Thinking of You by Rachel Kane

Author:Rachel Kane [Kane, Rachel]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2020-04-05T04:00:00+00:00

* * *

“I thought he’d gone up to New York for meetings,” said Theo, in the back of the car rushing them up to Corinth. “What happened?”

Val shook his head. “I don’t know. Mother said he’d been having chest pains for days, but thought it was something he ate.”

“For days? Why didn’t he tell someone? Why didn’t he go to the doctor?”

“That’s what I’d like to know,” said Val. “Apparently he had just reached the airport, when he collapsed.”

“Jesus, this is awful!”

Theo fidgeted. His hands were empty, and he wished he had something to do with them. A pencil, a brush, anything to work out this stress. His father was the most responsible man he’d ever met, how had he let this happen?

“Listen,” said Val, “one other thing. I hate to even bring it up right now.”

Theo turned and looked at his brother’s hang-dog expression. “What’s up?”

“I’m not sure what I walked in on back there at the lake…”

“Oh god, Val, not now.”

“Are you two—? Have you been—?”

“Seriously, it’s none of your business.”

Val pursed his lips and looked out the window. “You can’t do that, you know. You can’t sleep with the help.”

“The help? What century are you from again? I’ve known Micah my whole life—”

“Yes, because his mother is part of the staff. Look, I like Micah as much as anyone. He’s a sweet kid. But whatever you think is going on between you two, it can’t happen.”

For Theo, it was too much.

He was looking at his future with mingled hope and despair. Paris was exciting. It was the most adventurous thing that had ever happened to him. But it was scary too, and he knew he was going to miss home, and more than that, miss Micah.

Come with me, Micah had said, so simply, like it was something you could do, like you could drop everything, all your plans, all the money and influence your parents had wielded to set you up for your future.

If anything happened to his father, that future might be in jeopardy. Everything would be in jeopardy.

But Theo wasn’t soulless. The idea of his father collapsing at the airport had gripped his own heart with pain and fear. Forget the money, forget the plans. Dad was Dad, the strongest, most powerful man he’d ever known. He couldn’t be sick. He couldn’t.

And now this? Why would Val suddenly intrude in his private life like this?

“Look, just because you are going to be a dried-up old virgin your entire life, doesn’t mean I have to be. What Micah and I have is special, and it’s none of your fucking business.”

Val didn’t bristle at this. It was impossible to offend him. Theo had certainly tried. Sometimes it felt like he’d been trying to get a rise out of Val his entire life.

“Everything about you is my business,” Val said calmly. “Because everything you do reflects on the family.”

It took a minute for his meaning to sink in.

“You’re already doing it,” said Theo. “You’re acting like Dad is dead.

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