He knocked at the door, then waited with something close to apprehension for his brother to answer. He hadnt been back since his fathers funeral, and he wasnt sure he wanted to be here now.
My prodigal brother finally returns. Shauns quick smile took the sting out of his words before he enveloped his brother in a quick hug. Its good to see you.
You, too, Colin told him, surprised by the sudden tightness in his throat.
This family reunion calls for a celebration, Shaun said, leading the way into the kitchen.
You might not think so once you find out why Im here.
Shaun took a couple bottles of beer out of the fridge, twisted the cap off one and passed it to his brother, then did the same to his own. Youve seen Nikki, he guessed.
And my daughter.
Good.
Whatever reaction hed expected from his brother, this wasnt it.
Im glad she finally told you. Shaun moved toward the living room.
Colin managed a smile as he followed. That isnt exactly what happened.
Oh. Shaun propped his feet up on the coffee tablesomething neither one of them would have dared to do while their father was still living. What did happen?
Nikki and I were having a conversation
about something else entirely when Carly walked in.
Well. Shaun took a pull from his bottle. That must have been a surprise.
To say the least, Colin agreed.
Then you and Nikki argued about it, Shaun guessed.
He nodded.
And you walked out.
Yeah, he admitted.
I can imagine how upset you must have been, but youre going to have to talk to her if you want to work out a schedule for visitation.
I dont want visitation, Colin said, cringing at the implications of the word.
What do you want?
I dont know, he admitted. He didnt know anything about being a father, but he knew that he wanted to be a fathernot just someone who passed in and out of his childs life.
His brother shook his head. Thats typical, isnt it?
Whats that supposed to mean?
You never think things through, Colin. I know youre pissed that Nikki didnt tell you about Carly, but can you blame her?
Yes! I had a right to know that she was carrying my child.
And she had a right to expect that youd honor the vows youd made.
I did honor those vows. I never cheated on Nikki. I never even thought about another woman while we were together.
You werent even married a year.
That was true, but what Shaun didnt know was that it had been a long time after the divorce was final before Colin looked at another woman. Even then, it had been part of a conscious effort to forget about Nikki. A futile effort, he realized now. Because he hadnt stopped thinking about her. Dreaming of her. Missing her.
Hed actually looked forward to receiving the final divorce papers, as if those pages could somehow eradicate his feelings for Nikki. Unfortunately, theyd failed to do so. Nothing had helped him get over his ex-wife.
The minute hed seen Nikki striding across the parking lot, hed known his feelings hadnt dissolved with their marriagetheyd only been buried. It had taken just one glance to bring them back to the surface, one touch to have them churned up again. And when hed kissed her, it was as if the five years apart had never happened, as if nothing had changed.
Except that everything had changed.
I understand that youre angry, Shaun relented, but
I dont think you can understand any of this. You didnt just find out that you had a four-and-a-half year-old daughter. Colin slammed his empty bottle down on the table. Why would she keep something like this from me? Did she really think I would turn my back on my own child?
Nikki didnt find out she was pregnant until after youd told her your marriage was over.
I still had a right to know.
Shaun sighed. Why do you think I tried so hard to get you to come back here? Why do you think I made those outrageous demands in the settlement negotiations with your lawyer?
Because you were acting on your clients instructions, Colin guessed.
Nikki didnt want anything from you, Shaun told him. But I thoughtId hopedthat youd come back here and demand to know why she was being unreasonable. Then she would have had to tell you about the baby she was expecting.
Colin shook his head, only now beginning to understand what hed previously seen as his brothers betrayal. My lawyer told me not to sign that agreement. But the money didnt matter to me, and I figured it was the least I could do to compensate Nikki for messing up her life. In fact, he would have paid ten times as much in the hope that the financial settlement might assuage his guilt. It hadnt.
Shes never touched a dime of it, Shaun confided. It all went into a trust account for Carly.
This revelation didnt change the basic facts of the situation; it didnt absolve his brother of culpability. Shaun had been a party to Nikkis deception for the past five yearsthe two people hed been closest to had betrayed him.
How could you keep this from me? he wondered aloud. How could you not tell me I had a child?
It wasnt my place to tell you. And Nikki was my client
Im your brother.