Soaring (Magdalene #2)(56)
Author: Kristen Ashley

My brother again ignored me.

“And bottom line, a man does not lose his mind every time another man is anywhere near this woman if he doesn’t want her for his. He doesn’t expend the energy to fight with her because if he doesn’t give a shit, he wouldn’t bother. But in his case, he was fighting with you instead of doing what he really wants to do with you. And he sure as fuck doesn’t shove her into an alcove in a restaurant and kiss her, infuriated she’s out on a date. And I’ll say that also saying I know your age, I know you’ve been married and have kids, but I’m talking about a man shoving my little sister into an alcove and kissing her and I’m doing it under duress.”

I almost smiled at that.

But I didn’t.

Lawr carried on, “I’m also doing it saying that was a bold move, and commendable, if the woman he wants is stubborn and irascible, like you are, he’d reached the end of his control, and the time had come where he needed to make his play.”

I moved to the window and leaned a shoulder against it, dropping the side of my head to the glass, eyes out to the dark sea, ignoring his comment about me being stubborn and irascible, because we both knew I was so there was no use discussing it.

“He told me I’m…attractive,” I whispered.

He understood that and I knew it by the tender tone of his response. “Can’t call that one, MeeMee. Maybe denial. But this guy’s actions aren’t speaking louder than words. They’re shouting. He likes you.”

I closed my eyes. “I’m a whackjob.”

“What?”

I opened my eyes. “What happens when he finds out how I lost it with Martine and Conrad? How I lost my kids? If he really likes me and something happens between us, he’ll eventually find out.”

“That you loved someone, lost them and acted out?” Lawr asked. “MeeMee, I know Mom and Dad wanted us both to be perfectly programmed automatons, but you’re human. Give yourself a break. This guy sounds like a good dad. He sounds like he’s responsible. He sounds like his ex-wife put him through the wringer and he made it to the other side while guiding his kids there. He sounds like he knows practically nothing about your situation and has a better lock on it than you do. Give him a break too. Life is life and it’s happened to this guy just like it’s happened to you. He’s going to get it. But I’ll tell you this, if he learns that about you and runs a mile, that says more about him than it does about you.”

“I wish you were closer,” I blurted, and I really did.

I loved my brother, my kids loved their uncle, he was the only real family I had (outside my kids), and I wanted to be in a position to see him happy and do something about it.

This would mean me conniving to break him up with the witch he called a wife but I wasn’t above that, absolutely not.

I’d proved I’d do anything in the name of love.

In fact, I’d wanted to fix him up with Robin for a long time. When she wasn’t being scary and wreaking vengeance, she was sweet, funny, and above all, loyal. And whenever Robin and Lawrie were together, he was always being droll and hilarious, this aimed often at Robin, and she was always laughing and being suggestive, and this was aimed at Lawr but mostly it was aimed at the witch because Robin hated Lawrie’s wife just as much as me.

Hmm.

“I’ll come out and visit,” Lawr told me.

“Thanksgiving,” I said instantly.

“I’ll think about it.”

“Leave the witch, bring the boys,” I said with no hesitancy.

I was straight with Lawr, Lawr was straight with me. He knew I didn’t like her. He also knew (since he told me) that their marriage was over and he was holding it together, supposedly for the boys.

But I suspected, after telling my father to shove his billion dollar company up his ass and going into the law (a profession Lawr had always been fascinated with), he’d exhausted his rebellion, so divorce was out of the question.

“I’ll think about that too.”

I blinked.

Lawr had never considered something like that.

“Really?” I asked.

“Maybe experiencing my little sister fighting for happy is teaching me something.”

Oh God.

That would be wonderful.

“I won’t jump on that, push it and do it while flipping cartwheels,” I promised.

“Good, because you’re on the phone with me and if you did that, you’d have to do it one-handed and you might break your neck, which would mean a date with this guy would be postponed indefinitely.”

A date with Mickey.

More shivers.

“Perhaps Robin is free for Thanksgiving,” I mused.

“Christ, what’d you say about pushing?” Lawr asked.

“I’ll stop talking,” I offered.

“And I need to get back to working. Your big brother sort you out?”

I grinned even though he didn’t, not entirely. I was still anxious and a bit confused.

But I was less of both.

“Yes, sweets,” I replied.

“Then I’ll let you go, MeeMee.”

“Okay, Lawrie. Talk to you later.”

“Anytime, sweetheart. Take care.”

“You too.”

We hung up and I rested my phone against my chin and stared out to sea.

Then I took it from my chin, activated it and saw the time.

I still had hours to wait before Mickey would come to me.

But it was after eight and thus not too late, so I opened up my texts and sent a group message to my kids.

Your Uncle Lawrie is thinking about bringing your cousins out for Thanksgiving. If you have time, text him or call him and tell him you’d like to see him. Love you, honeys.

I sent it and pushed away from the window, wondering if I should change before Mickey got there, when the doorbell rang.

I looked that way, saw the motion sensor outdoor light had been activated and Mickey’s body was framed in the stained glass window.

What on earth?

It wasn’t even nine o’clock. They couldn’t have ordered and eaten and gotten home in that time.

I hurried to the door as my phone in my hand sounded.

Startled, I looked down and saw a short text from Auden.

On it.

Oh my God!

I was grinning and still hurrying to the door when my phone sounded again.

I was at the door, multi-tasking by unlocking and reading a text from Olympia.

Me too.

I didn’t know if that was for Lawr or me or both.

I just knew it was more progress.