“Try me.”
He smiles at my dry tone. “I’ve known him most of my life, and I still don’t always understand the way his mind works. He’s very one track, and he doesn’t always get it when his actions are socially inappropriate, or maybe he just doesn’t care.” He rubs his chin, considering. “When he has an idea in his head of what he wants, he goes for it without thinking about anything other than reaching that goal.”
“So he’s Machiavellian.”
“Sort of. He has scruples. It’s just hard to find them sometimes.”
I eat a few more bites of my steak before responding. “Well, I just hope he leaves Piper alone. One bad man in her life is enough. But enough about my sibling drama. What about you? Do you have any brothers or sisters?”
“Nope. I was an only child.”
“Must be nice. All that peace and quiet.”
“Actually, I always wanted siblings.” His lips tilt in a rueful smile.
“Well, let me tell you what you missed out on: lots of arguing, teasing, and embarrassment. Not to mention the personal possessions going missing, fighting over food, and getting egged when you’re making out with a boy for the first time.” That last bit was courtesy of nine-year-old twin terrors.
He laughs and wipes his mouth with a napkin. “Honestly, that sounds like a blast to me. I would have loved to have someone to fight with. Even if it meant eggs on my face.” His eyes drop to the table. “I was alone a lot.”
He flags down a waitress while I pull pieces of my heart back together.
I only vaguely register his words as he asks for an order of baby back ribs to go, and the check.
“Late-night snack?” I ask once the waitress disappears and I find my voice again.
“No. I hear it’s Jacob’s favorite.”
I blink in surprise. “It is.”
“If he’s out, you can stick it in the fridge for him.”
I shake my head in amazement. “That’s incredibly considerate of you to do for my asshole little brother.”
“He’s a good guy. He’s just in a dark place.”
The waitress returns with the check, letting us know the ribs will be ready in a few more minutes, and I excuse myself to go to the bathroom before we hit the road.
I wash my hands and stare at my reflection in the mirror, trying to imagine having no siblings, no family. Every time he lets it slip that he’s alone, my heart breaks a little more. Obviously, he has friends, although if Oliver Nichols is an example of what his friends are like, no wonder he’s lonely. I guess he has Nora, his business partner. It’s not quite the same though, is it?
My family is a little broken, a lot damaged, and we probably fight too much, but we love each other. What would I do without them?
A few minutes later, everything is settled, and we’re in the car, making the drive back to Whitby in comfortable silence.
We’re nearly outside of town when I finally speak what I’ve been thinking about since we left the restaurant. “I’m sorry if what I said was insensitive, about my siblings and how they make me crazy.”
“No. Not at all. I think it’s one of those things where the grass is always greener. You know? If you don’t have siblings, you want them, and if you have them, you want to get rid of them. Not literally, like”—he removes one hand from the wheel to make a neck-slashing motion—“but you know what I mean.”
I smile. “Yeah. You’re probably right.”
We’re silent the rest of the way to the cabins, lost in our thoughts while Archer navigates the winding road with ease.
He stops next to the truck at the side of the main house. At least Jacob is home. That means he and Frank didn’t get into too much trouble.
“I have to run in and grab my things, anyway, so let me carry your bag to the door.”
“That’s not—” My protests are futile. He’s out of the car before I can finish my sentence.
He grabs my duffle from the back and follows me to the side door.