Read Online Never Go Home by L.T. Ryan - Free Book Online

me, and he let me know that. I’d
never be around. Hell, I hadn’t since I left for the Marines some thirteen or
fourteen years earlier.
    The argument
escalated, as it always did. We started cutting at each other for various
things. His wife said something to me. I said something I shouldn’t have. Next
thing I knew, Sean took a swing at me, caught me on the jaw. I hit him back. He
went down. His friends jumped me. No one tried to help me out. In the end, four
of them went to the hospital and I took the next flight out. Drove to Tampa
that night, got on a plane to New York, and never looked back. It took about
eighteen months before we spoke again.
    In our case, I
believe that time had healed the wounds. We seemed to get along fine. So far,
at least.
    “Anyway,” Sean
said. “I doubt he remembers that. Some days he asks when she’s coming down for
breakfast, or lunch, or dinner. The meal never coordinates with the time I’m
there.”
    I said nothing
as I bounced back and forth in time.
    “He loves Kelly
though. Hasn’t once forgotten who she is, even though she wasn’t even born when
he was diagnosed.”
    I looked across
at him and smiled. I thought about bringing Mia up, but decided against it.
Perhaps in the morning.
    We exited I-75
after passing Lake City. Our conversation stalled. It was two in the morning.
Felt like eight to me. The fumes I’d been running on were gone.
    I dozed on and
off for the next hour or so until we reached Sean’s house. He pulled into the
driveway and parked in front of a two-story Spanish style home.
    “I see the car
wasn’t your only upgrade,” I said.
    “Had it built
three years ago,” Sean said. “Five bedrooms, plenty of space, even has a
courtyard in the middle with a small pool, and a big pool behind the house.”
    I got out and
looked around. The area seemed deserted. I glanced up and saw a sky full of
stars. “Best part appears to be no neighbors.”
    “There’s a few
around. Everyone keeps to themselves, which is fine with me. I’m too busy for
all that rah-rah HOA crap these days.”
    I couldn’t
imagine having to adhere to rules telling me what color fence I had to put up,
and who to have build it. So, in that sense, I felt proud of Sean for breaking
free from the humdrum suburbanite zombified lifestyle.
    “You still
driving to Tampa every day?” I said.
    “Nah,” he said.
“I’ve got fifteen lawyers in three offices in Tampa, St. Pete’s, and Bradenton.
I mostly manage it all from here. I’m down there two days a week at most. I
don’t go at all some weeks. Anyway, I’m going inside. You coming?”
    “In a minute.”
    “Not gonna
smoke, are you?”
    “No. I quit
some time ago. Just want a few moments under the stars.”
    “Suit yourself.
I’ll leave the door open.” Sean headed toward his house, unlocked the door and
stepped inside.
    I walked up to
the front, stopped and looked up. I hadn’t seen that many stars in a while. At
least, not that I could recall. The last time I’d been anywhere remote enough
to enjoy that kind of view, my life had been in danger. Hard to enjoy nature
when that happens.
    Aside from the
crickets, it was quiet out. I enjoyed it for a couple minutes before turning
and opening the door.
    A car passed
behind me. I looked over my shoulder, but saw no headlights or taillights. I took
a few steps away from the house. Trees lined the opposite side of the road on
either side of Sean’s house. A car’s headlights should light them up like
Christmas trees. I saw nothing, yet, I still heard the car engine. It idled
now. I started toward the street.
    “What’re you
doing, Jack?”
    I stopped and
turned. “How close are those neighbors?”
    Sean shrugged.
“I don’t know, maybe quarter-mile or so. Why?”
    “Any of them
work at night?”
    “What’s this
about?”
    “A car just
went by, but I swear it didn’t have any headlights on.”
    “Guy next house
over is a doctor. Maybe he got called to the hospital and is