Wyatt
Present Day
It was another Saturday, which meant another family dinner at my parents’ house. It was starting to become a ritual and I wasn’t sure how I felt about it, everyone paired off except me. After the holidays and with all of us finally home, Mom made it her mission to gather us together as much as possible. I was starting to think—fear, really—it’d be the one New Year’s resolution she’d keep. Not that I could fault her, though, I was the last one to leave the Army, after all. She always wanted us all home and now she had it since I decided not to re-up at the end of my term.
Dinner was finally over and the bowl with nuts and fruit sat in the middle of the table, like it always did as we waited for dessert. No one touched them, no one ever did, not even my mother when she finally came to sit down, but it was tradition. Conversations were going on all around me, but all I could think about was the dessert. Once it was served, I could gracefully exit and go back to doing paperwork for my last client, documenting everything that had transpired while I was doing security detail.
Mom finally brought out the cheesecake she had made, Dad following behind with the plates and dessert forks.
“Looks delicious, Mary,” Sabrina said, smiling beside her husband Damon. “Are you sure we can’t help?”
“Nonsense. You’re guests tonight. Now, who’s ready for cheesecake?” Mom asked, setting it down on the table, strawberry compote poured over the top with strawberries intentionally placed on one side. It looked like it came right out of a magazine.
Deacon coughed my name and I shot him a glare, his arm draped over the back of his fiancée Jenna’s chair. There was a reason he wasn’t my favorite brother and I was starting to remember what that reason was.
I brought my hands together on the table, weaving my fingers through one another, waiting patiently.
“Yeah, he’s got to get back to his hotel room before it’s lights out,” Colton piled on even though his fiancée Scarlet was noticeably squeezing his wrist to shut him up.
Just because he was a dad now to a baby boy, Brandon, didn’t mean he could give me shit. “Fuck off.”
“Language!” Dad warned.
“It’s okay, Jay,” Mom said and sat down next to me, having passed the cake cutter off to Jenna to do the honors of cutting and serving, and laid her hand on top of mine. “Wyatt, they mean well and what I think your brothers are trying to say,” she paused to give them a look, before continuing, “is that you’ve been back for months now. When are you going to act like it and make yourself a permanent home here?”
I eyed her hand and wondered what the right answer would be to end this line of questioning as fast as possible. “Mom, I’m fine. Everything will come together. I just don’t see the point in rushing anything.”
She tilted her head, but before she could say something else, Damon cut in. “Wyatt has to do what he wants, he’ll move when he’s ready.” I eyed him and hoped he knew how thankful I was that he stepped in. “Now, about this cheesecake,” he added, “my wife is right, it looks delicious, Mom.” And with that, all talk of my life and what I was or wasn’t doing with it ended. And that right there was only one reason why Damon was my favorite brother.
After dessert, I was getting my jacket to leave when he stopped me, though. Out of earshot of the rest of the family, he said, “Listen man, about before.”
“Yeah, thanks,” I said earnestly.
He nodded. “Don’t thank me yet. The beach club is not a proper residence and you know it. You can’t stay there forever. Why don’t you let me take you around next week, we can look at some options together? It’ll be fun.”
I checked my watch and then shook my head. “That’s okay, it’s a busy week for me and I really should be going now. Goodnight everyone!” I shouted and opened the door to walk outside.
Following me, Damon rubbed his hands together and blew into them. The night air was as cool as you’d expect for January in Miami, something we were rarely used to. “Wyatt, I know being back is hard, and you miss Susan, but you have to get on with your life.”
At the mere mention of Susan I felt sick to my stomach. He knew better than to bring her up. “You don’t know what you’re talking about,” I returned.
He crossed his arms and countered, “I do and you know it.”
I narrowed my eyes, warning him to stop because I wasn’t sure I could handle listening to much more.
He shook his head, stubborn as ever. “Come on, man, I know what you went through. I know what you’re going through.”
“Oh, I didn’t realize you had a dead wife.”
He pulled back, as if he didn’t expect a blow like that from me.
“Sorry, but the fact remains, you don’t know what it feels like and I’m perfectly content with living at the hotel for now.”
He shook his head, putting my outburst behind us. “You need a real place to call home. You need to get out and see people.”
“I see people,” I insisted.
“I’m not talking about Andrés or us or your clients. Have you met anyone, gone out on a date?”
I shook my head. The cold was starting to get to me and I wanted to be done with this conversation. “I’m perfectly fine with my life, thank you. I really need to go. Call me this week and maybe we can get a beer.”
“And look for a place for you?” Damon asked and when I raised my eyebrow, he bit his tongue and shook his head. “Okay, see you, bro.” He pulled me in for a hug and clapped my back before turning to go back inside.
I walked to my SUV and rubbed the back of my neck. They really didn’t know what they were talking about. I was fine and the hotel suited me just fine, especially because so many assignments kept me close to clients, following them around wherever they went. And Andrés was people. He was my business partner, sure, but he was also my friend. I really was happy with my life and just because I didn’t see the point in spending money on rent or a mortgage and utilities and all that other crap, or even dating dozens of women, didn’t mean I was living my life wrong. It just meant I was living my life my way.
And I really didn’t care what anyone had to say about it.