Rust by Corbin Bernsen

Author:Corbin Bernsen [Bernsen, Corbin]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: christian Fiction
ISBN: 978-1-61116-510-4
Publisher: Pelican Book Group
Published: 2015-05-15T00:00:00+00:00

~*~

James swung open the restaurant door to let in his sister, Abby, and Ian. He looked back at his father who waved him through with a gesture that said: Don’t wait for me; I can take care of myself. His father, ever the independent, I-don’t-need-you type.

James shrugged and followed his sister into the building. There were days when he was just done trying to reach his father, but then, there were days when it seemed he spent every waking hour trying to connect. Both his earthly father and his Heavenly Father seemed as distant as ever, and James wondered why he worked so hard when neither seemed interested in maintaining the relationship.

“Daddy!” Abigail squealed and headed towards a buffet table across the room.

Rick, Mary’s ex-husband, looked up and gave his daughter a huge grin and then scooped her into a hug.

“Let’s go.” The blunt order came from his father. James looked back and then to Mary.

“It’s OK, Dad. He has a right to be here.”

“I’ll be in the car.” Glen Moore turned and left, his face as stony as granite and his posture as stiff as the expression on his face.

Tension tightened across James’s neck. Didn’t his dad understand that when he rejected Rick, it hurt Mary and the kids? She had enough raising two children without Dad censuring her. Especially in public.

“Dad—” Mary started, but broke off as the door shut behind their father.

Rick, carrying Abby, walked up to Ian and patted him on the shoulder. “Son,” he acknowledged before extending a hand to James. “Hey, Jim. Heard you were around.”

James tentatively shook Rick’s hand as he took note that Ian had ignored his dad. James wanted to be civil, but he didn’t want to betray his sister, either. “Yeah. It’s been a while,” he said. The man was either a supremely good actor or he was clueless about the tension he’d caused. James glanced back at Mary.

Her attention was on the closed glass door. “Maybe we better go.”

“Why, Mommy?” Abby asked.

Rick brightened. “She’s right. Go get your ol’ man and let’s put a couple tables together.” He glanced over his shoulder.

James followed Rick’s gaze to a young brunette who was standing at the buffet table. She smiled, but the gesture didn’t travel to her eyes.

“He’s already in the car,” Mary said flatly. “He won’t come back in. Maybe another time.”

“All right.” Rick set Abigail on her feet. “Just trying to be civil about this.”

“Maybe another time.”

“Yeah, you said that.” Rick sighed and then looked to James. “Jimmy, let’s catch up. Mary knows where to find me.”

“Sounds like a plan,” James replied noncommittally. The tension in his neck throbbed. “I-I’ll give you a call.” He hoped Rick didn’t mean it. He really didn’t want to go over the ashes of a dead relationship with this man, despite Rick’s children being James’s niece and nephew. James glanced one more time at the brunette across the room and then ushered Abby to the door.

Mary and Ian followed close behind.

James wondered where they were going to grab a bite now before the Christmas pageant got underway.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.