Eric wiggled under the sink to try and ease the sharp pain running up his back. Seriously, would it be too much to have his stepmother look into having a plumber fix this pipe? He’d fixed it three times. Obviously it needed a professional.
But he knew what would happen. If she said she was going to hire a plumber, his father would strap on a tool belt and then a week later Eric would have to fix twice as much pipe and drywall.
This was how it went and had for nearly twenty years. Perhaps Eric should look at it as a blessing. He was needed.
“She got you fixing stuff again?” Dane’s voice came from beyond the hole that Eric had tucked himself into.
“You live in this house. You should do this.”
He could hear his brother cackle. “Right. I develop software. Have you seen my fingernails? Bitten off but no dirt under them.”
Eric let out a groan. “Real work would do you good.”
“My work is real. Without me, people couldn’t run their businesses. I’m helping mankind.”
Eric turned the wrench and batted his eyes from the water that dripped down onto his face. “Where is Dad?”
“Last I heard he was in town with the lawyers. They’re trying to find some loophole in Byron’s poker game.”
“Good. That’ll keep him busy for awhile. I don’t want him walking in and trying to help me.”
Eric continued to work on the pipe, very aware that his brother had never moved. After at least fifteen minutes of him standing only a few feet away, Eric slid out from under the cabinet and looked up at Dane.
“You’re just going to sit and watch me do this?”
Dane shrugged. “It’s entertaining. Besides, I wanted to ask you about Susan.”
Eric ran his tongue over his teeth. “What about her?”
“Russ says it’s hot and heavy between the two of you. I told him he was full of crap. But he’s persistent.”
“What would it matter either way?”
That had Dane fighting off a grin. “You weren’t very nice to her the other night. And now you’re making out in the barn? Or so says Russ.”
Eric shook his head and climbed back under the cabinet. “If you don’t have any other purpose in being here why don’t you find something else to do? Go program some software.”
But Dane didn’t leave. Eric slid out from under the sink, again, and looked up at his very serious brother.
“Why is this bothering you?”
Dane tucked his hands into the front pockets of his pants. “I like her.”
“I like her too.”
“You’re not real cool with the ladies.”
“Says the man living in his parents’ house at thirty-two.”
Dane narrowed his stare on him. “If you’re not serious about her I want a chance. If this is another one of your love ‘em and leave ‘em things…”
“It’s not.”
The answer seemed to surprise them both. Eric hadn’t even thought about it when he said it. The words just flew from his mouth. That had merit then, didn’t it?
There was no reason to even ask Dane why he was being the way he was. Eric had a reputation and certainly if Susan learned about it she just might find he wasn’t someone she wanted to get involved with.
He’d never touched a woman and hurt her. He’d never been outwardly cruel to them either—insensitive, yes.
The back of his neck grew damp from perspiration. Why should this matter so much?
“You drug out your relationship with Angelica for six years. Not once did you tell her you loved her,” Dane reminded him.
“I guess it was because I didn’t love her.”
“She bought a wedding dress.”
“She was stupid to do that. I never proposed.”
Dane swiped his hand across his forehead. “That’s what I’m saying. You use these women for your own purpose. If you’re in town you look them up. You hide in your house as if you’re some old man hiding from the world.”
“So what? I have a lot of work to do here.”
“And it’s always more important than the women in your life.”
“What’s your point?”
“I think if you’re just going to discard Susan then let me have a chance with her.”
Eric pushed to his feet. Wiping his hands on his jeans he faced his brother. “I’m not going to mess this up. Just step back.”
Dane held his hands up in surrender. “Fine. Don’t break her heart. Something tells me she’s not one to put up with your crap.”
If they were younger, Eric would consider punching his brother for questioning him as a considerate man. But there were facts that Eric couldn’t deny. He’d stomped on a few too many hearts and he wasn’t known for being any kind of Casanova.
“Give me a chance.” He pulled a rag from his back pocket and wiped his hands. “I have to go dig for a part in the garage. Don’t let him touch this if he comes back.”
Dane ran his hands over his hair. “He’ll be quite a while. He’s also making sure that they can’t move your mother.”
Eric felt any spark of life in him fizzle out as he looked at his brother. “They’ll only move her over my dead body.”
“Don’t say that. I wouldn’t hold them against that.”
He looked at his watch. “Have Glenda call a plumber,” he said as he started out of the kitchen.
“Where are you going? You can’t leave this.”
“I’m going to talk to Elias Morgan.”
Dane hurried after him and grabbed his arm, stopping him. “Are you crazy?”
“He’s my grandfather. He should listen to my side of things.”
“He’s a bastard. He’s never been any part of your family. What makes you think he’ll listen to what you have to say?”
“Because I know Smith and Wesson.”
“Eric…”
“I’m not going to shoot anyone. I just need them to know they disowned her then, they can’t claim her now.”
“Dad is taking care of that. You have to trust him.”
Eric squeezed his eyes closed. He didn’t want to trust him. He wanted to break some arms. But that wasn’t going to solve anything.
“Fine. I’m going to drive into town and buy the parts I need. Don’t let him touch this if I don’t get back in time.” The look Dane gave him was the same one Glenda would have given him too if she didn’t trust him. “I’m not going to the Morgan’s. I’ll trust the system for now. But when it fails I’m going to go knocking on their door.”