Read Online Rock Harbor Series - 04 - Abomination by Colleen Coble - Free Book Online
Authors: Colleen Coble
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about. Have you dated anyone in the last five years?”
“Men are pigs,” she said. Her gaze met his, and she shrugged. “Present company excluded.”
“Tom had an affair. I didn’t.”
“Oh, but you did,” his mother said from behind him. “An affair with your job.” She moved past Nick and went to lift the mousalia out of the oven. The scent of lamb and tahinial sauce enveloped the kitchen.
His mom had made insinuations like this before, and he’d ignored them. But not this time. “What is it with women that you don’t get how important a job is? It’s how you eat and buy pretty clothes and purses. And shoes. Don’t forget the shoes. Eve had enough shoes to fill three closets. How did she think she got to buy those tiny bits of leather? They didn’t just fall into her lap.”
He knew he was being too harsh when he saw tears flood his mother’s eyes. Hurting her didn’t bring Eve back. He buried the apology on his tongue with another olive.
“Eve wanted you, not the shoes, Nicky. They were just something to fill a void.” She shook her finger at him. “And don’t talk about her in the past tense. You’ll find her.”
The truth waited to be spoken, but he swallowed it. He’d failed his wife all around. Now it was probably too late. “I’m going to go play with the boys.”
His mother’s face softened. “I’m sorry I’m so hard on you, Son. I just want you to be happy. When you find Eve, you make it up to her.”
Nick heard his father’s booming voice from the entry, then his dad’s bulk filled the doorway. One look at Cyril’s face and Nick knew.
His father had seen the bust. He knew it was Eve too.
6
B REE FED THE LAST DOG AND TURNED OUT THE LIGHTS AT THE animal shelter. Her muscles ached but not unpleasantly. Today’s training session in the woods had gone well. Samson continued to show that his ability surpassed that of most other dogs.
She snapped her fingers, and her dog ran after her. His nails clicked on the concrete floor, and he was at her side by the time she opened the door. “Let’s go home, boy.”
He woofed deep in his throat and ran to the Jeep, which sat under a poplar tree. Birds had deposited a few gifts on the windshield, and Bree made a face. She’d have to wash it this weekend.
Her cell phone rang, and she pulled it from her belt. “Kitchigami Search-and-Rescue.”
“Bree, it . . . it’s Ruby.” The aide’s voice was tentative. It also held a note of fear that kicked Bree’s adrenaline into high gear.
Bree clenched the phone in her hand. “Is something wrong, Ruby?”
“I . . . I’m afraid so. Your father isn’t in his room. I checked everywhere. I think he’s gotten out.”
For Rock Harbor Nursing Home to admit he was gone meant they’d truly looked everywhere. Bree tried not to panic. “I’ll be right there.” She had Samson. He would find her father.
She flung open the back door of the SUV. The dog jumped in and lay down on the seat. Bree ran around to the driver’s side and slid under the wheel. The back wheels fishtailed when she stomped on the accelerator, but she maintained control of the Jeep and wheeled it around toward town.
The North Woods was no place for a frail old man with Alzheimer’s to wander. Black bears roamed the woods. And while the DNR denied it, she’d seen a cougar with her own eyes last summer. She glanced at her watch. She could call her sister, who was on temporary assignment in England, but there was no need to worry her. Not yet.
After parking the Jeep, she hopped out and opened the door for Samson. She reached in and grabbed her ready-kit. Samson’s ears perked when he saw her lift out the backpack that held his vest. His tail began to wag.
He followed her up the walk. Ruby rushed to her and apologized, but Bree brushed the apology aside and walked straight to her father’s room. Samson wouldn’t need a special article. She’d take him to the room and let him sniff the bed. Her dog bounded ahead
“Men are pigs,” she said. Her gaze met his, and she shrugged. “Present company excluded.”
“Tom had an affair. I didn’t.”
“Oh, but you did,” his mother said from behind him. “An affair with your job.” She moved past Nick and went to lift the mousalia out of the oven. The scent of lamb and tahinial sauce enveloped the kitchen.
His mom had made insinuations like this before, and he’d ignored them. But not this time. “What is it with women that you don’t get how important a job is? It’s how you eat and buy pretty clothes and purses. And shoes. Don’t forget the shoes. Eve had enough shoes to fill three closets. How did she think she got to buy those tiny bits of leather? They didn’t just fall into her lap.”
He knew he was being too harsh when he saw tears flood his mother’s eyes. Hurting her didn’t bring Eve back. He buried the apology on his tongue with another olive.
“Eve wanted you, not the shoes, Nicky. They were just something to fill a void.” She shook her finger at him. “And don’t talk about her in the past tense. You’ll find her.”
The truth waited to be spoken, but he swallowed it. He’d failed his wife all around. Now it was probably too late. “I’m going to go play with the boys.”
His mother’s face softened. “I’m sorry I’m so hard on you, Son. I just want you to be happy. When you find Eve, you make it up to her.”
Nick heard his father’s booming voice from the entry, then his dad’s bulk filled the doorway. One look at Cyril’s face and Nick knew.
His father had seen the bust. He knew it was Eve too.
6
B REE FED THE LAST DOG AND TURNED OUT THE LIGHTS AT THE animal shelter. Her muscles ached but not unpleasantly. Today’s training session in the woods had gone well. Samson continued to show that his ability surpassed that of most other dogs.
She snapped her fingers, and her dog ran after her. His nails clicked on the concrete floor, and he was at her side by the time she opened the door. “Let’s go home, boy.”
He woofed deep in his throat and ran to the Jeep, which sat under a poplar tree. Birds had deposited a few gifts on the windshield, and Bree made a face. She’d have to wash it this weekend.
Her cell phone rang, and she pulled it from her belt. “Kitchigami Search-and-Rescue.”
“Bree, it . . . it’s Ruby.” The aide’s voice was tentative. It also held a note of fear that kicked Bree’s adrenaline into high gear.
Bree clenched the phone in her hand. “Is something wrong, Ruby?”
“I . . . I’m afraid so. Your father isn’t in his room. I checked everywhere. I think he’s gotten out.”
For Rock Harbor Nursing Home to admit he was gone meant they’d truly looked everywhere. Bree tried not to panic. “I’ll be right there.” She had Samson. He would find her father.
She flung open the back door of the SUV. The dog jumped in and lay down on the seat. Bree ran around to the driver’s side and slid under the wheel. The back wheels fishtailed when she stomped on the accelerator, but she maintained control of the Jeep and wheeled it around toward town.
The North Woods was no place for a frail old man with Alzheimer’s to wander. Black bears roamed the woods. And while the DNR denied it, she’d seen a cougar with her own eyes last summer. She glanced at her watch. She could call her sister, who was on temporary assignment in England, but there was no need to worry her. Not yet.
After parking the Jeep, she hopped out and opened the door for Samson. She reached in and grabbed her ready-kit. Samson’s ears perked when he saw her lift out the backpack that held his vest. His tail began to wag.
He followed her up the walk. Ruby rushed to her and apologized, but Bree brushed the apology aside and walked straight to her father’s room. Samson wouldn’t need a special article. She’d take him to the room and let him sniff the bed. Her dog bounded ahead
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