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On that Saturday that Dave showed up to visit the lodge, Rose and Vic had just had their first fight and it was a doozy, all about family secrets and the destructive power they had.

“There is no fight worse than two old people who have an ax to grind,” Rose had said, hugging Vic. “I’m sorry. Let’s move to Florida and kiss this hot, steamy place goodbye.”

“I’m not sure I can do that. We have new grandchildren,” he said. “My sons won’t understand and from what I know about Maggie, she sure as hell won’t.”

“If my aunt Elizabeth leaves Val, I’ll have to move in with you. And if I do, I have to make this place my home. Are you in favor of that?”

“You can move in and make it your home,” he said. “You don’t need to wait for Elizabeth to move out. We’d better explain everything to poor Dave. He probably thinks we’ve lost our minds.”

“He probably thinks I’m a lunatic,” Rose lamented.

“He does, but that’s okay,” Vic said, teasing her.

On Sunday, Dave made the move to bring his brother and father together like Katrina had suggested. They met at his favorite diner out on the highway.

“I always think this place is going to be private and nine times out of ten, someone I don’t expect to see shows up here,” Dave said. “I ran into Maggie and Katrina here once last winter, and then Katrina and Luke Esprit. That time, Amber was with me.”

“Ugh,” Justin said, snickering.

“Katrina both times, huh?” Vic asked. “That sounds serendipitous.”

“It does, doesn’t it?”

“And it was,” Justin said. “Let’s get the clinic and house situation off the table. Are you or are you not going to sell it to Maggie and move to Florida?”

“I’m not selling and we’re not moving to Florida. Rose is moving in with me. She knows she has foot in mouth disease and will try to get control of it to repair her relationship with her daughter.”

The conversation led to their mother, leading to the current crisis of the unknown brother, shocking Justin and Dave.

“He was Mom’s son,” Dave said. “That means something to me.”

“What if he’s a schmuck?” Justin asked.

“Boys, he might not be. He’s a civil engineer in Mobile, lives out in the western suburbs. Divorced, Air Force veteran.”

“How do you know this?” Justin asked.

“Bridget gave his information to Rose and we Googled him.”

“The third Chastain brother all Maggie’s friends keep asking for,” Justin said.

“Except he’s not a Chastain, he’s a Benoit-Amotte.”

“What’s his name, anyway?” Dave asked.

Vic took a piece of paper out of his pocket. “Christopher Harcourt.”

“His adoptive parents are Acadian,” Justin said.

“Appears that way,” Vic said, handing them the paper. “He’s your half brother, boys. Go for it.”

***

Dave was elected the go-between by Justin and Bridget. “Let Val seek him out on his own,” Justin said. “We need to honor our mother by not aligning ourselves with that reprobate.”

The plan to meet in New Orleans would make it easier for everyone; it was about an hour drive for Chris and the same for the cousins. There was a sense of urgency because Bridget was going to deploy to Afghanistan in one week. She’d come home to say goodbye to her family, and it would be the perfect time to meet Chris Harcourt.

“I feel terrible about leaving you,” Dave said, buttoning his shirt.

Source: www.allfreenovel.com
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