89. Chapter 89
Lindsey leaped off the bench and stuffed her breasts back into her bra.
“Anybody there?” her dad hollered into the garage. “I’m looking for my kids.”
Leroy Adams stopped a foot inside the open bay door. He squinted, adjusting to the dim light and the sight of his baby girl straightening her dress, and the man beside her facing the other way.
“Dad!” she exclaimed.
“Pumpkin?” He put his hands on his hips and inspected Jase from behind.
His was the knowing glare of a man who had seen it all after three boys and a military career.
The disappointed-but-not-totally-surprised expression made Lindsey want to drip into the cracks in the cement floor, especially after he called her pumpkin. “Where’s your brother?”
“He’s…” She trailed off, glancing at Jase for help. He was too busy trying not to die to offer any. “Luke’s fine.”
Her dad’s eyebrows hit the top of his mostly bald head. “Lindsey.”
“Dad, we’re all adults,” she insisted.
“Oh, adults, huh? I’ll believe that when I see some adult behavior,” he fired back. “Now where is he? Where’s Luke? I’m prepared to bring in the cavalry.”
“Dad, stop,” Lindsey groaned, throwing up her hands. If it would prevent him from rounding up the other veterans who were itching to crack open their gun safes and skip the monthly VFW potluck, Lindsey needed to give up her brother. “He’s in the house. I’ll take you to him.”
“What’s with him?” He pointed a finger at Jase’s back and called out, “Turn around.”
“I can’t right now, sir,” Jase said.
Her dad chewed his cheek and surprisingly didn’t roll his eyes. “As soon as you’re able, we’re going to have a conversation.”
“Dad,” Lindsey gritted out.
“Understood,” Jase said.
As soon as he’s able, he’s going to jump on his bike and ride out of firing range.
Lindsey walked her dad to the house. She wished she could warn her brother to give Luke a running head start.
“What is going on here, Lindsey?” her dad demanded.
“Nothing.”
Now he did roll his eyes. “You think I’m blind? And I don’t just mean with that boy.”
Boy. In her dad’s eyes, she was his little girl and none of her boyfriends had been men.
“I was going to tell you.”
“How you told me about your brother?”
He threw the front door open and barreled down the hall to the den as if he knew exactly where to find his oldest son.
“Mayday! Mayday!” Lindsey hollered in his wake.
“Luke?” Leroy Adams said.
Luke jumped to his feet. His legs tangled in cords thwarted his chance of escape.
“Dad?”
“You’re alive!”
Lindsey was about to throw herself in front of her brother but stopped short when her dad locked Luke in a bear hug. The happy reunion ended the second the retired Marine took in Luke’s mangled face, stained T-shirt and boxers, and the game controller in his hand.
“What happened to your eye?” Leroy demanded.
“Nothing, it’s fine,” Luke said, untangling his legs.
“Looks like you lost a bar fight. Is that what you’ve been doing? Gong out, getting drunk, and acting foolish? It smells like a distillery in here. Do you know what happens to a doctor who can’t use their hands?”
“I’m aware.” Luke covered the swollen knuckles of his right hand and asked, “How’d you find me?”
“Process of elimination. I knew your brothers wouldn’t put you up without telling me, so I started here,” he glared at Lindsey. “What is this? You’re in your underwear playing video games.”
“I took the cords away,” Lindsey cut in.
“There was another console in the basement,” Luke admitted through barely parted lips.
“Pumpkin?” Her dad pointed a very insistent finger in her direction. “You bald-faced lied to me. How long has he been here?”
Lindsey shrank against the wall behind the couch. “A few days.”
“A few days? And you let me worry he was dead?”
“Dead? Don’t be dramatic. I’m fine,” Luke said.
“Says the fugitive.”
Luke sighed, “I’m not a fugitive.”
“You’re a fugitive from life, Luke. Why does your wife have to call and tell me you’re MIA.? She’s worried sick.”
“I’m sure she is,” Luke scoffed.
“I taught you better. You don’t run out on your family or your job.”
“I don’t want to do this right now.”
“Then you should’ve answered your phone when you had the chance,” Leroy said. “What? You have a mistress? Is this a midlife crisis? You don’t just disappear and start living with your sister. Be a man, for goodness’ sakes.”
“Be a man? It’s a little hard when your wife gets knocked up by someone else,” Luke shot back. “What have you taught me to do about that?”
Leroy’s hooded eyes narrowed on his son. “Rachel’s pregnant? She cheated on you?”
“She is. And yes, she cheated. She’s been cheating.”
With a giant hand, Leroy pulled the wrinkles down his face into a deeper frown. “She left that part out.”
“She’s good at half-truths. We’re getting a divorce and, frankly, I don’t know what to do about it. Beating the piss out of her new boyfriend didn’t help.”
Leroy squeezed his son’s shoulder. “All right. All right, we’ll figure it out. But this—the underwear, the video games”—he noticed the bottle of liquor on the floor by the sofa—“the booze—it’s over.”
Luke shook his head. “Dad…”
“It’s over,” Leroy commanded in a voice his children did not argue with.
“Whatever.” Luke tossed the game controller on the couch and crossed his arms. His eyes widened and he shouted, “Mayday! Mayday!”
Lindsey and her dad both turned and found Jase emerging from the alcove. He must’ve come in through Mrs. Aldridge’s suite. He’d changed shirts and his hair wasn’t plastered to his head anymore.
There was no scenario in Lindsey’s mind in which Jase cleaned up and willingly faced her father instead of driving away.
“Ah, he returns,” Leroy said. “So this is what you look like from the front.”
Lindsey said, “Dad, this is Jase. He’s—”
My boyfriend? My lover? My passionate summer fling?
Your worst nightmare?
She said the only thing she was certain about. “He’s Graham’s brother.”
“Sir.” Jase nodded and shook her dad’s offered hand. He’d looked less petrified under gunfire at Saul’s in the desert.
“Jase, your fly’s open,” her dad said with a sideways glance at Lindsey.
Kill me now. She closed her eyes to spare herself the horror on Jase’s face while he cursed and turned away to zip up his pants.
Her dad, mercifully, nodded to Luke. “Get dressed.”
“Got it,” her brother said.
“You two,” he said to Lindsey and Jase. “Wait outside.”
“Yes, sir,” Jase said.
“Don’t leave,” Leroy warned. “If you even think about leaving, I will find you.”