Chapter 10
TEN
CASEY – TUESDAY EVENING
“I cannot believe we drove to Seattle and back and you didn’t tell me about this.
” Casey hoped he was managing to sound mild and not flabbergasted.
Gabe was an adult. There was no requirement for him to share every moment of his life with Casey.
So what if some young woman appeared on his doorstep claiming Gabriel was her father?
But, as Charming Fucker would say, What The Actual Fuck.
“Honestly, Casey, I needed some time to process.” Gabe did look apologetic.
“Driving home today, I was trying to think back if it was at all possible that I’m a father.
” He shook his head. “I don’t see it. Not the way I was raised.
I suppose there’s always a chance. But you have to admit, the timing is fucking weird. ”
Casey had to agree with him on that last point.
“Maybe I’m overthinking this and her popping up has nothing to do with anything and is just a random scam, nothing to do with my retrieval services Monday or the trip to Seattle to pick up Heidi’s belongings.
Is it coincidence that we just learned my mother is from around here?
I think not. And”—he shook a finger Casey’s direction—“she just seemed fishy.”
“How could this person have anything to do with Seattle?” Casey asked him.
“I don’t know! But what if there’s some kind of connection between the Lynn person and my fake daughter?
And you know what else? You know what really pisses me off?
If I was this girl’s father, I’d do the right thing.
I really hate deadbeat dads, fucking David Delacombe comes to mind as a prime example.
I’d make an effort, try and get to know her.
But I’m telling you, I’m not her father. ”
“We know you would,” said Elton calmly. “Can you describe her?”
Casey had to appreciate that Elton was taking Gabe’s news in stride.
“Your basic young woman in her early twenties. Dark blonde hair, slender. Brown eyes, I think. Five six or seven. Nothing remarkable. Which I suppose is remarkable in itself. No visible tattoos or a pierced nose. Perfect blending-in ability.”
“Mm, she doesn’t sound familiar to me.”
“Not to me either,” said Casey. “I suppose the question to ask now is, what would she gain from you being her father? What’s her endgame? Did you agree to see her again?”
“No idea, no idea, and not really. I told her to come back with more convincing evidence.”
“Do you think she will come back?” asked Elton.
“Six of one, half dozen of the other. Anyone up for another cuppa?” Gabe had picked up his empty cup and was waggling it in their direction. It was Casey’s opinion that Gabriel had had quite enough caffeine.
“No more coffee, thanks for the offer. A man’s gotta sleep at some point,” Elton said, pushing to his feet.
He retrieved his jacket from the back of the chair and started to pull it on.
“Almost forgot to pass along Althea’s thank-you, Gabe.
It meant a great deal that you stuck your neck out for her.
That locket is important to her. She says to plan on dinner at her place soon.
” He smiled. “Althea’s fried chicken is incredible. ”
Casey’s attention drifted back to the prominent and colorful bruise on Gabe’s forehead, but he stayed silent.
He’d already made his opinion about the adventure clear to them both.
Gabe, for his part, beamed like he hadn’t been chased off by the angry and possibly unhinged resident of the house.
He’d retrieved Althea’s jewelry, and nothing was going to take away from his success.
“It was nothing. Any time,” Gabe said to Elton.
The thing was, he meant what he said. Gabe would do it again, even returning to that same house if Althea or her daughter remembered something else special that needed to be reclaimed.
Yesterday a locket, tomorrow missing silver.
He’d probably offer his services to anyone else who thought they needed them too.
And still quibble about the definition of breaking and entering.
Casey almost shook his head but bit the inside of his lip to restrain himself. Who would’ve suspected that this man, whom he first laid eyes on while attempting to illegally camp at Fort Hood, would turn out to have such a big Robin Hood complex?
And end up being so important to him.
“If you want me to ask around about Heidi or this Carter girl, I’m happy to,” Elton said, his hand on the doorknob.
“It’s been a while since I’ve hung out with the codgers during game day.
I think there’s a spring training game tomorrow, and if there is, they’ll have it on the TV at the boat shed.
Maybe one of them remembers Holly Pritchard. ”
The boat shed was basically the Heartstone community center.
It was a large, covered shelter rather than a structure with four walls.
A flat-screen TV and thick plastic sheeting that rolled down when the weather was bad had been installed.
All the local sports games played on the big screen there, and gossip was exchanged.
It was, Casey thought, a great place to ferret out information if you were in your eighties.
“Sure, why not? The more eyes the better. I’m going to head into Westfort and see what records the library has that I can go through, maybe check the public records too. If the game is still on, I’ll stop by on my way home and let you know what, if anything, I find out.”
They watched through the window as Elton climbed into his ladderless truck, backed out of the driveway, and headed toward home.
“Maybe he’d use a step stool? I should get going too,” Casey said. At the words get going, Bowie hopped up and trotted over to wait by the door.
“Sure, sure. It’s all good. Leave me alone with the haunted chair. I’ll be fine. Are you sure you don’t want to stay over tonight? Although admittedly, I don’t know how good of company I’d be. I know I’ve been difficult the past few days.”
“The chair is not haunted,” Casey said with a sigh and a smile. “I should get a few things done on The Barbara tonight, and they might take me a while. How about I check in with you later? I can always come back here, or you can come to mine.”
“Sounds good. And how do you know Alfred is not possessed? An expert on haunted chairs all of a sudden, are you? How did I not know that about you?”
This time, Casey did shake his head, and he added an eye roll for good measure.
His eyes had been getting a workout since Gabriel crashed into his life.
“If it turns out to be haunted, I’m sure you’ll find a way to exorcise it.
Threaten to chop it into firewood or something.
Do you want me to go into Westfort with you tomorrow? ”
“Don’t you have a job? Like, you know, actual work? Greta’s been pretty patient with you the past few days.”
“I suppose she has. I just worry you’ll get into some kind of trouble if I’m not there.”
Gabe grinned. “I bet I could get into trouble with you along as well.” He waggled his eyebrows. “Have you ever made out in the stacks?”
“Made out in the stacks? How old are you, really? Who says made out anymore?”
“So, you haven’t. Maybe you should convince Greta to let you tag along so we can remedy that.”
“I think not.”
“Killjoy.” Gabe began to pick up the things that Heidi had stored away and return them to the boxes.
“I don’t know what to do with all this shit.
Like any emotionally aware male person, I plan on finding a place to store it that’s out of sight, so I don’t have to think about any of it.
I mean, who even has a tape player these days?
” he grumbled, then brightened. “I know, I’ll stop by Seaside Records.
I bet Ed has one he’d let me borrow for a little while. ”
Gabriel never failed to boggle Casey’s mind.
He had lived most of his life on Heartstone and worked in the region since returning after graduating from college.
Yet it was Gabe who was on a first-name basis with just about everyone he came in contact with.
Ed—record store guy, Colton—secondhand store, Mercy and Barry—the general store, Otto—Otto’s Erotica, Greg—the kite-shop guy.
The area’s teens seemed to have taken to him too.
It was weird. Even his brother liked Gabe.
A half grin curved Gabe’s lips. He stepped into Casey’s space and lifted his hands to cup his face, then stared into his eyes for a long moment, making him feel a bit vulnerable, exposed.
Still, Casey returned the gaze, distracted, trying for the hundredth time to figure out exactly what color Gabe’s eyes really were.
They seemed to alternate between hazel, green, blue, and sometimes grayish. Changeable, just like the man himself.
“What?” Casey finally asked. What he really wanted now was for Gabe to kiss him already. Maybe then he’d forget to worry about all the people in his life who seemed determined to rush headlong into the unknown.
“What, what?” Gabe responded, his eyes glinting with humor.
“What. What, what?” Casey growled back.
Now Gabe was grinning. “You know what.”
Another three seconds of eternity passed before Gabe finally leaned in to capture Casey’s lips with his own.
When Gabe broke off the kiss, Casey wasn’t prepared for it to end, and he felt slightly off-kilter, like he’d forgotten to breathe. Maybe he had.
Who needed oxygen when they had Gabriel Karne?
“Go on, get out of here,” Gabe said. “I can tell you want to be alone for a while. If you change your mind, come back or give me a call, and I’ll come right over.
” He waggled his eyebrows suggestively. “If not, I’ll text you in the morning, but after I’ve checked out the library. Stop worrying about Mickie and Pedro.”
How had Gabe known that he’d started thinking about Mickie again? After managing not to think about him all day, Mickie had popped up in his brain.
“Checked out the library?” Casey repeated, not responding to the comment about his brother. “Very funny.”
Casey pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and checked the screen, just in case. But there was nothing from Mickie. No calls, no texts. He shoved it away again.
“I’m a funny guy,” Gabe quipped. “Now, get going and leave your brother to his own devices. Trust that Mickie will reach out when he’s ready. Look at me, giving out advice. The world must be coming to an end.”
In spite of his unreasonably grumpy feelings, Casey planted another kiss on Gabe’s lips and then, as instructed, left to attend to his own overthinking. Mostly around wondering what his brother and Pedro, the nice veterinarian, were up to.
He was going to probably regret not staying at Gabe’s place. Life was too short for regrets, especially not those within his control.
“I’ll be back later.”
“Promise?” Gabe teased.
“Promise.”