Newlywed Games (29 page)

Bruce clenched his fists. Leave it to Brock to cut to
the heart of the matter. It didn’t. It never had, and he should have known that. Should have known lying wasn’t the way to help Meg, no matter how right it felt at the moment.

Lord, I’ve been a fool.

Tell the truth, son. Help Meg do the same.

Fear pierced him.
I’ll lose her.
She would leave before he had the time to make things right between them.

Tell the truth.

We’ve got so much at stake. Her mother…my family…their trust in You.

That can’t be based on a lie.

But could it be destroyed by one? That was the question he couldn’t get past.

“I’ve seen distrust in your eyes.” Brock said to his back.

Bruce flexed his fists. He wanted to continue on through the doors and leave his brother standing there alone. But his lack of trust was not directed toward Meghann, and he was loathe to go on letting Brock believe it was. Maybe it was time to let his younger brother know the source of his distrust.

Fine. If Brock wanted a confrontation, he would have one. It was long overdue. Bruce reached out to close the doors and swung around.

“You are the one I don’t trust, Brock.”

Amazement filled his brother’s features. And confusion. “Me? What have I done?”

Bruce glared at his little brother. “Valerie.” Bruce had dated a woman, Valerie Synclair, for a short time
just after he had become a Christian two years ago. They had helped each other over some bumps in the transition from worldly to godly lifestyles.

“That was not my doing.” Brock’s tone was hard. “It was her.”

“It takes two to tango, as they say. You were attracted to her. Don’t deny it.”

“Yes. I was attracted to her. But I never acted on that attraction. Not once. I can’t help my feelings, Bruce. You can’t condemn me for them!”

“She left me for you. She told me so.”

“And she got nothing. I wouldn’t have her. Couldn’t trust her. If she dropped you so easily, why not me, too?”

Bruce stood there, watching his brother’s face, weighing his words…and felt his anger begin to wane. Was it true? Had he been so hurt over Valerie’s rejection that he’d laid the blame on Brock without reason? “I thought…I always assumed you two dated for a while and you just chose not to mention it.”

Even as he spoke, Bruce began to understand. Losing Valerie had been hard. He’d really cared about her. But the worst part of it all had been thinking Brock had betrayed him.

Brock stepped toward him. “I know we fought, all kids do, but I always thought we were close. I knew there was a rift between us since Valerie, but I never imagined you thought I actually had something to do with the breakup. I wouldn’t do that to you, Bruce. You’re my brother.”

Bruce shook his head. “I’m sorry. I guess I just convinced
myself it was true. You were always tagging along and doing whatever I did while we were growing up. When you were ten, you refused to answer to your own name. You drove everyone crazy, insisting they call you Bruce. It was like you were trying to be me.” He sighed at the memory. “I guess I figured what better way was there for you to do that than to take the woman I cared about?”

Brock looked away self-consciously. “Most of my life I wanted to be like you. I even wanted to
be
you. I figured if I stuck close to you and did everything you did, some of you might rub off on me, and I would be good enough…”

“Good enough for whom?”

Brock looked at him as though to say,
“Who else.”
But he didn’t know…and his patience was wearing dangerously thin.

“I’m not the firstborn son, made in his image, who can do no wrong,” Brock said. “All the praise went to you. If he was in a generous mood, the rest of us would get an encouraging word to do better like Bruce.”

Their father? He was talking about their father. True, Ivan Halloway was a hard man who worked hard to get where he was. It hadn’t been easy for Bruce being the oldest. Always expected to do things right. Always expected to meet his father’s standards. He hadn’t realized it was just as hard for his siblings. He thought they had it easy because nothing was expected of them. He had often been envious of their ability to get away with everything. They could do what they wanted without having to account for themselves. He had been under
constant scrutiny while their father had basically neglected the others.

“You don’t have to keep striving to please him, Brock.”

“You could do no wrong in his eyes. Even if you did something he disapproved of, like becoming a Christian, it was okay because you were Bruce.”

Was that why Brock worked in their father’s company and stuck so close to him, to gain his approval? “Is that what is keeping you from making a decision for the Lord? Father’s approval? Don’t risk your eternity on his acceptance. He may never change.”

Brock turned from him. “I would be ostracized.
You
can do no wrong, and Brice is still a ‘foolish’ kid who will grow out of it! I wouldn’t be so lucky.”

“Our father is not an easy man to live with or without.” Bruce said sympathetically.

“I don’t want to talk about this anymore.” Like Mother, he preferred peace to strife.

“Okay, but just let me say one more thing for you to think about. Is temporary acceptance here on earth worth risking eternity in heaven?”

His question was met with silence.

“Don’t wait too long, brother. You never know when tomorrow will be too late.” When Brock remained silent, Bruce turned to leave.

“Bruce?”

He turned. “Yes?”

“Can I ask you a question? About your wife?”

There was caution in his voice, and disappointment in Bruce’s heart. This wasn’t the question he’d been hoping
for. “You can ask, but I reserve the right not to answer.”

“Fair enough,” Brock said with a nod. “She said she lied to you. Is that something you can live with?”

“She didn’t say she lied to me, just that she lied.”

“And you can live with that? Doesn’t it bother you?”

It bothered him a lot. Almost as much as his own lies bothered him.

“Yes, it bothers me, but I also understand.” He chose his words carefully. “None of us are perfect. We
all
make mistakes. We have to forgive one another and help each other to become stronger. Love covers a multitude of sins.”

“You can forgive her, just like that?”

“I have to, or how can I expect my heavenly Father to forgive me? Why do I have the feeling this isn’t about Meg?”

Brock shrugged his shoulders in silence.

“A woman?”

Brock didn’t answer, but Bruce didn’t need affirmation to know he was right. And he was sure he knew which one. “It’s Valerie, isn’t it?”

Brock cringed slightly at Bruce’s guess. “I’ve been thinking about her lately. I don’t know why.”

“Have you talked to her?”

“No!”

“It’s okay, Brock. She’s a nice girl.” He had held on to this for so long, he was surprised and relieved at how easy it was to finally let go. And forgive his brother. “Maybe you should talk to her and see where it leads.”

“But she was your girlfriend,” Brock argued.

“The operative word being
was.”
He held up his hand with his ring. “I’m a married man now.” At least he
felt
married. And he intended to make that feeling reality as soon as he could. “I’m certain Valerie and I would have broken up eventually. Our bond was because we were both new Christians in a new church. I have no interest in her, except for where she concerns you.”

“How do I know if I can trust her?” Brock asked.

“You’ll never know if you don’t talk to her. I don’t believe she meant to hurt either one of us. Sometimes you just have to let go and hope you haven’t misplaced your trust.” That sounded like advice
he
should take. It was time for him to let go…of a lot of things.

“I really do want the best for you. Tell me, Bruce, is my appeal to women so strong that you worry about Meghann, or is your hold on your wife so weak that makes me a threat?”

Both.
“I’m only holding on to her by a thread.” Bruce was astonished he was willing to confide in his brother at all. “If it weren’t for her mother visiting, we wouldn’t be together at all.”

“It’s that bad?” Brock’s eyebrows rose. “You can’t tell. You two look like lovebirds.”

“It’s all an illusion. I don’t know what is going to happen when everyone leaves. I don’t want to lose her.”

“Have you told her that? Women like to hear that kind of thing.”

No, he hadn’t told her. Things had been different since the day she’d found out the truth about him. She had become aloof. Most people were attracted to his bank account. She seemed to be repelled by it. But then
she was not most people, which was probably why he loved her.

All he had to do was figure out how to let her know that. And how to make her believe it.

The next morning while Meghann was in the kitchen cleaning up after breakfast, Brock came in. She nervously wiped the clean counter to keep busy, wondering what he wanted and hoped he got it fast and left.

“I was hoping we would have a chance to talk.” Brock walked over to her.

Talk?
No, she didn’t think that was such a good idea after last night. “I need to.” She put down the dishcloth and turned to leave.

“Please. It will only take a minute. I want to apologize.” He sounded sincere, but she kept her distance.

She slowly sank back against the counter. Her palms suddenly felt sweaty, and she bit her bottom lip.

“I’m sorry for my behavior last night. I acted inappropriately. Bruce explained things to me.”

Her eyes widened in astonishment. “Everything?”

“Enough that I think I understand.”

That meant Bruce most likely didn’t tell him the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. But what had he told him?

“Will you forgive my rude behavior and tactlessness?”

“Yes, of course.”

“Thank you.” A sad expression crossed his face. “But I’m afraid I may have irreparably damaged what
could have been a pleasant family relationship between you and me. You’ve probably noticed our family doesn’t have many of them. And if you haven’t noticed, you soon will. I won’t bother you any further, milady.” He gave a courtly bow and turned to leave.

“Brock.” She felt this whole misunderstanding was her fault and wanted to make amends. He was sort of charming in his own way. He faced her and she held out her hand. “Truce?”

He raised an eyebrow and hesitantly took her hand to shake. “Truce.”

“We sort of got off on the wrong foot anyway. Let’s start over. Forgiven and forgotten. I’m Meghann.”

His smile broadened. “I’m Brock, the good-looking one in the family.”

And the one with enough charm to sweep a willing woman off her feet.

“I
DON’T KNOW HOW
B
RUCE COULD BE TAKEN IN BY THIS
superstitious nonsense,” Ivan Halloway muttered as he flipped the Bible in front of Meghann closed.

Rude. The man was plain rude. Meghann cocked her head, looking sideways at Bruce’s father. How had she ended up alone with him? No, not exactly alone; her mother was asleep in the other room.

Bruce said his father never allowed anyone to bring up the subject of religion. So Meg had been surprised when the elder Halloway pigeonholed her, clearly trying to provoke her into a discussion on it. What on earth was Ivan doing? Was he looking for a fight?

Fine. She was tired of being intimidated by him.

Lord, give me the right words. Don’t let me back down.
…

“It’s not superstition or nonsense.” She made sure her voice was even, calm. “The Bible is—”

“I will not have my son brainwashed by irrational fears perpetuated by fools. He’s above all that.”

Who was the one with irrational fears here? Ivan
was a formidable man who used intimidation masterfully to get people to bend to his way of thinking. So far it had worked with her. And even now, she struggled with feeling foolish as she sat there with him staring her down, demanding she defend her faith.

Lord, help me. Use me. Speak through me.

“Wouldn’t you like to sit down?” She felt uncomfortable with him towering over her, but she sensed he liked the power and control it gave him. She fidgeted uneasily. What if she said the wrong thing; made her faith look ineffective, stupid?

Be still child

She nodded. Ivan may be a formidable foe in business, but God was the true powerhouse here. The One with ultimate control.

She looked up into Ivan’s cynical face and her timidity fell away. This poor man was searching for fulfillment. He would never find it on his earthly quest until he looked up. He didn’t realize he had just closed the book on the greatest treasure of all that no amount of money could buy.

“Bruce is not brainwashed. This—” she reverently touched the cover of the Bible—“is real.”

“Enough! I’ll not hear any more of this foolishness.”

Foolishness?
She pushed herself away from the table where she had been reading Bruce’s Bible and stood. Her opponent furrowed his brows slightly. He hadn’t expected her to come up to his level. She needn’t cower with God on her side.
If God is for me, who could stand against me?