I blink at her, surprised. “I’d like that.”
“Great. Now, what can I do for you? I’m sure you didn’t pop in just to have me talk your ear off.”
“I always love chatting, but I’m meeting my brother, Scott, here.”
“Oh, yes, he’s here. Follow me.”
She leads me through the dining room where Scott’s sitting. Surprisingly, when I approach, my brother stands and pulls my chair out for me.
“Are you buttering me up for something?”
Scott shakes his head and sits across from me. “Thanks for meeting me here. I didn’t know if you would after the way I spoke to you when you came to my place.”
“I didn’t know if I would, either,” I reply and take a sip of ice water. “Did someone die, and now you have an opening on your friends list?”
He winces and leans his arms on the table. “I owe you an apology. For that, and for a lot of things. I just—”
He sighs and rubs his hand over the back of his neck.
“You really hurt me when you left, and I know I’m not a teenager anymore, but those feelings didn’t just go away because you came home and said you were sorry.”
I nod slowly. “I understand.”
“But, I didn’t have the right to snap at you like I did. That wasn’t right, and I’m sorry for it.”
“Thank you. Apology accepted.”
His eyebrows climb in surprise. “Just like that?”
“Sure. Like you said, you were hurt. I wish it had been different. In my mind, itwouldhave been different, and I have no one to blame for that but myself.”
“Bullshit. You were married to a piece of garbage who controlled your every move. Luna and June have filled me in.”
“I’m a grown woman,” I counter. “I should have been stronger and stood up to him.”
“Maybe,” he says softly. “But I think it’s more complicated than that.”
“You’re probably right.”
My stomach has settled, my raw nerves are soothed, and I just want to reach out and hug my baby brother.
But I don’t. Not yet.
“I heard that you’ve had some break-ins at your house,” he says after we’ve ordered lunch. “Any news on that?”
“No. There were no fingerprints, and the cameras didn’t see their face. They were dressed in black, with a hoodie pulled low. Couldn’t get a good look at them.”
“Jesus, Sarah.”
“I know. But, Tanner hasn’t let me out of his sight unless I’m at work or with the girls, so I’m never alone. It’s really annoying.”
“You have to be careful,” he says.
“Now you sound like Tanner.”
“So, you’re back with him, huh?”
“Yeah.” I nod, watching him. His own shoulders have relaxed since I got here. He’s so handsome, muscular, and tall. I bet the girls clamor for him. “You always liked Tanner, back in the day.”