Brett wastes no time closing the distance between us and sliding a possessive arm around my hips.
"I like it," my mom whispers smiling approvingly at Brett's protective gesture. "Oh Eric, everyone here knows you're arrogant, including you. So, give up the surprised act, and get over here and show your old mom some love." Never taking his eyes off Brett he walks over to my mom, giving her the same kiss on the top of the head that he has since he was twelve and grew taller than her.
"Go ahead Brett, tell us about yourself," she asks, curling an arm around Eric’s hips.
"Well, I'm thirty-two. My family lives here in town. I have two older sisters, three nieces, two nephews. I make a living as a detective and spend my free time either with your daughter, or watching football...and if I'm lucky, both."
"I think you forgot to include the little part about you being married, and not to Jesse." Eric drops the bomb.
I feel the temperature drop in the room as the ice rolls off Brett. Beside a single flinch in his hand against my waist at the initial blow, he doesn't move a muscle.
"What the hell, Eric!" I scream across the room. I'm going to have to knee him again for pulling this crap.
"Language, Jesse." My mom scolds.
"What is wrong with you?" I ignore her and Brett remains frozen at my side.
"Sorry JJ, I know this must be a shock for you. I had a buddy do a little background research on the good Detective Sharp," my brother says, smiling with pride. "He finally got back to me last night. Brett has been married since 2002. Where's Mrs. Sharp today? You should have brought her with you. We could have had one big party." I have no idea how Brett is controlling himself, because my brother is acting like a grade-A jerk right now.
"You are an idiot, Eric. Yes, I know he's-" Brett interrupts me before I have the chance to finish.
"I'll handle this, gorgeous," he says calmly, taking a single step forward. "I appreciate what you were trying to do. I like that you are man enough to look out for your little sister, however, this show is a class-less low. If you have something to say to me, be a man and speak with me in private. There is no reason to make an ignorant snide comment, upsetting you mother and sister on Thanksgiving Day. You are doing nothing but stirring up drama, and I assure you Jess and I have enough of that in our life without you pulling bullshit like this.
“Eric, if your buddy," he says the word with an overstated sarcasm, "had done more research you would have learned that I have been living separately from my wife for over four years. I'm not hiding anything from your sister. Jesse has had the unfortunate experience of meeting Sarah in person. It wasn't pleasant, and it's not something we like to discuss. However, you have made this little accusation in front of your mother, and I do respect her enough to give her a full explanation. For the record, I don't respect you or give a damn what you think about me, or my relationship with Jesse. But then again, you probably figured that out last week when I had you cuffed, laying on a dirty bar floor." He pauses long enough to aim one last murderous glare at Eric before turning to face my mom.
“Ms. Clay, please excuse my language. As you can imagine this is not my favorite topic to discuss. Sarah has issues as the result of a car accident she was involved in years ago. She left me shortly after the accident. It's been a difficult road for everyone involved. She isn't stable and requires a good bit of care. We are still legally married for a myriad of reasons. One being that she still uses my health insurance to help cover her medical bills. I know this is not the ideal situation for a man to be in when dating your daughter, but I assure you while there may be a legal document still binding me to Sarah, I am not a married man," he leans down kissing me on the top of my head, reading my tight body at how uncomfortable this conversation is for me.
There is a good chance I just fell in love with this man. The way he handled my brother firmly but never raised his voice, then turning to kindly explain this awkward situation to my mom. He somehow managed to keep his calm, even when recounting such a painful and personal story to virtual strangers. That's more than I would have been able to do. The fact that he took even a second to think about me causes me to feel things I knew were possible, but nonetheless unexpected.
"I appreciate you inviting me over today, but I think it's best if I leave now. I'm sorry for any trouble I caused you today, Ms. Clay. Jesse, call me when you're ready to go. I'll come pick you up. Have a great day with your family, babe."
"Now wait just a second. I have a twenty-two pound turkey that will be ready in approximately three hours. No one is going anywhere until that bird has been eaten," my mom announces before Brett even has a chance to release his hold on me.