At the door, Evan had said he’d had no idea his siblings even existed until today, but it was clear Tony and Kelsey shared the same mother and father as he did. Where could they have been all these years?
The questions mounted.
“So,” she said after she’d taken a sip from her coffee cup, “where are you from?” It was only the tip of the huge morass of questions she had for them, but at least it was a start.
“Modesto,” Kelsey said. “Mom still lives there, but Tony and I are in the city now.”
Mom. Theresa Collins looked to be mid-fifty to sixty, her face and neck weathered by the years, though her hair wasn’t completely gray. She avoided meeting anyone’s eye, concentrating on the tissues clasped in her lap. She added nothing to the conversation as she sat on the couch, shoulders hunched, and sniffled occasionally into the wad of tissues in her hands.
“Tony’s at UCSF,” Evan said. “And Kelsey’s a CPA in San Francisco.”
“We showed up on his doorstep just a few minutes ago,” Tony offered without being asked, his smile very much like Evan’s. At least when Evan actually used to smile.
Kelsey shot her brother a quick look, and when he nodded, she turned back to Evan and said, “Is there somewhere you and I could talk privately?”
Beside her, Paige felt Evan practically vibrating. For anyone else, anger and frustration would have won out over curiosity by now. But he’d always possessed tremendous control, so she wasn’t surprised when he nodded and stood.
“Follow me.” He reached out a hand for Paige. “I’d appreciate it if you’d join us.”
She put her hand in his, even knowing the effect his touch would have on her. Like fireworks going off along her skin, inside her chest, deep in her belly. From nothing more than the connection of fingers and palms.
All her yearning flowed into that touch, the need to comfort, the desire for him. If only they’d had time to talk about that wonderful, beautiful, stupendous kiss. If only she could comfort him now. Wrap her arms around him. Protect him, heal him.
But all she could do at the moment was walk with him and Kelsey toward the great room at the far back of the house.
“Like Tony said,” Kelsey began as soon as they were out of hearing distance, “we don’t want your money.” Paige was impressed with the strength she saw in the tall, lovely woman. Her back was straight, her long hair falling over her shoulders. “We just want you to help us with Mom.”
“If you don’t want money, how am I supposed to help?”
Paige hated how Evan said it, like he didn’t have anything else to offer, that his only worth was his wealth.
“Why don’t you sit down and help us understand?” Paige suggested. A discussion would be easier if they weren’t facing off like opponents in a boxing ring.Kelsey tucked herself into a comfortable leather chair while Paige took the corner sofa seat. Evan remained standing.
Paige patted the cushion beside her. “Sit down.” With his combative façade, he would only make Kelsey nervous. Fortunately, he did as she asked, although he kept his arms crossed over his chest.
Despite the circumstances, Paige relished his body heat so close to her, his scent intoxicating her. But his maleness was a beautiful distraction she couldn’t afford right now, and she did her level best to stay on point. “Please tell us the whole story, starting with how you learned that Evan was your brother. Then we’ll see how we can help you.” Next to her, Evan was rigid. She wanted to touch him, ease his tension, but she had to be content simply to lead the discussion.
“Okay.” Kelsey nodded, looking briefly down at her hands, as if trying to decide where to begin. “You see, it was Mom’s birthday, a Sunday. And her boyfriend was already halfway to drunk by the time Tony and I got there.”
The situation had already been tense, but as soon as the words boyfriend and drunk left Kelsey’s lips, you could have cut through the air with a knife. If Paige had thought seeing his mom was a trigger, then this would be like a shotgun blast.
One that made Evan’s hands clench into fists…and renewed fury flare in his eyes.
Chapter Ten
“Theresa has a boyfriend who drinks.” Evan’s words were ground out through gritted teeth.
“Yes.”
Paige squeezed his arm, softly saying, “Go on,” to Kelsey. “Was he harming her?”
“No. He was complaining that the game had started and Mom wouldn’t change the channel because she was watching an entertainment show.” She looked at Evan. “It was you and your wife giving a tour of this home.”
“She’s not my wife anymore,” Evan revealed flatly. “We’re getting divorced.”
Kelsey’s face dropped. “Oh, I’m so sorry.”
“Don’t be.” His voice was hard and emotionless.
Yet Paige saw through the walls he’d put up and knew that, right now, the best thing would be to move past his troubles with Whitney and stay focused on his three family members who had so suddenly appeared. “Did your mother say something about Evan?”
“It was him.” Kelsey almost snarled the last word. “Greg—that’s her boyfriend—claimed Tony was a dead ringer for the guy on the TV.” She looked at Evan. “For you.”
“Your mother didn’t deny it?”
“Tony and I, we were just going to laugh it off. But she got this look on her face when Greg started in on her.”