Sawyer’s hands curled into fists on the arms of his chair. Completely oblivious as usual. “He’s talking about Kat and the baby, you idiot.”
“That’s not a mess,” Finn argued, looking between his father and his brother. “My attorneys have it all handled. I’m going to meet with her this week to negotiate
a settlement and get her to sign off. It’s fine.”
Trevor studied his sons for a moment and then pinched the bridge of his nose. “I don’t know how the two of you could look so similar and be so different. You are a damn fool, Finn. It’s not fine. You got a stranger pregnant.”
“It was an accident! I assure you I did, and always have done, everything in my power to keep that from happening.”
“Everything short of keeping it in your pants,” Trevor snapped.
While Sawyer did enjoy Finn getting his comeuppance on some level, he was growing uncomfortable being in the room. “Do I really need to be in here for this? I thought we were out-briefing on the new facility.”
He started to push up from his chair, but Trevor’s sharp gaze caused him to sit back down immediately. “You stay,” he said. “You’ve been the one handling things with Kat while he’s been gone. You know her better than anyone.”
“I don’t see what the problem is,” Finn argued. “I plan to take care of Kat and the baby.”
“That’s not enough. Writing a check and walking away from your responsibilities is not enough. You’ve forgotten that I’ve met this woman. Your mother met her. Your grandmother and sisters have met her. And they like her. I like her. She’s not your usual weekend delight that you can give a check to and send on her way. She’s more your brother’s speed, to be honest, but she had the misfortune of meeting the wrong Steele twin. She is smart and kind, and the best damn thing to ever happen to you. She could be the thing that turns your life around. And accident or no accident, she deserves better than what you’re offering.”
“You don’t even know what I’m offering.”
“I know what you’re not offering,” their father said sharply. “You know, I sent you to China in the hopes you would grow up. You’re almost thirty-four years old and you’ve been causing problems for the family since you found that pecker between your legs. Now it looks like I’m going to have to make you man up once and for all.”
Finn was pressed back so far in his chair, Sawyer thought he might tumble backward. He was smart enough not to say anything else at this point. Even Finn knew when to shut up and just listen.
“That is your child, and you’re going to marry its mother. Steeles don’t walk away from their mistakes.”
“Only when we can’t erase them and pretend like they never happened,” Finn said.
Sawyer’s eyes widened as he looked at his brother in shock. Maybe Finn wasn’t as smart as he thought.
“What did you say?” Trevor asked in a biting, sarcastic tone.
“I’m talking about Morgan and how your guiding hand completely destroyed her life. You paid off River and just swept her marriage and her baby under the rug, but you can’t do that with me, so you’re bullying me into doing what you want instead.”
Sawyer was afraid to take a breath. He sat still, waiting for the blowback. He’d never heard Finn—or anyone for that matter—speak to their father that way. He could see the anger twitching the muscles in his father’s jaw as he considered his words.
“You’re right,” Trevor said at last, in a cold, calm voice. “I thought at nineteen that Morgan was too young and immature to make her own decisions and I was wrong. But this time, I’m right, and you’ve just proved you’re still too immature to make your own decisions.”
Finn didn’t have anything to say to that. Neither did Sawyer. What could he say? This was what Kat wanted, although she probably would’ve preferred it not be a shotgun wedding.
“Tomorrow night, we’ll have a nice family dinner to welcome you home. We will invite Kat. And there, in front of everyone, you’re going to present her with an engagement ring and ask her to be your wife. Do you understand me?”
Finn swallowed hard and nodded.
“Very good. Now give your travel paperwork and receipts to your assistant to file and go get some rest. You’re dismissed.” Both brothers stood up, but Trevor’s gaze shot to Sawyer. “Not you.”
Finn basically ran from the office, leaving Sawyer behind. He sighed and sat back in the chair, awaiting whatever tongue-lashing he’d earned lately. His father probably knew about him sneaking around with Kat. The man seemed to know everything that happened in this family.
“What am I going to do with him?” Trevor asked with a heavy sigh.
“If you make him marry her, he’s going to be miserable. And he’ll make everyone else miserable, including Kat.”
“I know. But at some point, he needs to take responsibility.”
“Let me marry her instead.” The words slipped from Sawyer’s lips before he’d fully thought them through. He didn’t regret them, though.
Trevor snapped his gaze over to his son. “That’s a generous offer. Would you care to tell me why you’d like to marry Kat in your brother’s place?”