Page 114 of Fierce-Matt

“I didn’t give you a choice,” he said, tapping her on the nose. “But I can tell by the look in your eyes, that might have scored more points.”

“No points for you to score,” she said. “I mean it. This has been the best weekend ever.”

“We’ll have to try for more of them.”

This was where reality came into play.

“I’m busier than you on the weekends,” she said. “It’s not always easy.”

“And you don’t want to give up a sale or push a client off. I know.”

“It’s the thing I hate the most about my job,” she said. “I like the flexibility. I understand why there are so many part-time realtors out there. They can have another day career and then do this nights and weekends.”

“It’s a good job for a parent too,” he said. “Have time with the kids or bring them to school, then work at night.”

“I haven’t thought that far into my life and career.”

“Do you want kids?” he asked, pushing against the headboard.

She mirrored his move. “I always thought so. I was more about finding the right guy first and we know my luck there has been lacking.”

“Until recently,” he boasted.

“That’s right. Until recently. As for kids. This is horrible, but I feel as if I can tell it to you.”

“You can tell me anything,” he said, turning to look at her.

“I always worried I’d have a kid that acted like EJ. I want to say there is something wrong with him. Maybe there is. I don’t know. I know my father wanted him tested and they might have done it, but I’ve never heard of any medical issues.”

“Some people just aren’t nice,” he said. “That’s on them. It’s not anything you or your parents did.”

“I know,” she said. “I didn’t always think you were nice at times, but you’re a great guy. And I’m not saying these things for you to say you’re sorry or bring up any negative past, just that you had a good solid core in your household. Maybe EJ needed more of that. Or a male figure in his life.”

“And you’re never going to know,” he said.

“He’s selfish and life is better with him on the other side of the world. But he’s still my brother and their son. Distance is the best thing.”

“Has he talked to your parents since you called him last? This was over a month ago, right?”

“Close to two months,” she said. “It’s when we talked about the business and what to do. He doesn’t know they updated their will or power of attorney, medical proxy or anything.”

Her brother was still going to get fifty percent of anything when their parents were both gone. Her father wasn’t that much of a dick and her mother would never cut EJ off completely.

Anya didn’t need nor want the headache of that battle if her brother thought or found out she was getting more in the end.

“You’ve not talked to him once?”

“No,” she said. “We didn’t always talk much anyway. A text or an email for a holiday, if that. I was reaching out more with my father’s medical issues, but he didn’t ever seem to care. I know my mother has tried to keep him informed, but he barely replies to her.”

“I’m sorry for him,” he said. “Whatever beef is between your father and brother, it’s still his son.”

“It is. EJ was horrible to my parents. He was always throwing fits, starting fights with my father. Shoving him. He took a swing at my father once.”

“Are you kidding me?” he asked.

“No. I heard the yelling in my room and came out to see what was going on. My mother was trying to calm EJ down, but he was cursing and swearing over something. I don’t even remember. My father went to walk away to give them space and EJ grabbed his arm and swung.”

“He didn’t hit him, did he?”