Gray knew he was instinctively looking for his gun – unfortunately, Gray had no idea if this was one of the times Luke had chosen to go without it.
A black Mercedes was pulling into the driveway behind Gray’s truck and Gray sucked in a sharp breath when he recognized the driver. Luke’s hand was still at his back so Gray quickly reached out and grabbed his arm. “It’s okay,” he said. “It’s my brother.”
Luke flashed him a quick look of surprise. “I thought you guys didn’t talk.”
“We don’t,” Gray responded as an overwhelming sense of dread took hold of him.
“You didn’t want your family to know,” Luke observed.
Gray shook his head.
“Go inside,” Luke said. “I’ll tell him to go.”
Luke was already moving forward when Gray grabbed his wrist. “No,” he murmured. “I’d like to see him.” The truthful statement surprised even himself.
Gray closed the truck’s door and watched as his brother climbed out of what Gray could only assume was a rental since it had Montana plates. His brother hadn’t changed much since Gray had last seen him almost three years ago. His dark hair was short on the sides and just a little longer on top. A pair of dark sunglasses hid his blue eyes and he had a little bit of a five o’clock shadow going on. Even though he was nearly seven years younger than Gray, he was almost an inch taller and had a muscular build that his custom-made suit complemented.
As he approached, Gray saw the moment his brother noticed Gray’s appearance and while his sunglasses hid his reaction, his step faltered and his lips parted just a little bit.
“Roman,” Gray said quietly as he extended his hand.
Roman recovered quickly and shook his hand and then peeled his sunglasses off. Whatever surprise might have been in his gaze had been carefully schooled into a blank expression. It was something Roman was an expert at.
“Gray,” Roman said in acknowledgement before shifting his gaze to Luke.
“Luke, this is my brother, Roman Blackwell. Roman, this is Luke.”
“Half-brother,” Roman corrected as he shook Luke’s hand. Gray sighed at Roman’s words – no matter how many times he referred to Roman as his brother, Roman always pointed out that they weren’t quite real brothers.
“Why don’t you guys head inside to talk?” Luke suggested as the breeze kicked up. “I’m going to finish some stuff up in the shed,” he added. Luke didn’t move until Gray nodded in agreement.
Gray remained silent as he led Roman into the cabin since he didn’t have a clue as to what to say to the man who’d only ever resented him. Not that Roman didn’t have reason to, Gray supposed, now that he had the luxury of hindsight.
“Coffee?” Gray asked once they reached the kitchen. It looked surprisingly clean even if the cabinets were all still missing but it looked like Luke was making good progress.
“Yes, please,” Roman said stiffly.
It took just a few minutes to get the coffee going and while he waited for it to brew, he got a mug out and put it on the table in front of the chair Roman had sat down in. “Black, right?” Gray asked.
Roman seemed surprised by the comment but just nodded.
Gray got himself some of the lemon-lime flavored water that proved to be the easiest on his palate and then carried the coffee pot to the table and set it down in front of Roman.
“You’re not having any?” Roman asked as he poured himself a cup while Gray settled into the chair across from him.
Gray shook his head.
“Never thought I’d see the day when you turned down a cup of coffee,” Roman murmured as he put the pot back down.
“Yeah, well, it doesn’t exactly agree with me anymore,” Gray said as he pulled his cap off. Roman’s hard gaze flashed with something as his eyes shifted to Gray’s bald head. There was a brief moment where some undeterminable emotion lingered in Roman’s expression but it didn’t last long.
“You’re sick,” was all Roman
A black Mercedes was pulling into the driveway behind Gray’s truck and Gray sucked in a sharp breath when he recognized the driver. Luke’s hand was still at his back so Gray quickly reached out and grabbed his arm. “It’s okay,” he said. “It’s my brother.”
Luke flashed him a quick look of surprise. “I thought you guys didn’t talk.”
“We don’t,” Gray responded as an overwhelming sense of dread took hold of him.
“You didn’t want your family to know,” Luke observed.
Gray shook his head.
“Go inside,” Luke said. “I’ll tell him to go.”
Luke was already moving forward when Gray grabbed his wrist. “No,” he murmured. “I’d like to see him.” The truthful statement surprised even himself.
Gray closed the truck’s door and watched as his brother climbed out of what Gray could only assume was a rental since it had Montana plates. His brother hadn’t changed much since Gray had last seen him almost three years ago. His dark hair was short on the sides and just a little longer on top. A pair of dark sunglasses hid his blue eyes and he had a little bit of a five o’clock shadow going on. Even though he was nearly seven years younger than Gray, he was almost an inch taller and had a muscular build that his custom-made suit complemented.
As he approached, Gray saw the moment his brother noticed Gray’s appearance and while his sunglasses hid his reaction, his step faltered and his lips parted just a little bit.
“Roman,” Gray said quietly as he extended his hand.
Roman recovered quickly and shook his hand and then peeled his sunglasses off. Whatever surprise might have been in his gaze had been carefully schooled into a blank expression. It was something Roman was an expert at.
“Gray,” Roman said in acknowledgement before shifting his gaze to Luke.
“Luke, this is my brother, Roman Blackwell. Roman, this is Luke.”
“Half-brother,” Roman corrected as he shook Luke’s hand. Gray sighed at Roman’s words – no matter how many times he referred to Roman as his brother, Roman always pointed out that they weren’t quite real brothers.
“Why don’t you guys head inside to talk?” Luke suggested as the breeze kicked up. “I’m going to finish some stuff up in the shed,” he added. Luke didn’t move until Gray nodded in agreement.
Gray remained silent as he led Roman into the cabin since he didn’t have a clue as to what to say to the man who’d only ever resented him. Not that Roman didn’t have reason to, Gray supposed, now that he had the luxury of hindsight.
“Coffee?” Gray asked once they reached the kitchen. It looked surprisingly clean even if the cabinets were all still missing but it looked like Luke was making good progress.
“Yes, please,” Roman said stiffly.
It took just a few minutes to get the coffee going and while he waited for it to brew, he got a mug out and put it on the table in front of the chair Roman had sat down in. “Black, right?” Gray asked.
Roman seemed surprised by the comment but just nodded.
Gray got himself some of the lemon-lime flavored water that proved to be the easiest on his palate and then carried the coffee pot to the table and set it down in front of Roman.
“You’re not having any?” Roman asked as he poured himself a cup while Gray settled into the chair across from him.
Gray shook his head.
“Never thought I’d see the day when you turned down a cup of coffee,” Roman murmured as he put the pot back down.
“Yeah, well, it doesn’t exactly agree with me anymore,” Gray said as he pulled his cap off. Roman’s hard gaze flashed with something as his eyes shifted to Gray’s bald head. There was a brief moment where some undeterminable emotion lingered in Roman’s expression but it didn’t last long.
“You’re sick,” was all Roman
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