More Than You Know by Jennifer Gracen Read Free Book Online Page A

enough,” Charles said. He glanced at their sister who sat between them and added, “I think he more than answered your out-of-nowhere question.”
    â€œHe did indeed.” Tess raised her glass in a toast. “To the Harrison legacy of shitty marriages: may it now be over.” Her brothers both clinked their glasses to hers before they all drank.
    â€œSo Tess . . .” Dane eyed her, choosing his words carefully. “It’s been two years since that broken engagement. What about you? Have you recovered from that disaster enough to consider ever getting married?”
    â€œTouché, my dear.” Her usually warm voice turned cold and her face tightened. “But no. I don’t think I’ll be getting married, for most of the same reasons as you. Except for all the women, of course. I live a monk’s life compared to you.”
    Charles let out a guffaw. “We all do, are you kidding?”
    â€œShut up,” Dane said. “I’m not that bad.”
    Both siblings started laughing.
    â€œShut up!” Dane said, half amused, half annoyed.
    Charles laughed even harder and dabbed at the corner of his eye. Dane glanced over at his brother. Charles rarely laughed like that anymore. He was so stressed all the time, his mind filled with all the things that went along with being the COO of a multimillion-dollar conglomerate and the heir to a family dynasty. Charles never had fun unless Dane was around. If Dane had to be the butt of a joke to get Charles to laugh like that once in a while, he had no problem with that.
    After finally composing himself, Charles let out a deep, cleansing exhale and asked, “Can we talk about something else now?”
    â€œWhen’s the last time either of you spoke to Mom?” Dane asked.
    â€œLast week,” Tess said. “I called her to say Happy Mother’s Day. We spoke for about ten minutes. You?”
    â€œSame,” Dane said.
    â€œThat’s three for three, then,” Charles said. “We’re all wonderful children.”
    â€œI got an e-mail from her today,” Dane went on. “I’d invited her to the hotel opening. She wanted to let me know she won’t be able to make it.”
    â€œWhat a shock,” Charles remarked dryly, and finished the last of his wine.
    Dane smirked. “Yeah. She and Rick will be on a cruise of the Greek islands for the last two weeks of June— so sorry, darling. ”
    Tess sighed. “She has her own life.”
    â€œShe does indeed,” Dane said. He’d given up hoping his mother would come around years ago. Laura Dunham Harrison Evans Bainsley was all about one thing: Laura.
    â€œSpeaking of living their own life and ignoring the rest of the family,” Charles quipped, “anyone hear from Pierce recently?”
    Dane laughed at the mention of their estranged youngest brother. “Nice segue, Chuckles.”
    â€œI hate when you call me that,” Charles said with a good-humored scowl.
    â€œI know you do,” Dane said. “That’s the bonus.”
    â€œI text with him regularly,” Tess said, referring to Pierce. “You guys could too, if you wanted to.”
    â€œHe and I have very little to say to each other,” Charles said flatly.
    Tess frowned at him. “There are four of us. You should try to reach out more than you do.”
    â€œStop,” Charles said. “Pierce is a grown man now. He’s capable of checking in too, Tess. He doesn’t contact us because he doesn’t want to. The only one in the family he gives a shit about is you. This isn’t news.”
    Dane reached for the bottle of wine and refilled his glass. “Either of you want more?”
    â€œNo more for me, thanks,” Tess said. “You know one glass is my limit.”
    â€œTop me off, old boy,” Charles said, imitating their father’s voice precisely, bringing smirks from Dane and Tess.
    Dane filled