“And don’t get me started about this ridiculous rift you’ve got going with Mom. Would it kill you to show the woman a little compassion?”
The disgust in Nate’s eyes was unmistakable, but it wasn’t the expression that triggered Austin’s fury. No, it was the color of those eyes. Silvery gray, just like Henry Bishop’s. Just like Owen’s and Jake’s.
But not like his.
Nope, Nate and the twins had their father’s eyes.
And Austin had his father’s eyes. His fucking uncle’s eyes.
“That woman sacrificed everything for us,” Nate continued angrily, oblivious to the volatile storm of emotion brewing in Austin’s gut. “Did I ever tell you that she wanted to leave Dad?”
Austin narrowed his eyes. “Bullshit.”
“It’s true, she thought about leaving him, but he threatened to take us away from her if she ever left.” Bitterness hardened Nate’s tone. “I don’t know why that son of a bitch bothered making the threat, seeing as he never paid any attention to us, but you know what a loose cannon he was. Mom told me she couldn’t take the chance that he might actually follow through on the threat, so she stayed with a man who made her miserable—for us.”
Austin had certainly not expected to hear any of that, but the surprise that jolted through him faded back into anger at Nate’s next words.
“And instead of appreciating everything she’s done, you’re acting like you don’t give a damn about her. Jake told me that the last time you were here you made her cry.”
He stiffened. “It’s not like I went out of my way to hurt her, Nate.”
“Well, you did hurt her.” Nate frowned. “What the hell happened with you two, Austin?”
“It’s between me and Mom.” He sighed. “Nothing you have to worry about, okay?”
“Well, I am worried. Your family is worried. And your family is getting tired of you showing up here, acting like a grumpy asshole, and then skipping town without explanation.”
“Family?” Austin blurted out. “You really want to talk about family?”
“Yes, I really do. In fact, family is exactly what we should be talking about. Just tell me what’s going on, damn it. I’m your brother—”
“Half-brother,” he snapped.
Nate blinked in confusion. “What?”
“Half-brother. You, Owen and Jake are my half-brothers, Nate.”
Silence.
And then more silence.
Shock and bewilderment lined Nate’s rugged features, and Austin could see the man’s brain working overtime trying to make sense of the bombshell that had just been dropped.
And as Nate processed it, Austin just stared at his brother, experiencing a sense of disconnection that he’d never felt before. Christ, he’d always looked up to Nate, idolized him even. Thanks to their eight-year age difference, they hadn’t been particularly close when Austin was younger. As he’d gotten older they’d found some common ground, but he didn’t feel close to Nate at the moment. He hadn’t felt close to anyone in his family since he’d found out the truth.
“That’s crazy,” Nate finally mumbled. “It can’t possibly be true, Austin.”
He shot Nate a cool look. “It’s true. Henry Bishop wasn’t my father.”
“Then who the fuck is?”
“Why don’t you ask our mother?” His hands were oddly shaky as he picked up his and Mari’s bags and took a step away. “I need to bring Mari her stuff. Feel free to stew on this for a while. You know, sort of like I’ve been doing this last year.”
Nate’s incredulous voice stopped him. “You can’t just drop a bomb like that and walk away!”
He straightened his shoulders. Didn’t turn around. “Watch me.”
Mari was just about to go outside to find Austin when he marched into the house lugging their bags. She peered past his broad shoulders and spotted Nate standing by the SUV with a dumbfounded expression, then narrowed her eyes at Austin.
“Everything okay?” she asked carefully.
“Not really.” His expression was completely shuttered. “Did Charlotte say which guest room we’re taking?”
“Yeah, she said something about the blue room?”
Austin nodded and headed for the wide oak staircase, leaving Mari to trail after him with growing wariness.
Charlotte had already given her a quick tour of the house, but again she had to marvel at the rustically beautiful interior. She adored the wood-paneled walls with their creamy trim, the shiny parquet floors, the pretty wrought-iron light fixtures. In the hallway, photos of Nate and Charlotte, as well as Charlotte’s framed album covers, lined the walls, but Mari didn’t have much time to focus on them as she tried to keep up with Austin.
He strode into the third room to their left, which definitely fit the description of “blue room” with its light-blue walls, sky-blue curtains and blue-and-white-checkered bedspread. But somehow the motif worked, complimenting the gleaming wood floor and oak baseboards in the bedroom.
Mari closed the door behind them. “Seriously, what happened?”
A ragged breath left his mouth. “I told him.”