Read Online Porpoiseful Intent [Placida Pod 2] (Siren Publishing Everlasting Classic ManLove) by Tymber Dalton - Free Book Online Page B

finally confronted him at a family dinner, her whole family turned on her and didn’t believe her. They sided with her uncle.” He sadly sighed. “I didn’t even know I was half Jewish until we were studying World War II in high school, and she let slip that both sets of her grandparents died in Auschwitz.” He glanced at her. “Sorry. I guess I’m rambling.”
    Louise looked thoughtful. “Funny thing, family secrets.” At least she was back to speaking at a more normal tempo.
    “There’s nothing funny about this that I can see.”
    She shrugged. “We all have them. We don’t like to talk about them. And they can cause a huge explosion when we finally do let them see the light of day, if we wait too long.”
    They both looked up when they heard Laura yell something unintelligible, but Sean suspected it was directed at Denby. Followed by the sound of someone running up the stairs inside the house, and a door slamming.
    “Explosions of more than one kind,” Louise said with a sad sigh. She stood and offered her hand to him. “You going to sit out here all day, or come inside? I suspect we’re having soup for dinner.” She offered him a bemused smile. “I’ll handle talking to your parents if you want to take over comforting my disillusioned daughter.”
    He took her hand and stood. “Is she violent?”
    “No more so than any other woman in a similar situation.”
    “Crap.” He looked up at the ceiling.
    A smile curved her lips. “Well?”
    “I’m thinking, I’m thinking.”
     
    * * * *
     
    Reese and Olivia apparently took point comforting their younger sister, much to Sean’s relief. They weren’t in the living room when Sean returned. Emery and Joseph were sitting with Sean’s parents in the living room. His mom and dad both looked shocked, but at least his dad didn’t appear to be hyperventilating.
    “You guys okay?” Sean asked them.
    His mom and dad slowly nodded.
    “Did you know?” Helen eventually asked him after several moments of uncomfortable silence.
    He coughed. “Um, yeah. It’s a long story, and I didn’t think you’d believe me if I told you my dream guy also happened to be able to turn into a dolphin.” He sat on the arm of the chair Emery was sitting in and put his hand on his lover’s shoulder. “I wasn’t even sure at first if you were going to accept me bringing a guy home. I didn’t want to stack the deck against us any more than I had to.”
    Conversation for the rest of the evening was forced, at best. Instead, everyone focused on the storm’s progress on the radar. Denby stayed far away from both Emery and Laura, who’d been convinced by her sisters to come back downstairs.
    Sean wouldn’t have wanted to be on the receiving end of the dark looks she sent Denby, though.
    After dinner, Sean didn’t miss that his parents bade everyone a hasty good-night before heading up to their room, much to his relief.
    “They’ll be okay,” Louise assured him. “They just need time to adjust.”
    “Adjust my ass,” Sean muttered.
    “Oh, you’d be surprised,” Louise said. “Usually, there’s one of two responses. Either people will pretend it didn’t happen and never bring it up again, or they’ll accept it. Either way, it’s unlikely they’ll want to talk to you about it. They’ve seen it with their own eyes.”
    Sean looked at the stairs where his parents had retreated. “I hope you’re right.”
     
    * * * *
     
    Even the comforting weight of Emery’s arm slung across him couldn’t soothe Sean into sleep as he listened to the wind still howling outside the house. By morning, the worst of the weather should be past them and they could return to Englewood.
    And his parents could return to Manasota Key—if they still had a house.
    Oh, crap.
    Besides the obvious reasons, he sincerely hoped his parents’ home hadn’t sustained any damage. Otherwise, they’d be living with him and Emery. Not that he didn’t love his parents, but he relished his