“If you want to come here to meet him, I can get you here. Got it?”
Fuck. This dude and his pride.
“Sorry. Let me talk to my other brother. He actually seems like the better of the two evils at the moment.” Romeo handed me his phone, running a hand down his face and shaking his head with irritation.
That earned a laugh from both me and Brinkley.
“Listen, Tia. I can come there, or I can fly you here.” I held my hand up to the broody bastard who looked like he wanted to punch me in the face. “Dude, I have access to a plane; stop being a stubborn ass.”
“You tell him, Lincoln. He’s so stubborn sometimes.”
“I can hear you,” Romeo said dryly.
“When are you coming home, Romeo?”
“Tomorrow,” he answered quickly. “They’re letting me crash here for the night, and then I’ll head home. I’ve got to get back to work.”
“I think the gym can survive without you for a few days. I’m so bummed I’m missing this sleepover tonight. Hashtag sibling goals.”
“Tia, I think you and I are going to get along really well.” Brinkley smiled.
“Me, too. So, we’ll figure out a time to get together soon. I can’t wait to meet you both. Thanks for looking out for Romeo.”
“Annnd I think we’re done here. I’ll call you tomorrow, okay?” Romeo said as I handed him the phone back.
“Goodnight, brother dearest. I love you.”
“Yep. Love you.” He ended the call.
“You two are close, huh?” I asked.
“Yeah. She’s a pain in my ass, but I love her.”
We sat there quietly for a minute. “You want to see the gym here? It’s pretty badass.”
“Hell, yeah. Now you’re speaking my language.”
We took him on a quick tour of the house, and after a lengthy argument, with him insisting on sleeping on the couch, he agreed to stay in the guest room, as there were four empty bedrooms in this place.
When we got to the gym, he took it in and didn’t hide his surprise. “Damn. This is top-notch. What I wouldn’t give to have a home fucking gym like this.”
“We’ll be getting up early to work out tomorrow. How about you stick around a little longer, and you can join us?” Brinkley asked.
Romeo glanced around, taking a minute to think it over. “I could do that. Remember, I’m younger than you, so you might not be able to keep up, old man.”
I smirked. “We’ll see about that.”
And just like that, I was falling into a rhythm with my new brother.
Romeo ended up staying over a second night, and we’d worked out two mornings in a row together. The dude was a badass. There were very few people who could manage to do both my cardio and my strength training workout. But this guy challenged me every step of the way.
He’d grabbed a quick shower and enjoyed the breakfast Brinkley had made for us before insisting he had to get back home to work.
He waited until Brinkley stepped away to use the restroom, and he turned to face me. The envelope was in his hand. “Are you going to stop being a pussy and read the damn letter?”
“Fuck off. I’m not being a pussy,” I said, snatching it from his hand and smirking. “It’s just… I know he’s your dad, but I don’t know the guy. So, I’m not sure how I feel about reading a letter from a dude that I never knew, who is no longer here.”
“Well, you never knew me before, and now you’re a bit of a clingy motherfucker.” He laughed. “Listen. The man wasn’t perfect, but he was a good guy, Lincoln. He made some mistakes, and they haunted him. I don’t know what the fucking letter says, but he wanted you to have it. He sure as fuck didn’t leave a letter for me and Tia.”
I nodded. “All right. I’ll read it, just not right now. And don’t ever call me clingy again.”
A wide grin spread across his face. He’d been doing that a lot this morning. There was a comfort there now, and we’d gotten past the awkward stage. It was crazy to think we’d only known one another for forty-eight hours, but somehow, it felt like I’d known the guy all my life.
“Dude, you’re about to get really well acquainted with clingy. But remember, you gave Tia your number, not me. The girl has no boundaries. She’ll be so far in your business, you won’t know what hit you.”
Tia had texted me three times this morning, and she’d texted Brinkley far more than that. Neither of us minded.
“It’ll be fine. I want to talk to you about something.”
“Shoot.”
“I know money is tight after the funeral, and I just want to give you and Tia a little something to get on your feet.” I pulled out the wad of money in my back pocket that I’d planned to give him.
His gaze hardened. “Lincoln, I appreciate it. That’s not what I came here for. If you want to help out Tia, I won’t get in your way. She deserves a break. She works really hard at school, and she helps out our mom a lot. But I’m good.”
“Damn, you’re stubborn. I can help. Why won’t you let me?”
“I would if I needed it.” He clapped me on the shoulder. “And I’ll see you in a couple of weeks when you and Brinkley come to Magnolia Falls.”
“All right. Call me when you make it home, okay?”
Brinkley came out and wrapped him in a hug. “I’m glad you came, Romeo. You’re stuck with us now.”
“I’m good with that.” He winked. The dude had swagger, no doubt about it. And it made me fucking proud.
We walked him outside, and he extended a hand to me. “Thanks for letting me crash here.”
I pulled him in for a hug, keeping my voice low. “You’re always welcome wherever I am. You got it?”
“Same for you.” He pulled back and then reached for his helmet.
“Remember to shoot me a text when you get home,” I reminded him.
“Like I said, you’re a little clingy, brother.” Romeo barked out a laugh before firing up his engine.
Brother.
My chest squeezed at his words, and I saluted him before flashing him the bird.
I knew in my gut that, moving forward, he and Tia were going to be permanent fixtures in my life.
And I was totally okay with that.
twenty-five
Brinkley
We’d just finished a six-mile run, and my legs were rubbery and weak. “I can’t keep up with you lately, and you know it’s hard for me to admit that.”
Lincoln turned to look at me with concern and grabbed me by the thighs and flipped me over his shoulder. “I’ll carry you, then.”
“It doesn’t mean I can’t walk; it just means you’re getting faster.” I smacked his ass as my body relaxed against him.
“I’m training harder than I ever have, and I like having you push me on the runs.”
I sighed and pushed up, sliding down his body until my feet hit the ground. “Then I guess I’ll just have to keep pushing alongside you.”
“Tell me about your two offers,” he said.
I’d tried to fill him in on the latest with my job prospects when we’d started our run, but my breathing was so labored right out of the gate that I’d been unable to form a complete sentence.