his
brother. “That sounds great.”
“Jocelyn, you take August to meet Mr. McEely while I talk to
Derek for a minute.”
She allowed the little girl to lead her away while a dramatic
pause hung in the air. She glanced back to see Derek step onto the deck and
light another cigarette as Geoffrey waited for them to get out of earshot.
* * *
“Listen. I’m going to tell you why August is here, and then
I’m going to leave you alone so you can say whatever sarcastic thing that comes
to mind to the only person who cares.”
Derek made a dramatic, wide-open gesture with his hands. “I’m
not going to say anything sarcastic.”
“Right.” Geoffrey crossed the deck and leaned on the railing
to look out across the sea, but left more than an arm’s length between himself
and Derek. “Jocelyn and I were in an accident.”
“So it’s not only me wrecking the family cars,” Derek returned.
“Yet I seem to be the only one catching shit about it.”
“Yeah, well, we’re still three to one, so the score’s not even
close,” Geoffrey cut in. “And you were high when you did yours. Big
difference.”
That shut him up.
Geoffrey went over the events the night of the storm as
sparsely as he could. The words ground against his teeth like gravel, but
somehow he knew it would be better if it came from him. Get things straight,
right from the start.
“Hey, whatever you need to do to get yourself a date, it’s no
business of mine.”
“Now why on earth did I think you’d say something sarcastic?”
He should have known better than to think Derek would cut him an inch of slack.
“I’m so glad to see your attitude has improved.”
“Yeah, whatever.”
“Why did you come back here, Derek?”
“I told you. Just to chill.”
“You mean to get clean?”
Derek turned away to stare at the sea, but didn’t respond.
“You’d better get that way and stay that way, or I’ll toss you
out on your ass.”
“You and what army?”
Geoffrey turned and delivered the icy glare he couldn’t keep
off his face whenever he thought of Derek. Derek and Christina .
“I don’t need an army, Derek.” Geoffrey poked him in the
shoulder and gave him a shove.
“Hey!” Derek swiped his hand away, but as Geoffrey expected,
he backed down.
“But I haven’t decided if it’ll be more fun to call Mike, or
kick your ass myself, if you even hint at giving me trouble.”
As Geoffrey suspected, his brother had no retort to that.
Derek and Mike would never be called friends. “August is here to recuperate and
if you do anything to interfere with that—”
“You mean interfere with your putting the moves on her.” Derek
glanced sideways with narrowed eyes.
“I am not putting the moves on her,” Geoffrey said
firmly. “And neither are you. Got it?”
Derek took another puff from his cigarette as he scanned the
water. He let it out in a slow breath. “I’ve got as much right to be here as
you. If you don’t like that, route your complaints to Dad.”
Geoffrey took one step toward the patio door, but hesitated.
“What have you ever done for this family? I have the key. This is my house.
Mine and Leah’s and Jocelyn’s. We’re trying to put our lives back together and
we don’t need you coming in and screwing it up again.”
“Am I really the one who screwed it up the first time?” Derek stared
into the distance, silent for a moment as he watched a circling gull. “You need
to get over what happened,” he finally said in a softer voice.
What was that Geoffrey heard? A hint of regret? Maybe a sliver
of guilt? He could hardly believe Derek capable.
“I’ll never get over what happened.”
“That’s your problem,” Derek shot back, the harshness returned
to his voice. “Life goes on.”
Geoffrey shook his head. “Not for Christina, it doesn’t.”
* * *
“This sucks. How long do I have to sit in back?”
Geoffrey didn’t respond when Jocelyn whined from the back seat.
He’d been silent through
brother. “That sounds great.”
“Jocelyn, you take August to meet Mr. McEely while I talk to
Derek for a minute.”
She allowed the little girl to lead her away while a dramatic
pause hung in the air. She glanced back to see Derek step onto the deck and
light another cigarette as Geoffrey waited for them to get out of earshot.
* * *
“Listen. I’m going to tell you why August is here, and then
I’m going to leave you alone so you can say whatever sarcastic thing that comes
to mind to the only person who cares.”
Derek made a dramatic, wide-open gesture with his hands. “I’m
not going to say anything sarcastic.”
“Right.” Geoffrey crossed the deck and leaned on the railing
to look out across the sea, but left more than an arm’s length between himself
and Derek. “Jocelyn and I were in an accident.”
“So it’s not only me wrecking the family cars,” Derek returned.
“Yet I seem to be the only one catching shit about it.”
“Yeah, well, we’re still three to one, so the score’s not even
close,” Geoffrey cut in. “And you were high when you did yours. Big
difference.”
That shut him up.
Geoffrey went over the events the night of the storm as
sparsely as he could. The words ground against his teeth like gravel, but
somehow he knew it would be better if it came from him. Get things straight,
right from the start.
“Hey, whatever you need to do to get yourself a date, it’s no
business of mine.”
“Now why on earth did I think you’d say something sarcastic?”
He should have known better than to think Derek would cut him an inch of slack.
“I’m so glad to see your attitude has improved.”
“Yeah, whatever.”
“Why did you come back here, Derek?”
“I told you. Just to chill.”
“You mean to get clean?”
Derek turned away to stare at the sea, but didn’t respond.
“You’d better get that way and stay that way, or I’ll toss you
out on your ass.”
“You and what army?”
Geoffrey turned and delivered the icy glare he couldn’t keep
off his face whenever he thought of Derek. Derek and Christina .
“I don’t need an army, Derek.” Geoffrey poked him in the
shoulder and gave him a shove.
“Hey!” Derek swiped his hand away, but as Geoffrey expected,
he backed down.
“But I haven’t decided if it’ll be more fun to call Mike, or
kick your ass myself, if you even hint at giving me trouble.”
As Geoffrey suspected, his brother had no retort to that.
Derek and Mike would never be called friends. “August is here to recuperate and
if you do anything to interfere with that—”
“You mean interfere with your putting the moves on her.” Derek
glanced sideways with narrowed eyes.
“I am not putting the moves on her,” Geoffrey said
firmly. “And neither are you. Got it?”
Derek took another puff from his cigarette as he scanned the
water. He let it out in a slow breath. “I’ve got as much right to be here as
you. If you don’t like that, route your complaints to Dad.”
Geoffrey took one step toward the patio door, but hesitated.
“What have you ever done for this family? I have the key. This is my house.
Mine and Leah’s and Jocelyn’s. We’re trying to put our lives back together and
we don’t need you coming in and screwing it up again.”
“Am I really the one who screwed it up the first time?” Derek stared
into the distance, silent for a moment as he watched a circling gull. “You need
to get over what happened,” he finally said in a softer voice.
What was that Geoffrey heard? A hint of regret? Maybe a sliver
of guilt? He could hardly believe Derek capable.
“I’ll never get over what happened.”
“That’s your problem,” Derek shot back, the harshness returned
to his voice. “Life goes on.”
Geoffrey shook his head. “Not for Christina, it doesn’t.”
* * *
“This sucks. How long do I have to sit in back?”
Geoffrey didn’t respond when Jocelyn whined from the back seat.
He’d been silent through
Similar Books
