like a goal that should have been accompanied by sirens and a thunderous crowd cheering his name.
Scotty McFlynn, marrying him.
“Don’t make me think about this too hard,” she said. “Because Carpie thinks I’m crazy, but . . . yeah. Maybe. What if, right? Maybe that’s why we lived.” She giggled again, and he just about found the strength to kick his brother out of the room, pull her alongside him.
He was suddenly feeling much, much better.
“Right,” he said. “We’re getting married —”
“Oh, that’s a fantastic idea,” Casper said, his voice low.
Huh?
“Why not? Out of all your available choices, we just have to find the most irresponsible, and that’s what you’ll do.”
His words sliced through the ethereal, ebullient happiness sifting down from never-never land.
“You’re absolutely determined to destroy lives.”
“Sheesh, Bro —”
“If you care at all about this girl, you won’t marry her,” Casper said, and this time his words felt like a punch.
Owen schooled his voice. “For the love of pete, Casper, what’s your problem?”
“My problem is that you don’t think.” Casper pointed to his head. “Everything is fun and games with you.”
“I’m not kidding here —” Owen reached for the railing, held on.
“Sit tight there, bruiser,” Scotty said, her hand on his chest.
“No, I don’t think you are,” Casper said, not rattled in the least by Scotty rising to her feet. “You’re dead serious. And that’s the problem. You don’t think beyond what feels good right now. What’s going to make Owen happy. How much does she really know about you, Owen?”
The darkness of Casper’s words cut off his breathing.
“You’re upsetting him!” Scotty said, and Owen grabbed her hand even as she started to round the bed as if intending to push Casper from the room.
“Well, good. Maybe he needs to start thinking past his own enjoyment to the destruction his choices leave behind.”
“I fail to see how marrying me —”
“Look, Scotty, I’m sure you’re fantastic. And maybe marrying you is the best thing that could ever happen to Owen. But this really has nothing to do with you. You are just one more personOwen can make fall in love with him before he runs away and leaves you brokenhearted.”
“What did I ever do to you?” Owen said, now pulling himself up.
“Lie down!” Scotty barked.
“Really?” Casper said.
Owen heard the heart monitor begin to beep. “I know I made a few mistakes —”
“And now I have to hurt you.” Casper turned away from him, blew out a breath.
Owen surrendered to Scotty’s push on his shoulders, sinking back into the bed, nonplussed.
His brother braced his hands on the windowsill. “Owen, I actually don’t care if you marry Scotty. In fact, yay, you. But you’re coming home first.”
Owen frowned, trying to get a grip on the ferocity of Casper’s response. “No problem? I was . . . We were going to do that anyway, weren’t we, hon?”
He kept his voice light, fighting the urge to let it end with a sharp edge.
Next to him, Scotty still stood, holding his hand. She managed a slow nod.
Then Casper rounded on them. He pushed his hand through his hair. “Yeah. Uh, I’m not so sure that’s a good idea. . . .”
“Why not? Scotty needs to meet our family.”
Casper’s mouth tightened. “Fine. I was just thinking that you might want to sort a few things out before you decide to let her meet the fam.”
“Like what?”
“Like —nothing.” Casper ran his hand down his face. “I’vecompletely mucked this up. I’m sorry.” He moved toward the door. “I’ll come back later, when —”
“Like what, Casper? Just tell me! Like apologizing to Mom and Dad? Done. Making peace with Max? Fine. Done. What other penance do I need to do to be forgiven by the beloved and perfect Casper Christiansen?”
Casper stopped at the door. Then he turned, his eyes reddened. “How about
Scotty McFlynn, marrying him.
“Don’t make me think about this too hard,” she said. “Because Carpie thinks I’m crazy, but . . . yeah. Maybe. What if, right? Maybe that’s why we lived.” She giggled again, and he just about found the strength to kick his brother out of the room, pull her alongside him.
He was suddenly feeling much, much better.
“Right,” he said. “We’re getting married —”
“Oh, that’s a fantastic idea,” Casper said, his voice low.
Huh?
“Why not? Out of all your available choices, we just have to find the most irresponsible, and that’s what you’ll do.”
His words sliced through the ethereal, ebullient happiness sifting down from never-never land.
“You’re absolutely determined to destroy lives.”
“Sheesh, Bro —”
“If you care at all about this girl, you won’t marry her,” Casper said, and this time his words felt like a punch.
Owen schooled his voice. “For the love of pete, Casper, what’s your problem?”
“My problem is that you don’t think.” Casper pointed to his head. “Everything is fun and games with you.”
“I’m not kidding here —” Owen reached for the railing, held on.
“Sit tight there, bruiser,” Scotty said, her hand on his chest.
“No, I don’t think you are,” Casper said, not rattled in the least by Scotty rising to her feet. “You’re dead serious. And that’s the problem. You don’t think beyond what feels good right now. What’s going to make Owen happy. How much does she really know about you, Owen?”
The darkness of Casper’s words cut off his breathing.
“You’re upsetting him!” Scotty said, and Owen grabbed her hand even as she started to round the bed as if intending to push Casper from the room.
“Well, good. Maybe he needs to start thinking past his own enjoyment to the destruction his choices leave behind.”
“I fail to see how marrying me —”
“Look, Scotty, I’m sure you’re fantastic. And maybe marrying you is the best thing that could ever happen to Owen. But this really has nothing to do with you. You are just one more personOwen can make fall in love with him before he runs away and leaves you brokenhearted.”
“What did I ever do to you?” Owen said, now pulling himself up.
“Lie down!” Scotty barked.
“Really?” Casper said.
Owen heard the heart monitor begin to beep. “I know I made a few mistakes —”
“And now I have to hurt you.” Casper turned away from him, blew out a breath.
Owen surrendered to Scotty’s push on his shoulders, sinking back into the bed, nonplussed.
His brother braced his hands on the windowsill. “Owen, I actually don’t care if you marry Scotty. In fact, yay, you. But you’re coming home first.”
Owen frowned, trying to get a grip on the ferocity of Casper’s response. “No problem? I was . . . We were going to do that anyway, weren’t we, hon?”
He kept his voice light, fighting the urge to let it end with a sharp edge.
Next to him, Scotty still stood, holding his hand. She managed a slow nod.
Then Casper rounded on them. He pushed his hand through his hair. “Yeah. Uh, I’m not so sure that’s a good idea. . . .”
“Why not? Scotty needs to meet our family.”
Casper’s mouth tightened. “Fine. I was just thinking that you might want to sort a few things out before you decide to let her meet the fam.”
“Like what?”
“Like —nothing.” Casper ran his hand down his face. “I’vecompletely mucked this up. I’m sorry.” He moved toward the door. “I’ll come back later, when —”
“Like what, Casper? Just tell me! Like apologizing to Mom and Dad? Done. Making peace with Max? Fine. Done. What other penance do I need to do to be forgiven by the beloved and perfect Casper Christiansen?”
Casper stopped at the door. Then he turned, his eyes reddened. “How about
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