Page 37 of Long Road Home

I was willing to be the bigger person and act like I could push it to the side for Toby’s sake. But forgive her? Was it in any way possible?

I had no fucking clue, and the answer wasn’t going to be found on the driving range. It was going to be found by spending time with Destiny, seeing if there was any chance in hell we could piece back together any resemblance of a relationship years after she’d ripped it to shreds.

Twelve

Jordan

The doorbell rang,and I tossed the oven mitts to the kitchen counter, rushing to the front door. Good God, I was as nervous as I was the first time I ever took Destiny out on a date, alone in my pick-up truck hoping like hell a movie and a trip to Scone’s Cones would lead to us getting more comfortable in the cab of my truck with one long bench seat.

That didn’t happen that night. It took months before she allowed that and longer until she was ready for everything, but when she did, it had been beyond my wildest imagination.

Ever since I left the course, my mind had been half at work, half at tonight’s dinner. Maybe it was Ryan goading me to put my physical desires above the smartest decisions. Maybe it was Shawn’s hope saying something good actually came of this disaster. In any event, I was a fucking nervous wreck to have destiny and Toby in my house for the first time.

I flung open the door, and a whirlwind of dark hair that matched my own flipped through the air. My sister shoved me back as she entered the house.

Behind her, Cooper threw up his hands and followed. “Tried to stop her. She wouldn’t listen.”

“What the hell are you doing here?” I growled, closing the door behind them.

Rebecca grinned. “Can’t a girl stop by to see her brother?”

“Not when that brother has company coming over, which you know about because I told you.”

She laughed at my glare. My older sister was a pain in my ass. I also loved her more than life.

“Oh. Was that tonight?”

Her gaze flickered around my entryway and she bit her lip. I lost my glare and my shoulders relaxed as I caught her expression.

“You want to see him.” I yanked her to my chest and wrapped her in my arms.

“It’s killing me to wait,” she muttered against my shirt. “I won’t be mean. I promise.”

I hugged her tightly while she fought a hold on her emotions. Rebecca lost everything in a short amount of time. Until Cooper showed up last summer, I was worried I’d never get her back. Now, she was almost as wild and crazy as she’d always been before, with a slight edge to her that still slashed my gut. She carried a pain she was healing from, but it would never fully disappear.

I let her go and pushed her gently into Cooper’s waiting arms. He took my sister and curled her front to his side and kissed the top of her head.

“You’re such a brat. Be nice. Promise me you can do that and I’ll let you stay for a few minutes.”

Her brown eyes went wide and hopeful. I looked at Cooper to find him looking down at her, grinning like an idiot. It was his usual expression when it came to Rebecca.

“You’ll keep her in line?” I asked him.

He barked out a laugh. “Like that could ever happen.”

“Shit.” Whatever. I doubted my sister could be mean to someone with a kid in the room, although her barbs could sometimes be pretty passive aggressive, striking slowly but hitting their mark. The excitement in her eyes made me cave. When it came to Rebecca, I’d give her everything I could to keep her smiling and happy.

Little shit knew it too.

“Fine. They’ll be here any minute. Why don’t you go finish the salad I was making and check the lasagna?”

“Well that’s not very nice of you. Putting me to work when I’m a guest.”

“Yeah? How many times do I show up at your house and you do the same to me?”

Always. The answer was always. Not that I minded. That land had once been mine and it would have been impossible to go see her andnotdo work. Still, my point was made. She huffed indignantly and pushed out of Cooper’s arms, sauntering to the kitchen like she owned it. “Fine. I’ll do this. But you owe me.”

“I figure she owes me for showing up,” I said, dropping my voice so only Cooper could hear me.

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