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ChapterFifteen
Chase
“What do you think?” Rhys Cannon asked.
I leaned back, adjusting my earbuds and drumming my fingertips on the kitchen table. I was having my second conversation with my half brother.
“I'd love to come down there,” I finally said.
I wasn’t sure “love” was the accurate word, but I was willing to try to build this bridge to my half siblings. It was probably the only way I could somehow get to know the father who had passed away before I even knew he was my father.
“It's an open invitation. Our family owns plenty of properties down here. You can have one of the guesthouses all to yourself. That way, we won't crowd you,” Rhys explained. “I have to admit, there are a lot of us.”
“No shit,” I said with a dry chuckle.
I had seven—seven!—half siblings. It was enough to wrap my brain around that, but even more complicated, my biological father's family was wealthy. Seriously wealthy. I thought about my friend Archer, who’d turned out to be my cousin, and how he’d assured me my newly discovered family was a good bunch.
“I swear we're not awful,” Rhys continued. “We might be a little annoying. You can ask Archer. You guys grew up together, right?”
“We went to elementary school together before his family moved. It's good to have him back in town.”
“Archer’s a good guy,” Rhys commented.
“He is,” I agreed.
I sensed Rhys wanted this to work out. But we didn't know each other.
“Well, you know where to reach me. I've texted you everybody's phone number. You can call any of us at any time. If it'd be more comfortable for one of us to come there and meet on your turf, I’m happy to do it.”
“I know. I just need to figure out the timing.”
“All right. Talk soon.”
“You got it.”
We ended the call, and I took a deep breath. Fuck. This was weird. My relationship with my mother was complicated even after her death. She had been this bright force. I’d desperately wanted to please her when I was little, but there was no pleasing her. She was flighty with a hard edge and a wildness to her. As an adult, I could see how my father fell for her and probably how my biological father fell for her. She could be charming beyond belief.
Yet whenever I thought of her, there was a sense of emptiness, of always reaching for something that was never there. After she’d passed away, I tried to accept that the love I’d always chased after from her was never going to be caught. Then come to find out she'd lied to me, my father, and my sister for my entire life. Because of that lie, I lost the chance to even know my biological father. I felt conflicted that I even wanted to know who I was because I genuinely loved my dad. He was the father of my heart and my soul.
My eyes lifted to the clock mounted above the kitchen doorway. I was about to be late for dinner with my dad.
“So what’ll it be?” the server asked, her eyes flicking back and forth between my dad and me.
“Gracie, I think I'll take that salmon burger. You promise it's good?” my dad asked.
Gracie clucked as she nodded. “Of course, it's good.”
“All right, I’ll go with that.”
“I'll take the same,” I added. “I'd also like those sweet potato fries, the spicy ones.”
“Oh, good lord, don't give me those. I want the plain fries,” my dad chimed in.
Gracie cast him a smile. “I know you don't like spicy. I'm amazed you'll even try a salmon burger.”
“Of course, I'll try salmon. I'm Alaskan born and bred.”
She chuckled. “Anything to drink, guys?”
