Page 119 of Game Change

“I ordered dinner for everyone,” he whispers. “I used your credit card, though. I don’t want you to think that I paid.”

I ignore him and go toward the room to warn Brynne that everyone we know is here, but she comes out before I can reach her. She doesn’t seem surprised by the crowd.

Amira and Raven notice her first. They run to her, and the three of them hug. Everyone crowds around her, and I’m relieved when she takes the comfort they offer.

I’m distracted when there’s a knock on the door. It’s my brother and uncle, and right behind them are two men with the food.

“Take care of that for me,” I say to Heath, and he runs to take action, bossing the two men around. I leave him to it.

When I notice Uncle Milton and my brother talking to Brynne alone, I run to her and slide my arm around her waist.

“Brynne, I’m so sorry,” Uncle Milton says. He grabs both her hands. “Whatever you need, you let me know. You can rebuild that house; whatever the insurance won’t cover, Paddy will. If he’s too cheap, you come to me or Colin the First.” He points at my brother, who nods. “I know someone in the DA’s office, so don’t worry.” He squeezes her hands, and I hold my breath while I wait to see what she does next.

“Thank you, Milton, but I’ve already decided not to rebuild. We’re going to focus on the future, and I will design a house for me to live in with my husband.” She pulls her hands away and rests one on my chest.

“Okay, good. I think that’s a good idea. And it’s Uncle Milton.” He taps her shoulder and leaves us alone with my older brother.

I stare at him, unsure of what to say. I don’t know how to interact with him, but he calls me regularly.

“Thank you for coming, Colin the First,” Brynne says. “I appreciate it.”

“Well, you’re family now,” he says. “And I’m sorry about the house. Uncle Milton told me how important it’s always been to you.”

“Thank you. It was,” Brynne says.

“I want you to know that you always have a home with us. The house belongs to all of our dad’s kids. Please don’t wait for an invitation. The door is always open to you. I know Paddy hasn’t always felt like that’s his home, but it is.”

A tear slides down Brynne’s cheek, and she quickly swipes it away. She smiles widely, but her brown eyes are brimming with more unshed tears. My brother opens his arms, and she hugs him. It’s a quick and awkward hug, but I appreciate his effort toward her. Brynne pulls away. Heath snatches my brother and pulls him into the kitchen.

Heath lays out all the food on my kitchen island while he talks nonstop to Colin the First. Everyone serves themselves and finds a spot at the table or in the living room. We don’t talk about the house or the fact that her former stepbrother set it on fire anymore. We talk about the wedding that’s taking place in a few weeks and the plans and activities we have scheduled.

For Ian’s bachelor trip, we only planned a few things ahead of time and played the rest by ear. The wedding planner Brynne hired planned activities for us leading up to the wedding.

After we get married, we’ll spend two more days on the island, but we plan on being together either in the house or by the pool. Then we’ll fly to Bali for the rest of our honeymoon. She doesn’t know where we’re going, but Raven told me that’s one of the places she’s always wanted to go.

Chapter 64

Brynne

“Well, how about if I sue your office and the entire police department? What if I go to the media and expose your incompetence?” It’s incredibly uncommon for Colin to be angry. It’s even more unusual for him to raise his voice.

After ensuring the towel is wrapped tightly around me, I head out of the bedroom. His back is to me. He has the phone to his ear, but from the rigid way he’s standing, I know whatever they say on the other end isn’t improving the situation.

“Oh, really? So, you let this guy out after he broke into my fiancée’s condo only for him to burn down her house.” After a few seconds, he yells, “Well, it wouldn’t have happened if he was locked up like he deserves. Or maybe if you had bothered to tell her he was out, we could have taken precautions.”

I walk behind him and put a hand on his lower back. “I don’t give a damn how apologetic you are. You’ll be hearing from my lawyer.” He ends the call and tosses the phone across the room. Luckily, it lands on the couch.

“I was about to join you in the shower, but the DA’s office called me back.” He pulls me into his arms and rests his hands on my ass.

“You know, I can deal with—”

He put a finger to my lips. “Shh. You agreed to let me handle it while you design the house we will raise our kids in.”

It’s been a week since everything happened. A judge denied Oliver bail; that was the only time I saw him. While in the courtroom, he would not make eye contact with me, but his mother did and mouthed sorry. I had Colin, Raven, and Amira with me.

To my shock, Colin the First, Milton, and Heath showed up, too. When Colin noticed Oliver’s mother looking in my direction, he switched positions with me and stood before me, shielding me from her pleading eyes.

Oliver’s mother is a lot of things. She’s selfish. She’s a terrible parent. She’s neglectful, but she’s not stupid. She has to know there is nothing I can do to help him. Not that I would after everything her son has done to me. When he was taken away in an orange jumpsuit, handcuffs, and chains, part of me felt sorry for him. He had potential, but his fate is out of my hands. He did this to himself.

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