“Which one?”Abby asked calmly, like she knew something noone else did.“You can always tell which one is Olivia’s.”
Keane got his beers and walked away, and the drinks therewere clear.That was when Jack stared at the screen.There was a margarita in afancy glass, three beers in bottles, and what looked like a rum and coke ormaybe whiskey.
Jack sat back, going a little pale.“Her drink isn’t there.They told me Tim was behind the bar tonight.He wouldn’t serve her drink thatway.Olivia prefers Grand Marnier to Cointreau.That’s not how they normallymake them.They put an umbrella in hers so they don’t misplace it.They’ve beendoing it at The Barn since she turned twenty-one.”
That was the moment Miranda showed up, bouncing to the barlike she couldn’t not move to the music.And the tall man with dark brown hairreached out and handed her a margarita with an umbrella in it.The bartenderhad just completed it.
“He didn’t do it,” Jack said.
“I told you.”Garrett couldn’t help it.“Something ishappening, and I don’t like it one bit.”
Jack finally seemed to understand they weren’t the trueenemies here.“I heard what happened and saw the file on him and I…”
“Jumped to conclusions?”Abby prompted.
Jack looked to his wife, his expression downcast.“She’s mybaby girl.She’s the first child I ever held in my arms.You know I love Lexilike she’s my own, but she was grown when I joined the family.Olivia was thefirst time I held a baby and knew I would love her forever.”
Garrett took a long breath.This situation was salvageable.“Mr.Barnes, I understand.Well, I guess I understand on an intellectual level.I was young when my mother died.While she was alive, I had a family.Theyweren’t the big, warm one everyone likes to see on TV, but we got together.Wehad holidays, and I would play with my cousins and spend time at mygrandparents’ place at the lake.Then she died and no one would take me in.They had all the excuses in the world.They already had too many kids.Theywere old.I wouldn’t be a good fit.”
“Your whole family?”Abby had a sheen of tears to her eyes.“How many aunts and uncles?”
“Three on my mom’s side and one on my dad’s,” he replied.“Ididn’t blame her.Aunt Helen had a kid with muscular dystrophy.Caring for himtook a lot of her time.Especially after her husband left her high and dry.It’s funny but I remember begging her to let me help.I told her I would takesome of the load caring for Charles if she would give me a room.She cried butsaid no.”
“Unfortunately, I do know what that’s like,” Jack said.“AndKeane?”
“He never had much of a family.His mom got pregnant in highschool, and her parents kicked her out.She ended up in a trailer working twojobs.She had a lot of boyfriends, and the last one killed her.”Garrett laidout the facts with as little emotion as he could.“He’d been in the system fora year before me.He was the one who sat with me that first night and told meit wasn’t so bad.Even though it was for him.He tried his damnedest to makesure it wasn’t as bad for me.”
“Shit.”Jack’s head fell back.“And that’s how he ended upin prison.”
“Doesn’t that sound familiar?”Abby fell to her knees andlooked up at her husband.“Jack, she’s attracted to them on many levels, butthe most important one is they remind her of her fathers.Master, I know youwant to protect them, but you already did that by raising them right.They knowwhat they want.”
“Olivia wanted Scott once.”Jack seemed to want to hang onto being right.
Abby’s head shook.“She wanted to start her life.I doubtshe would have gone through with it even if he hadn’t proved to be a massiveasshole.”
Jack looked right at Garrett, eyes narrowing.“I’ll drop thecharges against Keane and give you both five million dollars to get out of mydaughter’s life.”
“No.”Garrett could see through this.“I wouldn’t take thatdeal for anything in the world.Keane wouldn’t take it either, even though hefully believes Olivia will reject him once she knows what happened in the past.He still won’t take that money.He certainly wouldn’t take it in exchange forthe one thing he’s found that makes it all worthwhile.I’m not going to tellyou his story.That’s his, but talk to your brother.There’s a reason Lucaswanted him to have this chance.”
“You won’t take the money?”Jack sounded confused.
“You cannot buy me, and in this case I’m going to speak formy Dom, too.He won’t take the money and he’ll take his chances in prison,though you should know it’s the one thing he’s feared for years.”
Jack considered him for a moment.“You’re speaking for yourDom?”
“Could Sam speak for you?”
Jack sighed and reached for his wife’s hand, tugging her upand onto his lap where she settled in like it was something she had done amillion times before.This was the comfort of a long-term marriage.She calmedhim and made him feel safe enough to be vulnerable.“Of course he could.Healways could.Since the day we met.”
“Now that I do understand.”
Jack seemed to breathe in his wife’s scent and relaxed.“I’mgoing to have to apologize.I hurt him and I shouldn’t have.I hated the lookin his eyes when he walked out.”
When he’d saidI’m no one’s son.
“You could start by talking to the sheriff and getting himto back down.You have proof it wasn’t him,” Garrett pointed out.“Getting himout of that cell will go a long way to fixing things.Once you get to knowKeane, you’ll understand he’s exactly the type of man you want on Olivia’sside.”
Abby gave him a beatific smile.“I’m looking forward to it.”
