you?”
“Yes, of course. I’ll go with you whenever you want.”
“Really? That’s great. I’m... I’m thinking I’ll arrange an appointment sometime before the holiday party this weekend. I want to—”
“I’ll clear my calendar whenever you can arrange it.”
“Okay,” he said, his voice cracking a little. As if he was barely holding it together, as if this visit to his grandfather had been festering in his mind. “It means a lot.” Breath whooshed out of his lungs. “Thank you, Ruby.”
“Of course.”
Sadness swept through her when she heard the pain in Brooks’s voice. It only served to prove how much she cared about him. If she could do anything to bring him some peace and sense of closure, she was right on it. But it was more than that. She wanted to be by Brooks’s side, to give him the support and encouragement he might need to make that visit easier for him.
He was her friend, at the very least.
Brooks stood shoulder to shoulder with Beau on the steps of the ranch house as a black limo pulled up and parked. His father took a deep breath in anticipation of seeing his other son for the first time. “I’m the better-looking twin,” Brooks said, smiling.
Beau’s chuckle caught in his throat as Graham stepped out of the car. “My God.”
“Yeah, I know.” It was the typical reaction people had when they met the Newport twins for the first time. One face on two very different men. “Graham cut his hair a bit shorter than usual just so you could tell us apart.”
“That’s...smart,” Beau said with a catch in his throat. Then he took off straight toward the limo, and Brooks followed.
Graham was reaching inside the limo to help his fiancée out of the car. It had been a while since Brooks had seen Eve Winchester. Because she was Sutton Winchester’s daughter, she’d been an immediate adversary, and he hadn’t liked her for a time, but Graham was head over heels in love with Eve, and Brooks had finally made his peace with her.
“Welcome, son,” Beau said, trying his best to keep his composure. As Brooks sidled up next to him, he spotted tears glistening in his father’s eyes. “I’ve waited a long time to meet you.”
“So have I.”
The two men embraced, and Brooks gave Eve a smile and a peck on the cheek.
Graham broke away first from the bear hug, taking Eve’s hand and gently tugging her forward.
“Beau, I’d like you to meet Eve. My fiancée,” Graham said.
Beau embraced Eve carefully. Despite the beige leather jacket and blouse underneath, Eve’s baby bump couldn’t be missed on her slender, athletic body. “Pleased you meet you, Eve. Welcome to my home, and congratulations on the little one. I couldn’t be happier about all of this. My two sons, a new soon-to-be daughter and a grandbaby on the way.”
“We’re excited about it, too,” Graham said, and there were smiles all around.
“I’d appreciate it if both of you called me Dad.”
Graham shot Brooks a quick glance as if to say, Finally. We have a dad. “I think we’d both like to do that, right Eve?”
Her green eyes glittered. “Yes, of course.”
Beau’s lips curved up in a wide smile. Then he scratched his head, shifting his gaze from Graham to Brooks. “You two boys are certainly identical. That much can’t be denied.”
“No, but I’ve wanted to deny this guy was my brother a time or two,” Graham said, eyes twinkling. It was meant as a joke, but there was some truth there, too. They’d had their differences, especially lately. Graham hadn’t exactly approved of the tactics Brooks had used to go after Sutton Winchester.
“Is that so?” Beau asked, puzzled.
“But it’s all good now, right Graham?” Brooks was quick to point out.
“Right.” His brother had the good grace to nod and agree. Brooks didn’t want to dredge up the past, not now, when they’d finally found their family. It was all about the future now.
“Graham, I’ve gotten a chance to get to know Brooks, and he’s told me some about the two of you growing up. I can’t wait to get to know more about you and get acquainted with Eve. I have to admit...there was a time when I didn’t t-think this day...would e-ever come.” Beau choked up.
Graham’s eyes watered a little, too. “Well, we’re here now for a few days and we’ll have lots of time to catch up.”
“You’ll stay for the holiday?”
“Of course.”
“I’m happy to have you here for as long as you want. Let’s get out of the weather. Come on inside. I’ll show you to your room.”
The chauffeur brought the bags in behind his family as they entered the house, but Brooks held back. There was something missing, or rather, someone.
He did a quick scan of the grounds, looking for signs of Ruby. Since their conversation two days ago, he hadn’t stopped thinking about her or his reaction to seeing her with Trace Evans. Jealousy had surged as strong as he’d ever felt it, making him stop and assess exactly what was going on between him and Ruby. He’d never met a woman quite like her, and the thought of her going back to her ex put an ache in his gut.
His hands were tied right now. Ruby didn’t want anyone to find out about their affair, and he couldn’t openly date her. But he wanted to. And that surprised him. He’d never let a woman get close to him. He’d dated, but only halfheartedly and without any notion of commitment. He’d been married to his work and, more recently, too obsessed with finding his true parentage to pursue anyone seriously.
In the back of his mind, he’d always thought that if he met the right woman, all things would fall into place. That had never happened.
With Ruby, it wasn’t just about sex. He’d figured that out straightaway. It wasn’t even that she was forbidden in every sense of the word. Although that had been dangerously exciting. Everything about her seemed to turn him on. Her independence. Her spunk. The way she never gave in or gave up.
But love and romance had taken a backseat in his life lately, and he couldn’t trust what he was feeling. He was out of his element here on Look Away and more vulnerable than he’d ever been before. Yet the more comfortable he was becoming on the ranch, the more he could begin to see himself with Ruby Lopez.
That’s why he’d picked up the phone yesterday and placed a call to Roman Slater to find out more about Trace Evans. A secret little investigation from his friend, a top-notch PI, seemed in order. Brooks had a feeling Trace wasn’t what he seemed. Beau didn’t have a good opinion of the guy, either, and the last thing Brooks wanted was for Ruby to get hurt again.
Then his gaze hit upon the beautiful
