“Don’t sound so surprised. I said that I would be here,” he said, tweaking her nose the same way he’d done when they were kids.
She made a face. “I’m not used to the new and improved Heath Donahue,” she said in a teasing voice. “You were blowing us off for a while there.” Her smile suddenly disappeared. “Seriously, I’m glad you came back to us.”
“Me too,” he said, knowing he wasn’t all the way back. He still had a lot of work to do. But he was ecstatic that the changes were noticeable ones.
“Heath!” His older brother Daniel slapped him on the shoulder. Tall and lean with classic features, Daniel was the most serious of his siblings. At least at first appearance. Owner of a multi-million dollar video game business, Daniel was quickly becoming a force to be reckoned with in the gaming business. At times, Daniel could appear a bit disconnected, as if he wasn’t fully engaged. Although he had been tested as a child for autism, none of the experts thought he suffered from the syndrome. Over time, they had all just come to the realization that this was the way the good Lord had made Daniel. He was the most generous and loyal person in the world. And if at times he zoned out emotionally, he made up for it in many other areas.
Parker reached out and handed him a hard cider. “Good to see you, bro.”
“Good to be here,” he said with a nod.
Caleb called out to him from over at the grill. He was flipping burgers and handing them over to Nash, who was holding a plate. They both had aprons on with roosters emblazoned on them. Heath chuckled to himself. As the youngest brother, Nash was always the one holding the plate or the groceries or the door. Even though Shayla was technically the youngest, she had always been treated as the Donahue princess. By the time she’d been born they had all been in
awe of the sweet little baby girl who could wrap them all around her finger in an instant.
Shayla was the jewel in the Donahue crown and he pitied the guy who thought he could step up and win her heart. He’d have to face down seven brothers and one devoted Papa in order to do so.
Heath took a seat next to Jason and took a swig of his cider. He was listening to the conversations around him and all the while his mind kept going back to the huge drama playing out in his life. He kept going around and around it in his mind. I’m going to be somebody’s father! As a man who worshiped the ground his own father walked on, it was daunting.
By the time food was served, Heath had a good grasp on what all of his siblings were up to in their lives. Nash’s photos had been featured in some major magazines like National Geographic, Sports Illustrated and Travel and Leisure. Shayla had been nominated for teacher of the year in Pelican Bay. So much good news was flowing around him. He had been MIA over the past few months, focusing on getting his house in order and seeking treatment. He had purposefully simplified his life so he could make the necessary changes. But he loved being in the thick of things with his siblings. There was nothing quite like being in the presence of people who knew him like no other. Except Bella, he thought. She knew him better at times than he knew himself.
“You’re awfully quiet.” Micah, Heath’s brother, jutted his chin at him. “What’s up with you? Is it Bella?”
Heath winced. Was he that transparent? Perhaps he was wearing his heart on his sleeve about Bella and the baby.
Caleb shook his head at Micah. “Give it a rest, Micah. He’s trying to relax tonight.”
“What?” Micah asked, his expression full of innocence. “I’m just trying to be supportive. To show I care.”
“Otherwise known as being nosy,” Shayla said, jabbing Micah in the side.
“Ouch! You could kill someone with those sharp elbows,” Micah said, causing his siblings to burst into laughter. Micah enjoyed making his siblings laugh and he focused a lot of his energies on that pursuit. As a successful male model, Micah didn’t always enjoy the focus on his looks. Heath knew it sometimes became tiresome when people tended to focus on that aspect of him rather than anything else. Micah kept saying he wanted to settle down with a woman of faith who cared more about his heart than his bone structure.
Heath found himself chuckling at his brother’s humor.
“Hey, I wasn’t trying to pry,” Micah said, shooting him an apologetic look.
“No worries,” Heath said.
He knew Micah was only asking because he cared. For so long, Heath had been out of the loop. He didn’t blame his brother for being concerned about him.
“Seriously though, how are things going Heath? We’ve been walking on eggshells with you. No one wants to ask about your PTSD and how the counseling is going,” Parker said. As the oldest Donahue brother, Parker tended to take control of situations. He was a straight shooter who didn’t hedge on asking questions or stating his opinions. Heath respected all of his brothers, but he admired Parker and Caleb for stepping outside of their respective comfort zones and reaching for their dreams with their significant others. Both were now married to the loves of their lives. Despite major obstacles, Parker had married Cadence and Caleb was now happily married to the lovely Addie.
Things might be so different for him right now if he had been completely transparent with Bella. For a long time, he had hidden his issues from her. To this day, he still had never told her the excruciating details about witnessing his best friend’s death or about being the one to find his mother in her bedroom after she had passed away. Just thinking about it caused a pain to spread across his chest. It was like opening a can of worms. After all this time, it still felt devastating.
“Things are going well, Parker. I appreciate your concern, but like I told you guys last night, I’m moving towards healing. It’s not an overnight process and I still have miles to go on this journey, but…I can work through my down moments. I can get out of bed in the morning. I’m working full-time now. The flashbacks about Vinny’s death have eased up a lot,” he explained.
“That’s really great,” Jason said, putting his arm around him. Shayla wiped away tears with the back of her hand.
“Don’t start with the waterworks,” Micah said with a groan.
“I’m not crying,” Shayla said with trembling lips. “There’s just something in my eye.” That single comment had all of them laughing again. They all knew their baby sister was a big crier. It didn’t take much to bring on the tears.
Heath put his plate down on the table, then cleared his throat. “I do have something important to tell you guys. I’ve already told mom and dad.”
All eyes turned toward him. Since he’d always been a man of few words, he could see the curiosity emanating from their eyes. His tongue felt frozen. Now what? He didn’t even know how to say it. Bella hadn’t told him to keep it under wraps, so he felt free to share the exciting news.
“I don’t quite know how to say this. It’s something I just found out.” He folded his arms across his chest. His heart was racing like a thoroughbred. How would his siblings react to this earth shattering news?