“Keep your voice quiet,” he growled. “She doesn’t need to see you like this.”
“I’m fine.”
Laughing without humor, he paced in a circle and came back. “You got a room for her in Linden? Babysitters? Have you enrolled her in school?”
Becky’s expression was the very picture of a woman treading water. “I’m . . . I’m going to take care of all that. Jesus. Give me five seconds.”
“Take care of it first and then we’ll talk.”
“You can’t stop me from seeing her.”
Strain appeared at the corners of Wes’s eyes. “No, I can’t. But do you really want her to see you like this? Or do you think you can do better?” Wes sent Bethany a pleading look. “Could you go inside and distract her? Please?”
“Yes, of course.” Bethany wheeled around and started to walk up the path, but then stopped and looked back. “Wes, could you give her my number?” she said for his ears alone. “No pressure. I just want to help.”
After a moment, he nodded, temporary warmth moving in his face. “Yeah, darlin’. I will.”
Wes stared into the sunken eyes of his half sister and he could see her as she’d been at seventeen. Lonely, unsure of herself, just waiting for the other shoe to drop.
Like he’d told Bethany, Becky had a harder time than him. He suspected he only knew the half of what she’d gone through while being wrung out by the system. By the time he’d met her, the damage had already been done. To both of them. He’d been too jaded by his experience to love her the way a brother should. The guilt he’d harbored over that might even be part of the reason he’d gotten on the plane to New York—and thank Christ he had.
Never in his life had Wes felt like he was standing in the right spot. Until now.
Not only with Laura. Or Bethany. Or the friends he’d made in Port Jefferson.
No, he was meant to be there standing in front of Becky at this crossroads in her life. This wasn’t about him. Or his pain. Or lack of belonging. It was bigger than any of those things. And for once, he wasn’t thinking about skating away and avoiding entanglements. This was it. He was going to let himself get tangled up.
The cool sweep of relief in his chest only reinforced his decision.
“Hey.” When his voice emerged unsteady, he took a long breath and centered himself. “Look at me and listen good.”
She crossed her arms and waited, her stance belligerent but her eyes full of tears. Damn, he hadn’t done enough for her. Not by a damn sight. But he could change that now. He could stop using his past to excuse his commitment issues and dig the hell in.
“You’re my sister and I care about you.”
Her arms dropped slowly to her sides.
“You’re a survivor and a fighter, all right? You’re going to come out clean on the other side of this and see your daughter again. You don’t have a choice. Laura needs her mother. She needs you, Becky.”
“That’s why I’m here,” she croaked.
“You’re here because you love her. Of course you do.” He stepped closer and put a hand on her shoulder, visibly stunning her. Had he ever even hugged his sister? “Look, there is no time limit on me being here. I’ve got Laura while you figure everything out. She’s happy here.”
His niece was happy . . . with him. It was still almost impossible to believe that he’d come here totally inept in all things family. All things children, love, and . . . permanence. But he’d created stability where none had existed before. Not only for Laura, but for himself. Jesus, he really wasn’t going anywhere. He was in this. And it felt right.
“Look.” Wes squeezed Becky’s shoulder. “If I can figure this shit out, Becky, anyone can.”
That got a watery laugh out of her. “Who are you anymore?”
“Your brother.” He swallowed hard. “I know I wasn’t a good one in the past. But you can count on me now, all right?”
Emotion clouded over her features. “I knew I shouldn’t take her. I just thought . . . it’s been so long. What kind of a mother am I, leaving her kid for over a month?”
“You made sure she’d have someone to care for her. That’s more consideration than we were given a lot of the time.”
“God knows that’s true.” She swiped curious eyes. “Who was that woman?”
Wes considered the question. “Let’s call her my reluctant girlfriend.”
They shared another bittersweet laugh and for the first time, he acknowledged the bond that lay between them. An acknowledgment that was a long time coming. Maybe it would change things. He didn’t know, but he had hope, and he was pretty sure the two people waiting for him inside the house had a lot to do with it.
Having that safety net gave him the courage to say what came next. “I don’t know how these things work, but I can find out about becoming Laura’s temporary guardian. If you’re open to that. It won’t be forever, but I want her to have some proof I’m staying as long as she needs me. I would have killed for that when I was a kid, you know?”
His sister cast a wistful glance toward the house, not speaking for several moments. “I think that could be a good idea. I’ll think about it.”
Wes let out the breath he wasn’t aware he’d been holding. “Becky . . .” He hesitated for a moment, then pulled her into a hug. “It’s going to be all right.”
Wes walked through the front door of the house, sending Bethany’s heart into a marathon. He was alone and Bethany didn’t know whether to be relieved or sad about that. For Laura’s part, she bounded off the couch like a shot, squealing and skidding to a halt in front of her uncle. Without missing a beat, he tossed her up in the air like pizza dough, catching her on the way down in a hug. “Hey, kid.”
She patted his back with sticky ice cream hands. “Hey.”
There was a smile on his face, but when he met Bethany’s eyes over his niece’s back, there was unrest spinning in their depths. “I wasn’t sure what to do about dinner, so I ordered pizza. Again. It’s on the way,” she said, her stomach full of helium. “I should go,” she breathed, stuffing her cell into her purse.
“Wait.” Wes set Laura down and ruffled her hair. “Can you go wash your hands for dinner and pick out a bedtime book for later? I need to talk to Bethany.”
Laura gaped at Bethany. “Is she in trouble?”
“Naw, she’s not in trouble.” He tapped her nose. “Go ahead.”
“Okay.”
The little girl sped from the room, sliding in her socks as she rounded first into the hallway. Bethany remained rooted to the spot beside the couch watching Wes enter the kitchen and return with two bottled beers. He offered her one and she declined with a headshake, waiting as he drained half of his own. Twice he opened his mouth to say something, but closed it and shook his head instead.
Bethany’s feet were moving before her head issued the command. She stopped in front of Wes, plucked the beer out of his hand, and set it down on the table. And she put her arms around him.
Wes wrapped her in such a tight embrace, the breath in her lungs was expelled in a giant whoosh.