Read Online Harbor Lights by Sherryl Woods - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Sherryl Woods
Ads: Link
transparent,” Kevin accused. “There’s nothing going on between Shanna and me.”
“Never said there was, but I wouldn’t mind taking a look at those shelves you put together. I consider that a civic duty.”
Kevin couldn’t help chuckling at that. “I think they’re safe enough, but it actually wouldn’t hurt to have a second opinion.”
Mick gave him a considering look. “Did I mention your mother’s coming into town tonight?”
Kevin stilled at the news. “Why?”
“She and I have plans, if you must know,” Mick said, though it wasn’t very convincing.
“You called her about me, didn’t you?” Kevin said flatly. “Dad, why would you do that? Don’t you think I have enough family on my case, as it is? I don’t need Mom chiming in with her two cents. She has no right.”
“Get over yourself,” Mick retorted. “Your mother and I are trying to patch things up. We talk every night. I try to lure her down here every chance I get.”
“Then she’s not developing some sudden need to be the mother that she stopped being over fifteen years ago?” he asked skeptically.
Mick flushed angrily. “She never stopped being your mother,” he told Kevin. “She stopped being my wife. Both of us made some lousy decisions back then, and you kids suffered because of it. That’s my fault as much as hers.”
“You weren’t the one who chose to date while you were still married,” Kevin said just as heatedly.
Mick’s fist came down on the table. “Dammit, she did not have an affair, Kevin. You know that.”
“Maybe not, but she was seen all over town in the company of some other man while you were away on business. How am I supposed to respect her after that?”
“You give her another chance, same as me,” Mick retorted. “Every one of us has made mistakes, Kevin. Your mother, me, even you, I suspect. All we can hope for after is that we’ll be able to make amends and be forgiven.”
Kevin thought of the mistakes he’d made with Georgia, not by betraying her, but by letting her go back to Iraq without a fight. How could he make amends for that? How could he ever be forgiven, when she was gone? To his regret, he could see his father’s point, but he wasn’t ready to let go of the past, not his own mistakes or his mother’s.
“I think maybe I’ll see if I can stay with Bree and Jake this weekend,” Kevin said.
“They’re practically newlyweds,” Mick objected. “They don’t need you and Davy underfoot. And Abby and Trace have little enough time alone as it is, in case that was your next excuse for getting out of here.”
“Then I’ll book a room at the inn,” Kevin said.
“Jess is all booked up. Told me so herself last night.”
Kevin resigned himself to staying put. Running was cowardly anyway. Why should he be the one to leave? This house was as much his home as it was his mother’s. More so, in fact.
“Dad, do you seriously think you and Mom will get back together?”
“I’m counting on it,” Mick replied without hesitation. “There’s never been another woman for me, Kevin.Never.” He gave him a pointed look. “And there’s never been another man for her, either, in case you were about to offer your opinion about that.”
“You really believe that, don’t you?” Kevin said, wondering at the fact that a man as smart as his father could be so gullible.
“I know that,” Mick told him. “And if you took a few steps back from your own pain at having your mother move away, looked at the whole situation back then, you’d know it, too. Her seeing that other man meant nothing. It was a cry of desperation, but I had too much pride to see it for what it was. I reacted the same way you did, judging her without asking for one second if I was responsible for her needing a little attention from someone else.”
“So cheating is okay, if she was feeling neglected?” Even as the words left his mouth, he knew the bitterness behind them had little to do with his
“Never said there was, but I wouldn’t mind taking a look at those shelves you put together. I consider that a civic duty.”
Kevin couldn’t help chuckling at that. “I think they’re safe enough, but it actually wouldn’t hurt to have a second opinion.”
Mick gave him a considering look. “Did I mention your mother’s coming into town tonight?”
Kevin stilled at the news. “Why?”
“She and I have plans, if you must know,” Mick said, though it wasn’t very convincing.
“You called her about me, didn’t you?” Kevin said flatly. “Dad, why would you do that? Don’t you think I have enough family on my case, as it is? I don’t need Mom chiming in with her two cents. She has no right.”
“Get over yourself,” Mick retorted. “Your mother and I are trying to patch things up. We talk every night. I try to lure her down here every chance I get.”
“Then she’s not developing some sudden need to be the mother that she stopped being over fifteen years ago?” he asked skeptically.
Mick flushed angrily. “She never stopped being your mother,” he told Kevin. “She stopped being my wife. Both of us made some lousy decisions back then, and you kids suffered because of it. That’s my fault as much as hers.”
“You weren’t the one who chose to date while you were still married,” Kevin said just as heatedly.
Mick’s fist came down on the table. “Dammit, she did not have an affair, Kevin. You know that.”
“Maybe not, but she was seen all over town in the company of some other man while you were away on business. How am I supposed to respect her after that?”
“You give her another chance, same as me,” Mick retorted. “Every one of us has made mistakes, Kevin. Your mother, me, even you, I suspect. All we can hope for after is that we’ll be able to make amends and be forgiven.”
Kevin thought of the mistakes he’d made with Georgia, not by betraying her, but by letting her go back to Iraq without a fight. How could he make amends for that? How could he ever be forgiven, when she was gone? To his regret, he could see his father’s point, but he wasn’t ready to let go of the past, not his own mistakes or his mother’s.
“I think maybe I’ll see if I can stay with Bree and Jake this weekend,” Kevin said.
“They’re practically newlyweds,” Mick objected. “They don’t need you and Davy underfoot. And Abby and Trace have little enough time alone as it is, in case that was your next excuse for getting out of here.”
“Then I’ll book a room at the inn,” Kevin said.
“Jess is all booked up. Told me so herself last night.”
Kevin resigned himself to staying put. Running was cowardly anyway. Why should he be the one to leave? This house was as much his home as it was his mother’s. More so, in fact.
“Dad, do you seriously think you and Mom will get back together?”
“I’m counting on it,” Mick replied without hesitation. “There’s never been another woman for me, Kevin.Never.” He gave him a pointed look. “And there’s never been another man for her, either, in case you were about to offer your opinion about that.”
“You really believe that, don’t you?” Kevin said, wondering at the fact that a man as smart as his father could be so gullible.
“I know that,” Mick told him. “And if you took a few steps back from your own pain at having your mother move away, looked at the whole situation back then, you’d know it, too. Her seeing that other man meant nothing. It was a cry of desperation, but I had too much pride to see it for what it was. I reacted the same way you did, judging her without asking for one second if I was responsible for her needing a little attention from someone else.”
“So cheating is okay, if she was feeling neglected?” Even as the words left his mouth, he knew the bitterness behind them had little to do with his
Similar Books
