Gen smiled, blinking back the sting of tears. “Yeah, guess so.”
“You’re sleeping with Wolfe.”
Gen jerked back. “H-how did you know?”
Izzy smiled. “I can just tell. He’s a good guy. He tried to help me many times but I hated him, too. I was in a bad place for a long time, Gen. I don’t want to go back there anymore.”
“Then don’t.”
Her twin squeezed her hand. “I won’t. Does Wolfe make you happy?”
“We’re just friends with benefits. At least, that’s what he thinks.”
“You love him.”
Gen closed her eyes and surrendered to the beauty of admitting it aloud to one person in the world. “Yeah. I do. Not sure what’s going to happen, but that’s how I feel.”
Izzy gave a long sigh. “Complicated, huh? It’s obvious he’s crazy about you. Always was. Just be careful. He has a lot of stuff going on inside, and you already got your heart broken once.”
Sadness threatened but she beat it back. “I know. I’m not gonna push. Maybe we’ll just find our way.”
“Maybe.”
“Why did you hate him?”
Izzy smiled faintly. Raw pain reflected on her face, but Gen didn’t ask questions. Just held her hand. “I didn’t really. I think I recognized he got to the other side. I did stuff I’m not proud of. Got a way to go to climb from underneath. Seems I’m always searching for disaster.”
“I’m here if you want to talk. I won’t judge. Not anymore.”
Her sister gazed at her directly. A flash of understanding passed between them. “Thanks. I want us to—” She stopped, dragged in a breath, and tried again. “I want us to have a relationship again. I’m so tired of being angry. Tired of hurting you and everyone I love. I want my sister back.”
This time she didn’t bother to blink back the tears. She just let them flow. “Me, too.”
Gen reached for her, hugging tight, and for the first time in many long years, Izzy hugged back just as tight.
WOLFE SIPPED HIS SAMBUCA, enjoying the burning hot flavor of licorice coating his throat. The chatter of voices in the kitchen rose, but Maria had kicked him out, so he prowled the outside deck, enjoying the fall evening. The lawn spread out before him, bright green and cheery. A weeping willow tree stood by an old swing set, a bit battered and rusted. He imagined Gen growing up here, surrounded by friends and family who cared. Even with the troubles with her father and Izzy, they had battled through and triumphed.
The box bolted and locked deep within his soul shuddered. Then grew silent again.
“Wolfe.”
He turned his head. Jim MacKenzie slid the glass doors closed with a decisive click. Uh-oh. The older man’s face was set in a serious expression that didn’t bode well for him. Why did he have a bad feeling about this?
“Jim. Great night, huh?”
He didn’t answer. Just studied him with a narrowed gaze. What had he done to inspire such distrust? The entire family fully accepted him into the fold except Gen’s father.
“Or maybe not,” Wolfe muttered. He took another sip, wondering if he should just go back inside.
“I want to talk to you about Genevieve.”
Yep. It was gonna be bad. Wolfe squared his shoulders, met his gaze, and nodded. “I figured something like this was coming. I’m not sure if I ever offended you, or did something out of turn. If so, I apologize.”
His eyes softened a tad. “Actually, you didn’t. You’ve always been polite in my home. Nice to my family. In a way, I’m sorry I’ve treated you with distance. I was actually hoping I’d never have to engage in this conversation, but now I realize I have no choice. I’m concerned that Gen is getting too close to you. I know you’ve been friends for a long time, and I kept a careful eye on it, but I never sensed a problem. Until she broke up with David.”
Wolfe tightened his grip on the glass. “David hurt her. I hope you see that. I know you always defend him, but he’s dangerous for your daughter, and I swear I’ll never let him hurt her again.”
Jim pointed his finger. “See? That type of protectiveness is growing. Do you know how many times you looked at each other during dinner? My daughter is glowing, yet she just broke up with her fiancé. She’s seeing you in a new light, and I can’t let that happen.”
Shame filled him. Was he so bad that her father hated the idea of him being in her life? Inside, a dangerous battle raged, but he swallowed the emotions back and kept his face impassive. “Is it the piercings? The tat? What has you so worried?”
Jim shook his head. “Of course I don’t like them, but that’s not it. You see, Wolfe, you’re just like me. One man recognizes the other. And I can’t allow Gen to fall in love with someone who’s eventually going to destroy her.”