Page 26

CHAPTER 26

J onah shoved his hand into the bag of potting soil and brought out a handful of the rich black dirt. He dropped it into the pot and grabbed another handful. Usually, playing in the dirt was his damn happy place, but nothing could soothe the anxiety brewing in his stomach. Hell, he’d be lucky if he didn’t barf all over the greenhouse walls.

He wanted desperately to confront Caleb at the house, to force him to understand that Jonah only wanted what was best for him, but he wasn’t an idiot. He knew what that would do. The only thing he could do was hope that with some time and space, Caleb would miss Jonah as much as Jonah missed him and consider having a relationship again. In the meantime, Jonah would -

“Do you remember that giant pumpkin Dad grew?”

Jonah whirled around, dirt spraying from his hand to land on the floor, and stared wide-eyed at Caleb. His brother stood uncertainly in the doorway, his body tense. “He won second place in that hick town pumpkin contest he made us attend.”

“I still have the ribbon,” Jonah said.

Caleb smiled. “Yeah, of course you do.”

There was a moment of silence, and then Jonah said, “Shut the door. I’m not paying to heat the outdoors.”

“Okay, Dad ,” Caleb snorted, but he shut the door and joined Jonah at the far table. “You have a lot of plants in here.”

“Yeah,” Jonah said. “I got a little carried away, I think.”

“You think?” Caleb pointed to the African Violets still waiting to be repotted. “Dad would kick your ass if he saw you abusing the violets that way.”

“They like to be rootbound,” Jonah said.

“Not that rootbound,” Caleb said.

“Shut up and make yourself useful by repotting a couple then,” Jonah said.

Caleb rolled his eyes but took off his jacket before grabbing a few of the bigger plastic pots and lining them up in a neat row. They worked in silence for nearly five minutes before Caleb said, “Nimera loves African Violets.”

“Oh yeah?” Jonah kept his tone neutral.

“Yeah. We have a whole shelf of them at the house. She loves them partially because of the flowers but also because we have two cats, and violets are one of the few plants that aren’t poisonous to cats if they chew on ‘em.”

“Do the cats chew on them?” Jonah asked.

“All the fucking time,” Caleb said in a see how I suffer voice.

Jonah laughed, and Caleb grinned at him before staring at the plants in front of him. “I wish Dad were here with us right now.”

“Me too,” Jonah said.

“Of course, he’d be hovering like an old woman, telling us we weren’t adding enough dirt or -”

“Adding too much dirt,” Jonah said.

“Or we weren’t watering them right,” Caleb grinned again. “Boys, you’re meant to give them a drink, not -”

“Fucking drown them,” Jonah joined in, and they both laughed.

Jonah glanced at Caleb. “I’m sorry, Caleb. I love you and enjoy spending time with you, and I’m sorry that my actions and my words didn’t convey that.”

Caleb shook his head. “Nah, that was just me throwing a temper tantrum like a little fucking kid. I know you love me, Jonah. I do.”

“Dad loved you too. A lot,” Jonah said.

“I know. But you were his favourite, and that ate at me for a long time.” Caleb carefully separated the roots of the African violet before setting it in the new pot. “It still does, if I’m honest. But I know that’s not your fault.”

“He was so proud of you,” Jonah said. “He told me all the time how you would be a famous musician one day, and he would be in the front row of every concert.”

Caleb smiled a little. “He would have been too. Singing so loudly and so offkey that security would have made him leave.”

“Probably.” Jonah leaned against the table. “Caleb, you weren’t just someone I spent time with because I was lonely. Some of my happiest memories are of being in your room, playing video games, and eating crappy junk food. After Dad died, you were the only bright spot in my life. Spending time with you is one of my favourite things to do, and I’m sorry I didn’t make that clearer.”

“I know,” Caleb said. “Again, I was just hurt that you’d been gone for so long without contacting me, and I was…”

“What?” Jonah asked.

“I was feeling abandoned and alone. And then I was doing a gig at Walker’s Bar one night, and Nimera walked in. She was… amazing and beautiful, and we spent the whole night talking, and for the first time since you disappeared, I didn’t feel alone, Jonah.”

“I’m glad she could do that for you,” Jonah said.

Caleb took a deep breath. “I’m not with her because I’m under the fae’s influence. Nimera has never, and would never, do that to me, okay? What we feel for each other is love. True, honest love, and nothing you say will convince me otherwise.”

Jonah studied him before nodding. “I believe you.”

“Do you?”

“Yes. Despite what you think, I know what love is.” Elora’s face floated into his mind, her pretty blue eyes, the curve of her lips… God, he loved her so much, and if Caleb felt even a fraction for Nimera what Jonah felt for Elora, how could he try to tear them apart? He couldn’t. He wouldn’t .

Caleb winced as he patted fresh dirt around the plant’s roots. “I shouldn’t have said that, and I’m sorry. I know you loved Dad and… me.”

“I do,” Jonah said. “So fucking much, Caleb. And I’m sorry that who I am made yours and Dad’s life more difficult. I never wanted that, and maybe I shouldn’t have tried to have a relationship with you guys when I left the Academy, but you were my family, and I wanted that connection. Mom wasn’t exactly… loving, and even after all those years, I still remembered Dad’s kindness and his love. But it was selfish of me and a mistake to drag you and Dad into my fucked up life.”

Caleb turned to him and took his arm in a tight grip. “Don’t say that. Ignore what I said before, okay? I didn’t mean it. I was just mad and being an asshole. It wasn’t a mistake. Dad loved you. I love you. I’m glad you’re my brother, Jonah.”

His eyes watering and his throat tight, Jonah said, “I love you too, Caleb.”

He hugged his younger brother hard, both of them sniffling and wiping at their faces when they finally separated.

“God, if Dad could see us now, crying in the fucking greenhouse, he’d be so proud,” Caleb said.

Jonah laughed. “Yeah, he would. How many times did he tell us we had to ‘feel our feelings’?”

“Christ, it was practically his mantra,” Caleb said.

He wiped his hands on a rag before adding a bit of water to the plants he’d repotted. “Nimera is with me. She’s at the house. I’d like you to meet her, as long as you’re not gonna be an asshole.”

Jonah smiled faintly. “I’ll be on my best behaviour.”

Caleb studied him. “Your friend… Elora?”

“What about her?” Jonah stiffened.

“I like her.”

He relaxed. “She’s an amazing person.”

“She told me you quit doing,” Caleb paused, “contract jobs, and you’re opening a greenhouse. Is that true?”

Jonah nodded. “Yes. I need to take some business courses first, figure out how the fuck to manage a business, but that’s the end goal.”

“So, no more killing?” Caleb said softly.

“I’m done with that life,” Jonah said.

They stood silently for a few seconds before Caleb said, “Nimera is pregnant. She’s due in three months.”

“Holy shit,” Jonah said. “Congratulations, little brother.”

“Thanks.” The excitement and love on Caleb’s face shone brightly. “I can’t wait to be a dad. I just hope I’m half as good as Dad was.”

Jonah squeezed his shoulder. “You’ll be an amazing dad, Caleb.”

Caleb smiled at him. “We’re engaged. I’d like you to be my best man.”

Jonah’s throat tightened again, and he blinked rapidly as Caleb punched him on the shoulder and said, “Stop crying and say yes.”

“Yes,” Jonah said hoarsely.

“Good.” Caleb grinned at him. “Come meet Nimera.”

They walked quickly through the cold air to the house. As they stepped into the mudroom just behind the kitchen, Jonah could hear Elora’s soft laughter, and he couldn’t help but smile. Leave it to Elora to make immediate friends with a fae.

Be kind, Jonah. Nimera is important to Caleb, and if you want a relationship with him, you have to set aside your prejudice and your preconceived notion of who she is.

He took a deep breath, more nervous than he expected, and followed Caleb into the kitchen. A muscular white woman with dark brown eyes and short brown hair sat at the table with Elora. He could smell peppermint, and Elora took a sip of tea before smiling at him.

Nimera stood, and Caleb joined her, slipping his arm around her waist. “Nimera, this is my brother, Jonah. Jonah, this is Nimera.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Jonah.” Nimera held out her hand, and after a moment’s hesitation and a glance at Elora, Jonah shook it.

“It’s nice to meet you, too.”

Nimera stared directly at him. “I’m sorry for what Dairem and Witan did to you. No orders were given to harm you, and I am embarrassed by their actions.”

A little uncomfortable with her directness and genuine look of remorse, Jonah said, “Don’t worry about it.”

She frowned. “I promise you it will never happen again. You will always be welcome in our home.” She glanced at Elora. “You and Elora.”

“Thank you,” Jonah said. He figured it would be about twenty years before he’d let Elora anywhere near the fucking fae compound, but that was a problem for later. Right now, he would take the olive branch she was extending for the sake of his relationship with Caleb.

He glanced at Nimera’s stomach. “Congratulations. I’m happy for you and Caleb.”

“Thank you.” She caressed her belly, smiling at Caleb when he placed his hand over hers. “We weren’t planning on starting our family quite this early, but we’re both thrilled and excited.”

“We’re working on the nursery,” Caleb said. “We’re doing a plant theme.”

“Really?” Jonah said.

“Yes,” Nimera said. “Nature and all her beauty is important to me, and Caleb told me about your father’s love of plants.”

“That’s great,” Jonah said as Elora joined him. Grateful for her support, he put his arm around her, cupping her hip lightly and ignoring Caleb’s surprised look. “I’m excited to be an uncle.”

There was more awkwardness that Elora smoothed over quickly. “Do you know if you’re having a boy or a girl?”

“We decided to keep it a surprise,” Nimera said.

“Oh, that’s fun,” Elora said. “Do you feel like you have everything ready to go?”

“Oh goddess, not even close,” Nimera laughed. “We still have to get a car seat and a stroller and put the crib together.”

Elora smiled. “There’s a lot to do, I imagine.”

“So much,” Nimera said. “Plus, we’re trying to plan for the wedding. We want to get married a month after the baby is born, but I’m starting to wonder if that isn’t a little too ambitious. The wedding will be small, but there’s still a lot of planning involved.”

“You two should stay for dinner and tell us all about it,” Elora said. “Maybe there will be something Jonah and I can do to help.”

“Oh, um…” Caleb glanced at Nimera.

She squeezed his hand and smiled at Elora. “We would love to have dinner with you and Jonah.”