Page 66 of The Dom

I nodded. “My mom’s making dinner for Finley and me on Friday evening.” I wanted to invite him, but I held back, reminding myself that he and I still needed to have a talk about where things stood with us. Hopefully, we’d be able to have it before the night was over, and we could put all this stuff behind us and move on with our lives.

Forty-One

Nate

When David and Julia had first gotten married, the whole family had helped them move into an apartment close to the family hardware store. Even though Julia had given me a different address, I’d still half-expected to be pulling up in front of the same building when I dropped Catherine off. Instead, I found myself in front of a brick two-story with a porch.

I’d barely made it around the car before the front door opened and both David and Julia hurried down the front steps. I caught a glimpse of Jacob in the window and waved at him. He waved back but didn’t come out. I wondered if his parents had told him to stay or he’d decided it’d be safer for him to stay inside while his sister got in trouble.

Julia gave Catherine a quick hug, relief written all over her face. I could only imagine what my sister-in-law had felt when she’d realized what her daughter had done. I’d practically had a panic attack after the fact when I’d thought of all the things that could’ve happened to a young girl traveling across the city alone, and she wasn’t even my kid.

To my surprise, though, it was Julia who, after stepping back from the embrace, said, “We’re glad you’re okay. You’re grounded.”

Catherine turned to David, whose face had settled into a stern expression that resembled the way Dad had looked at me most of my childhood. The words, however, were quite different, both in substance and tone.

“You heard your mother. It’s two weeks for this stunt, but if you argue, it’ll be more. And you’re lucky we don’t take that stuff your uncle got for you as an extra punishment. Now, go get cleaned up for dinner.”

Shoulders slumped in defeat, Catherine headed for the stairs. Just before she went inside, she glanced over her shoulder and shot me a smile I recognized all too well.

Shit.

I felt the sudden need to apologize to David for his daughter inheriting some of my personality. I only hoped it wasn’t too much. The fact that she applied herself to her schoolwork was a good sign at least.

“Yeah, the first time she smiled that way after she got in trouble for doing something she shouldn’t have done, I was tempted to show up at your office with a paternity test.”

I stared at David as Julia smacked his arm. I hadn’t heard my brother make a joke in…honestly, I wasn’t sure I’d ever heard him make a joke. Or maybe I just hadn’t been paying attention. I was only now realizing just how selfish I’d been over the years. Even things I’d done with what I’d told myself had been the best of intentions had been rooted in selfishness. How much of what I’d thought had been my family shutting me out had actually been me pushing them away?

“Thanks for bringing her home,” Julia said, surprising me with a hug. “I’m sorry she interrupted you at work.”

As she stepped back to David’s side, I ran my hand over my hair. “It was nothing. I was just glad she was safe. I still have no idea how she got past the lobby to an elevator.”

“Um,” Ashlee cleared her throat, “I might’ve gotten an apology text from our new receptionist saying that he had no idea she wasn’t supposed to be there. She told him you were expecting her.”

I sighed. “I can’t even be mad at him for it. If he hadn’t let her through, who knows where she might’ve ended up.”

“I don’t even want to think about that,” Julia said, her face pale. “She knows better too. It’s not like we haven’t warned her about how dangerous it is to be out by herself at her age.”

“She’s a smart kid, and that’s the problem,” David said. “Thinks she knows better than all the adults in her life.”

Yet another way she was like me, but he didn’t point it out this time. Still, his gaze met mine for a second, and I knew he was thinking it.

“I’m grateful you were there for her,” Julia said. “And then bringing her all the way out here, that was just above and beyond. We could’ve come to get her.”

I couldn’t have asked for a more perfect opening. “Actually, I do have some ulterior motive for bringing her home.” I regretted my word choice as I saw David’s face harden. “Well, not exactly. I was on my way to the car, and Ashlee pointed out that this would be a good way for me to find out where Joshua’s staying.”

“Why do you want to know that?” David asked, folding his arms. “I know we all got along at dinner, but are you sure visiting him is the best idea?”

“I want to apologize to him,” I said. It was true, to an extent, since I intended to apologize for not telling him the truth from the start. I didn’t want to get into all of it, though, not before I talked to Joshua. He deserved to hear it before anyone else. Even Ashlee.

I saw a hint of suspicion in David’s eyes, but I really couldn’t blame him. I probably wouldn’t have believed me either if the situation was reversed.

“Joshua’s staying with Trissa and her roommate until they decide what their living arrangements are going to be,” Julia offered. “They haven’t been together long, and they’re not sure if they want to get a place together or if she’ll keep living with her friend and he’ll get a place of his own.”

That was far more information than I’d asked for, and I was beyond surprised that Julia had offered it.

“Do you happen to have the address?” I was pushing my luck asking, but my only other option was to call Joshua and ask him directly if I could come over. I wasn’t confident enough in how well things had gone at dinner to think he’d want to see me again.

Before David could weigh in on whether or not I should have the address, Julia rattled it off. I couldn’t mask my surprise.

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