Page 109 of Inferno

Chapter 28

“Well, little brother,” Sterling Wolf mused, “looks like we’ve both been keeping secrets from each other.”

Leaning against the balustrade that wrapped around the wide front porch, Stan ruefully regarded his brother.“Looks that way, doesn’t it?”

Sterling nodded, rocking gently on the porch swing. “I never told you that Celeste and I were having problems, andyoudidn’t tell me about the horrible nightmares you’d been having.”

“I know.” Stan sighed, suffering a fresh pang of guilt. “I didn’t want you to worry about me.”

“I know. And Iwouldhave worried,” Sterling admitted matter of factly. “But I still wish you’d confided in me. That’s what brothers are for.”

Stan hung his head. “Damn, Sterl, I’m already in the doghouse with Prissy and Mama Wolf,” he half joked. “You gonna put me there, too?”

Sterling chuckled, stretching out his long legs. “Since it’s almost Thanksgiving, I’ll cut you some slack.”

“Thanks.” Stan grinned, lazily swigging from a bottle of beer.

It was just after noon on Wednesday. After everyone enjoyed a hearty breakfast, Prissy’s brother had taken his mother, wife, daughters and Mama Wolf to a local shopping center to pick up some items they needed for the ski trip. While the boys stampeded downstairs to the basement to entertain themselves, Prissy and Georgina Reddick had curled up on the living room sofa to play catch up. That left Stan and Sterling, who’d grabbed two frosted beers and headed outside to the porch to do some catching up of their own.

“This is a really beautiful neighborhood, Stan,” Sterling remarked, surveying the quiet, picturesque street. He gestured to the house behind him.“Beautiful home, too.”

“Thanks, Sterl.” Stanpauseda beat. “Coronado’s a really nice community.Great parks and lakes.Great fire and police departments.Great schools.It’s a wonderful place to raise kids, you know.”

Sterling chuckled wryly. “Are you finished?”

Stan blinked innocently. “Finished what?”

“Your not-so-subtle sales pitch.”

“I wasn’t giving a sales—” Stan broke off, grinning at the knowing look his brother gave him. “Okay, maybe Iwastrying to sell you on moving here. But you have to admit it’s not such a bad idea. The Wolf Pack would be together again.”

Sterling chuckled softly, shaking his head. “You know I’m not leaving Atlanta. The boys and I have our whole lives there, and Michael will be graduating from high school in another year. And I’m a homicide detective. Don’t seem like there’s enough crime in Coronado to keep me busy.”

Stan chuckled. “That’s probably true.”

“As for the other thing you said, the Wolf Pack will always be together right here”— Sterling patted his heart —“where it counts.”

Stan nodded slowly. “I’ll drink to that,” he said, leaning over andclinkinghis bottle against Sterling’s. Smiling at each other, they drank their beer.

After a few moments, Stan sighed. “But truthbetold, as much as we’re really starting to enjoy Coronado, Prissy and I have already decided that we’ll be moving back to Atlanta in another five years or so.”

“Really?”Sterling raised a surprised brow. “What promptedthatdecision?”

Stan shrugged a shoulder. “We miss being near family. Miss being there to watch Michael, Marcus and Prissy’s nieces grow up. Prissy misses bonding with her mom and Theo. And hell, Sterl, I guess I miss seeingyourugly mug every day.”

Sterling grinned teasingly. “Considering that folks often mistake us for twins, ifI’mugly, what does that make you?”

“Damn,” Stan muttered.“Walked right into that one.”

The two brothers laughed.

Sobering after a few moments, Stan said quietly, “At the end of the day, there’s no place like home.”

Sterling’s expression softened, and he nodded.“Can’t argue with that.”

Stan smiled. Turning his face toward the gray winter sky, he inhaled a deep lungful of cold air and let it out slowly, watching as his warm breath gusted a silvery plume.

“Supposed to start snowing tonight,” he idly announced.