“And I’m not trying to move in on your relationship with your father either, Alex,” I said when Presley paused. “Your dad will always be your dad. I’ll always be your uncle. And both of us will always be here for you.”
Presley’s voice trembled. “We didn’t want to hide this from you. You’re the most important thing to us in the world. And I hope you’ll be okay with this because Levi makes me very happy.”
When Alex remained silent, I decided he needed a prompt. “What are your thoughts, Alex?”
He exhaled and shrugged. “It’s kind of gross, but whatever.”
Presley’s brow lifted. “That’s it?”
“I was scared Uncle Levi was mad. I thought he came all the way here to yell at me. Anything is better than that.”
Presley and I looked at each other, eyes wide. I’d never been so grateful for a misunderstanding. It definitely took the weight off this announcement.
“Does this mean you’re moving in again?” Alex asked after a moment. “I mean, whenever you’re in town?”
“Only if you’re okay with it.”
“Yeah.” He nodded. “That’s cool.”
“Thank you, buddy.”
He turned to Presley. “Can I be excused?”
Presley looked over at me, seeming just as surprised as I was that he was done with this conversation.
“Uh…yeah,” she said. “But are you sure you’re okay? You don’t want to talk about this more?”
“No. I’m okay.” He hopped off the chair and took off down the hall.
Presley seemed dumbfounded.
I shook my head. “That was almost too easy. Should we be concerned?”
“I’ll go check on him in a little while. Maybe he needs to process it alone for a bit. Even if he’s upset and not letting on, only time is going to make it easier to accept. The important thing is that he knows, and we don’t have to hide anymore.”
“Yeah. I’m relieved for sure, although obviously I want him to be okay with it and not just say he is.”
She reached for my hand. “I know.”
***
After dinner that night, I was surprised when Alex came to find me in my room. Presley and I had decided we would not be officially sharing a bedroom anytime soon.
“Hey, buddy. What’s up?”
He looked hesitant as he stood at the doorway. “Are you and Dad not speaking?”
This was likely the rest of the conversation I’d expected earlier. Presley was right. He’d needed to process the initial shock before he could even begin to ask questions.
“Right now, we’re not,” I answered as we both took a seat on the edge of my bed. “Did you talk to him tonight? Is that why you’re asking?”
He nodded, looking guilty.
“It’s okay that you’re talking to him about this. You should never feel like you have to hold anything back from any of us. What did he say, if you don’t mind my asking?”
“He just said he knew about you and Mom and that he was trying to protect me, which was why he didn’t tell me. And then he said you and him aren’t talking right now.”
I hoped there was nothing more, but if that were all Tanner said, it would be a miracle. “Life is complicated, Alex. One thing we can’t control sometimes is the way we feel. In an ideal world, I would’ve met your mother under different circumstances. Your dad has every right to be upset. I’m his brother, and I hurt him. I have to own that. But I promise you, I would’ve never considered getting in the middle of your parents’ relationship if there were a chance that they’d get back together. I realize I have work to do, and I promise you I will do everything I can to fix things with your dad so you don’t have to worry.”
He nodded and started toward the door. But before he left, he turned around.
“If Mom is not with my dad, I would rather she be with you than some weird guy.”
Immense relief washed over me. “Well, I definitely have my weird tendencies, but I can’t tell you how much it means to hear you say that, Alex.”
“I want her to be happy. She seems happy around you.”
“She makes me happy, too, buddy.”
“Be nice to her,” he added.
“You can bet on that.”
He chuckled. “I can’t bet on anything anymore, remember?”
I wanted to hug him, but before I got the chance, he took off down the hall.
A few seconds later, Presley appeared at the door.
“I saw him come in here,” she whispered. “Is everything okay?”
“Yup.” I smiled. “We just had a little man-to-man talk. I’m confident everything is going to be okay.” I reached for her hand and squeezed. “But this has been quite the damn day. I feel like I need a drink the size of my head right now.”
“I think you’ve earned it.” She pulled me toward the kitchen. “I’ll hook my man up.”
Damn, I loved hearing her call me that. Her man. I’d worn many titles in my life and scored in many ways, but snagging Presley and being loved by her? That was better than any touchdown or Super Bowl win.
It was better than anything.
EPILOGUE
* * *
Levi
Two Years Later
I sat across from my brother and Alex at Iggy’s as we finished up our fried chicken dinner. Fake it ’til you make it. They say if you want something bad enough, pretend it’s already happening until one day the dream becomes a reality.
The situation with Tanner and me was far from totally repaired, but we were a work in progress and had come a long way. From the moment I’d told him I’d fallen in love with Presley, I was determined to work toward fixing things, even if it took a lifetime. I knew I’d broken his trust, and it was my responsibility to make things right. As much as Tanner had hurt Presley, he would always be my baby brother. I would always love him—flaws and all.
Some time ago, Tanner and I had agreed to a once-a-month meetup at Iggy’s. Alex had dubbed it The Miller Men Monthly. Except it wasn’t just the three of us Miller Men now. There was a fourth Miller—two older Miller brothers and two younger ones. Baby Eli was a year-and-a-half. He sat in his highchair at the end of the table, munching on puff snacks while the rest of us ate.
“How’s Presley?” my brother asked.
“She’s good. The inn’s been keeping her busy. She says hello. She’s really happy we started doing this every month.”
Tanner turned to Alex. “Yeah. The Miller Men Monthly was a good idea, son.”
Alex shrugged as he popped a French fry into his mouth. “I know.”
“When do you fly out next?” Tanner asked.
“Not for a couple of weeks. The next two games are at home.”
My brother chewed. “Oh, nice.”
I’d started playing this season for the Carolina Panthers. Games and practices were a few hours away in North Carolina, but it was a hell of a lot better than before and allowed me more time at home, even if it meant lots of long drives down I-77. While leaving the Broncos was one of the most difficult decisions I’d ever made, I had to do it. There was no way I wanted to be away from my family that much—especially now.