BROTHERS OF ST. BARTS a totally addictive romance read (St. Barts Romance Books Series Book 6) Read Free

least you always stab me in the front, Mother.”
    “Just a glancing blow. Nothing fatal.”
    Sven sighed as he rearranged his notes. “I miss Henry. He was always such a good sounding board for this stuff. When he died, I lost more than a good friend.”
    Judith directed a glance at her son. “You lost a father.”
    Sven looked up in surprise. He’d never realized his mother understood how deep his feelings for Henry were. Now he worried she would think he had somehow betrayed his own father. She didn’t seem upset, though.
    “I know how much you relied on Henry. Even if your father were still alive he wouldn’t have been able to help you with show business. He was terrible at that kind of politics. Remember when he got thrown out of your soccer games for punching your coach?”
    “That asshole kept putting his weasel son in. What was his name? Benny. He always kept putting Benny in as striker. What a waste. He couldn’t score in an empty net.”
    “Your father was so angry. He even wrote to the officials about the nepotism. He loved watching you play.”
    The sun shone through the skylights, giving the attic an intimate glow as they reminisced about Sven’s childhood.
    “I remembered when we found out dad was dead.”
    “Hmmm?” Judith looked up from her box of books. “Of course you remember. You were ten.”
    “Mother, I hadn’t remembered for years; I’d blocked out the memories. It all came back to me the night Henry died.” He stopped sliding the stacks of books onto the shelves and took her hand. “I’m sorry I wasn’t more help to you then.”
    “You were a child!”
    “I was the man of the family.”
    Judith stared at him aghast. “Has this been bothering you all these years? Sven, you were a child, my youngest. I should have done a better job of protecting you. I might have been able to if we’d gotten word right away. But . . .” she faltered. “It took so long to find the body. I knew in my head that with each passing day it was more likely he was dead, but somehow I told myself that if they hadn’t found him, then maybe he was still alive somewhere. Maybe he’d hit his head and couldn’t remember who he was. God, it sounds so stupid when I say it out loud now, like something out of a soap opera. I wasn’t thinking clearly then. But I never blamed you. I never expected you, or your sisters, to prop me up. That was my job as your parent. You feel the same about Bliss and will about the new baby. You’ll want to protect them, not the other way around, even if it’s not always possible.”
    * * *
    “I don’t understand.”
    Sunny’s eyes shifted from Sven to Liam to Judith.
    “He’s your assistant,” said Sven firmly, pointing at the young man and trying to ignore the stubborn expression on his wife’s face.
    “Judith has already arranged for cleaners once a week and Fatima is going to help with Bliss most afternoons. Why do I need an assistant? I thought Liam was going to help you with your screenplay?”
    Liam shuffled his feet, eyes down, embarrassed to be caught in the middle of this family discussion.
    Judith tried her luck. “Someone to drive you. To help you around the house. Liam can help Sven as well, when you don’t need him.”
    “Once again; I don’t need an assistant.” Sunny’s eyes flashed at Sven.
    Judith sighed. “Liam and I are going to take the dog and Bliss to the park while you settle things. I told you we should have discussed this first,” she added with a look at her son.
    As soon as the front door closed, Sunny squared off against her husband. “Explain it to me. Tell me why all of a sudden I am so feeble I need a minder. I’m not sick, I’m pregnant. I feel better this time around than I did when I was carrying Bliss and I looked after the villas and was on my own then.”
    “That’s the point,” said Sven through clenched teeth. “You were on your own then. You aren’t now. I’m here and damn it, I’m going to look after you and