A Heart Decision (18 page)

Tyler’s eyebrows drew together as he glanced at him
sideways. “No, what’s goin’ on?”

He scrubbed his face with his hands. “I’ve screwed
things up so bad, Ty.”

“What’d you do?”

“What
haven’t
I done?” Luke winced as he
tried to twist the cap off his beer. He handed the bottle to his
friend. “I guess, my wrist hasn’t healed as much as I thought.”

Once Tyler opened the beer for him, Luke took a swig
and launched into the story of what had happened since Ben and
Sabrina’s engagement party. “My guess is he’s not speaking to
me.”

Tyler rearranged the pieces of chicken on the grill
and cocked his head. “So you’re telling me you slept with my
sister?”

“Don’t go ultra-protective on me. Is that the only
thing you heard in all I’ve told you?”

“No. I also heard you’ve been secretly in love with
her all these years.” Tyler turned and looked him straight in the
eye. “What I didn’t hear was what the hell’s stopping you from
marrying her?”

“I can’t. I don’t want to get into it.”

“It has something to do with why your dad and
brother killed themselves, doesn’t it?”

Luke whipped his head around and stared at Tyler.
“How do you know about that?” He’d never told a soul except for
Sabrina, and that had only been two days ago.

“Back in college, you had some pretty bad nights.
You talk in your sleep whenever you’re upset. I eventually pieced
it all together.”

“And you never said anything?”

“I figured, if you wanted me to know, you would’ve
told me.” Tyler took a sip of his beer. “When I found out Sabrina
accepted Ben’s proposal, I wasn’t completely happy about it. Of
course, I never let them know that. She’s always been crazy about
you. I didn’t want to see her make the same mistake I made.”

Tyler had married his first wife, Erica, for all the
wrong reasons, none of which had been love.

“So how do I fix it with Ben?”

“Just give him some time. He’ll eventually get over
it.”

“Could you forgive me if I’d taken Annie from
you?”

Tyler glanced back at the kitchen. “Maybe not. But
then, Sabrina’s heart never really belonged to Ben. And deep down,
he knows it. It’ll take him a while, but eventually, he’ll own up
to his part in the fiasco.”

If Luke knew his friend, Tyler would make sure BJ
heard how much he was to blame. Brutal honesty wasn’t something
Tyler shied away from.

“So?” Tyler crossed his arms over his chest and
smiled. “Seeing as you have no intention of marrying my sister
after having your way with her, do I kick your ass now, or should I
wait until after dinner?”

“Definitely after we eat. I can’t handle an
ass-kicking on an empty stomach.”

~*~

Sabrina had to talk to someone about her suspicions.
While she husked the corn, she told Annie what had happened in the
last few days. “I’m really sorry I let Ben announce our engagement
at my birthday party. It’s a bit embarrassing to have to tell
everyone we broke up already.

“Don’t be ridiculous, Sabrina. These things happen.
It’s the whole reason people get engaged before they tie the
knot—to give them time to make sure they’re making the right
decision.”

“Well, I doubt my brother will be quite as
understanding about me coming between his two best friends.”

Annie winced. “I didn’t think of that.”

“That’s not even the worst of it.” Sabrina went on
to explain what she’d seen in Luke’s mail and the significance of
the newsletter.

“Don’t you think you’re jumping to conclusions?”
Annie asked, removing a large bowl of pasta salad from the
fridge.

“Unfortunately, no. It all fits.”

“I’ve heard of Huntington’s, but I don’t know a
thing about it.”

“It’s an inherited neurological disease. Everyone
has the Huntington’s gene, but some people have an abnormal one
that causes the cells in certain areas of the brain to
progressively degenerate, which results in a loss of physical and
mental abilities until eventually patients become totally dependent
on others for their care. The earlier the first symptoms appear,
the faster it seems to progress. Currently, there’s no treatment to
slow the disease down—only to alleviate some of the symptoms. I
once took care of a little boy with end-stage juvenile
Huntington’s. The disease is awful enough for an adult, but for a
child—”

“So when does a person usually start showing signs
of having it?”

“It can vary, but the average onset is around
forty.” Sabrina paused a moment and then added, “Luke will be
thirty-three the middle of October.”

Annie’s mouth hung open as she sank onto one of the
stools at the counter. “And you think he’ll get it?”

Sabrina shrugged. “I’m pretty sure his dad had it,
which would give Luke a fifty-percent chance of inheriting it. And
for some reason, when the abnormal gene is passed on by the father
rather than the mother, the onset of symptoms tends to be earlier
in the offspring.”

“So Luke probably figures he has, at best, only six
or seven good years left.”

Sabrina ripped the leaves and silk off the last ear
of corn. “Please don’t say anything to Tyler. Or if you do, make
sure he doesn’t mention it to Luke. I don’t want him to know I
discovered his secret.”

“So what’re you gonna do?”

“You’ve got me.” She heaved a frustrated sigh.
“Somehow I have to find a way to convince Luke I want to be with
him no matter what. Do you have any ideas?”

Annie pursed her lips. “The only thing I can think
of is sort of drastic, but it might work.”

“What?” Sabrina squeezed her hand. “Please, I’ll try
anything.”

“Why don’t you simply turn the tables on him? Let
him find out how it feels to be on your side of the situation.”

She’d have to tell one heck of a whopper to do that.
The thought of faking a serious illness was completely repugnant to
the nurse in her. But speaking strictly as a woman in love, she was
desperate. She couldn’t think of another way to get through to
Luke.

She wouldn’t have to deceive him for long. Just a
few moments of horror should be enough to help him understand that
loving someone really is for better or for worse. After all, when
it came to the big picture, what did a few lies matter? She loved
him too much not to fight for him.

~*~

All through dinner on the terrace, Sabrina squirmed
under her brother’s speculative gaze every time Luke smiled at her.
As soon as the kids were finished eating, Annie excused them to
play on their gym set.

Tyler leaned his forearms on the glass and wrought
iron table and stared at Sabrina. “So, how long are you gonna wait
to tell me?”

She stared down at the chicken bones on her plate.
“Ben called you, huh?”

“No.”

Sabrina glared at Luke. “Well, that leaves only one
other person with a big mouth.” She flashed an apologetic smile at
her brother. “I’m really sorry. I didn’t mean to cause this kind of
trouble.”

“It’s okay, squirt.” Tyler reached across the table
and took her hand. “I don’t blame you. I’m glad you called off the
wedding.”

“You are?”

“Are you forgetting I was once in a loveless
marriage? I don’t want that for you.”

Sabrina glanced at Luke and sighed. “Now my only
problem is finding a home for a slightly used puppy. I can’t keep
Mopsy if I won’t be moving to Ben’s.” Tears welled in her eyes. In
just a few days, she’d become very attached to the two dogs. She
didn’t want to leave either of them. “My apartment complex doesn’t
allow pets.”

“I didn’t think of that,” Luke said. “I’ll keep her
until you move somewhere else. You can visit as often as you
want.”

“Or I could just move in with you.”

His jaw tightened. “Don’t start, Sabrina.”

Tyler turned to Annie and diplomatically changed the
subject. “So, how’d your dentist appointment go? Any cavities?”

“Nope.” She bared her dazzling teeth. “Miraculously
enough, I got through my pregnancy without getting even one.”

“That reminds me,” Sabrina said to Luke. “I also
have a doctor’s appointment tomorrow afternoon. Do you think you
can manage by yourself for a couple of hours?”

“Sure, no problem.”

Tyler wiped his mouth with his napkin and jerked his
head toward the back of the yard. “So, pal, you ready for that
ass-kicking now?”

Sabrina’s attention snapped to Luke. “What’s he
talking about?”

A lazy smile curled Luke’s mouth. “Ty thinks I stole
your virtue.”

She rolled her eyes at Tyler. “I’m sorry to
disappoint you, Big Brother, but I lost my so-called
virtue
back in college. I’m all grown up now and can make these kinds of
decisions for myself.”

“You may be an adult, but you’re still my baby
sister.”

Sabrina put her arm around Luke’s shoulder. “Well,
do you think you could postpone this A-kicking at least until the
man can stand on two feet?”

“I suppose so.” Tyler heaved an impatient sigh and
pointed his finger in Luke’s face. “But, by then, you’d better be
ready to enter into connubial bliss with my sister, or you’re dead
meat.”

Luke crossed his arms over his chest. “Then I guess
I’ve got an ass-kicking to look forward to.”

“Could we drop this macho display?” Annie asked as
she scraped their plates and stacked them.

“Sure, sweetheart.” Tyler leaned over and kissed her
cheek. “How was school today?”

Annie bit her lip. “Maybe I should go wake Sam up.
Otherwise he’s going to get his days and nights mixed up
again.”

“No, let me.” Sabrina kicked her sister-in-law under
the table. “Talk to your husband.”

“What’s the problem?” Tyler asked.

“Ummm, I, uhhh....”

“Your wife isn’t sure she wants to continue going to
school this fall.” Sabrina informed him as she stood to go get the
baby. “She’s afraid you’ll be disappointed in her.”

“Is that true?” He peered into Annie’s face.

“Sort of. I just don’t want to leave Sam right
now.”

“No, I mean that you think I’ll be upset if you
don’t go to school.”

Annie lifted one shoulder in a half-shrug.

“I thought I convinced you before we got married
that I love you exactly the way you are. I just want you to be
happy. I thought you enjoyed school.”

“I do.”

“Can I make a suggestion?” Luke interjected.

Annie and Tyler both looked at him.

“Why not drop all but one course? You’d only be at
school one or two mornings a week.”

A smile spread over Annie’s face. “That’s a great
idea.”

“Of course, it is.” Sabrina bent down and brushed
Luke’s lips with hers as she headed toward the back door. “I only
fall in love with brilliant men.”

Annie poked Tyler in the rib. “And you want to kick
this genius in the buttocks?”

“No, sweetheart.” Tyler laughed, rubbing his side.
“In his
ass
. There’s no such thing as a
buttocks-kicking.”

“Do you think he’ll ever get his days and nights
straight?” Tyler nibbled on Annie’s ear while she nursed their son
in bed.

“Probably just about the time we have the next
one.”

“Don’t you think three kids is enough?”

Her gaze snapped to his. “You mean you don’t want
any more children?”

“Sweetheart, I love our kids. I just want equal time
with you.” He peered into her eyes. “This isn’t, by any chance,
your way of telling me I’ve gotten you pregnant again already, is
it?”

“No.” She sighed. “I just thought we’d have at least
one more baby. Maybe another little girl.”

He was happy with their family just the size it was.
“Let’s worry about that a year or two from now, okay?”

“You’re just stalling.” She pouted.

“How’d you get so smart?” He chuckled, nipping at
her lower lip.

“College?”

“Don’t go there, Annie. I’m still upset that you
think you need a degree for me to love you.”

She snuggled into the crook of his shoulder. “I just
don’t want you to ever get bored with me.”

“How could I ever lose interest in a wife who’s
astute enough to know when I’m giving her lip service?”

Annie switched their son to her other breast and a
deep crevice split her forehead. “Tyler, if I share something
Sabrina told me today, would you promise not to say anything to
Luke?”

“If you’re talking about the problems between him
and Ben, I already—”

“No. It’s much worse than that. He has no idea she
knows. So you have to promise to keep it to yourself.”

Whatever Annie wanted to confide sounded too ominous
for him to be comfortable making a vow of silence without knowing
what he was promising not to reveal. But if he didn’t agree, his
stubborn wife would never tell him. When she sat there staring at
him, waiting, he finally tossed his hands up. “Okay.”

She repeated her conversation with his sister,
leaving him speechless. How could his friend keep something like
that from him?

It explained the drastic change in Luke their
freshman year in college. “Thanks a helluva lot.”

“Are you angry with me?”

“Yeah, a little. Why would you tell me something
like that and tie my hands by making me promise not to say anything
to him? What was the purpose?”

“Maybe because it upset me, and I needed you to
know, too. He’s being so stubborn. Sabrina wants to be with him no
matter what, and he won’t even consider it.”

“I don’t blame him. I wouldn’t, either.”

“How can you say that? Are you telling me if you’d
been in the same situation you wouldn’t have married me?

“That’s right. You and my sister can’t understand
because you’re women. A guy’s whole identity is wrapped up in his
job and taking care of his kids and the woman he loves. If he can’t
do those things, he doesn’t feel like a man. The thought of you
being saddled with me like that is so....” He shook his head,
unable to express how horrific he found the prospect. “Let’s just
say I’d rather die.”