Page 26 of Long Lost Winter

He said it so stiffly.Like a recalcitrant toddler who’d been instructed to apologize by his parents.She was torn between amusement and frustration.

“Are you?”

“I am.Apparently lashing out is adefense mechanism.”He shrugged.“Had therapy this morning.”

“Ah.”She knew he didn’t think the therapy was working, but Aly did.Slowly, and in fits and starts, but… he had so much to deal with.It made sense it wasn’t a straight, upward progression to healing.“I guess it takes time to break bad habits.I made three coffee cakes last night.The freezer is running out of space for all my stress-baked goods.”

He chuckled as she’d known he would.He closed the last of the space between them, reached out, and took her by the shoulders.He looked more like Landon in the clothes, in the morning light.

But Cal had always felt like a brother to her.She loved him, but it was different.Maybe it was evenmotherly.She wanted to protect him, to fix things for him, and she knew she couldn’t.Even before she’d knownwhy.

“I know you’re worried about me,” he said very seriously.

Buthonestly, and that was not like Cal at all.

“I’d say you don’t need to be, but… look, I know things aren’t right.That’s why I’ve got a damn therapist.”

“I’m glad you do.I’m glad you’ve got help.I wish you’d let us help too.”

“Funny, that’s my homework.”

“I was always a very good student.Let me help, Cal.”

He nodded.Then he did something surprising.He hugged her.When they were just not ahuggingpeople.But it felt nice.Good.Progress.

“I’m going to try, Aly,” he said into her ear.

So, she hugged him back and tried not to cry.“Good.”

*

Landon walked outof the barn, frustrated that he was running behind schedule.Frustrated he was going to have to delegate more than he wanted to.But he was trying to let that go.Aly had been right yesterday.He had a good staff.He was lucky to be abletodelegate.

Still, he could probably get over to the stables and handle some things before he had to head inside and get ready for court.It would be better than getting ready for court, then sitting around waiting and obsessing over what Nate had said last night.

Aly kept saying they couldn’t jump to conclusions.She’d sided with Sam on that point.Landonwantedto, but he was struggling to get there.If there was anything the past year had taught him it was that he didn’t jump to bad enough conclusions.

But maybe… maybe that was no way to live.He shook his head, striding toward the house, but he stopped short a few steps out of the barn at the sight of his brother and his fiancéehuggingthere in the pretty light of a majestic sunrise.

His heart gave one nasty little jerk before he shook it away.He didn’t actually think anything was going on.It wasn’t like they werehidingormaking out, but it reminded him of a time, years ago, when he’d been convinced Aly had a thing for Cal.

He hadn’t handled that very well.But he’d been a different person then.

He was determined to handle this a lot better.Because he wasn’t a miserable son of a bitch anymore.

Just a regular old son of a bitch.

“Everything okay?”Landon asked, being very careful to keep his voice light as he approached.

“Not for you,” Cal replied, sounding more like himself than he had all of yesterday.“Aly agreed to run away with me.”

Aly sighed and rolled her eyes, moving over to Landon.“Almost as unlikely.”She slid her arm around his waist.“Cal’s going to help with chores this morning.”

“He is?”Landon said at the exact same time Cal said, “I am?”

Aly beamed at both of them.“He is,” she said with determination.

Chapter Ten