Page 111 of The Prodigal Son

Instead of putting out my hand to shake his, I put my arms out for a hug. Although I’m the one coming home, I’m sure it’s awkward for him, too. He’s more a part of this family than I am at this point.

“I’m glad you’re here,” I mumble into our hug.

“I was just thinking the same,” he replies as he pats my back.

As we pull apart, I hug Briar too, and introduce them all to Jensen. Then, it’s just…normal. It feels like home.

Itishome.

Thirty-Two

Jensen

Isaac is fidgeting nervously on the sofa next to me. After we all greeted his brother, Caleb, Isaac’s mother got a text message that Adam and Sage were running late. So we’re in their living room, around the fireplace, catching up while we wait.

Caleb and Dean have gotten Isaac caught up on their lives. Then Isaac explained his rise to success, which everyone was already aware of, of course.

I’m impressed with the family’s ability to focus on each other rather than dwell on all the negative things that have happened to them in the past couple of years, mainly involving the patriarch of the family.

But when Caleb turns to his twin and asks, “Were you shocked to see him?” everyone freezes with nervous tension. Isaac looks so uncomfortable that I want to whisk him away from this house to protect him.

No one says anything for a while as we all wait for Caleb to catch on. “What did I miss?” he asks, looking around.

“Isaac was staying with me, Caleb,” Luke says bluntly. My eyes widen at his boldness to just come out with it. Then I squeeze Isaac’s hand in mine because I know he has to hate this.

“What?” Caleb asks. “What do you mean he was staying with you? Like this weekend?”

The air is so thick in the room, we could choke on it. I can see the regret in Luke’s eyes as he shakes his head.

“No, Caleb. He’s been with me since he left.”

I slowly watch Caleb’s anger build, and Isaac hangs his head as if to hide.

Caleb rises from the couch with hurt in his expression. “And you never told me?”

Suddenly, the two of them start bickering. Caleb harps on Luke for letting him worry over the last eleven years while Luke shouts back that his only priority was keeping their little brother safe.

Then, I look over and see Isaac’s eyes clench shut before he pops up off the couch in distress. His brothers continue to fight as Isaac storms from the room, jogging up the stairs and away from the chaos in the living room.

His mother looks at me with concern on her face, but when she moves to follow him, I put a hand up. “I’ve got him.”

Leaving the bickering behind me, I march up the large flight of stairs to the second story of the Goode house in search of Isaac. The house is massive. There’s a wing to the right with closed doors, which I assume are bedrooms. To the left, I spot an open door and a shadow cast across the floor.

As I reach the room, I stand in the doorway and watch as Isaac pours whiskey into a short glass on an old bar cart in the corner of a massive office. There is a mahogany desk on the opposite side and an open Bible on the table next to a large leather chair.

Stepping into the room, I close the door behind me to block the sound of his brothers still arguing downstairs. Isaac quickly gulps down the whiskey with a wince before going to pour another.

“Hey, hey, hey,” I say softly as I rest a hand on his to stop him. “That’s not going to make you feel any better.”

“I beg to differ,” Isaac replies with a huff.

I peel his hand from the bottle and force him to face me. He seems so closed in on himself. He won’t look at me or touch me and that’s not like him. Which means I know he’s in his head, probably blaming himself for all of this.

“Look at me,” I whisper, and his eyes slowly drift up to mine. Then, he suddenly melts into my arms. With his face in my neck, he wraps his arms around my body and we just hold each other for a while.

“None of this is your fault. You know that, right?” I mumble against the side of his head.

“Does it even matter? My brothers are fighting because of me. Did you see how sad my mom looked? It’s my fault I haven’t seen her in eleven years.”

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