Eve was cordial enough to agree. “Yes. Thanks to Graham. He took back all the allegations and, well, stole my heart in the process. But I will confess that Brooks thought he was justified in going after my father. For a time, it was thought that my dad, Sutton, could’ve fathered the twins, since he and their mother had been in love. And Brooks thought Sutton was hiding something.”
“As it turned out, Sutton is our younger brother’s father,” Graham said. “But our mom hid that pregnancy from Sutton and moved on with her life. He only recently found out Carson was his son.”
Brooks sipped whiskey. The entire mess that was his life these past few years was coming to light. He wasn’t ashamed of his actions—he’d thought he had good reason—but if he had to do it over again, he might’ve done some things differently.
His obsession with Sutton Winchester was coming to a close. The man was dying, and there’d been enough grief and heartache already over the mistakes and actions of the many people involved. It wasn’t just Sutton. Brooks’s mother wasn’t entirely faultless. Nor was his Grandma Gerty. There was enough blame to go around.
“Well,” Graham said. “It all turned out okay since I now have Eve and a baby on the way. So something wonderful came of all of it.”
Brooks raised his glass. “I’ll drink to that.”
Graham brought his tumbler up, and the women raised their iced tea glasses.
“To family,” Brooks said, staring into Ruby’s eyes.
“To family,” they all parroted, and then clinked glasses and sipped their drinks.
“Ruby, would you like something stronger?” Brooks asked.
“No thanks. I think I’ll lay off tonight. I ate too much of Lupe’s tamale pie at dinner.”
“Gosh, me, too. It was delicious,” Graham said, patting his stomach. “I hear you’re a pretty good pool player, Ruby.”
“She’s a hustler,” Brooks said, grinning.
“Is that right? Eve’s pretty good, too.”
The women exchanged glances.
“Want to?” Ruby asked.
“Sounds like fun,” Eve replied.
“This I gotta see.” Graham rose from his seat to let Eve scoot out.
Brooks did the same, and Ruby’s exotic flowery scent wafted to his nose as she brushed by him. His lust had to give way to decorum. He and Ruby were in a standoff right now, and he doubted she’d be inviting him into her bed anytime soon.
The women headed to the pool table at the back of the room, secured pool sticks and cued up as Brooks and his brother leaned against the far wall. “Go easy on her, Ruby,” Brooks called. “She’s a guest in Cool Springs.”
“Go easy, nothing,” Eve countered, the fierceness in her eyes indicating she was ready for battle. “Don’t hold back, Ruby. I can handle it.”
Graham chuckled and said quietly, “She can. She’s pretty amazing.”
“It’s good to see you happy, bro.”
“Yeah, I am. I managed not to blow it with Eve. Thank God for that. And meeting Beau was pretty great, too. I wasn’t sure about any of this, coming here to Texas and being brought into a whole new family. But Beau’s made it real easy. He’s a good man, and there was no awkwardness between us.”
“Because I paved the way,” Brooks said, giving his brother grief. “As usual.”
“Smart-ass. So what’s with you and Ruby? And don’t tell me nothing’s going on. I can practically see the steam rising between the two of you from across the booth. Have you fallen for her?”
Brooks drew oxygen into his lungs and kept his voice low. The women were preoccupied; Eve was about to make the first shot. “I’m in the process, I think.” What the hell kind of answer was that? He was in the process of falling for her? While trying to keep things light with Ruby, it had gotten hot and heavy real fast. “It’s complicated.”
“I hear you. Couldn’t be more complicated than me falling for Winchester’s daughter, now, could it?”
“I don’t know about that. Ruby’s like a daughter to Beau, and if I hurt her, there’ll be hell to pay. Not exactly the impression I want to make on our father.”
“Hell, man. Make it a priority not to hurt her, then.”
Brooks stared at his brother, letting his words sink in. Was it that easy? Did he want Ruby? He darted a glance at her. She was taking aim, her hot body stretched across the pool table, her eyes laser-focused, her kissable mouth pursed tight as she drew back the stick and clack, the cue ball sailed across the table and hit its mark. The striped ball dropped into the side pocket.
Hell yeah, he wanted Ruby. From the moment he’d first laid eyes on her right here at the C’mon Inn, he’d been drawn to her. She had substance and class and a sassy mouth that made him smile, even when that sass was aimed at him. He admired her passion and knowledge of horses and her open method of teaching that came straight from the heart. He couldn’t imagine not seeing her day in and day out. Not speaking to her and not laughing with her. Up until this moment, he hadn’t thought about the time when he’d have to go back to Chicago for good.
He’d never been really serious about a woman before. For one, he’d been preoccupied with work, striving for and finally attaining the financial independence he’d craved ever since the more humble days of his youth. He’d worked hard building the Newport Corporation and didn’t have time to play much. As a result, women had come and gone in his life. Rightfully so. He hadn’t been ready for a strong commitment. He had only so much to give, and getting serious with the opposite sex had taken a backseat to all else. More recently, he’d been too caught up in meeting his father after years of searching to let his mind go anywhere else. But now that he was faced with the possibility of losing Ruby to her ex-boyfriend, he had to make a stand.
Sooner rather than later.
But first, there was something he had to do.
And he wanted Ruby by his side.
* * *
Hutchinson’s Nursing Home, twenty miles outside Cool Springs, sat nestled inside brick walls and a set of wrought iron gates. The grounds were groomed carefully. Right now, the cold Texas weather prevented any flowers from blooming in the beds next to the long, sweeping veranda, but Ruby could picture them thriving there in the spring, their color cheering up the dementia patients who would sit in patio chairs outside to get a little air.
Brooks rested his arms on the steering wheel, staring at the large mansion-like brick home with its pretty white shutters. He sighed. “This is it.”
It wasn’t going to be a loving homecoming, this much Ruby knew. But she understood his need to come here for closure, while his brother Graham had no desire to meet his grandfather. The twins may have looked exactly alike, but they were two very different men in the way they dealt with life.
Ruby reached for Brooks’s hand and squeezed. “We can make this quick,” she said. “And I’ll be with you every step of the way.”
“Thanks.” Brooks rubbed the back of his neck and gave her a solemn look. “I don’t think I could do this without you.” His blue eyes melted her heart. She felt honored and a little awed that Brooks had counted on her so much. That he needed her.
It was one thing to be wanted.
But to be needed by such a strong man was something else entirely.
“I’m here, Brooks. Let’s go meet your grandfather.”
Once