Page 110 of The Science of Attraction

I nodded, sending pain slicing through my shoulder. “Ow, just fucking ow!”

“Shona, give him another plug, will you?” Bradley perched on the edge of the bed. “You know that I always report gunshot injuries to our boys in blue even though I don’t have to—hunting accident or not—so expect a call. Is there anything I should know? Your brother said it was Marty?”

I went to nod again, thought better of it, and grunted instead. “Yes. But it was an accident. He’s got Parkinson’s. The rifle was obviously loaded, and I think he stumbled and lost his footing.”

Bradley raised a brow. “Parkinson’s? But he shouldn’t be?—”

“I know,” I groaned. “Believe me, I know. But try telling him or my father that.”

Bradley’s jaw set. “I will be, don’t you worry about that. In the meantime, you’re our guest for the night and we’ll see how things look tomorrow. I’ll go update your folks and then you can have visitors, okay? Your hordes of well-wishers are cluttering up my waiting room. We were considering selling tickets. So, buckle up, sunshine, and polish that smile so you don’t scare away all the nice people. You look like crap.”

“Gee, thanks.”

“You’re welcome. Now let’s get your family in here.”

But as the door swung shut and I thought about my father sitting in that waiting room—the very last person on earth that I wanted to see—my entire body recoiled.

CHAPTERTWENTY-NINE

Liam

Paddy’sinscrutable gaze held steady on mine as the room shrank around us.

The drawn-out moment gave me a chance to really study him. The difference in a few hours was shocking to say the least. Gone was the belligerent patriarchal autocrat. In his place was a decidedly nervous, uncertain, weary, and much older-looking shadow of the same man. Deep lines cut into Paddy’s pale face, his shrewd eyes dull and unsure as he used a balled-up handkerchief to dab at the saliva running from the corner of his mouth.

It was hard not to feel sorry for him, and the question was out before I could stop it. “Are you okay?”

Paddy blinked, clearly surprised. And he wasn’t the only one—the room falling silent as all eyes fixed on the two of us.

Paddy began to nod, then stopped, giving the tiniest shake of his head. “No,” he whispered, so low I almost missed it. It was such a huge admission from the stubborn, stoic bastard that I swore I heard a collective gasp of disbelief from everyone listening.

I thought about reassuring him, then discarded the idea, settling on a flat, “Good,” accompanied by an apologetic glance toward Norma.

She didn’t seem perturbed, the small quirk to her lips making me think she’d delivered a lot worse on their long drive in from the station.

Surprisingly, Paddy didn’t look away, his gaze drilling into mine, deeper, like he was wanting more from me, wanting to hear the words, maybe even asking for them.

Well, all righty then.

I took a deep breath and turned in my seat, not bothering to lower my voice. Everyone in that room knew what was going on, and I was done with secrets. “I’m going to be really clear, Paddy,” I began, my voice sounding surprisingly calm. “I haven’t even begun to process what happened this morning, but I’ll tell you something for free?—”

“Hold that thought, Liam.” Em sprang to her feet. “Come on, everyone. Let’s give this family some privacy.” She hustled all the non-Lane crowd from the room, including Connor, while leaving Luke, Holden, and Gil exactly where they were. I smiled to myself. Em was nobody’s fool. Her little trick left Paddy the only straight man in a room of five others.

The second the door closed, I continued where I left off, “Nothing that’s happened today is going to stop me loving your son, got it?Nothing.We’re going to be together no matter what you think or where we have to go to do it. And if Jules doesn’t recover fully after today’s fucked-up events, I’m holding you and your good-ole-boymatepersonally responsible.”

Paddy answered in a low voice, his words hesitant, “I didn’t know Marty was s-s-sooo bad.”

I shook my head. “Bullshit. Jules had already banned him once from using guns on the station. All you had to do was support that decision. But you deliberately overturned it, and to prove what? That you were still in charge? Jesus, Paddy. It could’ve been any one of us accidentally shot today. It could’ve been Norma or Ten or Connor.Anyone.How much are you willing to lose just to hold on to your pride and ignorance? One son? Two? Your wife? How about your whole fucking family?”

Paddy looked to his wife, but Norma’s expression remained steely, so I pushed on.

“You almost lost Jules today.” A wave of panic rolled through me. “God,Ialmost lost him.” I tried and failed to choke back the tears. “But I’m telling you right now that Iwill notlet you do that again. I won’t let you hurt him like that again.” I wiped at my eyes. “I’ll protect your son with everything I have, and if that means I have to protect him from you as well, then I am more than prepared to do that. Do you understand me?”

Paddy’s gaze dropped to his hands, but he said nothing.

Next thing, Zach was on his feet. “I don’t get it, Dad. You’re so hell-bent on being right, even if it breaks up this family, that you can’t seeyou’rethe one who’s missing out.I’mhappier than I’ve ever been, in love with an amazing man and starting a business I’ve worked my whole life for. And Jules is one of the best damn shepherds in the Mackenzie. He’s hands down the best person to guide Lane Station,yourlegacy, into the future and make it even better, if only you’d damn well let him be happy and love who he wants.”

As Zach paced, Paddy’s eyes tracked his son’s feet back and forth across the room.

---