Total pages in book: 106
Estimated words: 100188 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 501(@200wpm)___ 401(@250wpm)___ 334(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 100188 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 501(@200wpm)___ 401(@250wpm)___ 334(@300wpm)
“Shut your piehole, Brenda,” Doc snapped. “You can turn right around and go back to the lake house if you don’t want to be here. No one said it was mandatory.”
Brenda’s eyes widened in surprise, and she sat down in the nearest chair. “No. I want to be here. Sorry, Dad.”
“I’m here!” Carmen came flying in, long wet hair in a messy bun on top of her head. “Sorry. I smelled like manure after gardening this morning.”
She tossed a quick kiss on Gina’s cheek. “Sorry, babe. I brought you some clothes if you want to change later.”
“Thanks.”
“Okay,” Doc said. “Sit down, everyone.” He glanced at Grandpa for some kind of married-person silent communication.
Once we all settled down, Doc opened his mouth, but Grandpa cut him off.
“I’ve got it, hon. Thank you.” He reached out his hand for Doc’s and pulled him down in the big chair beside him before turning to the rest of us. “The short version is, my family kicked me out when I was a teen after my dad caught me with another boy. I didn’t have anywhere else to go, so I lied my way into the army where I eventually met Doc. After that, Doc and all of you guys were my family. I put my biological family behind me and tried not to spend time thinking about the past.”
He took a deep breath. “Two years ago, someone related to my biological family showed up in Hobie. It was a complete coincidence, but we realized Nico’s best friend Griff’s father is actually my nephew. Griff’s grandfather was my brother, William Marian, but he passed away years ago.”
We all stared at him. West was as confused as the rest of us. “Griff is related to you? That’s not possible. Nico never said a word to me. We don’t keep secrets from each other.”
“He doesn’t know. I asked Griff’s mother, Rebecca, not to tell anyone until I knew how I wanted to handle it. And then I chickened out and pretended like it had never happened. That was two years ago.”
Aunt Brenda leaned forward with her elbows on her knees. “Who’s the guy who came to the door today? Someone from that family?”
Doc chuckled. “Fate. Fate came to the door and told him to get his head out of his ass.”
Grandpa pretended to elbow him. “No, that was someone I didn’t know existed. His name is Miller Hobbs. He did one of those ancestry DNA kits and discovered he’s a close match to me and a closer match to a Matilda Marian in San Francisco. My sister. Since I’ve never had biological children, I explained it either had to be through my brother, William, or my sister, Matilda. It looks more like a match to Tilly.”
Doc cut in. “There are no records of Tilly ever marrying or changing her name. Miller’s mother was born to an anonymous unwed mother in a home in California. Tilly would have been eighteen at the time.”
“Has Miller met her yet?” I asked.
Grandpa sat up straight. “She refuses to meet him or acknowledge him. He came here in hopes I could help get through to her.” He paused for a moment. “His mother is dying. She wants to meet her biological mother if possible before she goes. Miller wants to do this for her.”
Silence descended again.
“Well, shit,” MJ said. “What are you going to do?”
“Go to California to see my sister,” Grandpa said. “And try and figure out how the hell to say ‘sorry I disappeared, hey can you do this kid a favor’ when I get there.”
“Wow,” West said. “You know Nico and I will come with you to help any way we can.”
Grandpa nodded at him. “I think that would be great. We’ll need all the help we can get. If Tilly is anything like she was as a girl…” He sighed and then smiled fondly to himself. “I might need to wear a suit of armor and bring a fire hose.”
Chapter 33
Augie
Saint was quiet in the car on the way to Dallas Friday night. He seemed to be in another world, so I left him to his thoughts. I may or may not have snuck a few glances over to appreciate the navy man in a french-blue button-down shirt and black dress pants. He looked downright edible, if a bit distracted.
After an hour in the truck, he finally blinked and turned to me, reaching across the center console for my hand.
“I’m sorry, Augie. I didn’t mean to sink into my head like that. Something happened this afternoon at the ranch.”
“Is everyone all right? Doc and Grandpa? Neckie?”
“Oh, yeah. Yes. Everyone is fine.” He continued to tell me about his grandfather’s long-lost-relative situation. Then he updated me on his siblings and the baby. “She’s so freaking sweet, Augie. So tiny.”
“Yeah,” I teased. “They make ’em small, don’t they?”