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“Good.” He gently pats my shoulder. “You’re a lucky man. This could have been a lot worse.”
“You’re telling me.”
The doctor nods to Raven, makes a few notes on the computer, and then leaves.
Raven shuts the door behind the doctor and then sharply turns to me, her forehead wrinkled. “When are you going to tell me what’s going on, Falcon?”
“Around the fifth of never.”
She shakes her head. “You’re part of me now, big brother. We have no secrets.”
“We have some,” I say. “And they’re not my stories to tell, Ray. I’d tell you everything if I could.” A yawn splits my face. “Ow! Damn, that hurts.”
“Okay, okay. I can take a hint.” She opens the door and puts a foot out. “You rest. We’ll talk when it doesn’t hurt you so much.”
I nod and close my eyes. Savannah should be here soon, I hope. Raven said she went to Austin last night to have dinner with her mom and Vinnie, and she’d probably stay the night.
That’s not like her…which means something’s going on.
And I want to know what it is.
40
SAVANNAH
I leave my parents’ home after spending the night in my old room. I say a quick goodbye to Vinnie, but I don’t seek out my mother.
She’s hurting now, and in her mind, it’s my doing.
Vinnie tried to convince me over a quick breakfast that she doesn’t know any better. That she did her duty by marrying Dad and believes that I should be willing to do the same. Funny. She and Dad eventually fell in love. Their marriage was a happy one as far as I could tell growing up.
So of course she’s upset that her husband is gone and will likely spend the rest of his life in prison. But he did it to save the man her daughter loves.
Perhaps it’s?—
“Savannah!”
I’m ready to get into the car when I hear my mother’s voice. I look up.
“Come here, please.”
I draw in a breath. Be ready for anything. “What is it, Mom?”
“I need to say something to you.”
I walk toward the doorway where she’s standing. “I think you said enough last night.”
She shakes her head. “You’re my only daughter. I never wanted any of this for you.”
“Then why the huge-ass guilt trip?”
“Because…” She dabs a tear away from her cheek with a handkerchief. “Because I love your father, Sav. I didn’t when we met. I didn’t when we got married. I didn’t even when Vinnie was born. But I grew to, and I grew to need him as much as I needed to breathe. Can you understand that?”
I nod. “Yes. I know what that feels like.”
“That’s how you feel about your young man? This ex-convict?”
“He’s innocent, Mom.”
