Chapter 9: Hurdles

Three days had turned into ten. Duke hadn’t even bothered to call her himself; instead, he had his sister deliver the news. He was going to handle some important issues before pushing back his schedule to be with his family. It was ridiculous that he had to schedule in his family time, and that pissed off Rhyne. So, she reacted the only way she could. Instead of going to the Henry home like she had agreed, she went back with Dennis and Isadora.

Katherine had advised her against it, but Reno had encouraged her choice. It worked out well since Danny was back at the house too, so she wouldn’t be lonely, and she’d have someone to confide in. Plus, with Kit constantly visiting she would indirectly get updates about Duke, his meetings, and his mood.

“How’s my little niece?” Danny asked as she waddled into Rhyne’s room.

“She’s fine. How are my nephews?” Rhyne said as she helped Danny on the bed. She stroked Danny’s stomach and felt how taut it was. She couldn’t help but sympathize with her. “Don’t worry, soon they’ll be off your bladder and lungs and be in their cribs, still making sure you don’t get any sleep.”

“I can’t wait.” Danny rolled her eyes. “When was the last time you spoke to Duke?”

“The day Sophia Marie was born. I should at least thank him for taking the time to sign her birth certificate.” Rhyne couldn’t help the sarcasm that poured from her lips.

“You haven’t spoken to him because he didn’t call or because you didn’t answer?”

Rhyne hated to admit it, but it was the latter. Her childish, spiteful self was rearing its ugly head. “I wouldn’t let him speak to RD, either. I’m hoping he will either get so pissed or will miss his kids so much he’ll want to come back.”

“Kit ruined that plan for you. Duke talks to his son three times a day. Kit sneaks in here when you’re not there and takes videos for his brother.” Danny shrugged. “What did you expect Kit to do? He feels so guilty for not helping his brother because of me.”

“And because you feel guilty, you helped them sneak around behind my back?”

“Sorry.”

Rhyne’s heart broke when she thought about Duke’s confrontation with his siblings. They had literally left him to take care of the company on his own. So, she understood Kit’s need to help Duke stay in contact with his children, but Kit wasn’t helping her cause. “Tell him to stop, or he will be banned from his niece and nephew.”

“Rhyne.”

“Kit is here with you instead of helping take some work off his brother’s shoulders. He is here with his pregnant wife and because of that Duke can’t be here with his new daughter. I’m pissed off. The three of us, me, my son, and daughter are sacrificing so much for Kit’s comfort. Forgive me for being pissed at your hero-soldier husband, but it’s not like anyone is sympathizing with me,” Rhyne exploded.

“No one is fighting you. That’s Duke’s choice!” Danny raised her voice.

“And what’s the alternative, have someone else take care of the family business? Who is taking care of your family business? Is it a stranger or is it your brothers?”

“They are your brothers as well. It’s your family business as well!” Danny yelled back. “When are you going to accept that you are part of our family?”

“Probably when I don’t have to worry about my family falling apart. You are married, I’m not. I’m ‘the one half of the con.’” Rhyne would never forget Henry’s words. What a thing to say to the person who gave you two of your five grandchildren. “The Kent family is something I’m going to figure out later.”

“My father is waiting for you.”

“It’s just been two weeks for him. I waited for him my whole life.” Reno had told her the story of the messy love triangle and the consequences that happened later. He had also been kind enough to tell her a little about the Kents. Evie had the cutest little cafe and Rhyne was tempted by the offer of working there with her. Evie and DJ’s three children didn’t seem affected by any of the drama that had happened between their parents. They were well-adjusted and thriving, a huge relief, considering the movie-like events that had taken place.

Lisette, her elder sister-in-law, was the life of every gathering. There was absolutely nothing that would bring her down for long. A working mother of three, she was one to be admired. Somehow, she had forgiven Reno for everything he had put her through with his revenge plans.

Then there was sweet little Danny, the lastborn of the family. Rhyne wondered how different Danny had been before her accident and memory loss. She seemed strong now, formidable. From Reno’s account, she was in love with her husband, to the point of destruction. However, right now she didn’t seem overly obsessed with him, but loved him enough to still have him around.

“How much longer are you going to keep Dad waiting?” Danny cut through Rhyne’s thoughts.

“How much longer are you going to keep Kit waiting?”

“What?” Danny looked confused, as if the question didn’t make sense.

“Have you ever thought that maybe once Kit gets everything settled with you, he’ll be ready to help out at the company?”

“Everything is just about Duke?”

“No, everything is about my family. Duke, me, and our children. You keep talking about family while ignoring your own. You are a married woman with a husband and two children on the way. What are your plans for Kit?”

“I’m waiting for my memories to come back,” Danny said.

“And if they don’t? How long do you expect your husband to stay in your childhood bedroom? Stop trying to recover everything that you lost and focus on what you have. That is what I’m trying to do. I’m trying to secure my present and future. You are in this comfortable place where you’ll do whatever you want, and Kit will go along with it because he is apologetic and afraid to lose his family. So, he ignores everything and everyone else who needs his attention. You see, where he is standing is the same place I am.” Rhyne stood up. “You can stay. I’ll leave.”

She left perplexed sister behind, jaw dropped. Rhyne was grateful for one thing: that Sophia Marie seemed to have taken after her father, the ability to commit to something. The little girl didn’t even stir during her argument with Danny.

It was obvious that playing hard to get wasn’t working. Rhyne had to come up with something new.

***

Duke had been notified of his daughter’s christening and his son’s birthday. No one had bothered to ask for his opinion, they had just notified him. It was a strange feeling, being on the receiving end and not being in control all the time. He’d thought he needed just ten days to finish his work but that had turned to two weeks. He was finally done with his foreign business and on his way back home. He couldn’t wait to see his kids. He was even excited to see the sullen Rhyne.

However, his excitement didn’t mean that he had made a decision about his and Rhyne’s relationship. Everything got complicated when he’d fallen in love with her. Her betrayal had cut him so deep. Yvonne’s con game was like a fleck of dust he had brushed off and quickly moved on from. But Rhyne, she made him feel so unsure of himself, like he was losing his upper hand. Duke didn’t like the feeling of not being in control. That was why the logical side of him didn’t mind walking away from the love part, and just focus on keeping the family aspect of their relationship.

Duke took the helicopter to the Hamptons. Lucky enough for him, he had arrived a couple of hours before the big party. It was unbelievable the lengths Rhyne was going to challenge him. It’s going to happen with or without you, her text message had read. He jogged up the old church steps, walking past a few children screeching as an older boy with a water gun chased after them. It took him a moment before he recognized them. The little boy stirring a mud pot was his nephew, Kat and AJ’s son, while the older boy was probably Reno’s son, and the rest—Duke caught a glimpse of the uncle-life he would have from then on. He was connected to majority of the children through Rhyne.

He chuckled as the little girls hid behind his legs, trying to escape the water wielded as a weapon by Reno’s son. Duke braced himself as the water shot straight against his thigh, the cold seeping in and making contact with his skin. It was chilling. No wonder the girls were terrified.

“Sorry, sir,” said the boy.

“It’s okay.” Duke crouched down to his eye level and held out for a handshake. The little boy’s fingers curled around his three big ones. “I’m your uncle Duke. What’s your name?”

“RJ, Reno Junior.” He shrugged his shoulders. “I was named after my father.”

“My son was named after me as well, and your father. He’s RD, Reno Duke.” It was absurd that even when it came to his son’s name, her brother still came first.

“I’m Sophie.” One of the little girls hiding behind him jumped in front, her red curls bouncing on her shoulders.

“I’m Rhyne,” the other one said as she popped up from the other side.

“Rhyne?” He couldn’t help but study her little facial features, finding a resemblance to her auntie Rhyne, with each laugh line and crow’s feet. Her eyes were just as bright, her untamed hair just as full, and when she smiled, everything around her brightened up.

Rhyne turned toward the other children and started pointing them out to him, Sophie making sure to take her turn as well. “That’s Kono. She’s my little sister, and those are the twins Carmellia and EJ, and that’s Juliene and Jene—”

“Their names are French,” Sophie piped in.

“The little boys in the mud are RJ and RD—” little Rhyne went on, not missing a beat.

“I know those two.” Duke grimaced as RD uncapped a handful of mud on his cousin’s head.

“Hi daddy!” RD called out as he dug for more mud.

“You know what? The girl inside is Sophie Marie,” Sophie announced.

“No, it’s not,” little Rhyne objected. “It’s Sophia Marie.”

RJ took off as the girls started to argue, and Duke admired how smart he was. Taking his cue from the little boy, he backed away into the church. The noise from the outside had attracted the attention of those inside. They all turned around just in time to see Duke hustle down the aisle to the front.

“What’s going on out there?” Katherine grabbed his sleeve, pulling him toward her so she could whisper into his ear. He didn’t know why she bothered, because nothing could be heard over the Sophie-Sophia debate.

“Girl fight,” he whispered back before pulling his arm free.

“Let them fight it out,” the lady sitting beside Reno said.

“Lisette!” Reno called out.

“No, I’m not doing this with her today.” Lisette held her hands to her ears, as if it would cancel out everything that was happening around her.

“Evie?” DJ called out to his wife.

“Nope, not today,” Eve said. The two women stared ahead as if they couldn’t hear anything happening around them.

“And that is why I have a son. They might be destructive, but they are quiet,” AJ teased.

DJ walked out from his seat and over to AJ. He stood at his side, his head bowed and hands together in prayer.

“What are you doing?” AJ asked.

“Praying that Katherine gives birth to twin girls. Two little girls with their aunt Lisette’s temperament,” DJ teased before running away.

“Hey!” Lisette, AJ, and Katherine yelled out in unison.

“So, what if they like me?” Lisette asked.

“I don’t think we need a second child,” Katherine put in.

“We are too busy anyway,” AJ echoed.

The laughter and joking calmed Duke’s nerves. He paused for a moment when he saw Jake standing beside Rhyne—and holding his baby. His daughter, in a stranger’s arms! Calmly, Duke scooped up his daughter, sparing just a glance toward Rhyne. He walked to the far end of the pew, cooing at his little girl. He studied every inch of Sophia Marie and he found her to be more perfect than the day she was born. She had changed. Sophia Marie was now chubbier, with a fuller head of hair and her pink rosebud lips had more colour in them.

***

Rhyne stared at Duke; he ignored her. She didn’t accept a mere glance as a greeting, especially as she was the woman who’d given birth to his children. She was going to continue this cold war, and, in the end, she would win. She was determined to be more assertive in this relationship. She wasn’t that choosy about which fight she would win. Her game plan was to meet him head on, every single time, and out of one hundred fights, she was bound to win one.

“Ladies and gentlemen, now that the father of the child has arrived, we can begin,” the priest said as he took his place at the altar.

Harry pushed Duke toward Rhyne so they could stand side by side. They stood that way in silence through the whole service. Kit and Danny were little Sophia Marie’s godparents. Although he hadn’t been consulted about the decision, he was agreeable to it. The two were married, but they also represented both families. The ride back to the house was also filled with silence. Duke paid all his attention to his daughter, as Rhyne looked everywhere but at him.

“How was your trip?” Reno asked, cutting the silence.

“Busier than usual.”

“Did you get any sleep?” Duke met Reno’s gaze in the rear-view mirror.

“Why do you ask? Do I look that bad?” he asked.

“I’m probably the only person in this car who understands a fraction of what those dark circle’s mean.”

Duke shrugged and went on stroking his little girl’s cheek. Her tiny eyes opened, and his breath caught in his chest. “I’ve been doing this since I was a teenager. I’m used to it.”

“You’re not supposed to be,” Reno said. “You should take a week off and catch up on some sleep. You’re my brother-in-law and I care about you. An early grave isn’t where you want to end up.”

“Brother-in-law?”

It was the way he said it that both worried Rhyne and ticked her off. With their baby in his arms, he sat back in his chair with an incredulous look on his face. She wanted to ask what the tone in Duke’s voice meant. This was a fight she wanted to win. She was determined. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

Reno looked at her from the corner of his eye. Yes, Duke did look terrible. His skin was dull, dark circles lay underneath his tired eyes, and his shoulders drooped. That, and the fact he’d turned away from her told her that he wasn’t going to engage her, and if she wanted to fight, she would be doing in on her own.

She tried to let it go. She wanted to, for the sake of their daughter, and for Reno and Lisette, who would be trapped in this car with them, suffocated in the thick air of awkwardness—but she couldn’t let it go.

“What did you mean by that?”

Unexpectedly, he answered immediately, “Who did you plan this party with? Who did you ride to the church with? Who did you consult about who the godparents would be? Who was holding my daughter when I arrived? Who has my son?” As he shot one question after the other at her, his calm demeanour had not shifted from their daughter’s gaze.

Jake, she wanted to say.

“Don’t answer that.” Lisette echoed what her mind kept telling her.

But he is my friend, she wanted to say.

“Don’t say anything.” Lisette warned her once more. “Let’s just enjoy the day. The two of you can figure it out later.”

The rest of the car ride was done in silence. Duke walked ahead of her with Sophia Marie. RD shot out of the car he’d ridden in with Jake, running to his father. Duke expertly dodged their son’s muddy hands, using his fingers to hold the child at bay.

“Daddy, I was playing in mud,” he announced, excited.

“I can see and smell that,” Duke teased. With his free hand, he pressed his fingers against RD’s forehead.

“Here, I’ll give him a bath,” Rhyne volunteered.

“It’s okay. I’ll do it,” Duke said, never looking up at her.

“Then give me Sophia Marie—”

Duke didn’t listen. Instead, he grabbed the back of RD’s pants and lifted him into the house, sparing the expensive rugs the muddy footprints. Rhyne threw an imaginary punch at him as she growled in frustration.

She turned toward Lisette when her hand went around Rhyne’s shoulders. The woman gave her a sheepish smile before knuckling the top of her head.

“Hey! What was that for?” Rhyne winced, as she rubbed the sore spot.

“You are my sister, so I’m going to give you a little advice about men. Don’t have your boy-toy around your husband. In your case, the man you want to be your husband. A man like Duke is all alpha. He won’t allow another man in his territory. He’s kind of like your brother. So, pick one, because Duke won’t hang around much longer.”

“You are just telling me to pick Duke. That doesn’t make sense. There has been no one but Duke,” Rhyne said.

“Does Jake know that? Most importantly, does Duke know that?” Lisette asked, slapping the back of her head. “Go help your man wash your son. We both know he doesn’t have a single clue on how to deal with a dirty child.”

This was her parents’ house and yet Rhyne felt so uncomfortable. Sure, she wasn’t completely at peace with the Kent family, but she was getting there. It was difficult thing to master this identity thing. First, she’d been no one, then she was a one-night stand, a mother, a mistress of some sort, a friend, a girlfriend to an extent, a sister, a daughter, a mother once more—and confused. She was sure of everything that didn’t relate to Duke. Besides being the mother of his children, she wondered what she was to him.

She slowly made her way up to the room all the children shared when they visited their grandparents in the Hamptons. Sophia Marie was in her bassinet, fast asleep. She could hear giggling coming from the bathroom. Cautiously, so as not to spook Duke, she pushed the door open and found him battling it out with RJ and RD. His clothes were soaked as the two hellions ran circles around him. What shocked her more was that not once did he raise his voice or was he stern with them. He just watched them with a perplexed look on his face. Rhyne hid her giggle behind her hand as she watched for a few more moments before saving him.

“In the bath, right now!”

The boys looked up at her, and the two little ones jumped into the tub. The big one continued staring at her. She hid her laughter with a cough. This was the first time she had seen the boyish side to Duke. He was usually the chiselled-jaw-clenching man. Rhyne grabbed a towel and handed it to Duke. “They seem to have worn you out.”

“Yeah.” He took the towel and dried off his hair, “their energy levels exceed mine.”

“Aren’t you glad our second child is a girl? I don’t know what we would have done with two boys.”

“It apparently pales in comparison to having two girls.” Duke moved around her.

“I guess we will find out.” Rhyne tossed the baited hook, hoping for a bite, even a little nibble.

Instead, Duke held her gaze for a few seconds before saying, “No, I don’t think we will.”

That instantly deflated her. Rhyne kept herself from sinking to the ground by busying herself with the two boys. After the bath, she made her way to the rest of the party with the two boys running ahead of her.

“I don’t know what we will do when the younger boys catch up with the older ones’ speed.” Rich leaned against the garden table, cradling Catalella in his arms. That was another couple Rhyne idolized. They seemed to be in sync: when one moved, so did the other. Even when they were at opposite ends of the room, they always appeared to know where the other was. They exchanged glances, smiles, and little kisses. They even held hands when they were just sitting down, doing nothing.

It was that beautiful kind of romance, a huge difference from that of Reno and Lissette. Those two took love and war to a whole new level. They were passionate in everything: the way they loved and the way they fought.

DJ and Eve seemed like more of a girl-crush relationship. They were completely in love with each other but danced around it the way teenagers did. DJ acted like he was obsessed with her, not letting her out of his sight if he didn’t have to, and Evie was the girl with the crush on the most popular boy.

AJ and Katherine were the more mature kind of romance. They were like an old married couple, in love but not obsessed with each other. Because they had such busy schedules, they were used to not having as much romance in their lives. However, they were dedicated to their relationships and sneaked away for a little time together even when they were at gatherings. Rhyne watched them in the garden as they just stared at each other, smiling and kissing. They were loyal to their love.

Danny and Kit were more like Rhyne and Duke were, unsure about their relationship, but it was obvious they loved each other. The distance had only been brought about because they had grown into different people. Kit didn’t recognize the new woman his wife was, and Danny just didn’t recognize her husband because of her amnesia. But that was obviously going to sort itself out once the two found solid ground to stand on.

When it came to her own story with Duke, Rhyne didn’t know how to describe their love. She was the runaway, and he was the guy who was tired of chasing after her. Now the tables had turned. He kept his distance when she was desperate not to lose him. Duke had always been distant, like he was protecting himself from the world. He didn’t let people in, not even their two children. It was hard not to see the contrast between him and Jake. Jake was warm, and let everyone in. He made her feel comfortable while Duke kept her on her toes. She always felt like she was balancing at the edge of a cliff with him. It did frighten her a little but not to the extent of giving up their relationship. When she stood at that cliff with Duke, she felt fear and security at the same time. It was confusing—and tormenting.

Their relationship didn’t follow the same path as the others’. Theirs was probably the least complicated and yet somehow, also the most complicated: a straightforward relationship filled with twists and turns. The only difference between them and the other couples was that they hadn’t had time to know themselves individually first, and then as a couple. Their relationship span was two hours in a bed, three months in a different bed, and four months in and out of bed, not seeing eye to eye. They literally had been together-together for less than a year. There it was: she’d finally figured out why they were not working. They had been parents longer than they had been a couple. They didn’t have the foundation needed to build a formidable relationship.

She looked around the room and there was only one other “conceived a baby after a one-night stand” couple. Rhyne made her way toward Rich and Catalella, not sure how she would phrase her question, and feeling very weird about interrupting the lovey-dovey session that was going on.

“Guys,” she said, above the soft kissing noises. “Guys, I promise to let you get back to that.”

She felt her cheeks burn from the embarrassment of having two sets of wide, confused, and a-little-disappointed gazes turned toward her. “I am really sorry, but I had a quick question.”

“Legal?” Rich asked.

“Don’t be a dummy, baby,” Catalella said. “Ask away.”

Here goes. Rhyne cleared her throat and asked, “You two didn’t know each other when you conceived your twins?”

“Yep, a one-night stand that led to forever.” Rich nuzzled the back of Catalella’s neck as he hugged her.

“You want to know how we went from strangers to partners overnight?” Catalella asked.

“Yes,” Rhyne admitted.

“Well, it wasn’t overnight. Aside from the sexual attraction, we didn’t like each other that much. Plus, he kept dodging me,” Catalella said.

“It wasn’t dodging—okay, it was. You had too much baggage and so did I. I thought the combination would be a disaster. At the time, I thought it would be a good idea to cut ties.” Ethan shrugged his shoulders, sighed, and then said, “I wasn’t completely wrong. But we worked it out because we were determined.”

“We were committed to each other for the children first, then we slowly but surely fell in love.” Catalella turned her body toward Ethan and hugged him. “We fell in love because we were trying to heal all the hurts and scars from our pasts. We wanted to be better for the babies, so we relied on each other. It was the two of us. We put our relationship as a couple as our priority for the babies, and before our families. That’s what we do now. We are the core team, the foundation to build our family on.”

“That sounds like an ideal situation,” Rhyne cut in.

Catalella stepped out of Ethan’s arms and put her hands on Rhyne’s shoulders. “You need to be Duke’s person, number one on his speed dial, the first call when something happens, the first and last thought, and a constant presence in his day.”

“I try.”

Catalella smirked as if she didn’t believe her. She shot a glance over Rhyne’s shoulder. Rhyne followed it and saw where Duke stood, glaring at Jake. “That’s a little hard to do with him hanging around you all the time.”

“Yes, and Rich had a redhead that almost destroyed our relationship, as well as DJ’s,” Catalella said.

“Hey!” Rich protested.

“Do you know what both Ethan and DJ did to keep their wives by their sides? They cast the redheaded demon out of their lives. That is why they have happy marriages and families. Isn’t that right, sweetheart?”

“If you say so, honey,” Rich mumbled.

“You had an affair?” Rhyne asked in shock. It was a difficult thing to picture; Rich not being dedicated to his family.

“Technically, no,” he said.

“Technically, the redheaded demon was the wife. Minor, unimportant detail. My point is, focus your energy on one person, Duke,” Catalella said.

Rhyne heard what Catalella said loud and clear, but she was too curious about the redheaded demon. “Hey, how did your technical wife come between DJ and Evie?”

“That’s a saga for another day,” Rich said.

***

Duke had been running around the boys when he discovered two things. One, playing with children was better than a cardio session at the gym, and two, Jake mixed with his family more comfortably than he did. Duke felt a little out of place, while Jake fit right in. It pissed him off. Duke had never been jealous or envious of anyone. He had everything anyone could ever want and what he didn’t have, he obviously didn’t want or need. So, seeing Jake easily and effortlessly take a place within his family irked him.

He was so focused on Jake that he missed Rhyne walk up to him. He locked his eyes on her, watching every move that her body made as she walked to him. Duke didn’t like the uncontrollable and unpredictable feelings she made surge through him. As much as he would hate to admit it, he was one who liked routine, predictable outcomes when it came to his personal life. It balanced out the craziness in his professional life. When one end was going crazy, he could rely on the other to be business as usual. Even with Nola, that was how his life had been: her daily schemes never upset his day. But Rhyne was different. This thing called love was not suitable for him in practicality, only in theory.

“Can I talk to you?” Rhyne asked.

“Always.” The response was effortless.

“You were gone for a while.”

Fishing, he noted. “And I’m back for the next two months. It made sense to get all the traveling done now.”

“You didn’t update me on anything. You said a few days, then it turned into weeks.”

Duke scoffed. “You didn’t pick up your phone. I called you.”

“Then you stopped calling,” she sulked.

“It’s pointless to call someone who won’t pick up.”

“Must you win in everything?”

“It’s not about winning, it’s about being right,” he said, as a matter of fact. Duke was aware of the “no man has ever won an argument against his wife” thing. However, he wasn’t about to take a dive on something he was right about. Plus, Rhyne wasn’t his wife.

She shut her eyes and took a deep breath. For some reason, it pleased Duke to see her as annoyed as she was at that moment. He felt vindicated. Jake’s presence annoyed him, and he, in turn, was annoying Rhyne. Childish, but satisfying.

“Why didn’t you consult me when it came to all this?” He gestured toward the crowd. “I got an invitation to my children’s party. Does that make sense to you?”

“You stopped calling,” Rhyne said, with a grin on her face.

“Okay, this is pointless,” Duke admitted. “I’m going to play with the boys.”

“Do you know how?”

The backhanded comment had Duke taken aback. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“What did it sound like?”

Duke had taken note of the change Rhyne had gone through ever since meting her family. It gave her courage, knowing she had people she could turn to, Duke assumed. Even when they first started being together, it was her little sarcastic moments that had hooked Duke. He found them mildly amusing and made her interesting. Now, she was just being mean.

“So, you are implying what?”

“She’s not implying. She is saying you haven’t been around a child, that you probably don’t know how to raise one?” Jake butted in.

Rhyne turned toward him, laying her hand on his chest to silence him. And in an intimate gesture, he took her hand and held it. Duke just nodded his head and laughed at himself.

“He just means that you work a lot and don’t have that much time with the kids,” Rhyne explained hurriedly.

Duke continued to nod slowly, noticing that Rhyne hadn’t tried to pull her hand out of Jake’s. Jake had also noticed. He made eye contact with Duke, showing he knew Duke had seen the same thing, and from the smirk on his face, Duke could see he was enjoying every moment of it.

“Yes, I’m sure that was what he meant. I’m going to go,” Duke said as he tried to walk away.

“You always do that,” Rhyne said.

“You are never here when she needs you,” Jake topped it off.

“I could say the same for her. I’ve spent majority of our relationship chasing after her. I’m just tired of it,” Duke said to Jake.

“Maybe she runs because you don’t give her what she needs.”

“And what is that, since you seem to know her better than I do?” Duke struggled with the tone of his voice and the anger that was slowly erupting inside him.

“I do know her better. I pay attention to everything she does and says.”

“That’s evident.” It was absurdly funny that he was here having an argument with Jake while the man still held hands with the mother of his babies.

“What’s going on?” Reno and the rest rushed to them. Rich and DJ took strategic spots between Duke and Jake. Ethan stood behind Duke while Reno stood next to his sister. “Why are you arguing around children? Duke, are you trying to pick a fight?”

“I’m not trying to pick a fight.” His voice more elevated than he would like, Duke looked to the ground to try and calm his raging temper. He finally lifted his gaze to Reno and with his chin, gestured toward Jake and Rhyne. “You called me your brother-in-law in the car and seemed surprised when I didn’t respond to the title. How exactly am I supposed to do that with this going on?”

“What?” Rhyne asked, furious. She shook her hand off and put her brother in between her and Jake.

“I’m not a complicated human being. I actually have amazing foresight and this triangle isn’t going to bear anything good.” Duke felt a tightness in his chest as he gave in.

“What are you saying?”

“The two of you stood there holding hands, arguing together against me. I don’t need it in banners to read what’s going on. I get it.”

“You can’t deny that I am a better match for her than you are,” Jake put in. “The only thing you have that I don’t is money. I can be a better father and husband than you. That’s the truth and we all know it.”

“We do?” Duke asked the rest of them.

“You are not even a good brother or son. Why would you let your family think your brother is still dead when Chris is alive? That is why I tipped Kit off.” Jake had his chest out, apparently proud to have bested Duke.

“You did.” Duke noticed how no one had taken his side as Jake laid him out like that. They all seemed to have moved to Jake’s side, slowly agreeing to Jake’s judgement of him.

At the beginning, Duke had waned to get married so he would have someone who would stand by him. Duke had always had the desire to share his life with someone. It all stemmed from the fact that, as the heir, he had always been at the top of the pyramid on his own. He wanted someone standing there beside him, sharing his burdens as well as his joys.

Nola happened and she turned out to be a con, then Rhyne, who had turned out to be more like an accelerator of a lynch mob than anything else. He was here surrounded by people who were supposedly his family, and yet he felt more alone than ever. Even Katherine stood beside her husband, silent. Duke had been called out for being a bad brother and his sister watched on, saying nothing. It was crazy funny how he had sacrificed everything he had ever wanted out of life for people who didn’t even care to stand up for him.

“Okay.” Duke swallowed, acknowledging his position in that family. He turned around, scanning for his son on the playground. Once he found him, he went to him and gave him a hug and a kiss. He walked over to where Carolina was holding his daughter Sophia. He held her for a few minutes, kissed her, and handed her back to her grandmother.

“Are you leaving?” his father asked.

“Can I borrow your car? The helicopter can come pick you and Mother up in a few hours,” Duke responded.

“You should take the driver. You look tired,” his father said.

“No, I’m fine,” Duke said. “Dad.”

“Yes son,”

“I’m tired. I’m so exhausted. I can’t do it anymore. I can’t be this person,” Duke heard the unfamiliar tremble in his voice. “I give up.”

“You’re stronger than whatever this is.”

“I don’t want to be. I’ll get going.”

With a pat on the back, his father sent him off. Duke looked forward to the drive back to the city, alone with his thoughts.