Chapter Twenty-Seven #2
He just had to get through this morning without anyone—especially his mother—suspecting something was wrong. After all, the secret his dad had left behind had been sitting in that storage unit for sixteen years. A few hours wasn’t going to change anything.
When he reached the kitchen, his mom looked up from the coffeepot, her face bright. “Seth! Good morning, sweetheart. How are you? You look…sleepy.”
“I’m fine,” he lied, crossing the room to kiss her cheek before he took two grocery bags from his stepfather’s arms. “Let me help with that.”
“Thanks.” Carl nodded as he placed a box of pastries on the counter with a wry smile. “We picked up a few extra things on the way back from the hotel this morning.”
That didn’t surprise Seth. “Of course you did.”
Grace Cooper took hostessing seriously. She refused to let her guests go hungry.
His mom tsked at them both as Seth started unpacking the bags—bagels, cream cheese, another fruit tray, croissants. He kept his hands busy, his movements controlled. Casual. Like his father’s final message wasn’t burning a hole in the nightstand two floors above them.
“Where’s everyone else?” Grace frowned.
“Beck is in his room, getting ready. Heavenly’s finishing up in the bathroom. She’ll be down to help soon. Hudson is—“
“Still sleeping, I’ll bet.” She rolled her eyes. “He’s a teenage boy, after all.”
“Exactly. I’ll wake him when I go back upstairs.”
Grace grinned as she pulled out serving platters. “Perfect. Guests should start arriving around nine-thirty. We’re expecting people to come and go until noon or so. Beck, Heavenly, and Hudson’s flight leaves a little after four, right?”
“Yeah, I should have plenty of time to get them there afterward.” Seth watched his mom arrange bagels on a plate like it was the most important task in the world.
And to her, it was. She had no goddamn idea that sixteen years of silence had just shattered in her oldest son’s bedroom.
His mom and Carl moved around the kitchen together, working in silent harmony as she spread out food while Carl ferried champagne flutes for mimosas from the dining room.
Suddenly, she sighed and whirled to Carl. “We forgot more orange juice.”
Carl set the crystal down, turned to his new wife, and took her hands. “It’s fine. If we need more, we’ll get more.”
That should be the least of his mom’s worries today. “I’ll go later if you need.”
“Thank you.” She smiled brightly. “I hate to trouble you but—”
“It’s no trouble, Mom.” He pressed another kiss to her cheek, willing his voice to remain steady. “The mini-mart is just down the road.”
“You’re right.” She let out a steadying breath. “I shouldn’t be nervous. Everything will be fine.”
“Exactly what I’ve been saying,” Carl poked before he sent Seth a sideways glance. “It’s like she actually listened to me for once.”
Seth forced out a hollow laugh and did his best to tease back. “Don’t get used to it.”
After his mother huffed and threatened to snap a dishtowel at her husband, they went back to preparing for brunch. Seth was grateful that it kept them occupied…and prevented them from questioning why his behavior was off.
His shoulders loosened a fraction. Maybe he’d managed to bury his disquiet enough that no one noticed.
Mom wiped her hands on a towel with a little scowl. “If you two are done giving me a hard time, I think we’re in good shape. I just need an extra hand or two whenever Beck or Heavenly come down.”
“They won’t be long,” Seth promised, already heading for the stairs. “I’m going up to get ready.”
He took them two at a time, eager for a few minutes alone to center himself.
Just that brief exchange had proven that shoving aside the turmoil in his head wouldn’t be easy.
And the fact that the people he lived with were flying home today—leaving him to tell his mother the gaping secret about his love life while not telling her what his father had left him?
Seth’s gut twisted. Could this get any more unnerving?
When he reached the second floor, he pushed open the door to his bedroom and shut it behind him with a ragged exhalation.
Heavenly was waiting, wrapped in a robe, damp curls tousled around her face. She took him in with a frown. “You look…off. Are you all right?”
“Fine.” The word came out sharper than he’d intended. Instantly, guilt twisted through him, and he gentled his voice. “Just…hate that you’re going home without me. I’ll miss you.”
It wasn’t the whole truth. But the lie would protect her.
Heavenly softened against him, cuddling close. “I’ll miss you, too. But it’s only two days.”
She was right, but with everything bashing around his brain pan… “That’s two days too many.” Even if it was true, he had to stop bleeding worry and start distracting her. “But…guess what I found?”
When he tipped his chin toward the dresser, Heavenly whipped around. Relief washed over her face when she spotted her engagement ring. “Thank goodness!”
Seth crossed the room and plucked up the ring. “As I suspected, it fell when I bumped into this hunk of wood last night.”
He clasped her hand and slid the ring back onto her finger, then pulled her close, wrapping his arms around her. He needed this, needed to feel her, solid and warm and safe against him.
She melted against him again, her arms circling his waist. “Are you sure you’re okay?”
He did his best not to wince as he pressed a kiss to the top of her head, breathing in the scent of her shampoo. “Just...a lot on my mind.”
“I know. This weekend was a lot—the wedding, telling your mom about us, and now the baby…”
“Especially the baby.”
The weight of all his secrets sat heavy in his chest when she tilted her head up, studying his face. “It’s going to be okay, Seth. Really. It has to be.”
Odds were, she was right. Problem was, he didn’t like that the chance of violence, loss, and heartbreak wasn’t zero. But that wasn’t her fault.
He kissed her softly, letting himself bask in her for a long moment. Then he pulled back and forced a smile. “You’re right. And as much as I’d love to hold you—and do other pleasurable things to you—brunch is starting soon. Mom could use some help when you’re ready.”
“I’d love that, too, but…” She cast a meaningful glance toward Beck’s closed door across the hall. “We can’t. But when you get home on Tuesday…”
She trailed a finger down his chest and sent him a tempting smile.
He grabbed her wrist, his throat tight. “I’ll drown you in orgasms.”
Her smile slanted to something more alluring. “Please do.”
He kissed her one more time, inhaling her in a desperate moment. Then he stepped back. “Unfortunately, I have to wake Hudson and hop in the shower, or we won’t be ready in time.”
Seth didn’t wait for her reply, just grabbed his clean clothes and ducked into the hallway, heading for the shower.
He locked the door behind him, turned on the faucet, and stood staring at his reflection in the mirror as he brushed his teeth.
The envelope was sitting in his nightstand like a ticking time bomb. His father’s handwriting. His dire warning. And the evidence to solve his murder?
Every minute that ticked by without Seth actually knowing, was killing him.
There’s real danger. I’m afraid for you, your mother, and your brothers.
Seth spit out his toothpaste and stashed his toothbrush before he braced his hands on the basin, his knuckles going white.
Fuck, he shouldn’t dig.
But if the evidence in that storage unit could end the suspicion and uncertainty around his dad’s death—once and for all…
What if it got everyone killed?
Cursing, Seth stepped into the shower, letting the hot water beat down on his shoulders as he reached for the soap, going on autopilot while his thoughts churned.
Maybe there was nothing left in the storage unit. Sixteen years was a long time. For the evidence to still be there, his dad would’ve had to have prepaid all this time. Who the hell did that, especially someone who had five kids and lived on a cop’s salary?
Seth sighed. Maybe he was stressing about nothing. Maybe he was too late and everything his dad died for had been tossed out for non-payment or featured on an episode of Storage Wars.
But he had a sinking feeling it was still there. Still waiting for him.
He braced his hands against the shower stall and let the water beat on his shoulders.
His father had suspected he was going to die. Known he was knee-deep in something dangerous enough to warrant hiding evidence instead of trusting his own department.
Seth clenched his fists and resisted the urge to punch the wall. He really shouldn’t dig into this cesspool of a case again. Not after it had already cost him Autumn and Tristan. Not when Heavenly was carrying his child.
But his father had hidden his evidence and trusted him—and only him—to find it for a reason.
How could he just ignore that?