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Tessa blushes as he places a kiss on her lips.

“Well, you’re here now, so let’s celebrate. We have our annual Kick Off The Holiday party tomorrow, but let’s plan a celebration for this weekend,” Austin suggests.

“What’s that?” Harper asks.

“It’s the annual Sexton party they host before the big advertising push for the holidays,” Jalynn explains.

“That would be nice, but unfortunately, our nuptials isn’t the reason we came here, unannounced.” I sigh, glancing to Harper for support, and then spilling everything I’ve learned. “Harper had the unfortunate opportunity to meet Missy and Father a few days ago when they were in town.”

“She said that earlier,” Bryce speaks up and then curses under his breath. “Please don’t tell me you’re selling your portions and staying in New York.”

“No. Don’t worry. I—” I reach for Harper’s hand. “We haven’t decided yet what our future holds, but there’s something that Harper brought to my attention that I think you guys should look at.”

“What is it?” Austin sits up, giving us his full attention.

The four of them are looking at me. My palms are sweaty, so I let go of Harper’s hand and wipe them on my jeans and rise from the table, holding my finger up to let them know that I’ll be right back.

I walk to the front of the apartment and go into my carry-on bag where I have Mom’s file. For a moment, I wonder if this is the right thing to do. I could be wrong. I pray I’m so fucking wrong. I could also be right. I have no idea.

With a heavy heart, I walk back into the kitchen and hold up the file. “This is Mom’s entire case.”

My brothers flinch. The girls’ eyes widen, and Jalynn bites her lip.

“Why do you have Mom’s case file?” Bryce asks, sitting straighter. His arms cross defensively.

“I took it from Dad years ago. That’s what happens when you baby-brother me. I take matters into my own hands,” I reply.

Austin rubs the back of his neck. “Okay. So, what is it you want us to see?”

The papers feel like a thousand pounds in my hands. I look at Tessa and Jalynn and realize this might not be something my brothers want them to hear. “It’s pretty intense and something we might want to discuss in private.”

Jalynn speaks up, “Hell no. I’m not going anywhere. Whatever’s in that file can be heavy, and I don’t need Austin running.”

He gives me a nod. “Jalynn stays.”

“Same for Tessa,” Bryce speaks up even though Tessa looks like she’s ready to bolt.

I put the file on the table and open it up, keeping the gory photographs buried in the back of the paper-clipped pile. The pictures of the accident are enough remembrance of the day we’ve all worked hard to forget.

“I’ve studied these photos a hundred times. In the back of my mind, I just had this feeling that something was off,” I start. “Dad wouldn’t talk about the accident, and if I asked questions, he would tell me I was too young. He didn’t want me to hurt more than I was already hurting. I always knew that was a crock. That’s why I took the file. When Harper saw it, she had the same feeling. Her dad owns a high-end auto body shop in Queens—”

“You’re officially my favorite sister-in-law.” Austin nods slightly with a smile on his face.

Harper smiles softly before Tessa places her hands on her hips and speaks up, “She’s your only sister-in-law.”

“I know. That’s why she’s my favorite. So far,” he jokes.

I try to wrangle his attention back in. “Harper, being raised around cars, looked at the photos differently than I have all these years.”

Bryce leans in. “What do you mean?”

Harper lifts the photo that she took to her dad and puts it in front of Austin. “This is your mom’s car after it drove off the cliff. The car is pretty beat up, but check out down here, the spot right next to the bush.”

She waits for Austin to take it in.

His mouth purses as he studies it. “The tire came off. That was due to impact.”

“That’s what the report says, but a tire shouldn’t come off the body so easily,” Harper explains.