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had come was the promise he’d made, the one thing that had gotten him through the tough times as a kid when their dad left and Logan became the one they looked to to take care of them. That was the only reason he was here now with a brother he absolutely hated.
    ***

Chapter 12
    Samuel was settled into one of the lodge rooms. He hadn’t thought of bedding, but thankfully Joe and Logan had brought enough sleeping bags for all of them. His room was large, with a window that faced east, a bed with a queen mattress, and a bathroom down the hall. He especially liked the hardwood floors. They weren’t just any hardwood but fir, which was something he didn’t often see anymore. The lodge had been built for quality and longevity. The entire second level looked down into an open great lounge. A huge stone fireplace was the feature of the room, with sofas set up in a U shape around it. Log beams crossed the ceiling, and the place echoed when he walked.
    Joe looked up when he was on the stairs. “Hey, get down here now. Logan’s grilling steaks. How do you want yours?” He had an armload of wood and was feeding a few logs onto the fire. It crackled, and Samuel could feel the warmth it threw off as soon as he stepped off the stairs.
    “Rare, same as always.” He stopped at the bottom and took in Ben, who was lounging on one of the sofas, his feet up on the heavy square wood table. Jake was across from him on another sofa.
    It was uncomfortable, and Samuel stood there, staring down at his brothers in a way that had him feeling for the first time in his life like the odd man out. He shoved his hands in his pockets as he noticed Jake take a swallow of his beer, watching him.
    “How’s Jill?” Jake asked, still holding the bottle between his fingers.
    For a minute, he was tempted to say, “None of your damn business.”
    “Why, what’s going on with Jill?” Ben asked, looking from Samuel to Jake, obviously picking up on something. “What’s up, you two?”
    Logan appeared beside Samuel and handed him an open beer. “Joe, check on the steaks for me,” he said. Joe didn’t say anything as he left out the back.
    “She hasn’t been feeling well,” Samuel said. “She thought it was the flu, went to the doctor. He ordered some tests, but she hasn’t heard back yet. Should probably call and find out,” he said, but he hadn’t thought much more about it, as Jill had seemed fine when he left.
    “When I called, she was sick,” Jake said to Ben. “She dropped the phone and then disconnected. I tried calling again, but she didn’t answer.”
    “Well, I’m pretty sure that was because she didn’t want to talk with you,” Samuel couldn’t help himself from saying.
    He felt Logan’s fingers squeeze his shoulder as the entire room tensed. The way Ben was watching him, he was starting to realize it seemed he had taken a side—Jake’s.
    “Enough, Samuel,” Ben said. “Don’t start that, not again. We’re here now because you two blockheads have decided to allow a woman to come between you, and nobody leaves until this is worked out.” He leaned forward and reached for his beer on the table.
    “Or they beat the crap out of each other,” Joe said as he walked in with a pair of tongs. He jabbed them Samuel’s way. “You were the one responsible for all this. You get cold feet and you’re done with a woman? And you.” He stepped in closer, tapping his tongs together and pointing them Jake’s way. “Pining for a woman who was with your brother, giving her a shoulder to cry on. Of course she was going to fall into you.”
    “I get it, Joe.” Jake was up out of his seat, all six two and solid muscles. He was a big guy, and if he wanted to take a round or two out of Samuel, he could have done it. “You know it’s done with her. I get it. Samuel, she wants you, she’s with you, and yes, what I did was stupid. For the life of me, I wish I could go back, as I’ve found someone now who makes me happy. Chris and