Read Online Blood And Water by Siobhain Bunni - Free Book Online

didn’t seem implausible that his father had timed it well and on purpose, knowing that at that point he would have signed anything just to get him out of his hair.
    “What a bloody disaster,” he stated aloud, inspecting the documents again. He closed his eyes and shook his head. It was rare for him to feel emotional but this was an unusual circumstance: this was the ultimate betrayal of trust and entirely his own fault. Although on the one hand he hoped his father had a reasonable explanation, he knew on the other that it was unlikely. With a heavy heart and a rising sense of anger, he gathered up the documents, reassembled the file and began to consider his options. It would be a long afternoon.
    The vibration of his phone made him jump. He looked, more from curiosity than the intention to answer it, until he saw who it was. A client as well as a sibling – he had to take it.
    “Enya,” he said as cheerfully as he could. “How are you?”
    “Grand,” she replied. “That was some show Dad put on yesterday, wasn’t it?”
    “Yep, it sure was,” he sighed. He hadn’t really got a chance to talk properly to her over lunch – with so much else going on around him he didn’t have the mental capacity to deal with her too.
    “He’s going to have to stop with the jibes though,” she told him, “especially now that I’ve decided to hang around.”
    Seb had been expecting her to stay, and was quietly pleased for her.
    “I’m really glad to hear it,” he replied. “Really, it’s time to stop running.”
    “I know,” she sighed, “and, well, with the divorce coming through it kind of makes sense, doesn’t it?”
    The pause in her breathing didn’t go unnoticed by Seb and despite her obvious trepidation he launched at her anyway.
    “And what about this fellow Joe?” he asked, unable to contain himself and without trying to conceal his tone of disapproval. “Is it serious?”
    “Joe …” she repeated his name with a tint of regret. “Joe has gone on without me.”
    “Good, it’s for the best,” he said, without even a hint of pity. “He wasn’t your type really, was he?”
    “How could you tell?” she retorted good-naturedly. “You only met him for a split second.”
    “Good God, Enya, seriously, I always thought you had taste, but he, well, he was a bit rough, wasn’t he?” He was glad to hear her laugh at the other end of the phone – he didn’t intend to upset her. “I mean,” he ventured, trying out his dry wit on her, “even you can do better than that.” Then switching back to a more serious topic, he warned, “Look, don’t mind Dad, I’ll deal with him. There’s no point rocking that boat unless you absolutely have to. Let me have a word with him. Okay? I’m heading over to see him later.”
    “Sure,” she replied. “Anyway, now that I’ve made one decision, I really need to think about what to with the house and everything. I could do with some advice …” She let her sentence hang, ready for him to pick it up, which he did with remarkable and uncharacteristic enthusiasm.
    “Advice? Of course. Yes, sure. Look, why don’t I call you in the morning?”
    “Thanks, Seb, I appreciate it.”
    “And, Sis,” he finished, “don’t worry about Dad, okay?”
    “Okay … talk to you tomorrow so,” she replied slowly.
    He ended the call with a deep sigh, bracing himself for what he had still to do.

Chapter 7
     
     
     
     
     
     
    How bizarre, she reflected, placing the phone back in its cradle, baffled by her oldest brother’s responses. What on earth’s up with him?
    She was so accustomed to her brother’s poor manners that to experience his unusual empathy was disconcerting to say the least.
    Despite his gruff and sometimes inexcusable attitude, she loved her eldest brother and trusted him implicitly. And even though they hadn’t been terribly close – Seb didn’t do ‘close’ – he had been there for her when she needed him and for that, if nothing else,