Page 38 of Players Like Us (Reunion Gap #7)

D aniel had always tried to protect his sister from the wrong guys, bad choices, and over-the-top ideas. What he hadn’t realized until his wife pointed it out to him was that he’d often ended up causing more harm to her self-esteem and their relationship.

She’s got to find her way , Meredith had said. And if you listen to her, really listen, I believe you’ll see that she has.

You’re talking about your brother . Of course they’d been talking about Neal Alexander. Hadn’t all of the discussions lately and the rare arguments come back to that guy?

I’m talking about trying to control other people’s worlds.

You’re not them and you don’t know what they’ve been through or how they process situations.

And while you never want to see a loved one harmed, they have to live their lives.

People get hurt, but they also feel joy when they find a way to live life on their own terms. To open up to someone who could hurt them. Like us.

She was right and the reminder of how he’d almost destroyed their relationship always made him edgy.

So, what was he going to do about her brother?

Daniel hadn’t missed the way Meredith picked at her food these past few days and ran to the bathroom to throw up early this morning.

Had nerves done this to her? Had he done this to her?

He couldn’t stand the thought that somehow he’d caused her pain.

If only Ethan were back in Reunion Gap, Daniel could have a whole conversation and analysis from his best friend.

But no, “husband” and “father of the year” had decided the family unit should visit his hometown and get to know the place.

For a guy who used to prefer his orchids to people and detested rumpled clothes and lint, he sure didn’t seem to mind baby spit up, sleepless nights, or taking out the garbage.

Daniel could call him, but he wanted to try and reason this out himself or talk to Meredith about it, but since this involved her brother, it might be hard for her to be objective.

He had tried to have this discussion with Meredith and she’d actually been quite logical about it.

If you want a relationship with your sister, you need to have a real conversation with her.

Apologize for all of the years of hanging on to her too tight, but also tell her why you did it.

If she’s ready to talk, it will give her an opportunity to tell you what she was thinking and why she did it.

That’s called an open conversation. You have to do it to get past this roadblock that’s become your relationship.

And your brother? Do I need to have a conversation with him, too?

That’s up to you. He’s my brother and I love him and I will always support him even if I don’t agree with him.

That doesn’t mean I won’t tell him how I feel, but I’m not going to abandon him.

She’d smiled, stroked his cheek, and whispered, Again, real conversation is key.

If you’re both honest and open up, which will make you extremely vulnerable and neither one of you likes that, you might find out you can actually be friends.

He’d laughed, muttered, Doubtful.

And it was that one little comment from his wife and the smile she’d given him that made him seek out his sister at the family home where the dinner conversation had included a recap of their parents’ cruise and the new project Daniel was working on.

Meredith had been with them and his mother sure spent a lot of time assessing and inquiring about her health.

Just because Meredith was a little pale and hadn’t eaten more than three twirls of spaghetti didn’t mean she needed a medical intervention from his mother.

Do you feel well, dear? You look a little peaked.

Is the marinara too acidic for you? Lorna Reese cared for and about everybody and now she’d added all of the Alexanders to her list, with Meredith in the first position.

Maybe this whole thing with her brother had her worked up and she couldn’t relax.

Or did it have to do with Daniel’s relationship with Rachel, which wasn’t exactly a smooth one?

Meredith was very sensitive and he could not be the cause of heartburn, an upset stomach, or peaked looks.

Damn, he did have to talk to his sister and then he probably had to talk to his pain-in-the-ass brother-in-law.

Daniel waited until after dinner to approach Rachel.

His parents and Meredith were in the living room looking through old family photo albums. He was definitely going to have a conversation with his mother about boundaries.

“Want to escape before they call us in there?”

Rachel laughed, nodded. “Please get me out of here.”

Daniel grinned, pointed to the back door. “Come on. Let’s go check out Mom’s flowers. You know how she loves those things.”

Rachel followed him outside and into their mother’s prized flower garden. She touched the pointed petals of a large pink flower. “This is a dahlia. Do you know she digs them up in the winter and stores them in the basement? The climate is too cold here to keep in the ground.”

No, he didn’t know that and he wondered how his sister did. He’d never realized she’d been into flowers. What else had she been into, other than the bad boys and the over-the-top outfits she favored?

“Daniel?”

“Huh?” He dragged a hand through his hair, squinted against the sun to see her face. “Oh, right. Flowers. Stored in the basement.”

She eyed him. “Why don’t you tell me why you really asked me outside?

” When he hesitated, she provided her own answer.

“You’re worried about me and you want to make sure I’m on the right path or get me off the wrong one.

” She held up a hand when he tried to speak, continued.

“And of course, you’re going to have to mention the man whose jaw you punched and remind me how I have such bad taste in men.

” Her eyes teared up, and she cleared her throat.

“I did, that is absolutely true. But he’s one of the good ones and I refused to see it until it was too late.

That’s something I have to live with...”

Wow, Daniel had not expected that response from his sister. “Was I responsible for whatever broke you apart...?”

The saddest smile pulled across her lips. “No, Daniel, it was all me. I’ve always had trust issues, but he didn’t deserve that, not from me...not from anyone.”

So, from what Daniel could piece together, the trust issues had split them up and Alexander wasn’t interested in a second chance with her. Damnit, why not? Wasn’t that what people were supposed to do? What if Meredith hadn’t given Daniel another shot? What if—

Rachel placed her hand on his arm, squeezed.

“Don’t blame yourself. I should apologize to you for all of the aggravation I caused all those years.

Just trying to be different and stick out because I knew I could never be perfect like you.

That was wrong and you didn’t deserve it, and neither did Mom and Dad.

Sure, when I was a kid it was acceptable because you expect teenagers to go through stuff.

But when I didn’t grow out of it? When I hit my twenties and continued making excuses for my poor choices and over-the-top ideas?

I jumped from one idea to another, one job to another, and for what?

Because I didn’t want to put in the work.

I didn’t want rejection after rejection.

I wanted someone or something to say yes. ”

“I just wanted to protect you.”

A tear slid down her cheek, followed by another.

“I know. I really do see that now, but for so long, I couldn’t.

And then I had to look at myself and admit I was the problem, me and my unwillingness to accept accountability.

It’s easier to blame everyone for your screw-ups, to tell yourself you could find success and be happy if only people would leave you alone—especially your family.

That is such a crock. You once told me that I should prepare myself for when opportunity came along because that’s when you find success.

It’s the best thing you ever told me, and I held onto it and guess what? You were right.”

Daniel blew out a sigh, wished he’d had this conversation with his sister a long time ago. “I’m sorry I was so hard on you, and I’m really sorry we didn’t talk years ago.”

The smile inched wider, but it was still as sad as it had been.

“I wouldn’t have been ready to hear you, and I wouldn’t have been ready to admit what I just did.

But I’m doing it now and I am so sorry for all those years of grief.

I love you, Daniel, and I am so proud of you.

I hope one day you can be proud of me, too.

” The tears did come then, as Daniel pulled her into his arms, stroked her hair and wished he could make her world right.

“I am proud of you, Rachel. You stayed with interior design even when everyone, especially me, told you it would never happen. You proved us all wrong, and I’m really glad.

But I’m most proud of how you opened up and talked to me today.

” He kissed the top of her head, pulled her closer.

He might not have caused this mess for his sister, but maybe he could help fix it.