Total pages in book: 188
Estimated words: 182255 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 911(@200wpm)___ 729(@250wpm)___ 608(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 182255 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 911(@200wpm)___ 729(@250wpm)___ 608(@300wpm)
“You’ve got two, right? Mom said your son lives in Japan and your daughter is going to Notre Dame.”
Carl nodded as the tailor pinned his sleeve. “My son Blake is thirty. He works construction management in Tokyo. My daughter Catherine—she prefers Cat—just turned nineteen. She’s a sophomore.”
Seth raised an eyebrow. “She must be smart.”
“Too smart. She gets that from her mother. Cat is pre-med. Wants to be a pediatric surgeon. Anyway, they’ll both be flying in for the wedding. Blake is excited to have brothers. And after my wife passed, our house was awfully quiet, so Cat is looking forward to having big holiday celebrations again.”
That tracked, but Seth had other things on his mind. If he had to spend “quality time” with his mother’s fiancé, maybe he should make the most of it and gather some intel.
“Can I ask you something?”
“Sure.” Carl stiffened. It was subtle, but impossible not to notice.
“When Mom asked me to fly out here and talk to Jack and Connor about their behavior, she was hysterical. She seems calmer now, but she’s threatening to cut those idiots out of her life. I’m trying to keep the family together.” Seth watched Carl’s face carefully. “You were there. What’s your take on this mess?”
“You know Grace’s upbringing. Her faith. She sees the world through a very specific lens, so she was shocked.”
“I know. But how do you see it?”
Carl hesitated, glancing around to make sure the tailor was out of earshot. “I’m…more of a lapsed Catholic. Honestly? I’ve experienced enough to accept that happiness doesn’t always look the way we expect.”
True that. If it did, Seth wouldn’t be sharing Heavenly with Beck. But now he didn’t want his future any other way.
“Look, that girl between Jack and Connor might have been screaming, but…” A sly grin flirted at Carl’s mouth. “She definitely wasn’t protesting.”
His answer gave Seth a spark of hope. “So…you don’t have a moral problem with it?”
“Not my place. I know Grace never pictured the twins sharing a woman, but they’re grown men—well, mostly—and Gia is an adult. If that’s what they want, who are they really hurting?”
“No one,” he agreed. “I’ll talk to them about being more circumspect…but I won’t have the family torn apart over this.”
“I doubt Grace actually wants that.” Carl paused. “Jack and Connor aren’t my boys, so I’ve stayed out of it. If they’re just having fun…who can blame them? But I don’t think they’re mature enough for a relationship that complicated.”
Seth had to chuckle. “Oh, after the summer they just spent with me, I know they’re not.”
“I understand your mom’s concerns. If it was one of my kids, I’d be worried, too. But she can’t tell Jack and Connor how to live their lives anymore. She’s just not ready to accept that.”
“That’s where my head is, too.” Even more than Carl could possibly know.
“Would it help if I talked to Grace? Gently, of course.”
“Would you?” Seth felt a surge of optimism. “She might listen to you.”
“Sure. Her happiness is my first priority. But she’s going to have to soften her attitude and accept that the twins seemingly have a…different approach to romance. If she severs the family, she’ll regret it.”
“We all will.” He clapped Carl on the back. “I appreciate your help.”
Seth had never expected his mom’s fiancé to become an ally, but he just might be the only person who could bridge the gap between his mother’s beliefs and her sons’ desires.
“Of course. Your mom has a good heart. She just needs help seeing that ‘normal’ isn’t the only way to be happy.”
“Exactly.”
The rest of the fitting passed with companionable small talk, and Seth decided he liked Carl. The man would fit well in their family.
After he waved goodbye to his future stepfather, he climbed into Grace’s SUV and headed back to her house. Along the way, he pulled out his phone and dialed the office.
“Cooper Investigations West, this is River. If you’re dying, hang up and call 911.”
Seth laughed. “Charming phone manner as always, Kendall.”
“Thank fuck you called. I’ve been busier than a one-armed paperhanger trying to juggle everything.”
“I’ve been gone twenty-four hours. What the hell happened?”
“The computer backup system exploded, two potential clients called to hire us right this instant, and I’m pretty sure something died in the break room refrigerator. Other than that, I’m peachy.”
“Sounds like it. How’s everything else?”
Raine’s brother sighed bitterly. “Oh, fantastic. Dean dumped all my shit on the porch last night and changed the locks while I was out on surveillance. Apparently, his new roommate is some law enforcement buddy. I don’t know his name, but I hear he’s Dean’s new wingman. They’re hitting the bars together. He was my best fucking friend, and now he’s pretending I never existed.”
“That sucks.” Once, River and Dean had been like brothers.
“Yeah, well, the asshole bought me out of our house. We signed the papers yesterday. I’ve got the check in hand, so at least I’ll have cash to find a new place…when I get time. For now, I’m sleeping on the office sofa, and it’s about as comfortable as a pile of rocks.”