Page 21 of Unsaid Things

Chapter Ten

Lance tossed his mom’s car keys on the kitchen table, slumping into a chair. The thought of spending the rest of this trip without Abby didn’t sit well with him. Which, of course, was why he’d already rescheduled his flight for the next day. He hadn’t told anyone yet. Abby would argue with him, and he didn’t want to fight with her about it. Megan would pick her up when she got in tonight, so his car would still be in long term parking. He’d surprise Abby, even though he knew she didn’t like surprises.

What frustrated him more than her leaving without him, was her facing her brother for the first time in two years on her own. The fact that he wouldn’t let her talk to their mom made him nervous. Abby tried to explain it away, saying her mom didn’t like to talk on the phone much anyway, and that was probably all it was. But he could tell that she said it to convince herself as much as him.

This unexpected appearance of one of the men who’d abandoned her made him fidgety and restless, needing to expend his energy somewhere, since he couldn’t do what he wanted, which was show up and pound the guy’s face in. He might be Abby’s brother, but that only meant they shared DNA. He’d never abandon his sisters like that, leaving without a word, expecting them to shoulder the responsibility of a disabled parent. Abby’s brother and father were the reason she always pushed him away when he tried to help. And that pissed him off. So, yeah, her brother needed some education in brotherly duties. Lance would be more than happy to provide it for him. Free of charge.

He ran his hands over his face and through his hair, threading his fingers behind his head and pulling against them. Standing, he grabbed the car keys again and headed out. He’d go to the shop and work with his dad for a while. If he sat here by himself, he’d go crazy. His mom wouldn’t welcome his help with the preparations for dinner, and she and Gabby were at the store. She’d texted to let him know what they were doing while he was driving back from dropping Abby off at the airport.

His mom and sisters had been disappointed that Abby had to leave, but said they understood with the situation being what it was. His mom had hugged Abby for a long time, and when they broke apart, Abby’s eyes were bright with tears. It killed him to see her cry, but she blinked a few times, clearing away the moisture, and offered him a tight smile. “Okay. I’m ready. We should go so I’m not late.”

He’d taken her in time to make the nine o’clock flight, just in case she could get a seat on standby. On Christmas Eve it seemed like a crap shoot. There might be tons of people trying to get where they were going in time for Christmas Day, or it could be light, everyone already where they planned to spend the holiday.

He’d insisted on parking and going in with her, waiting in line at the check-in counter, and again in the security line until she got to the front. He’d kissed her thoroughly, provoking grumbles and catcalls from the people around them. Abby’s cheeks were pink when he let her go, and the TSA agent gave him a wry smile when he took Abby’s ticket.

“I’ll see you soon.”

Abby smiled, taking her ticket back, and giving him another quick kiss before going through to the scanners. “See you soon. I love you.”

“Love you too.” He stood and watched until he couldn’t see her anymore, then turned and went back to the car.

He hated the idea of spending the night without her. But at least it would be just one night. And he’d spend as long as he could at the shop with his dad, doing whatever he could to keep himself busy until tomorrow.

His dad came out to greet him when he pulled into the shop’s parking lot. He stood by the open bay doors, watching Lance get out of the car and pocket the keys.

“Come to slum it with me again, huh?”

Lance shook his head, walking past his dad into the garage. “Got anything for me to do?”

His dad gave him a pointed look. “There’s always something to do around here, you know that.”

Lance didn’t say anything, just waited for his dad to delegate something for him. Instead, his dad just stared at him for a minute. “She’s gone, then?”

“Yeah. She’s at the airport, anyway.” He checked his phone. “She didn’t get the earlier flight that she was on standby for, so she’ll be leaving in a couple hours.”

His dad snorted and shook his head, walking past Lance to the key box on the wall. He pulled down a set of keys, tossing them to Lance. “And you didn’t bother to go with her?”

Lance ground his teeth, but kept his voice even. “She wanted me to stay and spend Christmas with my family. She thought you and mom would be mad at her if I left with her.” Clenching his jaw, he left off the fact that she preferred to keep her family issues private and didn’t want him along for her first meeting with her brother in several years. He didn’t think his dad would understand that part. Hell, he didn’t understand it very well himself. He was ready to marry her, but she barely let him help her with anything. He loved her, couldn’t imagine life without her, but it still seemed like she kept him at arm’s length. Not with everything, but definitely where her family was concerned. And with anything money related. He hoped that if they got engaged, that might change. That she’d see that he was in this for the long haul. He wouldn’t abandon her. He was committed to her, to them.

“Think you can handle running a diagnostic on the transmission over there?”

“Of course.” Lance hooked his finger through the key ring.

“You know,” his dad scratched his chin, keeping his voice casual, “it seems to me that a man ought to go with the woman he loves if she’s having family problems.”

Lance stiffened. “Oh, yeah? Even if the woman asks him not to?”

Shrugging, his dad turned back to the car he’d been working on. “If she loves him as much as he loves her, why would she do that?”

With a deep breath and a supreme effort of will, Lance didn’t yell at his father or punch him in the face like he wanted to. “What are you getting at, Dad? Just say it and be done.”

“Nothin’. Just that it seems strange to me that you’d move back for her, go back on your word to me and turn your back on your family—“

“Turn my back on my family? Are you kidding me?”

Hard blue eyes met his. “No, son. I’m not kidding. Everything was all planned out. You were home—hell, we threw you a welcome home party. And you end up hiding out in the office for hours, and when you come down your mom announces the party’s over and tells me you’re moving back to Spokane. For some girl. And then you shack up with her. What am I supposed to think about all that? That my son cares more for some girl who’ll run off at the first sign of trouble, but lets him pay for her house. And you’re working for someone else instead of taking over your own business like I raised you to do.” He scoffed, shaking his head and turning back to the car.

“You’ve only ever heard what you wanted to hear. Otherwise, you’d know that I never wanted to come back here and take over the shop. I like my job. And I love Abby. She didn’t run off at the first sign of trouble. She went home to look after her mother, like she’s been doing for years. Since family’s so important to you, wouldn’t that be a good quality in her? Not something to pick at? And I’ll be joining her tomorrow. I changed my flight to tomorrow afternoon. I’ll get in late, but I’ll still get to see her on Christmas.”

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