Page 11 of Spencer and the Younger Girl
“Is it?”
“They’ll forgive you once they know why you came back.” He looked away.
So, they were talking about this. Spencer hadn’t admitted to Damien why he was home, or even that he’d read his last email. He hadn’t responded to it.
But Damien had always been the perceptive brother. “It’s because of what I said, isn’t it?”
“You needed me.”
“I did, but I didn’t want you to come back for me. That wasn’t the point. A phone call would have sufficed.”
How could Spencer explain that wouldn’t have been enough for him? That he need to make sure his brother was okay, that he had support.
Maybe he’d only made it worse.
“Damien, I—”
Damien cut him off as they reached the barn. “Will you come to the house for lunch?”
“I don’t know, man.”
“Ma won’t kick you out if I invited you.” He handed off Chet to one of the hands who’d unsaddle him.
“I don’t want to be there if she isn’t okay with it.”
“She’ll live.”
“Damien.”
“Spencer, just stop, okay?” Damien rounded on him. “After three years of dry emails that never said anything, my brother is home. I don’t care what anyone else says. I don’t care if I should be angry with you for leaving or angry with you for coming home for me. The fact is I’m so freaking glad to see you working this ranch with me every day that none of the rest of it matters.”
There was so much emotion on Damien’s face, it didn’t hit Spencer until right then just how much trauma he’d caused with his absence. He yanked his brother into a hug, not bothering with the manly back thumping this time.
He was right. Seeing his brother, his best friend, every day made being home in Florida worth every moment of uncomfortable guilt.
Over three years, he’d made a lot of friends around the world, some he’d traveled with for months.
But no one meant as much to him as his little brother.
Damien gripped him like he was afraid of letting go, and Spencer let him. He just hoped the next time he left, it didn’t cause the same ripples of pain.
Someone clapped nearby, and Spencer pulled back, turning to find a beautiful girl with long blond hair and sparkling green eyes watching them. Beside her was a grinning boy.
“So touching.” The girl’s lips curved into a smile.
In all Spencer’s travels, he hadn’t met a girl who froze everything inside him with just a look. No, he had to come back to Gulf City for that.
Damien wiped his face. “Hey, guys. What are you doing here?”
Spencer snapped out of his trance. “You know them?” The question came out more harshly than he’d intended.
The girl’s smile dropped. “Damien and I are great friends.” She walked to Damien and hooked her arm through his.
Spencer lifted an eyebrow.
Damien mouthed “help” at the other kid.
The boy chuckled. “Hads, leave the poor guy alone. Damo, we need your help.”
