That damn pipeline had cost way more than any of them had forecast, and buying an established oil company wasn’t cheap, not to mention two.
“Who says I don’t?” I asked defensively, regretting my attitude the second I spoke. “What I do or do not have is none of your concern.”
“Actually, it very much is, considering you stole company money.” He dropped his chin and steepled his hands in front of him. “How bad a decision was it to buy that pipeline?” There wasn’t any accusation in his voice. In fact, I got the impression if I showed him the numbers, he’d want to help.
“I don’t know what—”
Easton held up a hand. “Never mind. I don’t want to hear any more of your lies.”
I should have walked away, but I found myself moving toward him. I dropped into the seat beside him, leaning my head against the wall.
“As good as you and Mulaney and Dad are, y’all were way off the mark with the projections. Way, way off.” What the hell was I doing? I’d admitted nothing up to this point, but saying that, I might as well show him exactly how I took all that money.
He jerked his head up in surprise. “The terrain,” Easton deduced.
“It sucks. Costs a fortune to build on, and let’s not even get into all the landowners who are trying to hold it up,” I grumbled, leaning forward, mirroring my brother’s posture.
He smirked. “It ain’t going anywhere for a long time, little brother.”
“You’ve got it buried so deep in legislation, it won’t see the light of day in our lifetime.” For all the connections I’d made with politicians over the years, they were nothing compared to those of my father.
“Had to. At least until we can come to some sort of understanding.”
“When the three of you get together, I might as well not even be in the room, so don’t tell me about coming to an understanding,” I said bitterly.
“What can I do to help?” He skipped right over my comment as if I hadn’t even said it.
“Why would you want to help me?” I asked.
“Because you’re my brother. I don’t think you’re totally lost yet,” he said.
Easton was wrong. I’d been gone a long time. “You didn’t give a shit when I needed you before,” I mumbled.
His brows dipped. “What do you mean? Damn it, all you do is talk in riddles.”
“It doesn’t matter.” I’d already said too much. “How’s Mama?”
“She’s okay. Still sleeping. And we’re not done with this conversation.”
“Yeah, we are. Where’s Dad?”
“He’s with Mama. Let’s go sit on the sofa. These chairs will give us permanent back damage.” Easton stood and stretched, then offered me a hand. I took it, and he pulled me to my feet.
“Mulaney here?” I asked as we walked to the room where we’d set up camp.
“No. She had some work to take care of. SPE is in a hell of a mess.”
Tell me something I don’t know. That mess was going to get worse tomorrow, when nearly a million of their funds went to pay Salter Steel.
“I wouldn’t know, seeing as I can’t actually go to work,” I said smartly.
“How did you end up with SPE?” he asked.
I snorted. “They were in worse shape than Carter Energy, and I had nothing to do with that.” Easton gave me an unimpressed look. “I caught wind of their problems and made an offer before word got out. It was one they couldn’t refuse.”
“So forcing Carter Energy to sell was your goal the entire time?”
“The opportunity presented itself, and I took it.” The corners of my mouth turned down. “Looking back, it would have been a lot easier to force Carter to close.”
Easton looked at me incredulously. “Is that what you really wanted?”
“Yeah.”
“Unbelievable,” he said under his breath.
“That none of you figured out what was going on? It is.” Easton scowled, clenching his fist into a tight ball. “You gonna punch me again?”
I hadn’t seen that ass-kicking coming, and it still hurt that we’d come to blows . . . especially over his wife.
“I need to. But not here.” He seemed to hit a reset button, relaxing deeper into his chair. “What’s going to happen with the Rangers this season? Think they’ll take it all?”
I went still. My temper boiled, the crack in my heart growing wider. “I don’t give a shit.”
Easton gave me an odd look as he dropped onto the sofa. “The hell you don’t,” he challenged. “You’re telling me that the most obsessed person with baseball to ever walk this planet doesn’t have an opinion about the Rangers? I know you still keep up. There’s no way you couldn’t.”
“Well, I don’t.” I crossed my arms and leaned against the window frame, staring out. How had he missed I changed the subject every time he mentioned the B word?
“Bullshit. Who had the most home runs in the league last season?” he grilled, refusing to drop it.
“I don’t know.”
“Why lie about that?”
“I’m not lying. I haven’t kept up with any of it in twenty years,” I said, raising my voice as I spun around to face him. “How the hell have you not noticed that I don’t talk about baseball?”
He paused. I recognized the second he realized it was true. His face transformed to a mix of regret and sorrow. I didn’t want sympathy, but it made me fucking furious that he’d really had no idea. All. This. Time. “Is this about Erin?”
I bristled at the mention of my ex-girlfriend. “No.”
“What she did—”
“Is ancient history.”
He stared at me in disbelief. My college sweetheart was the first and only woman I’d ever loved. No one could ever accuse me of not learning from my mistakes.
“She shouldn’t have—”
“Well, she did,” I yelled, immediately snapping my mouth shut at the outburst of emotion. I didn’t need a reminder of what she’d done.
“You lost a lot in a short amount of time.”
Pain lanced through my chest. After all this time, I still wasn’t used to it, when I should’ve been numb.
“Baseball took everything I loved. She broke my heart, crushed my dreams, and left me in a heap on the mound.”
Easton blinked at me. “After your injury, you kept rolling on like it was nothing. I—I was in awe. We all were. Baseball was your life. When it was over, you moved right into your role at Carter Energy. You never looked back.”
It was my turn to stare at my brother incredulously. “What choice did I have? All I ever wanted to do was play baseball. So what if it’s a kid’s dream. It was mine, and my first love turned on me. None of you even cared. Hell, Dad seemed halfway happy he wouldn’t have to force me to choose the company.”
“We didn’t care? You’re the one who brushed it off, almost as if you’d never even played.” He ran a hand through his hair. “It wasn’t just a dream. You were damn good. Just thinking about what you could have been . . . It’s such a waste you never had a chance.” He rubbed his hands up and down his thighs. “I honestly thought you were okay with how things turned out.”