Read Online The Family Man by Trish Millburn - Free Book Online Page A

he whipped his car in to the parking area for one of the half-dozen sections of Gulf Islands National Seashore that dotted the Gulf Coast. He watched a couple of bright-white fishing boats motor across Choctawhatchee Bay.
    Damn it. Why had he said yes to her invitation? It only promised to add to his mounting headaches.
    Because for some reason he couldn’t stop thinking about her. Was it simply because she’d never acted like other women around him? Even that first time they’d met months ago, before he’d known she was a cop, she hadn’t succumbed to his flirting like most women. He hoped a date and maybe some kissing was enough to get her out of his system. He needed her to do something to totally turn off his insane attraction. But before that, he needed for David to open up to say he was just being bratty and go back to a loving family.
    Adam sighed as he watched the wake of the fishing boats lap against the sandy shore. No matter how much he wanted them to, he didn’t believe either of those scenarios was going to happen.
    He guessed he should just be thankful that beyond the extra food in his shopping cart, Sara hadn’t noticed the clothes to fit a fourteen-year-old boy. He still couldn’t believe he’d taken yet another step tyinghim to David, to being responsible for someone else’s well-being. But the kid looked like he’d been wearing the same T-shirt and jeans for days. The fact David hadn’t taken the time to pack didn’t give Adam a good feeling about what the kid had been through.
    Even though he’d just bought more groceries than he ever had, Adam stopped by Freddie’s and picked up a supreme pizza. If he tried to cook in his current mood, he’d probably burn everything or catch the house on fire.
    When he pulled in to his driveway and cut the car’s engine, he grabbed the pizza and the two bags filled with things that needed to be refrigerated.
    He stepped through the front door only to stop cold. Everything looked different, smelled different. It looked and smelled…clean.
    Adam closed the door behind him. “Did I win the Merry Maids lotto or something?”
    David, who was in the process of shoving the broom back in the closet where it spent most of its time, stared at him as if he might be punished. “I just thought I’d clean. I was bored and…” He swallowed visibly. “It’s the least I can do after you gave me a place to stay last night. I hope you don’t mind.”
    God, the kid was always so on edge, like he fully expected Adam’s mood to suddenly turn angry.
    “Mind? Kid, I might just hire you.”
    David grinned at that, the first time Adam hadseen anything resembling happiness on his face. His gut twisted that such a simple, teasing few words was all it took to make the kid smile. It made him dread the conversation they would have to have tonight. Truth be told, he’d rather avoid it. He suspected that down that path lay heavier stuff than he wanted to hear. Damn, he hated the heavy. He watched as his life plan to avoid it for the rest of his days derailed right in front of him.
    He slid the pizza box onto the clean coffee table then deposited the contents of the bags in the fridge. He grabbed a couple of Cokes and headed for the couch. “Let’s eat while it’s still hot. I’ve been craving Freddie’s pizza all day.”
    They dug in, each losing himself in the ecstasy of gooey cheese, spicy pepperoni and the other wonders of a piping-hot pizza. Each had downed two pieces before Adam tackled the dreaded subject.
    “What made you run away?”
    David, who’d been reaching for a third slice, pulled his hand back and didn’t respond beyond a shrug. Adam could almost feel the boy curling in on himself, planning to make another getaway.
    Adam didn’t push. It wouldn’t do any good. The kid would share when he was ready, if he ever was. It wasn’t like Adam had ever gone around crying about his dad’s temper and refusal to say anything nice about his wife and son.
    He