Page 57 of Legacy of Lies
Chapter 14
His father sagged in a recliner, skin ashen in the areas not covered in soot. Rode hard and put up wet didn’t even begin to describe the level of exhaustion etched on his old man’s face. He kept shaking his arm and hand. Maybe he’d injured himself hauling buckets.
Although he stood, Kerr leaned on the back of the recliner with his bad leg lifted off the floor, as if he couldn’t manage more pressure on the prosthetic. His eyes had gone blank, and sweat beaded his soot-smeared forehead. Shit. If Kerr had a flashback tonight, he’d have to talk his brother down again instead of monitoring the ranch. Too much to do.
From his position next to the mantel, Eric’s scowl reflected exactly how Garrison felt.
Shelby leaned forward from her seat on the end of the couch, her head in her hands. The longer parts of her hair had been burnt off, and the remaining seared ends stuck straight out from her now mostly shoulder-length hair. Her harsh wheezes and wet coughs filled the room as she struggled to catch her breath.
On the opposite corner of the couch sat Sara, her dark eyebrows raised, hair piled back up in an adorable mess on top of her head. The fear in her eyes when her gaze locked onto his rocked him to his boots. When he opened his mouth, she shook her head and darted a glance downward.
Zach had fallen asleep, his burnished head pillowed on her lap, a small hand resting on her leg. With him curled on his side, Sara rubbed his back. Her sweet smile twisted something inside of Garrison’s chest. And just knowing Sara and Zach were safe in his house? The tightness over his neck and shoulders unclamped by a few degrees.
Then the sensation changed into a different kind of tension: desire and unfinished business.
What would it feel like to relax with her fingers running through his hair, his own head resting on Sara’s soft thighs?
Preferably, she would be naked.
He took a sharp breath and choked; the stinging scent of smoke drilled him back to reality. Someone could have been hurt or died. Thank God everyone was okay.
Zach was safe. In the peace of sleep, his son appeared younger, like he looked years ago.
No. One year ago. Before Tiffani left.
Son of a bitch.
Kerr repositioned his stance with athunkand limped around to their dad, shaking him awake.
“You need to get to bed, Pop.”
Dad groaned as he leaned forward, forearms propped on the sides of the recliner. “Christ almighty, what happened th-there?”
“A large chunk of our property went up in flames. No idea why. But you look like hell. Sure I can’t take you to get checked out at the hospital?” Kerr asked.
“What use have ... for a hospital?” He pushed up from the chair and trudged out of the living room, listing to one side. Kerr trailed behind him. “Can you take care of everything, son?” He braced a hand against the log wall and peered at Garrison.
Out of the corner of his eye, Kerr flinched, dropped his hands, and returned to the living room.
Get used to it, little brother. I know how it feels to be inadequate. Only reason he’s talking to me is because Vaughn’s not here.
“Sure, Dad. Get some rest,” Garrison said. “If anything comes up, we’ll let you know.”
His dad shuffled with an unsteady gait down the long hall. It was unusual for him to agree so easily to go to bed.
A prickly sensation crawled over Garrison’s neck until he firmly stuffed it in his mental “deal with it later” box.
He had enough bad shit going on right now.
“So?” Garrison said as he walked between the chairs and the fireplace. “What really happened? Anyone know?”
Shelby’s head came up. When she opened her mouth, another coughing fit stopped her cold.
Eric took a breath, opened his mouth, froze, and then melted back into the wall.
Breathing finally calm, she spoke, her voice hoarse. “Someone was out there.”
“Be more specific,” Garrison said.
