Page 27 of Shades of You

Gabe grinned. “It didn’t work out so well for me. Then again, I’m not you, am I? They’d have to be idiots to want to mess with you. Which brings us back to the fact that theyareColeridges. Are you hoping to be some modern-day version of Romeo and Juliet or something?”

I gave a reluctant bark of laughter. “Hardly. That didn’t end too well for them, did it?”

“Well, if it’s not the old family feud, then what is it?”

“It’s just…” My words trailed off as I considered how much to reveal. How much of my turmoil could I lay bare before it became too real?

“Come on, man. You can talk to me.”

“Let’s just say… I’m attracted to her. A lot. But acting on it isn’t smart.” I leaned forward, resting my elbows on the table and letting my fingers trace along the grooves in the wood.

“Because…?”

“Because I’m not the right guy for her, Gabe.” Theadmission came out gruff, almost a growl. “And I need to keep my distance before we both get hurt.”

Gabe didn’t say anything for a moment, just watched me with that all-seeing gaze of his. “Hunter, what happened with Evan was an accident. Even he is starting to acknowledge that. Stop blaming yourself for that and the other things. Stop blaming yourself for people you couldn’t save.”

I slumped back in my seat. “It’s not that easy.”

Gabe’s expression softened. “I know it’s not, but moving back here was a big step. Keep chipping away, Hunter. You’ve been shouldering the weight of the world for too long.”

“Look…” My throat tightened as the words clawed their way out. “I’m just… I’m too screwed up. Brenna, she’s?—”

“Too good for you? Is that what you’re trying to say?” Gabe’s tone was gentle, but it prodded the raw edges of my conscience.

“Something like that,” I murmured. Memories coursed through me… the last time I’d promised to protect someone and failed. And Evan. I had shattered us both in one single blow of fate. How could I even consider holding Brenna close?

“Remember that summer you and Evan built that treehouse in the yard?” Gabe asked, seemingly out of nowhere. “You two always thought you were invincible.”

I smiled despite myself. “Yeah, until I fell out and broke my arm.”

“Exactly,” he said pointedly. “You fell, you got hurt, and you healed. You’re not broken beyond repair, Hunter. Plenty of people care about you.”

My chest constricted with a mix of gratitude and pain. Gabe always knew how to cut through the bullshit. He saw the mess inside me and still had this irritating belief I couldbe more. I stared into the amber depths of my beer, grappling with the conflicting emotions swirling inside me. Would I ever be able to look back without regret and self-hatred? I didn’t know, but I was trying.

Taking a deep breath, I met Gabe’s gaze. “Thanks, man. I appreciate you looking out for me.”

“That’s what big brothers are for, remember?” He smiled, but it was tight. Probably because he was thinking the same thing I was.

Evan was also my big brother.

I topped off our glasses with more beer. “Can we talk about something else now? How’s the construction at the Barn coming along?”

Gabe hesitated for a moment, then gave in to my subject change. “It’s going well. The crew is making good progress.”

“I like how you’re mixing the old with the new. That place has always been more than just walls and beams.”

“The extra two bedrooms are shaping up nicely.” Then he dropped his gaze to the tabletop, a shy smile rising. His hand absentmindedly rubbed the back of his neck before he raised his eyes to mine again. “We found out it’s a boy.”

“Really?” I smiled at the news. “How ’bout that. It looks like the Markham name is secured for another generation, huh?”

He leaned back, uncertainty flickering through his expression. “It is, though I’ve got mixed feelings about that. Hailey’s every bit as much of a Markham as the baby April’s carrying.” Gabe’s daughter was a bright, vivacious child with cascades of brown hair. Gabe shrugged, a gesture of surrender to the weight of tradition. “Maybe she’ll hyphenate her name if she gets married, like Maia did. Can’t really change over a century of family history, can we?”

“Probably not.”

“April’s already picking out stuff for the nursery.”

“You building a crib for him?” I asked. Gabe was an expert wood artisan and had made cribs for both Hailey and Maia’s daughter, Skye.

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