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“Well, I plan on going in my own bed. And damned if I let Regan get me back in that hospital.”
Right. Regan was his family doctor.
Regan. Doctors. Hospital. All three of those things made his gut tighten. He took another swig and sighed, glancing at his watch and wondering…
“You don’t have to stay.”
He raised an eyebrow at his father. “Darlene would have my ass if I left right now, so no thanks.”
John Blackwell chuckled at that. The sound was like a returning memory, and Wyatt had to shake his head a bit in order to clear it. No sense in dwelling in the past. Even the good shit led to pain.
The two men fell silent. It was always like this between them. Sparse. Cold. Complicated. He doubted it would ever change. Wyatt wandered over to the large floor-to-ceiling windows. They gave an uncluttered view of the lake, and the winter beauty of it was breathtaking. The moon shone from above, creating shadow and light depending upon where it hit, making small snow drifts look impossibly huge. Making the lake look mysterious, dangerous, and inviting. It was a contrast he loved and one he missed a hell of a lot.
He wasn’t sure how long he stood there, staring out at the lake, but it was long enough for him to finish his beer. He turned around just as Darlene, Hudson, and Rebecca returned to the great room.
“Can I get you anything to eat, Wyatt?” Darlene seemed overly bright, her voice a tad high.
“I’m good, thanks.”
She grabbed a silver-gray afghan and placed it across John’s legs. “Well, I’m glad you were able to come and see your father. It’s lovely, isn’t it, John?”
“It’s unexpected is what it is.” John didn’t bother to look his way. “I’m tired, Dar. I’d like to go to bed.” He gave a small wave to them all and slowly got to his feet, holding tight to Darlene as she led him toward their bedroom.
“I’ll just… I’m going to call Liam and see if he needs anything before we head home.” Rebecca gave a small smile and disappeared.
Huh. Nothing like a Blackwell family reunion to get everyone’s spirits up. Wyatt crunched the empty can in his hand and sighed heavily.
“He doesn’t mean to be an asshole.” Hudson stood beside him, hands in his pockets. “He just can’t help it sometimes.”
Wyatt wanted to punch a wall. “Since when do you make excuses for him? He wrote the book on being an asshole.”
“Wyatt—”
“Hudson, I don’t want to dissect our family bullshit. I don’t want to talk about John or Darlene or any of that stuff right now. I know you’ve found some sort of peace with him, but you need to hear me when I say it’s not gonna happen between him and me. That right there is an old horse you need to stop beating. Because if you don’t, she’s gonna kick back, and things are going to get messy.”
“Okay. Let’s forget about Dad. Let’s talk about you.”
“There’s nothing to talk about.”
Hudson was silent for a few seconds, his gaze on the lake. “We haven’t talked about the crash.”
A muscle worked in Wyatt’s jaw, and his teeth clamped down so tight that it ached. “There’s not much to add to what everyone already knows. Diego Sanchez died. He hit the turn too fast and took me out. I walked away. He didn’t.” He paused, thinking of his mother. “It’s something I’m getting used to.”
“Wyatt, it was a shit deal, that’s for sure. I just…”
“What?” He turned to his brother and scowled fiercely.
“I just want to make sure you’re okay. That couldn’t have been easy. Not after Mom.”
Wyatt pivoted abruptly and headed for the kitchen. He tossed the can into the recyclable bin. “I told you I’m not doing this right now. I should
n’t have come.”
“Flash. Come on. Listen to me.”
He stopped dead in his tracks. Hudson hadn’t called Flash that since they were kids. He’d been the one with no off switch. The to do everything full tilt and fast as hell. When had things gone so wrong?
Hudson followed him into the kitchen, and they stood staring at each other for so long, Wyatt’s eyes began to burn.
