Page 27 of Ransom

"Look," I continue, softening my tone. "Being a parent is scary for everyone. But you've got something a lot of new dads don't have—a whole team of people ready to support you. Me, the other guys, Janey, all the women... we're all here for you."

"But what if I make a mistake?" Jonas asks, his voice barely above a whisper.

I laugh. "Oh, you're definitely going to mess up. We all do. You're learning on the job, brother; mistakes are going to happen. The important thing is that you'll love that kid more than anything in the world, and I believe that's going to be more than enough."

Jonas takes a deep breath, his shoulders relaxing slightly. "I will love our baby. That is the only thing I do not doubt." He nods absently. "Yes, I can do this."

"I know you can," I say firmly. "And you know how I know? Because you're here, worrying about being a good dad months before the baby's even born. That right there tells me you're going to be great at this."

A small smile tugs at the corner of Jonas's mouth. "I am great at many things."

"Yeah, you are," I say, holding back my laugh. "Why don't you go take Janey some tea? I've heard ginger might help with the nausea."

Jonas nods, standing up. He smooths down his hair and tucks his hands in the pockets of his cardigan. "Tea. Yes. I can do that. I will take my Janey a tea."

As he reaches the door, he turns back. "Ransom?"

"Yeah?"

"Thank you. I suppose you are evidence of figuring things out as you go. You did a good job raising all of us."

I blink quickly. It's so dusty in here. "Thank you."

He nods, and he's gone, my door left wide open again, just the way I like it.

I settle back at my desk, reeling a bit. There have been so many times in my life that I wished there was someone to give me advice, so many times I was worried I was fucking up. But building my family wasn't one of them. I knew, deep in my gut, that we were all supposed to be together. I knew when I found each of my brothers that they were the missing pieces.

Except for Jonas.

I didn't see him at first. Zach had a way of pulling attention, and at first, I didn't see how deliberate it was. I didn't understand the why of it. All I knew was that he had a way of charming people that was fucking beautiful to watch.

He was overprotective of Jonas, even then. I figured if I got on Jonas's good side, it would be easier to get Zach to join us. His kind of charm was going to be vital to anything I did.

But Jonas was his own kind of special. Hanging around him was the best kind of work. He ignored me at first, but I kept showing up until he wouldn't stop talking. It was all I could do to keep up with that beautiful brain of his.

It's funny. From the moment we all became a family, things seemed to fall into place. Yeah, there were moments of struggle, but the path was so clear to me.

It's not anymore.

With a deep breath, I pull open the folder I'd been avoiding for months. Inside lies the letter from Robert McKenna, the man who was like a second father to me. The man that saved me from myself.

The man that tore the person I loved most in the world away from me, setting me on the path to who I am now.

My fingers trace the edges of the paper, worn from countless readings. He sent it after he visited. And I’ve looked at it nearly every day since I received it.

Robert's familiar scrawl fills the page, his words heavy with concern for Blair.

Ransom, I know I'm asking a lot, but I need you to look out for Blair. That garage... it's holding her back. She's wasting away in this small town, living a life that's too small for her. I want her to have choices and opportunities she can't even imagine right now. Set her free, please.

I close my eyes, remembering Blair as she was—fierce, brilliant, unstoppable. The thought of her stuck in Badger Falls, her world shrinking to the size of an old garage, makes my chest ache.

But it's the next part that always twists the knife:

I regret how things ended when you left town. Even now, after all these years, I'm not sure I made the right call. I pushed you away, thinking it was for the best. But maybe I was wrong. Maybe I robbed you both of something precious

I lean back in my chair, the weight of Robert's words settling on me like a physical thing. He'd been trying to protect Blair, to protect me. But in doing so, he'd set us on diverging paths that led us here—me, successful but alone, and Blair, safe but stagnant.

I'm fucking livid, just like I was the first time I read this. He took her away. He fucking broke us.

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