Page 39 of Long Hard Fall

She sat up. Astonishment flooded his face, followed by dismay.

“Not at all. You deserve to be happy. Of course, I understand. It just seems so sudden.”

“I’ve been unhappy for almost thirty years,” Patty’s voice cast through the phone clearly. “When I met someone who actually respected me, I decided to get to know him.”

His shoulders drooped farther. “I know. I’ll just text Dad and tell him you’re okay.”

She clasped her hands on her lap. How often had he played mediator between his mom and dad? That was no role for a child, no matter what age.

How often had he shouldered the blame for the circumstances behind his birth?

Chapter 11

Cash finished sending the message to Dad.

A draft cooled his now-empty lap. Abbi was quiet next to him. A muscle flexed in his jaw. Heaven had surrounded him and his duties had faded away. For all of a minute.

His responsibilities rushed back. He had to check on Frankie, her cats, call his sister for details.

Abbi’s lush body curved into him. “I’m sorry.”

He draped an arm over her shoulders, her presence chasing away a few pounds of pressure. “Thanks.”

His parents had never apologized to him, but she had within minutes of seeing what it was like for him.

“Your mom’s found someone new?”

He dipped his head. The news wasn’t sitting well with him. What had happened to his normal dysfunctional family? Less than forty-eight hours ago, he’d learned his parents were divorcing and his mom had already moved in with someone. His dad could be, too! Sissy was running off to the military, leaving just him, doing as she’d always done.

“Do you think Hannah knows?” she asked.

He didn’t even want to contemplate that. “No, and she’s going to go nuclear when she finds out.”

“What’s she going to do—run off and join the navy?”

Cash barked out a laugh. “Good point.”

Abbi slipped away from him and stood. She held out her hand. “But you know what? Your mom can tell her. It’s not your job.”

Easier said than done. Sissy just took bad information better from him. All those years Mom and Dad wouldn’t speak to each other, she’d turned to him. In a weird way, helping Sissy helped him process what was going on.

Abbi wiggled her fingers. His lips twitched into a smile. She was right. He clasped her hands and rose.

She looked up at him. “By the way, I’m taking you out to eat tonight.”

A grudging smile played on his lips. “Are you sure you don’t want to fish in the cold mud and have another fish fry?”

“I absolutely want to do that again. But it’s my turn to provide food.”

“Come on.” He dropped his tone low. “I’ve got some pussy waiting for me.”

Laughter bubbled from her. “I don’t doubt it. After being alone all night, Dutchie and Baron will rub all up and down you.”

They both swapped pussy jokes on the way out to his truck and to Frankie’s place, and the juvenile humor was just the levity he’d been looking for. He let them inside Frankie’s tiny apartment. He’d expected the cats to swarm them, but her apartment stayed quiet and the cats remained aloof. Abbi went to check on them while he dished out the cat food. She hadn’t come back into the kitchen yet. If something happened to those furballs on his watch… He went searching and found her looking at the pictures on the wall.

If he were honest, it was something he’d wanted to do the last time they were here.

“You look like her,” Abbi murmured.

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