AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Yeah, that. Imagine my surprise to learn my bloodline came back to Frank Pollock. I looked the name up online and discovered he was a big deal down in L.A. during the 80s and 90s, a mover and shaker, they called him. You and me. Related. Brothers, no less. Imagine that.”
“I’m trying to,” Chad said with a weak smile, studying the build on the much taller man. “Where do you suppose your mother and my father crossed paths?”
“No idea. But my mother worked as a nurse three days a week. Not in Los Angeles, mind you, but up in San Francisco, where she was born and raised. Did dear old Dad travel to that area thirty-plus years ago? That’s the question, isn’t it?”
Chad swallowed hard, a sour look on his face. The truth was a bitter pill. “My father did love the Bay Area, especially Tiburon and Sausalito. He had a writer friend who lived in Tiburon. But Sausalito and its art galleries drew him to the area the most. There was this one artist he favored. He’d sometimes stay a week at a time and always brought back one of her paintings.”
“Her name wasn’t Cecilia Carter, was it?” Beckett tossed out.
Chad blinked in surprise. “Why yes, yes it was. Are you telling me you knew Cecilia?”
“Aunt Cecilia, my mother’s sister, sure. Sounds like the old man had a thing for sisters,” Beckett joked, jabbing Chad in the ribs. Knowing the drunk act was getting to Chad, he slapped the man on the back. Hard. “Anything else you want to know about the family, just ask. That’s why I’m here to get to know you, and you get to know me.”
“Where is it you live?”
“Mill Valley, in the same house where I grew up. My mother passed on last year, and I inherited it from her. She inherited it from her mother. It’s anything but a mansion, but I make do. Suits me well enough.”
“What is it you do for a living?”
“Construction mostly. But the economy’s been sluggish lately. So I’m looking forward to getting to know my well-off big brother. Just kidding. Lucien says you’re a music producer; been at it for decades. You must be rolling in the dough by now. Huh? Imagine that—me connected to the music industry. The guys at work are gonna crap their pants when I tell them about this whole thing.”
“You’re going to tell people?”
“Sure. Why not? Aren’t you? I can’t keep this kind of news to myself.”
Instead of answering, Chad chugged his cabernet, then held up his empty glass for another.
“I see we’re both drinkers,” Beckett stated. “I guess it runs in the family. Even though you like that fancy wine, I’ll always prefer a good cold beer.”
“Of course, you will,” Chad noted, dabbing his lips with a napkin. “Do you have other siblings?”
Beckett shook his head. “Only child. Lucien tells me you lost both of yours twenty years ago. And now, here I am, a replacement, so to speak. Bet you didn’t see that one coming, eh?”
The bartender brought Chad another glass of wine and handed him a menu. “Will you be ordering dinner tonight, sir? The kitchen closes in an hour.”
“Ah, yes, another sign that I’ve landed in the sticks,” Chad muttered, rubbing his temple. “Rural people go to bed early. No partying after midnight here.”
Brogan scooted closer to Chad so she could point to a menu item. “The owners were bragging earlier about their Santa Fe chicken.”
“Too spicy this late. I think I’ll stick to lighter fare. I’ll try the mushroom soup if it’s fresh and a side salad with balsamic dressing.”
“You got it,” the bartender said, picking up the menu and heading for the kitchen.
Chad twisted in his chair to look at Julian. “You haven’t mentioned having a wife or children.”
“Me? No kids. Three greedy ex-wives, though, all with their hands out whenever they need extra cash.”
“That’s a shame.”
“Isn’t it just? What about you? You married?”
“Me? No. I don’t believe in it for the very reason you just described. I find most people are generally lazy, women in particular. They seek out a man for everything—no ambition of their own. They want a handout of some sort. I believe in hard work.”
“There you go. We’re like two peas in a pod.”
Mandy entered the room carrying a tray with the soup, a plate of salad greens, a basket of home-baked bread, and another glass of cabernet. “If there’s anything else you need, let us know. We want your stay to be so great that you’ll tell all your friends.”
“Just keep the wine coming,” Chad instructed. There was an awkward lull in conversation as he spread butter on his bread.
