He wanted her. He loved her. He wanted children and grandchildren that had her beautiful face, her stubborn chin and her brave warrior soul. But while he would be getting a strong, accomplished woman with a large and loving family, she would get the shaft.
William wasn’t a man women brought home to meet the parents. Barely any savings to speak of, a self-taught and battle-scarred bare knuckle brute who’d already lied to her on more than one occasion.
If he were her father, he would never let a man like him near his daughter. He’d beat the piss out of him and send him on his way. He might do worse if the man had married her under questionable circumstances.
Knowing Bronte had been touched, in any way, by the taint of his old life had finally broken through his blind need to have her for his own. He’d been unnecessarily cruel to her before he sent her away, but he hadn’t seen another viable option. Making sure she was safe was all that mattered.
Even if she found it in her to forgive him for that, she still deserved better.
He wasn’t sure why no one else could see the truth of that.
His brother Matthew walked into the kitchen and paused, chuckling when he took in William’s expression.
“You look knackered. Did you sleep at all?”
“Aren’t you supposed to be at work? Or school? Anywhere else?”
“That’s a fine greeting. And after I’ve answered the clarion call of family to ease my brother’s broken heart.”
William let his expression and a hand gesture tell him what he could do with that comment. “I’m touched.”
Matthew nodded. “I know it. Must be all those times you got bashed in the head over the years. Or maybe you get it from Grump.”
“You should show more respect for your grandfather,” William said out of habit.
“He’s not here, is he? I’m safe enough.”
“He’ll know.”
Matthew scoffed but glanced around as if looking for hidden cameras. “So this next in a horrible line of mistakes you’re intent on making…it wouldn’t have anything to do with your wife, would it?” He went on before William could stop him. “I like her. She looks like the kind of woman who would keep a man in line and make him like it, if you get my meaning.”
William’s voice lowered dangerously. “Careful, Matty.”
“Does she know what you did? For us, I mean. To keep us together and safe after Dad lost it all betting on the wrong fights before he died?”
“She knows some.” He didn’t like to think about the circumstances of his parents’ death. They’d loved their children. They may not have made the best decisions in the end, but that’s not how he wanted to remember them. “Why do you ask?”
“Because it matters.”
“Not to you.” He closed his eyes, swearing silently and damning himself for the sad sack of self-pity he’d become. “I didn’t mean to say that.”
Matthew leaned back in his chair and shook his head. “But you’ve thought it. And that’s because we let you down. Because we didn’t appreciate how much you suffered. We thought you were out living the good life, drinking and brawling while we were stuck paying the piper and forced to make good.”
“Matty, no.” William reached out for his brother’s hand but he’d crossed his arms, more protective than defensive.
“Billy, yes.” Matthew sighed. “We’re both sorry, you know. Calamity too, though you know she has an allergy to apologies of any sort. We’d been keeping our distance since we got here out of guilt, nothing else. Because we thought we were clever and we didn’t see what was happening until it was nearly too late. But that was wrong as well.”
William forced out a laugh despite the tightness in his chest. “There’s no shortage of bad decisions in this family, is there? But we did all right in the end. You, the both of you, belong here.”
“And you,” Matthew challenged. “You belong as much, if not more. Hell, you’ve made a convert of the chief of police. And this even after you married his sister-in-law on the sly.”
“I can’t stay here, Matty.” He looked down at his hands clenching on the table. “If it means I’m weak, then I’m weak, but I can’t be this close to her and stay away.”
She’d divorce him, move on with her life, and maybe even find another man now that she knew she could. And he’d still be following her around. A lonely, pathetic shell still in love with her. He couldn’t live like that.
Matthew was silent until William finally looked up for some response. “I understand,” he said with an affectionate smile that made him look much younger. “But you owe me some brotherly bonding before you go. Can I drag you out for the day?”
He’d already packed, but he wasn’t planning to leave for another day or two. Murphy wouldn’t expect him until next week, and Matthew didn’t make an offer like this every day.