Anne McAllister - Blood Brothers

Claire hurried in. “You’re going right now?” she asked.

“It’s best. You know why as well as I do. I guess there are some things that aren’t meant to work. Too much stands in the way, however much we might want-”

“Yes,” she said, trying to sound bright. She was doing the right thing for Randall, she was sure of it. And yet…

“You won’t mind if I don’t come to the airport, will you?” she said. “There’s a lot to do.”

“Sure, I understand. North’s going to drive me in.”

“Not Gabe?”

“Gabe’s too busy showing Freddie and the kids around. Claire-”

“It’s all right,” she said tensely. “It’s fine, honestly. Goodbye.” Her mouth twisted and she added, ironically, “Your lordship.”

“Don’t call me that. There are no lordships between us.”

“But there should have been. You have your life and I have mine. We shouldn’t have forgotten.”

“No,” he said heavily.

He felt crushed by disappointment. Whatever Gabe had hoped to achieve by coming home, it hadn’t worked. Claire’s love for him was a barrier that Randall couldn’t overcome.

He went to find his cousin. Gabe and Freddie came out onto the step when North drove up in the truck and helped Randall toss his gear aboard.

The goodbyes were stiff and awkward. Nobody felt at ease. Claire was the first to turn away and go inside.

“Let’s go,” North said. “We’re late.”

He slammed the door, and the next minute they were gone.

“So that’s that,” Gabe said with a sigh. “I had it all wrong.”

“How do you know?” Freddie demanded indignantly. “You haven’t confronted the real issue since we got here.”

“ I haven’t? What about them?”

“Well, you can’t expect them to be rational, can you?” Freddie pointed out logically. “Not when they’re in love.”

“So what am I supposed to do about it?”

“Ask her.”

“What? If she still loves me? How can I?” he asked in alarm. “How can I go up to Claire and ask her a thing like that? I’ll sound like a conceited jerk.”

“What does it matter what you sound like as long as those two find each other before it’s too late?”

“It’s embarrassing,” he complained.

Freddie smiled and took hold of his arm, looking into his face in a way he loved.

“You don’t want me to think my man is a coward, do you?”

“Hell, no!” He headed for the door, then turned back. “But you stay close,” he instructed her. “Just in case.”

Gabe found Claire in the kitchen.

“Well,” he said. “Happy now?”

Claire turned and gave him an artificially bright smile. “Of course, I’m happy. You’re home.”

“And I’m getting married.”

“I know that.”

“It doesn’t…bother you?”

“Why should it? You’re my brother…sort of. It’s not like I’m going to pine away.” She turned away from him then.

He stepped around so he could see her face. “Not about me, anyway.”

She gave him a fierce glare. “What’s that mean?”

“Fallen in love with Randall, haven’t you?” His voice was gentle.

“Of course not.”

“You never could lie to save your life.”

“And you always had to be a big-mouth and spell it out.” She spun away from him again, but he came after her.

“Why not? Why should I let you wreck your life?”

“I’d be wrecking his life if I…if I…”

“Married him?” He slipped an arm around her shoulder.

Claire tried to shrug him off. “I’m not going to marry him!”

“Why not? Don’t you love him?”

She gave up. He was right. She’d never been able to lie to him. “Oh Gabe, of course I love him, but it wouldn’t work. He thinks it would because this place got to him, but when he’s in England, he’ll change back again.”

“Will you let the man do his own thinking, for crying out loud? He’s decided that he wants you to be his wife, and who the hell are you to tell him he’s wrong?”

“But-”

“He’s in love with you. But he thinks you’re hung up about me.”

“You?” She sounded amazed, as though the idea had never occurred to her. “Gabe, I’ve never been in love with you. Oh, I might have had a bit of a crush when I was too young to have any judgement.”

“Thanks,” he said with a grin.

A muffled giggle from behind the door told him that Freddie was enjoying every word.

“But Randall,” Claire went on, “he’s a real -I mean, there’s just no comparison-”

“OK, no need to go into details. I get your drift. So why aren’t you on that plane with him?”

“Because he doesn’t really love me, he just felt sorry for me.”

“There you go again, telling folk what to think. If you aren’t the most awkward brat I ever knew! You always were and you always will be. God help Randall when you’re married!”

“We’re not going to be married.”

“Oh yes you are!” Gabe said firmly. “I owe Randall a favor, and I’m going to repay it. Now, some folks might think it wasn’t much of a favor to land him with you, but if that’s what he’s crazy enough to want, that’s what he’s going to have.”

“Oh yeah?”

“Yeah!”

“Don’t you give me orders,” Claire seethed.

“Fine, have it your way! Stand on your pride. Let him go. That man worships you, but don’t you worry about that. Go ahead and waste your life and serve you right for being a stubborn, pigheaded-”

The next moment he was reeling from a sisterly slap on the cheek. But he was back in a flash, swinging her around and returning the slap on her rear.

“I hate to interrupt,” Freddie said from the door, “but are you two going to waste time fighting, or are you going after Randall?”

The combatants stared at her.

“Have we got time?” Claire asked wildly.

“Leave it to me,” Gabe said grimly. “Move!”

The two of them piled into the sedan, and in seconds Gabe was swinging it out of the yard.

“Don’t worry, we’ll catch them up on the road,” he assured her.

“Will we?” Claire asked anxiously. “North was driving very fast. He said they were late.”

Going through the mountains, driving as fast as Gabe dared on the freezing roads, they saw no sign of the truck. Claire ground her nails together, sure that they would arrive too late.

“We’ve still got half an hour before his plane leaves.” Gabe tried to sound reassuring.

At last the airport was in sight. As they drove in Claire saw the truck, with North about to get in for the return journey. Gabe screeched to a halt, and she almost fell out in her haste.

“Randall,” she cried, running into the terminal. “Randall!”

Far up ahead she could see him, just about to go into the departure lounge.

“Randall!” Her scream carried the length of the building, and-oh thank God!-he heard it and turned, saw her.

“Claire!”

Randall began to run back to her. He didn’t have to ask why she’d come. It was there in her face, alight with love, her arms open to enfold him and hold him forever.

He dropped his bags so that he had his hands free to seize her in a fervent embrace and draw her fiercely against him.

“You mustn’t leave me,” she said frantically. “I love you, I love you-Randall, you mustn’t-” The rest was cut off.

“What about Gabe?” he asked when he could breathe.

“Who’s Gabe? It’s you I love. Only you. I knew that as soon as I saw you together. Gabe was a dream, and it was over long ago. When I thought you’d gone without me, and I’d never see you again, I couldn’t bear it.”