loose unless youâre engaged. If either one of you is engaged, then we need to sit down and talk. I donât want a string of young women showing up making claims. Are we clear on that?â
âYes, SIR,â Max said, ripping off a snappy salute. âI just signed a three-year lease on a condo. Can you see yourself taking care of that? I donât want to be on the hook for another thirty-six months at seven hundred bucks a pop.â
âNo problem,â Ricky said.
Tyler watched his half brother and father through narrowed eyes. Heâd been hoping for more of a reaction from the man who said he was his father. He wondered if he was making a mistake. Hell, how could accepting a substantial inheritance be a mistake? So, he wouldnât get to know this new brother of his. He didnât have a brother yesterday, and heâd gotten along just fine. Maybe at some point in the future heâd look both of them up again. The bottom line was this guy Ricky was a father in name only. Where the hell were you when I needed a father at Little League, at the bowling banquet, at the hockey tournaments? Nah, man, you arenât getting off the hook that easy, he thought.
Ricky looked at Tyler to see if heâd had a change of heart. His son sat staring at the pool with a scowl on his face. Evidently not, Ricky thought.
He entered the house and called the car service he always used when he didnât want to drive himself. He looked into the foyer at his own pile of luggage. Heâd scheduled and rescheduled his own flight so many times, heâd lost count. Tomorrow, no matter what, he was going to be on a plane to Antigua. He made a mental note to call Ted to tell him about his change of plans. Knowing Ted, the stuntman wouldnât pack until an hour before it was time to leave for the airport.
He watched from the French doors as his two sons crossed the pool area and entered the house. A strange, alien feeling washed over him. Right then, he knew he would have given up everything he held dear in the world if Philly could see his sons. Would they come to like him? Expecting love from either one of them was too much to ever expect. More important, would they respect him? He hoped so, but he wasnât going to bet the rent on it. Childishly, he crossed his fingers that Tyler would have second thoughts about his offer once he returned home and had time to think about everything more clearly.
He didnât feel like a father. What was that feeling like? It was too late in his life for him ever to be like Myron Sanders. He felt his own loss.
âThe car is here. A week from today youâll be in Antigua.â He handed Max his card. âThatâs my private number. If anything comes up, or if you change your mind, call me. Even if itâs the middle of the night.â As an afterthought he handed Tyler a card, too.
He shook each boyâs hand. Both handshakes were firm and hard. He pocketed the condo information Max handed him and watched from the open doorway until the car was gone from sight. He closed the door and felt incredibly alone. There were at least two hundred people he could call to ease his loneliness, but he wasnât in the mood for any of them. âEllie!â
âYes, Mr. Ricky, what is it?â
âIâm going out again. Do me a favor, call Ted for me and ask him to dinner. Tell him it might be a good idea for him to bring his bags and spend the night. Itâs an early-morning flight, and I donât want to miss it. Youâre sure now you can handle closing up the house and all?â
âI can handle it, Mr. Ricky. I will see you one week from tomorrow. My bags are packed. You already gave me my ticket.â
âSpeaking of tickets, call Mr. Andreadis and tell him to send two first-class tickets to my sons. Heâll take it from there. A week from today for them.â He knew he was being presumptuous about Tylerâs changing his
âYes, SIR,â Max said, ripping off a snappy salute. âI just signed a three-year lease on a condo. Can you see yourself taking care of that? I donât want to be on the hook for another thirty-six months at seven hundred bucks a pop.â
âNo problem,â Ricky said.
Tyler watched his half brother and father through narrowed eyes. Heâd been hoping for more of a reaction from the man who said he was his father. He wondered if he was making a mistake. Hell, how could accepting a substantial inheritance be a mistake? So, he wouldnât get to know this new brother of his. He didnât have a brother yesterday, and heâd gotten along just fine. Maybe at some point in the future heâd look both of them up again. The bottom line was this guy Ricky was a father in name only. Where the hell were you when I needed a father at Little League, at the bowling banquet, at the hockey tournaments? Nah, man, you arenât getting off the hook that easy, he thought.
Ricky looked at Tyler to see if heâd had a change of heart. His son sat staring at the pool with a scowl on his face. Evidently not, Ricky thought.
He entered the house and called the car service he always used when he didnât want to drive himself. He looked into the foyer at his own pile of luggage. Heâd scheduled and rescheduled his own flight so many times, heâd lost count. Tomorrow, no matter what, he was going to be on a plane to Antigua. He made a mental note to call Ted to tell him about his change of plans. Knowing Ted, the stuntman wouldnât pack until an hour before it was time to leave for the airport.
He watched from the French doors as his two sons crossed the pool area and entered the house. A strange, alien feeling washed over him. Right then, he knew he would have given up everything he held dear in the world if Philly could see his sons. Would they come to like him? Expecting love from either one of them was too much to ever expect. More important, would they respect him? He hoped so, but he wasnât going to bet the rent on it. Childishly, he crossed his fingers that Tyler would have second thoughts about his offer once he returned home and had time to think about everything more clearly.
He didnât feel like a father. What was that feeling like? It was too late in his life for him ever to be like Myron Sanders. He felt his own loss.
âThe car is here. A week from today youâll be in Antigua.â He handed Max his card. âThatâs my private number. If anything comes up, or if you change your mind, call me. Even if itâs the middle of the night.â As an afterthought he handed Tyler a card, too.
He shook each boyâs hand. Both handshakes were firm and hard. He pocketed the condo information Max handed him and watched from the open doorway until the car was gone from sight. He closed the door and felt incredibly alone. There were at least two hundred people he could call to ease his loneliness, but he wasnât in the mood for any of them. âEllie!â
âYes, Mr. Ricky, what is it?â
âIâm going out again. Do me a favor, call Ted for me and ask him to dinner. Tell him it might be a good idea for him to bring his bags and spend the night. Itâs an early-morning flight, and I donât want to miss it. Youâre sure now you can handle closing up the house and all?â
âI can handle it, Mr. Ricky. I will see you one week from tomorrow. My bags are packed. You already gave me my ticket.â
âSpeaking of tickets, call Mr. Andreadis and tell him to send two first-class tickets to my sons. Heâll take it from there. A week from today for them.â He knew he was being presumptuous about Tylerâs changing his
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