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“Months and months from now if we can help it. I’ve thrown so much red tape on this case; the prosecution is up to their ears in legal paperwork.” The words might have been smug if George had spoken in any other tone. But the deep groves in his face that weren’t there a few months ago and the tired cadence told a much different story, one that already seemed defeated.
A quiet sob escaped my mother as she turned her back to us. She was a shallow creature, but a proud one. I was sure it bothered her to show so much emotion in front of George.
It wasn’t proper.
It wasn’t lady like.
“I’m sorry I didn’t have better information to share, Barb.” George paused, probably waiting to see if Mom would turn back to him. When she didn’t even acknowledge his words, he nodded to himself and stood up. “I won’t impose on your family any longer. Call me if you need anything at all. Stan is one of my closest friends, and though I’m just as upset as you are at this turn of events, I would never desert him or you.”
For no reason at all, that last statement had caught my attention. I narrowed my gaze on George as he walked around the table to clap me on the shoulder. “It will be okay son. We’ll get through this.”
There wasn’t any evidence leading to the unwelcome thought that plagued my mind, but I still had it. Did my father have an affair with George too?
With none of his usual confidence, George left the dining room with his head hanging low.
No, I was seeing things that weren’t there. The stress and the hell I’d suddenly found myself in were making me suspicious of everyone and everything but my chosen family.
Distantly, the front door snicked closed, and I blew out a breath. I dropped into the chair next to Mom and pulled her hands from her face.
“Mom, we can avoid this.”
Her breath stuttered as she glanced up at me through misty eyes. “What do you mean?” A small flicker of hope warred with confusion.
“You can file for divorce. We can move out. Sell the house. Whatever shitstorm that’s about to surround Dad, it would barely glaze over us if we made a public show of separating ourselves.” My words came quick, the angry growl I’d tamped down until now coated my words.
What life sparked inside her was snuffed out. “No, Rhys. I love him. He’s your father and we’re standing by him.”
That…was exactly what I expected her to say. But the disappointment was still a sharp sting. I dropped her hands, rose from the chair, and left the house. She was who she was, and nothing she had ever done or said made me believe she would or could change. As I left the main house, I realized at some point I had started to hope she would finally have enough reason to leave him.
I headed to the Rover, taking in huge gulps of fresh air. Today was another mild day with temperatures in the mid-forties. Any snow from two days ago had already melted. If I wasn’t used to the Colorado winter, I’d think spring was on the way. Except, we could have rare snowstorms until June.
As a hockey guy, the cooler temperature did more to calm the long-standing fury at my father than anything inside the cottage. Now, if Astrid were there, I might have chosen a different way to decompress.
My phone pinged, and I pulled it out of my pocket to see a message from Thatcher in the group chat.
Thatcher: Trinity just stole my girlfriend. I’m now lonely. Help.
Snorting I typed out a quick reply.
Me: Calling for a bro date?
Since Jonah had shared Thatcher’s effort to get to know him better through a bro date, none of the rest of us had let him live it down.
Beck: I’m down. But I need a bit of bromancing, if you know what I mean. ?? I enjoy roses.
I barked out a short laugh. Just that small release was lifting some of the weight from my shoulders. This was why I needed my family. Without even trying, they were making everything better.
Jonah: I’m down. Pizza?
Leave it to Jonah to not antagonize Thatcher. He really had developed a soft spot for the moody fucker.
We agreed to meet and I wasted no time jumping in the Rover and heading over. I was the furthest away, so all three of their vehicles were lined up waiting for me at the edge of the parking lot. There were a few motorcycles, but most of the lot was taken up with dark SUVs.
“Hey,” I greeted their huddle as I hopped down.
“Hey man,” Beck returned with a grin. Since his New Year’s performance and night spent making up with Astrid, he’d been back to his old self. No, actually he’d been better, walking around on clouds or something. He hadn’t even batted an eye as Jonah and Astrid corralled him to weekly AA meetings.
In hindsight, I thought it was a little extreme but given how quick I was to want to beat his ass, I understood. Apparently, it was only precaution until they got him into a good counselor. That particular feat was proving harder than it should have been. His insurance at Tippy’s was shit, at least when it came to mental health. I would have happily taken up the bill for him, but the majority of our funds were frozen.
