“It’s a long story, bro. But I need to see Melanie.”
“Melanie’s not here.”
My skin chilled. “What? What do you mean she’s not here? I told her to go to your place.”
“I know. When she didn’t show, Jade and I figured you had gotten some sense in your head and kept her at your home, where she belongs.”
I walked past Talon into his house. “If she’s not here, where the hell is she?”
“I don’t know. Did you come from your place?”
“No.” I helped myself to a cup of coffee and sat down at the kitchen table, where Talon had papers spread out. “I couldn’t bear to be there when she left, so I left first.”
“Then how do you know she’s not at your place?”
“She isn’t. The way she looked at me when I told her the truth, that I had ignored her phone call that night she got taken… There’s no way she was going to stick around.”
“I don’t think you’re giving her enough credit. She’s an amazing woman.”
I rubbed at my forehead. “You don’t have to tell me.”
“Listen, Joe, I don’t want to pry, but I have to tell you something. Jade told me that her mother told her that you and Melanie are in love.”
“She did?”
“Yes. Did you tell Brooke?”
I shook my head. “No, I didn’t. It must’ve been Melanie, that day she was over here hanging out with Brooke while you and I were talking to Felicia.”
“Well…is it true?”
I sighed. “It is on my end. Probably not on hers any longer.”
“I doubt that.”
“What would you know about it?”
Talon guffawed. “Are you kidding me? What wouldn’t I know? I fell head over heels in love with Jade, and I tried every trick in the book to stay away from her. It didn’t work. That love had a grip on me. It kept me by the shoulders and wouldn’t let me go. If Melanie is feeling for you anything close to what I’m feeling for Jade, she won’t be able to walk away, no matter what you think you did to her.”
“Tal, you know what I did to her. I intentionally didn’t take her phone call that night while we were driving to Denver to see Wendy Madigan. I was pissed off because she had sneaked out of my house when you and Jade showed up. I was being petty. I deserted her in her time of greatest need, just like I deserted you.”
“Are we really going to get back on that hobbyhorse?” Talon sat down next to me, a cup of coffee in his hand. “You did not desert me that day. You said you couldn’t go with me. I chose to go by myself.”
“Ryan didn’t desert you. Your little brother was there when you needed him, but not your big brother.” I fisted my hands in each side of my hair. “Some big brother.”
“Oh, for fuck’s sake. How long are we going to go through this? Are you going to try to get me to sock you again? That didn’t work out so well the first time. You know damned well I can’t ease your guilt. No one can, except you. You have to let it go, Joe. And please, if you can’t let it go for yourself, let it go for me. I’m happy now. I have the most wonderful woman in the world by my side, I own a quarte
r of this ranch, and I thought, for a few seconds, that I was going to see my big brother get the same kind of happiness with a wonderful woman.”
“Are you saying you’re healed?”
“Yes and no. I’m functioning, and I’m happy. Does my past still haunt me sometimes? Of course it does. And I imagine your guilt will always haunt you on some level. But you have to let it go. You have to pick up the pieces of your life and live. Suck out the good in life while you can. Someday none of us will be here.”
So here I was, feeling like an idiot again. My brother, who had been through so much at such a young age, was trying to pick me up. What a selfish bastard I was.
“Man, I’m sorry.”
“Would you stop apologizing to me? I forgave you a long time ago.”