but seriously, whatever it is you think you’re going to accomplish, having us all here, I think you’re wasting everyone’s time.” Jake looked to Samuel with an unfeeling expression.
Logan actually squeezed Samuel’s shoulder—maybe to warn him, he wasn’t sure.
It was Ben who stepped between Jake and Samuel, ready to stop whatever it was he thought was about to happen: a punch, a brawl, anything. “Knock it off, Jake,” he said. “We all made a promise when we were kids that whatever happened, nothing would ever come between us, and that if something so bad happened that it would tear this family apart, we’d come, no questions asked. And you came. We all came.” No one said anything as Ben stared long and hard at Jake and then Samuel. “I, for one, am not leaving here until we’re a family once again.”
Samuel knew by the expression on Ben’s face that he meant every word of what he was saying. For Samuel, the only reason he
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