“Because?”

“I won’t give up the hospital, I won’t face making that decision, and I won’t give up you or your kids.”

Their lunch arrived, and Riley thanked the waiter. But neither set about eating anything.

“You don’t have to, you know,” Riley began. He squeezed her hand. “Being in love doesn’t mean to the exclusion of everything else. Sean wouldn’t want you to give up anything, and hell, even if you were to be expecting, you wouldn’t have to give up your work at the hospital.”

“He said that?”

Riley shook his head. “He didn’t have to. He said he loved you, and I filled in the rest myself. He wanted my blessing, something about you thinking I didn’t approve.”

Eden chuckled and released her hold of Riley’s hand to pick up her fork. She poked at a scallop, chasing it around the buttery sauce it was coated in. “We’re so over that,” she said.

“He said I was the older, wiser brother, and that I was in charge.”

Eden quirked an eyebrow. “He did not.”

They ate in silence, and this time the quiet was broken by Riley’s cell vibrating.

“We’ve done well,” Eden said gently as Riley ignored the call. “Before… just before, did you think we’d ever end up where we are?”

Riley put down his cutlery and steepled his fingers, resting his chin on them. “You mean how we broke free of our dysfunctional family?” he teased.

“Ass. I was being serious.”

“Want to hear something weird?”

“Weirder than usual?”

“I love my flashy cars, right? I swapped out the Porsche for a new SUV, and I think about the Land Rover and the lease agreement and how much that is costing and it all feels so obscene.”

Eden nodded. “Don’t forget I was the one who used the company jet for shopping trips,” she pointed out. “Now I reuse all my clothes.”

Riley snorted water and was acutely aware people were staring at him. Let them stare. He used his napkin to mop the spray. “First-world problems,” he said on a laugh.

She grasped his hand, and the grin faded to a pretty smile accompanied by a small frown. “I’m going to ask Jim to give me away. You think he’ll say yes?”

Emotion tightened Riley’s chest, and he recalled the moment she asked Jim if it were possible that he was her dad as well. He’d said no, but that didn’t count when he and Eden were so close.

“Of course he will. He’s your father in every way,” Riley said. “Does this mean you’re going to put Sean out of his misery and set an official date?”

Eden nodded. “August,” she said. “Can we…?” She looked down at her glass, and her free hand rested on the table. “You think Jack would let us do something at the D?”

“You want to get married at the ranch?” That was unexpected. Riley had imagined his sister would want the whole hotel wedding with the ballroom and the train on her dress and the flowers. A wedding on the ranch wasn’t something Riley thought would be on Eden’s list.

“You think you’d be okay with that? You and Jack? It won’t be large; I only want family and a few friends.”

Riley sat forward. “We’d love that,” he said. “Tell us the date you want, and we’ll be there.” Riley stopped again. He was the organizer in the family, you only had to see his big kitchen calendar to see who kept on top of everything in the Campbell-Hayes household. Who would be in charge of Eden’s wedding? Was she going to ask him? Anxiety hit him, kids’ stuff and Jack he could handle, but a wedding?

“We only want something small, and I’m asking Beth to help out.”

Riley relaxed at the idea that someone other than him would be dealing with caterers and tents and candles and all the other accoutrements of a wedding. Thank God no one was asking him.

“Perfect.”

“So I’m going to ask Jim, and I’d like Hayley as a bridesmaid. What about Max?”

“What about him? He’d probably be overwhelmed if you’re thinking of asking him to do something.”

“I don’t want him being left out. He’s my nephew, and I want him included.”

Riley wasn’t sure how to explain Max. In his heart he desperately wanted his son to take part in it all, but he was also a father and he and Jack were growing to understand their son more and more each day.

Chaos and noise were the two things that Max couldn’t handle, but that didn’t mean they couldn’t get him a tiny suit for the day. He might wear it.

“He won’t understand the concept of being left out, he won’t feel it at all,” Riley said, even though it broke his heart to say it. He knew he was being irrational, but he couldn’t help putting his own adult feelings onto Max. Their son wouldn’t care, and both Jack and Riley needed to stop doing this thing where they tried to imagine Max being upset.

“He’s a sweetheart,” Eden offered. She brightened. “Hey, I know. We could have a Thomas-themed wedding cake.”

Riley’s heart nearly burst from his chest. He loved Eden, and yes, she was right, they’d done good. They’d learned and become better people, allowed the love in their hearts out to the world, made themselves vulnerable to people who loved them back.

“I love you, sis.”

“Back atcha. Just please, for God’s sake, when I give you the date, plan to be there.” Then she softened a little and became more serious. “And Riley, please don’t get kidnapped again.”

* * * * *

Riley was introspective on his journey back to the D, thanking the heavens he could even drive with the cast, and thinking on the twins and Max and Hayley. He was considering his place in their lives and all kinds of heavy shit that had him desperate for one thing: a hug from Jack.

When he reached the ranch, Jack was nowhere to be found and instead Riley ended up shooting the breeze with Liam and Robbie. Liam looked calm and relaxed, even to the point he appeared more grown up than before the trial. He was teasing Robbie about something to do with cats and feed, and Riley was happy to listen to the bantering. When Eli strolled over to join them, Riley broke out ice-cold lemonade, and the four men sat in shade to enjoy the break. Robbie and Eli sat close to each other, Liam sprawled this way and that in the dirt, and Riley carefully lowered himself to the floor.

“You okay?” Eli asked. He looked concerned and even shuffled a little closer to Riley and held out a hand.

Riley waved him away. “’M fine.”

Eli moved back to bump elbows with Robbie. This close Eli looked tired, but his skin was tanned warm and he seemed happy. Riley wanted to ask how the latest check went, but he didn’t have to when Eli launched into a whole explanation as to why hospital seating was designed by the devil himself.

“So then they tell me oncology is running fifty minutes late and I lost it.”

“He didn’t lose it,” Robbie pointed out. “He very politely went up to the administrator and reminded her he’d been sitting there an hour and weren’t sick people a priority?” Robbie chuckled, but Riley didn’t like the sound of it.

“Is the cancer back?” he said quickly.

Eli blinked at him, and his eyes widened. “Shit. No. Riley, I’m still all clear. I was just teasing the woman.”

“Trying to win her over with his green eyes and his super cuteness,” Robbie interjected.

“Didn’t work, though,” Eli said with a shake of his head. “She just looked at me and said the doctor would be with me in fifty minutes, and you know what I did? I sat down.”

“You never mess with admin,” Liam said.

Riley glanced at the young man. He was looking better these days, but Riley knew what had happened to Liam and it never failed to amaze him that he was getting on so well. It led him to think about Beth, which pulled him down a dark tunnel to thinking about Jeff and how he had attacked Beth.

Jeff had raped Beth, tried to have Jack framed, nearly killed him and Jack. He and Gerald Hayes had stolen so much from so many people. No wonder I’m screwed up, look at my fucking family. I didn’t stand a chance.