Chapter 30

CHAPTER THIRTY

Jack jumped backward to escape the splatter, then felt like a jerk because poor Blue had gotten the brunt of the mess.

Blue let out a shriek, which caused Lee to cringe and back up himself, only he nearly fell on his ass in the process. Jack reluctantly reached out and grabbed his arm to steady him.

Maisie shot Jack a dark scowl as she got to her feet. “Get him out of here. I’ll meet you at the car.”

Jack didn’t ask where she was going because it was obvious. She started dragging Blue toward the restrooms. Blue still hadn’t said anything, but from the look on her face, it was unlikely she’d ever forget meeting Lee Buchanan.

“Shit,” Lee mumbled, watching them hurry off. “Didn’t mean to do that.”

“God, I hope not,” Jack said with a wry grin. “Let’s get you outside.”

Lee’s unfocused gaze swung toward him, and his gray pallor made Jack tighten his hold on his bicep and drag him out the back door, rather than going the longer route through the front, in the event he yacked again.

It was a good call, because Lee bent over at the waist and vomited again in the alley four feet from the door. Jack wished he’d thought to grab the bottle of water he’d purchased for his brother only a few minutes ago. But Lee had promptly set it down and stumbled over to hug a man he’d mistaken for an old frat buddy. Only the man was in his seventies and sporting a T-shirt that read Proud Liberal Snowflake .

Jack had glanced away for a split second, looking for Maisie, and saw her and River hugging at the bar. It seemed to go on for too long, and there was emotion glimmering in her eyes, and for a split second he felt a stab of jealousy.

What the hell was wrong with him? River was marrying his sister, for God’s sake, and he and Maisie were friends. Except a little voice in his head suggested his early suspicions had been right, and there were more layers to their relationship than either of them let on. That little voice still hadn’t totally shut up, even after the situation with Lee had required him to rip his attention away. The older gentleman, who looked like he’d lived most of his life in the sun, told him his name was Tony, not Tripp, and he’d sooner burn Columbia down than go to school there. Lee had laughed and slapped the man on the shoulder a little too hard and said in all seriousness, “Thank God. I wondered why your face looked like a raisin.” The bottle of water had been a casualty of the need to make a quick escape before Tony decked Lee.

Now, still hovering over the mess, Lee asked, “Why’re you being so nice to me?”

“Because Addy would hate it if I left you like this.”

“So you’re doing this for my sister?” Lee asked with a hint of bitterness.

“ Our sister. Partly.” He paused, then added, “But I also have a soft spot for drunk losers, so there’s that too.”

Lee’s gaze jerked up, fury in his eyes, but then he saw Jack’s wry grin and his anger faded. “I guess there’s some truth to that.”

As much as Jack would love to rub in the fact that Lee wasn’t looking so great right now, he took pity on him. It was obvious the guy was miserable—not just tonight, but in general—and for some reason, he found himself feeling brotherly. Maybe it was what Lee had said earlier about wanting to look for him in Chicago. Or the realization that he wasn’t the only lost one and never had been. “Let’s walk around to the front and meet Maisie so we can get you back to the hotel.”

“Hotel?” Lee shouted, his voice unnaturally loud, as he stood upright and started to wobble. “It’s too damn early to call it a night. I’m fine now. Let’s go get another drink!”

“The only drink you need is more water. Come on.” He grabbed his upper arm again and started leading him around the building.

“So you’ve got a girlfriend, bro?” Lee asked as he stumbled on a crack in the asphalt and nearly fell on his face. “My bad.”

Jack released a snort. “Yeah, bro .”

And he had to question his sanity for not being in bed with her instead of here, rescuing the man who’d crushed him only hours earlier.

Lee came to a stop and grabbed the front of Jack’s shirt, trying to maintain eye contact but failing badly since he could hardly keep his eyes open. “Let me give you some big brother advice.”

His hand tightened, and he pulled Jack closer. The combined smell of beer and vomit nearly made Jack sick too.

“Don’t trust her, bro,” Lee said. “They convince you that you need them, then they cheat on you.”

Little did Lee know, and while part of Jack longed to rip off the Band-Aid and tell him what he knew, now was not the time. Jack wasn’t sure Lee would even remember once he sobered up.

“Yeah,” Jack said with a bitter laugh. “You don’t know the half of it. Come on, let’s get you to the car.”

Lee continued to mumble about women and cheating, then added, “Don’t build your life on a lie, bro. Don’t do it.”

“Lie?” Jack asked, unable to stop himself as they rounded the corner to the street. “What lie?”

“That he…” Lee violently shook his head and nearly fell over again.

Jack grabbed his arm and righted him. Did Lee know about their father’s misdeeds?

“Did you two take the scenic route?” Maisie called out, standing next to her car with the rear door open. She’d spread out some kind of tarp on the back seat that draped onto the floor. When Jack gave her a questioning look, she shrugged and flashed him a completely unselfconscious grin. “I’m used to hauling sick animals around.”

“I am not a sicko.” Lee pointed a finger at her face but misjudged his aim, poking her in the nose.

She easily batted it away with a short laugh. “Whatever, get in the car.”

The two of them managed to get him belted into the back seat, but he was already slumped over and snoring by the time they closed the door.

“Do you even know where they’re staying?” Maisie asked. “I could call Addy, but I’d hate to ruin her night.”

Disappointment washed through him, but he knew what he needed to do. “Yeah, they’re at the Grove Park Inn, but we can’t drop him off like this.”

“You want to take him back to your place?” she asked in disbelief. “ That would definitely ruin Addy and Georgie’s night.”

“No, not my place…” he said slowly.

Understanding spread over her face. “Oh.”

“It’s a big ask, Red.”

She studied him for a moment, and he was certain she was going to say no, but then she placed a soft kiss on his lips and stared up at him. Her eyes were always so expressive. Mischievous. Playful. Fierce. Angry. And now they looked adoring. He knew better than to think she was the kind of woman who gave out that kind of look often. When had he gotten so lucky?

“Do you have any idea how sexy a man who cares for wounded creatures is?”

“Lee’s not a—” he started to say, then stopped. Lee was probably the walking definition of a wounded man. He ran a hand over his head in frustration. “Sorry about tonight. You can just drop us off at a motel. A cheap one’s fine. It’s not like Little Lord Fauntleroy will notice until morning.”

She grinned at the nickname. “No, we’ll go back to my place, but I might insist on putting him out in the playhouse where I keep the other sick animals.”

He lifted his hand to her face, tucking an unruly red curl behind her ear. “No, you won’t.”

“Okay, I won’t, but don’t tell anyone. I’d hate to lose my rep as a hard-ass.”

He laughed, sweeping her into a hug. A hug now, holding hands earlier. Jack’s other relationships hadn’t been like this. He’d never felt this pull to be physically close to a woman unless it was going to lead somewhere. But Maisie had always felt more like a partner than just a lover.

The thought caught him off guard, but as the idea settled in, he wasn’t all that surprised. What was it Iris had said in her note? You’ve never looked at any other woman the way you look at her.

When he pulled back, he stared into her eyes in amazement, and a certainty he’d never felt before filled him—Maisie O’Shea was the one for him. It was much too early to tell her that, but he knew it to the marrow of his bones. Hope and peace settled in, making him feel like he’d finally found where he belonged.

Once Maisie started driving, he texted Iris to let her know he’d gotten her note and how much he appreciated her approval and support. He also let her know that he wouldn’t be home until morning, but he was only a text or phone call away if she needed him.

I’m fine! she sent back. I SERIOUSLY don’t want to think about what you two are up to, but I don’t want to hear from you until tomorrow, young man!

Next he sent a group text to Georgie and Adalia, telling them that Lee was hanging out with him for the night and he’d explain everything tomorrow.

Lee slept the entire way to Maisie’s house, but he woke up when Jack roused him, then stumbled upstairs to a spare bedroom Maisie directed him to over Einstein’s barking.

“Is that a coyote?” he asked sleepily as Jack helped him into bed. Maisie came in a few minutes later, equipped with a glass of water and some aspirin—along with a small bucket—and they made sure he knew where to find the bathroom.

Then she linked her hand with Jack’s and led him to her room, shutting the door behind them. They stood in silence in the middle of her room, the soft light of the bedside lamp spilling around them.

His mind skipped back to that lingering moment between River and Maisie earlier, like a broken record, but he knew he was being foolish. She was here with him now, staring at him with desire. She wouldn’t want him like this if she had a thing for River.

“I like what you did with the place,” Jack said, gesturing to the bed.

She grinned and reached for the button on her blouse. “Wait until you feel how comfortable the mattress is.”

He turned serious. “Maisie, I’m sorry how tonight turned out.”

“It’s not over yet.” She pulled her shirt over her head.

His gaze landed on her lace-covered breasts, and he instantly hardened. Earlier he’d been consumed by passion, but now he was consumed with something deeper he couldn’t name.

They made love slowly, and he looked deep into her eyes as he entered her, wanting to take in every part of her. She seemed to sense the shift, gently cupping his face as though he were something to be treasured. Afterward, she lay in his arms, her head on his chest, and he thought, I could get used to this .

Lee was slow to wake up the next morning, and when he stumbled downstairs at around nine-thirty, his hair stuck up like a porcupine’s quills, only at odd angles.

“Coffee?” he groaned.

Jack and Maisie sat on the sofa, sides pressed together, with their own steaming cups. Einstein was curled up against Jack’s right side—much to Maisie’s amazement—and Chaco was lying on his lap. Both dogs lifted their heads to study Lee, Einstein releasing a growl in his throat that had Maisie putting her hand on his collar.

She flicked a direct gaze up to Jack, and he restrained a groan as he gathered Chaco in his arms and got to his feet, setting the little dog on the sofa next to Maisie before he followed his brother into the kitchen. He poured Lee a cup of coffee, using the biggest mug in the cabinet, and sat him down at the table.

Showtime.

“You need more aspirin?” Jack asked, refilling his own cup and putting off the inevitable for a few moments. He and Maisie had discussed how to handle this while lying in bed this morning. There was no perfect time to do it, and while Jack would have preferred to wait until Lee’s head wasn’t pounding, he didn’t want Lee to go back to his cheating girlfriend—or their father—without the full knowledge of what was going on.

“No,” Lee said, shaking his head, then wincing. “Mamie left a bottle on the nightstand.”

“ Maisie ,” Jack said, taking a seat opposite him. Einstein sauntered in and spun around in a circle next to Jack’s chair before plopping on the floor at his feet. He gave Lee a glare, as if to warn him not to mess with Jack.

Lee winced again. “Sorry. Most of last night is fuzzy.”

“What do you remember?”

“I remember going to a few breweries. I remember a guy marked up to look like a goat. There was someone who looked like my friend Tripp if he’d turned into a raisin. I remember dancing—oh God!—and then I threw up on some poor woman.” He looked up at Jack in dismay. “Tell me most of that didn’t happen.”

“I wasn’t there for much of it, so I don’t know what happened before I showed up. Unfortunately, everything you just listed is true.”

Lee covered his face with his hand and groaned. “I don’t do this type of thing. Like ever .”

“Maybe that’s why you went so hardcore,” Jack said, unable to stop himself from grinning. “It was about time you let down your hair.” He gestured to Lee’s bedhead and made a face. “So to speak.”

Lee reached up to the top of his head and felt his hair, then rolled his eyes. Which brought on another groan.

“Lee,” Jack said, his stomach tight with anxiety. This could go one of two ways—the first, Lee could refuse to believe him, evidence be damned, and leave in a fury, possibly punching him on his way out. Or he might accept the situation as it was without argument. Unfortunately, Jack didn’t know him well enough to guess which scenario was more likely. He’d considered calling Addy and letting her know what he and Maisie had discovered, but Dottie had asked him and Maisie to be there last night, not Jack and his sisters, and that had to mean something.

Lee’s face lifted, and the lost look in his eyes almost stopped Jack from continuing.

Almost.

“There are some things you should know,” Jack said. He’d struggled with where to start, ease his way in or go straight for the jugular? There was a very good chance Lee might storm out, so he’d decided to lead with the part that could possibly keep him out of prison and reveal the rest in descending order.

He told Lee about Dottie instructing Jack and Maisie to sit behind the plant wall separating the dining area from the bar on the other side. “Your dad— our dad—has done some bad things, Lee. Both in the past and apparently in the present.”

Lee shook his head. “Look, I know he’s an asshole.”

“No, this is more than just him being an asshole. I’m talking illegal stuff.”

Lee’s face paled. “What do you mean?”

Jack told him about Dottie and Prescott’s discussion about Beau bailing him out decades ago because he’d committed fraud.

“With your mother?” Lee asked in disgust. “It was probably all her doing and he got caught up in it. Genevieve is a beautiful woman. I’m no fool. I know that’s his weakness. I can see him falling for it.”

Jack wasn’t sure what to be more astounded by—that Lee knew what his mother looked like, or that he was trying to excuse their father’s behavior.

“It wasn’t the only incident, Lee,” Jack said with a patience he didn’t feel. To his surprise, he didn’t feel vindictive or angry. Mostly he felt pity. “There were more occurrences. Sounds like Beau ended up giving him most of his money to keep him out of jail.”

Lee shook his head. “No. Beau hated Dad. Refused to give him any help at all. Dad had to do it all on his own, but he said it made him a better man.”

“Prescott Buchanan is a liar,” Jack said. “He’d be nowhere without Beau. He practically admitted it himself.”

“I’m supposed to just take your word for this?” Lee sneered. “How do I know this isn’t your way of getting back at me for treating you like shit last night?”

“That’s not my style, but I realize you don’t know me well enough to know that,” Jack said quietly. “You don’t need to take my word for it, though. We recorded the conversation.”

Lee went still. “Against my father’s knowledge? That’s illegal.”

“No,” Jack said, “North Carolina is a one-party consent state, which means only one person has to give consent, and Dottie asked Maisie to record it.” Maisie had looked it up this morning to be sure it was safe to mention.

Lee studied him for a long second, then snapped, “So where’s this recording?”

Jack pulled his phone out of his pocket and unlocked the screen. Maisie had shared it with him in the cloud, and he had the audio file queued up. “Before I play this, there are a couple of things you need to know. Your father’s in trouble again. Legal trouble, and you’re going to be caught up in it, and there’s something else—”

“Just play the damn tape!” Lee shouted.

“Your funeral,” Jack muttered, then hit play and set the phone on the table between them.

Parts of the file were hard to hear, but Prescott’s booming voice had helped ensure the message was conveyed.

Lee listened with a flat expression while Dottie and Prescott discussed River and Dottie’s relationship with Beau, but he perked up as the discussion turned to his family. He made a strange face when Prescott said that Lee was exactly like him. Flinched when Prescott admitted that mistakes had been made in connection with the fraud charges. Stiffened when Prescott and Dottie discussed Lee’s mother. But when Dottie said that Prescott was up to his old tricks again with a new young woman, Lee’s mouth dropped open in surprise.

“What woman?” he whispered, leaning closer to the phone.

There was silence and then Prescott’s denial. Next were Dottie’s fateful words, “Oh, Prescott. Don’t you see how far you’ve fallen if you think breaking your son’s heart is a lighter offense than cheating people out of money?”

Prescott answered, “According to the law it is.”

Lee started to stand, then sat back down, his jaw tightening as he listened to the rest, until Dottie said, “Give Lee his freedom.”

Their father threatened to leave, and Dottie issued her threat to go to the authorities if he didn’t come clean by the end of the year. Then she implored Prescott not to bring Lee down with him. And the recording ended.

Lee was quiet for several long seconds. Then he swallowed. Still staring at the phone, he asked hesitantly, “What did he say to that?”

“After Dottie asked him to save you?” Jack asked, his heart breaking for his brother. Lee might be an asshole, but his entire life was being ripped apart. “Nothing. He got up and walked away.”

Lee’s gaze lifted to Jack’s. “And the woman? Do you know who she is?”

Jack wasn’t sure this was the right move, but Dottie had set this all in motion, and he’d known her for long enough to realize she knew what she was doing. She was right more often than she was wrong. So he pulled the photos out from under a stack of books on the table and slid them toward Lee.

Lee spread them out on the table, staring at them with a blank expression. The photos depicted a couple in the throes of passion, in varying states of undress, but it was obvious the woman was Victoria and the man was Prescott.

“I see.” Clearing his throat, Lee got to his feet. He glanced off toward the living room, and Jack followed his gaze, not surprised that Maisie was nowhere in sight. They’d both agreed that Jack should be the one to handle this. Alone.

Lee started toward the front door.

“Where are you going, Lee?” Jack asked, concerned.

“I need to think.”

“But you don’t have a car. Let me drive you to the hotel.”

Lee started to speak, then clenched his fists and released a bitter laugh. “That is the last place I need to go.”

Jack understood that. “Then let me take you to the house.”

“And tell our sisters about all of this?” Panic filled his eyes. “Do they know?”

“No,” Jack said, catching on to how Lee had called them our sisters . “No. We recorded that last night. I tried to come straight to you to let you know, but you weren’t in any condition to hear it.”

Lee stared absently in the direction of the fireplace. “I’d noticed things that were off, but Dad always dismissed them. Dismissed me .”

The word was bitter, and Jack wondered what kind of emotional abuse Lee had endured trying to gain their father’s approval.

“I’m sorry, Lee.”

Lee’s gaze swung toward him. “Why’d you tell me this? Why not go to Addy and Georgie and have a good laugh over how stupid I am?”

“Addy and Georgie would never do that. They’ll be worried sick. As for me, again, that’s not my style. You may have been an asshole to me, but you definitely don’t deserve this. I don’t know what kind of legal trouble your father’s in, but you can try to save yourself. Maybe go to the authorities and turn state’s evidence or something.”

“Turn on my dad?” Lee asked in disbelief.

“Lee, he’s already turned on you .”

He stared at Jack for another long second, then nodded. “Right.”

And Lee opened the door and walked out.