Walk (Gentry Boys) by Cora Brent

Cord’s house and Deck hadn’t really expected him to show up.  Deck even mentioned that I was out and wanted to see him but that didn’t seem to make an impression either. 
    Yet here he was.  There must be a reason. 
    The flat stare Conway gave me from across the yard chilled my blood more than rage would have.  At a distance I saw nothing of the boy who’d been like my other half for most of our lives.  He was cool, calm, and, I would guess, dangerous.  But what bothered me the most was that I’d always been able to read Con better than I could read myself.  Sometimes the thoughts that raced through my head as a wild teenager seemed foreign and even frightening. 
    Not Con.  He was steady.  He was the balance.  He was the light.  He was far better than me.  I’d been sure of that since we were kids.  I wasn’t sure of anything anymore. 
    Deck shot me a look before cautiously making his way over to Conway.   That was his way of telling me to stay put, for the moment.  It took a lot of willpower not to leap up and run over there, but after so many years in lockup I had a sense about when things might turn sour.  No one wanted that.   After all, there were kids everywhere and I was still holding Deck’s baby daughter.  But it unnerved me to realize that even Deck had no idea what to expect from Conway.   
    However, my brother chose to smile charmingly and hold out his hand to our cousin after he passed his bottle over to one of the cheap looking girls he’d dragged in with him.  The triplets were right at Deck’s back.  Next came the Gentry women, who hugged Conway warmly and tried to make polite conversation with his guests. 
    Evie’s hand touched my arm.  “Should we go over?”
    Deck’s baby was still in my arms, sound asleep.  I wished someone would come along and take her.  I held her steadily but on the inside I was full of chaos.  For four years I’d waited for the chance to see my brother.  I’d written him over two hundred letters from prison.  Letters explaining what had happened on the day of the accident.  Letters full of remorse and regret and love and pleas.  None of which he answered.  Or even acknowledged. 
    For the first time I realized something.  I loved Conway.  I always would.  I would move mountains for him.  I was also angry at him.  Four years of silence was a bitter pill. 
    “Let’s hang back for a minute,” I said to Evie. 
    Even though I’d told her almost nothing about my brother, she must have realized that an intense moment was underway.  She gave my shoulder a squeeze and I was grateful she was sitting beside me. 
    I watched Jenny greet Conway rather stiffly and then cross the yard to retrieve the baby.  She pasted a smile on her face as she reached for Isabella. 
    “Gentry men are all good babysitters,” she said in a voice that was just a little too light and cheerful.  I saw her glance back as she settled the baby on her shoulder.  Deck was watching her and gave a small nod.  She moved over to the sandbox. 
    “Who wants ice cream?” Jenny asked the collection of children, who seemed oblivious that anything unusual was going on. 
    “But we haven’t eaten dinner yet,” one of Cord’s daughters pointed out. 
    Stephanie had also made her way over, taking each of her little boys by the hand.
    “That’s okay,” she said to the group.  “We’re going to do things a little different today.   Anyone who goes to the table right now will get an ice cream sundae before dinner.”  She called to Evie.  “How about it, Dupont?  You want to help scoop out the ice cream?”
    Evie looked at me. 
    “Go ahead,” I told her with more calm than I felt.  “Save some for me.” 
    Evie followed the children.  I saw her look curiously over at Conway but he was busy holding onto his arm candy. 
    The only one who’d stood apart, who hadn’t offered his hand for a shake, was Creedence.  He remained a good ten feet away