Read Online Meeting at Midnight by Eileen Wilks - Free Book Online Page B

same spot as the old ones had, but they looked good there.
    The deck I was sitting on—I’d added that myself.
    Fifteen years ago.
    Doofus suddenly tried to catch his tail, and Seely laughed. She had a husky laugh. It made me think of a messy bed, with the sheets dripping to the floor and Seely rising above me, throwing her hair back and laughing just like that…
    Whoa. That was weird, fantasizing about Seely with Gwen right next to her. But guilt was stupid. I owed Gwen family loyalty, and that was all. I was allowed to look at other women. In fact, I’d damned well better start looking.
    First, though, I had to finish healing. Right now I couldn’t even pick a woman up to take her to dinner. I sighed, thinking of my truck. I needed to find out what kind of hoops the insurance company wanted me to jump through before they’d issue a check.
    The phone was sitting on the table beside me. I’d brought it out because I’d been talking to Manny earlier. I’d input dozens of numbers into the directory when I bought the phone a few months ago.
    Not everything around here was old, dammit.
    Bah. I punched up the directory. Time to put my brain to some kind of productive use.
    Â 
    Gwen slid Zach’s arm into a jacket he didn’t really need. “Seely, it was a pleasure meeting you. No, Ben, sit down. Don’t walk to the car with us.”
    I shook my head sadly as I used the walking stick to lever myself upright. “What is it about me being injured that turns everyone into tyrant wannabes?”
    Seely chuckled, Gwen grimaced, and Zach wanted to know why he couldn’t take his bug home. To prove I could compromise, I limped to the door with them instead of going all the way to the car. “I guess I’ll see you Saturday, kid.” I ruffled the top of Zach’s head.
    He looked puzzled. “Are you goin’, too?”
    â€œOh, Lord.” Gwen rolled her eyes. “I can’t believe I forgot to tell you. Duncan was going to when he stopped by yesterday, but you were sleeping.”
    â€œTell me what?”
    â€œZach was terribly disappointed about missing out on his camping trip with you. Duncan managed to get some time off so he could take him.”
    The knife slid in so fast I couldn’t guard against it. I was supposed to be the one who took Zach camping and hiking. I was the one who’d taught Duncan, dammit. Not to mention Charlie and Annie. Our parents hadn’t much cared about that sort of thing, but I did. I always had.
    My brother had everything else—why did he have to grab this, too?
    â€œDad?” Zach sounded uncertain.
    So I smiled. “Just feeling sorry for myself because I have to miss this one. But you can tell me all about it when you get back, right?”
    â€œRight!”
    I didn’t watch them drive away. I never do. That’s a rule. Every time Zach leaves—especially when Gwen picks him up—I get hit with a load of might-have-beens. No point in taking a chance on Zach guessing how I felt. Kids often blame themselves when the adults in their lives are screwing up.
    But I did wait to shut the door until they were both in Gwen’s car.
    Seely was standing behind me. “That was hard,” she said. “You handled it well.”
    I grunted, annoyed with her for seeing too much, and hobbled toward the living room. “Not that hard. My knee’s doing better.”
    â€œI wasn’t talking about your knee. But I think you know that and are trying delicately to hint me away from the subject. Unfortunately,” she said sadly, “I am almost immune to hints.”
    A quick snort of laughter snuck out before I could stop it. “That’s the first time anyone’s ever called me delicate. I hear blunt, rude, pigheaded and tactless from time to time, but not delicate.”
    â€œThere you go. We have a lot in common. I figure you’ll understand how hard it is for a