“You deserved it,” she countered.
“Maybe,” he agreed, laughing.
“Definitely. As far as the album, did you look at it before they got back?”
He shook his head.
“And after they did, Sophie was so excited showing you those awful photos of me that we never got to them.”
None of the photos had been awful. Far from it. What they’d been was a record of a girl who’d taken on too much responsibility too early in life. Straight-A student, winner of this award and that award. From what he could tell, the only time Isabelle cut loose and had fun was when it involved Sophie.
“Which means you still want to look at them. Tell me again how looking at old photos is going to find someone who left two decades ago.”
“Just like how you and Sophie were bringing up memories tonight, photos trigger things forgotten.” Wasn’t that what the therapists had told him during the months after his injuries when they’d been working with him? Not that it had worked. That blow to his head had obviously done too much damage for some things to be remembered. If he ever did, well, what he might recall scared him more than he wanted to admit.
“I know you’re right. I’ll even admit that tonight wasn’t as awful as I’ve let on, but as far as the photos triggering memories of Dad—” Isabelle tightened her grip on the steering wheel as she stared at the road. “I really hate to do that to Mom. She doesn’t need that burden, and Sophie and I were so small when he left that our memories aren’t going to help. I know I have to talk to her about this, to make sure she’s okay with his being there, prior to telling Sophie, but I don’t want her hurt by any of this.”
“Yeah, you definitely need to talk to her.”
“I will if you find him.”
“I will find him.” He wouldn’t rest until he did. “We need to look at the albums. I need photos to run through age simulators.”
“Because we need to know what he looks like now.” She sighed. “Fine. We’ll go through that album.” She sounded as excited about doing so as he felt about going to any of his many specialists. “But not at my house. I’ll… I’ll put it in my car, and we’ll go through it soon.”
“Why not at your house?”
“You know why not.” She took a deep breath. “Sophie means well with all her matchmaking, but without thinking things through, she assumes everything will work out all Christmas morning jolly. Even if all this were real, you and I have nothing in common. She should recognize that with our histories, we aren’t a good match.”
Isabelle was right. They weren’t. She was way too good of a person for the likes of him. She was a good girl rule follower, and he was a rebel with a past so bad his brain refused to remember it.
“Besides, I don’t know who Sophie thinks is going to take care of Mom if I ever did meet someone,” Isabelle continued, more to herself than to him, revealing private thoughts that exposed another layer of that protective, responsible-for-everyone depth that she bound herself by.
“I imagine she recognizes that your mother is a grown woman and can take care of herself.”
Isabelle’s sharp intake of breath cut deep to his core because that was how intense her reaction was.
“You don’t really know my family.”
“I know that you feel responsible for your mother and Sophie. Not that there is anything wrong with wanting to take care of one’s family, but you take it beyond what’s normal. Why is that?”
“You think I’m abnormal because I want to take care of my family?” She gripped the steering wheel so tightly that he wondered if she was imagining throttling him rather than the car. “Of course, I’m responsible for them. I have been since my father left.”
Bingo. When Cliff Davis left, Isabelle had made sure her family didn’t fall apart. Only problem was, she’d been a child and shouldn’t have had to carry that responsibility. From what he could gather, Darlene had been overwhelmed with grief and wondering how she was going to support her two daughters after her husband’s disappearance. Isabelle’s mother had thrown herself into working long hours six days a week, leaving her girls in their Aunt Claudia’s care until Isabelle got old enough to watch over Sophie. A role that years later she’d not relinquished.
“Maybe it’s time for you to recognize that your sister is grown and about to be married, that your mother seems to be doing fine, and they don’t need you taking care of them anymore.”
Her jaw clenched. “You’re in no position to be giving me advice on taking care of my family.”
Zach winced. She was right. He wasn’t. Look at his own family. If anything, he’d always been the one to rely on Brett to be the responsible one, leaving his brother to step into the family business and deal with their parents while Zach went off to chase his military dreams.
Looking at the tense set of Isabelle’s jaw, memories of his last row with his brother hit. Was that how Brett felt about him? Was that why he had been so disappointed when Zach had come home a broken man, feeling obligated to put him back together again in ways Zach hadn’t wanted or welcomed? His deepest wounds couldn’t heal because they were locked inside his head. Zach knew that, even if his brother hadn’t recognized anything beyond the surface.
Isabelle pulled the car into Hamilton House’s drive. There were a few cars Zach didn’t recognize, indicating that new guests had arrived. She didn’t look toward him, just sat in the driver’s seat, waiting on him to get out of the car.
“Thanks for bringing me home.”
She nodded and he got out of the car and watched her drive away.
