Shattered Beginnings by Lilly Wilde

Author:Lilly Wilde [Wilde, Lilly]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: No Longer Broken Duet, Book One
Publisher: BGF Publishing
Published: 2018-07-16T18:30:00+00:00

January 16, 2017

“SO YOUR PHONE DOES WORK?” It’s more of an accusation than a question.

“Er… hello? Branch, is that you?”

“Yeah,” I reply, apprehension already creeping in.

“It’s… er… good to hear from you. I have to say I’m shocked though.”

“Can’t be any more shocked than I am that you answered.”

“You’re my son. Why wouldn’t I answer?”

“Jace called you a few days ago.” He’s your son, too, but you sure as fuck didn’t answer.

“Er… yeah. About that. I’d planned to call him, but I got busy and it slipped my mind. Is everything all right?”

This guy. Fucking typical. “Had you given a damn, you’d know the answer to that question.”

“Let’s not start this, Branch. You know good and well why things are the way they are.”

“Is this the part where you blame Mama again?”

“If history has taught me anything, it’s that conversations about Mary never end well. I don’t like to go down that road with you boys.”

My fingers curve around the phone and I fight the urge to hang up.

After an extended silence he asks, “Are you still there?”

I swallow the anger that’s clawing its way to the surface. “I’m in town. We need to talk.”

“Oh… uh… okay. I’d like that,” he says, the shock sifting through the phone. “It would be great to see you. How long has it been, Branch?”

“I don’t know. I stopped keeping track seven or eight years ago.”

“Son, I—”

“I’ll be at the garage tomorrow at noon.”

“At Jimmy’s?” he asks, the hesitation apparent in his voice. “I think we should meet someplace else, don’t you? Why not come by the house? Meet your brother. Say hi to your stepsister. And Charlene—she’d love to see you.”

Yeah, and Mama will have a fucking coronary if she ever finds out. But that’s not the reason I won’t go. “Will you be there or not?”

He’s quiet for a beat and finally says, “As long as Jimmy is cool with it… I am, too.”

“Jimmy’s cool. Jimmy’s always cool.”

“Well, okay. I guess I’ll see you tomorrow then. And Branch?”

“Yeah?”

“I know I said it already, but I’m glad you called. It’s been too long, son.”

“Yeah. Sure.” I hang up and meet the eyes of Dad’s former best friend.

He slaps me across the shoulder. “I’m proud of you. That’s a big step.”

I shrug off his words. “Haven’t done anything yet.”

Jimmy doesn’t say another word, but I’m sure he knows where my head is. On my parents. And on the hell they made of the McGuire household. My thoughts flash to the brief phone call—to Dad’s words of not going down that road. Not only did he avoid the road, he avoided the whole damn vicinity.

Sure, he made the effort… for a while. But then his visits to the house stopped. I couldn’t tell if that made Mama better or worse. Or how the hell they managed to get past their bullshit long enough to create Jace. That one is still a mystery to me. They’d been apart for years, argued for years—before, during, and after the divorce.

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