"Looks like more than friends," Dane noted.
She bristled, and opened her mouth to speak. But Logan spoke first.
"Whatever we are," he asserted, "it's none of your business. Last time I checked, Tess was a grown woman with her own life."
"You're starting to get on my nerves," Dane growled.
"I've always liked you, Logan," Charles rumbled. "But you're on thin ice at the moment."
"Really." Logan didn't move a muscle, but the vibe emanating off him was raw power. "How so? Enlighten me."
"Push me and find out," Charles replied, his stare and voice like steel. "Maybe I don't like the shock of walking into my house to find the house manager half-naked with my sister."
"Maybe it's not our business," Pierce pointed out, "and everyone should calm down."
But Logan glared at Charles. "And there we go," he said. "It's down to that, huh? The house manager." His chiseled arms crossed over his broad chest, making his biceps bulge a little. "Tell me, how's your wife doing? The one who started out as your nanny. Or should I say, the nanny? Must be a nice view from that high horse of yours."
Charles's face flushed with rage and he opened his mouth to speak.
"All of you shut up!" Tess shot to her feet, shoving her chair back with a scrape against the tile floor. "Jesus, this is just . . ." She looked to Logan. "I don't need defending, but thank you for wanting to. I'll call you later, okay?"
His jaw set tight, he simply nodded and walked out of the kitchen.
"What the hell, Tess?" Dane asked. "This is your big secret? Why you're staying away from home, not returning calls? You could've-"
"This is my life!" she yelled. All three men stilled, eyes again widening with shock. She hadn't shouted at them in anger in years. Blood pumping through her veins, she pulled the sash on her robe tighter before advancing on them.
"I don't have to tell you anything if I don't want to! I don't have to answer to anyone on this goddamn earth!" She felt the blood pulse in her head, her skin heat as her heart rate skyrocketed. "How dare you. How dare you all walk in here and condescend to Logan. He's become an amazing friend to me, and has been hardworking and loyal to our family for several years." She glared at Charles. "You owe him more respect than that." She looked to Dane. "You both owe him an apology." She looked between them and snapped, "Considering you both ended up marrying your employees, from lower income brackets than you were in, you have a hell of a nerve walking in here and trying to dismiss him like that when you know nothing about our situation." Her eyes narrowed at Charles as she added, "He was right to call you on your hypocrisy. I'm horrified."
Charles's jaw dropped open. Dane's pink face matched Charles's, and he stepped back as if she'd pushed him.
"Tess." Pierce spoke softly. "Honey. Calm down. This isn't an ambush. Yes, we were out of line just now. We've just been really worried about you. We thought we'd come here, surprise you, visit with you for a day or two . . . We didn't expect to walk in to find you and Logan like that. It was a shock, that's all."
"No. She's right," Charles said, still red-faced, his voice clipped as he looked Tess in the eye. "Logan was too. We're fucking hypocrites. I hate that. But we were just . . . really surprised. Can we start over here?"
Dane stared at her. She recognized that look . . . He was deeply upset. He could never stand for her to be mad at him. Not when they were kids, or teens, or young adults, and apparently still not now. He said nothing, just stared at her with rounded eyes and flushed cheeks. She could never stay mad when he looked that way, like a lost little boy . . . It made her temper simmer down.
The sound of the front door opening and closing made her shudder. Logan . . . God, the look on his face. After a night like last night, why'd this have to happen? He'd come to her for her comfort, she'd tried to give him what he'd needed, and then to have to leave like this . . . Damn, what horrible timing.
She huffed out a sigh. "I'm going to tell you all what's going on," she finally said. "I haven't told anyone. But I'll tell you. And you'll listen until I'm done talking, and you won't give me an ounce of grief, or I'll lose my shit like you've never seen. Okay?"
"Okay," Pierce said. He glanced toward the refrigerator. "Can I get a snack first?"
She breathed out a weary laugh, her tense shoulders relaxing some. "Go for it."
As Pierce went to the fridge, she went to Dane and hugged him. He immediately hugged her back. "I'm sorry," he said against her hair.
"Me too," she said. "I shouldn't have yelled at you."
"We deserved it." He rubbed her back. "If someone came bursting into my kitchen, unexpectedly breaking up a happy morning after, I'd be pissed off too." He pulled back to look down at her. "Sooo . . . Logan Carter? Really?"
"The guy's like a mountain," Pierce said as he opened a bottle of water. "His muscles have muscles. At least you found a guy tall enough for you." He leaned a hip against the center island and winked.
"Just didn't think he was your type," Dane said.
"Good for you," Pierce said. "Why not?"
She rolled her eyes and said, "It's not what you guys think."
"He's a good man, from what I know of him." Charles went to the cupboard to pull out a mug. "I was rude. I'm not proud of it. I'll find him and apologize, today. I'll make it right." He crossed to the Keurig. "Coffee, anyone?"
"I'm going to get dressed," Tess said. "Meet you all in the living room." She left the kitchen, heart still beating fast, mind spinning out. She hoped Logan wasn't too upset. Or that her brothers wouldn't be when she told them what'd been going on.
* * *
Logan glanced at the phone as it rang yet again. All three of the Harrison brothers had tried to call over the course of the day, leaving apologetic voice mails that sounded sincere. He was sure they were; the Harrison brothers were decent men, and he did appreciate their attempts at a cease-fire. But the run-in had only served to undermine his growing restless agitation. He wasn't part of Tess's world. He wasn't even her boyfriend or her real lover. He was her fake boyfriend, her friend, and her damn sperm donor. That was it, and he'd be way better off to remember that.
He'd gone to the gym straight from Tess's house that morning, needing to get out some aggression on the punching bag and the treadmill. A hot shower after that, then he went to work. He'd been too busy to answer calls or texts. And there had been several texts from Tess, trying to reach him throughout the day. He'd ignored them.
By after dinner, her new text lanced his heart and made him feel guilty as hell. Please talk to me. I'm concerned about you. I care. Don't shut me out. Please.
He sighed. This was a mess. This whole thing was a mess, and his mother was dying. But Tess . . . She deserved better than what he was giving her at the moment. Lying on his couch in the darkened living room, with only the flickering light from the TV, he muted the volume of the hockey game and called her.
"Hi. At last, there you are." Her voice was filled with relief, obviously glad to hear from him. It made him feel even worse for not getting back to her sooner. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine," he said. He stretched out his long legs and crossed them at the ankles. "Are you okay?"
"Yes. Got a few minutes to talk?" she asked.
"Absolutely."
She told him everything. How at first she'd yelled at her brothers, then sat them down and told them about her plans and how Logan fit into them. Her brothers had taken it all in stride. They weren't opposed to the idea like she'd thought they might be, and of course had a million questions, which she'd answered. Then they'd offered her unconditional support-both now, during the process, and later, when she was raising her baby on her own. She felt awful for ever doubting them, in the face of their warmth and unity. All in all, it had gone well, and the four of them were fine.
"I'm really glad for you," Logan said. "Really. That's great. You'll need their support in the future."
"Yes, I will. But there's another thing . . ." Tess sighed. "They all tried to call you to apologize. They all said you hadn't responded at all. Would you please consider it?"