Page 66 of My Fiancé's Brother

He glanced over the railing at me. “Because you and I can have a perfect life together. Look at this place. Together we can do it all.”

His answer left me completely cold. There it was. We both were getting married for different reasons. Maybe we didn’t have the fairy tale marriage, but Matt would give me what I wanted. I would get my husband, and together we would create a little family. And in turn, I would give Matt what he wanted. Money. It’s not like we hated eachother. Before all this craziness started, we had quite liked each other at one point. He would be a successful lawyer, and I would be a stay-at-home mom. And together, we would each find our version of happiness. Love was messy. With Matt, I was in control. There was no dark jealousy or intense fluttering in my stomach. We were a stable couple together. All those big passionate emotions just de-stabilized everything. Created an imbalance. Marrying Matt was the smart choice. Not everyone could have the perfect love story, but together we could create a happy life together. And right now, that sounded good to me.

I looked around the kitchen. There was no way I could cook tonight. I flipped through our take-out brochures and then decided on Thai food. I called for food and then wiped down an already spotless counter. Why did I feel so bereft? I was going to get what I wanted. I wanted a baby. I wanted a family. Together Matt and I would create our own little perfect family. This is what I needed most in this world. So why did my heart feel so heavy?

CHAPTER 21

The loft door slid open.Irene walked in, and Jackson followed behind her. Stupid nerves jangled my body the moment I laid eyes on Jackson's big frame. He exuded a solid, unshakable presence that instantly made me feel nervous and safe at the same time. My eyes slid past his direct gaze, and I proceeded to flush hot.

I forced myself to focus on Irene. “How was your afternoon?”

“Decadent,” she smiled. “After a walk with Jackson, I went back to the hotel and had a long nap and a swim in the pool.”

He was watching me. I could feel it.

“Oh, that sounds lovely,” I smiled trying to shut out his presence. I failed to ignore how tall he was, how his baseball cap was pulled so low on his brow, how green his eyes were. I swear his broad shoulders seemed to get bigger every time I saw him. Why was I noticing him again like this? Was it because of the kiss? I needed to get my mind back in the slow lane with this guy.

Footsteps pounded down the stairs and then Matt stood in front of his mom.

“Sweetheart,” she beamed, opening her arms. Matt bent down and gave her a long hug.

Matt straightened and Jackson and him eyeballed each other.

“Want a beer?” Matt asked.

“Sure.”

Matt went to the fridge and cracked open a couple of cans. “Want to go out on the patio?”

“Yup.” Jackson took his proffered beer, and then the two of them walked outside.

“Can I get you a glass of wine?” I asked Irene.

“That would be nice,” she made herself comfortable at the island.

I poured her some wine. “I decided to send out for dinner tonight. It should be here in a bit.”

I looked outside. Jackson and Matt stood facing each other and seemed to be in a serious conversation. Matt looked agitated as he talked, but Jackson had one hand in his pocket and looked relaxed as he listened.

“It’s been like that since they knew each other,” Irene said as she glanced over her shoulder. “Matt talks and Jackson listens.”

“I didn’t realize until recently how integral Jackson has been to your family. Matt never really mentioned him.”

She looked carefully down at her wine. “Jackson was more my husband’s intention. I would never say this to Jackson’s face, but when he came into our family, it came at quite a price to Matt.”

That wasn’t exactly what I had expected her to say. “Jackson shared with me some of his experiences with Ted and how he came to live with you.”

“Jackson never talks about Ted.”

“Well, I don’t want to exaggerate how much he told me, I'm just trying to figure out what happened.”

"I have known Jackson since he was a little boy and not once have we been allowed to talk about Ted. Not once.”

I was pretty sure she was exaggerating. “Can you tell me how Jackson came to be part of your life?”

“You know that Matt’s dad was a police officer, right?”

I nodded.

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