Total pages in book: 64
Estimated words: 60018 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 300(@200wpm)___ 240(@250wpm)___ 200(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 60018 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 300(@200wpm)___ 240(@250wpm)___ 200(@300wpm)
“If anything, I’m happy to know you have someone who cares about you and it was obvious to me, even before yesterday, that Lizzie does. She’s been good to us all.”
His father nodded. “But she’s not your mother.”
And wasn’t that the crux of it all? “No. And I know we rarely talked about that night… mostly because I clammed up and refused.”
“Son, I wish you’d opened up to someone. To me, the therapist I spent a fortune on for all of you kids, or at least to each other. I hated seeing you in such emotional pain. Still do.” His father’s voice grew raspy.
Remy understood. He had a lump in his throat the size of Texas and couldn’t find a way to speak over it. But he’d come here for a reason and he swallowed hard. “It’s my fault.”
He glanced up to find his father narrowing his gaze. “What is?”
“Mom’s murder. If I had gone out for dinner with her as planned, she’d wouldn’t have been home when that bastard broke in.” The words poured from his soul. Words Remy had buried that night and pushed down deeper every year since.
“Dammit!” His father raised his voice and the monitor began to flash.
Remy jumped up from his seat. “Calm down before I kill you, too.”
His father took a deep breath and relaxed his breathing for a long, interminable minute. The lines became less erratic on the monitor and nobody came in to yell at him for upsetting his parent.
“That’s what you think? All these years, and now I find out you’ve been holding that bullshit inside you?” his father asked.
Remy knew Alex wasn’t angry at him, he was upset with himself for not figuring out Remy’s issues sooner. Not that he could have. On that subject, Remy had been a closed book.
“If anyone’s to blame for your mom’s death, it’s me,” his dad said.
“But—” Remy tried to interrupt.
“No. I knew Mr. Peterson was unhinged after the losses he took in the market. I advised him against making those investments but he insisted I do it anyway. When I saw the stocks dropping, I called him and strongly recommended he pull out. Peterson refused and told me they’d rebound.”
Remy lowered himself into his seat, knowing his dad wasn’t finished talking.
Alex shook his head, his hands curled into fists on the hospital blanket. “If I’d listened to my gut, if I’d fired him as a client, if I’d refused to invest as he asked…”
“That’s so wrong,” Remy said, shocked at how his father felt. “You aren’t responsible for another man’s actions!”
“I know,” Alex said softly. “And neither are you. You were a teenager who had the hots for a girl. Your mother called me after you left the house. Said she was glad you had a date.” His father’s wistful smile tugged at Remy’s heart. “That was the last conversation we had, but your mom was happy for you.”
The knowledge eased the pain and the heavy burden Remy had been carrying for so long. “And you don’t blame me?” he asked.
His father shook his head. “No more than I blame myself, though it took me years of therapy to accept that.”
Remy’s lips twisted, feeling wistful. “I wish I’d been less stubborn about it.”
“You would have saved yourself a lot of pain,” his dad said. “You should know though, I grieved your mom. Deeply.” He dipped his head.
“I remember. We moved in with Grandma and Grandpa.” His father’s parents had taken good care of them when Alex couldn’t do it all himself. Now they were on a cruise to Alaska, living their best later years, and they deserved it.
His father picked up the spoon, then placed it back in the bowl. “Damn slop,” he muttered.
Remy laughed. “Better get used to it.”
“Lizzie’s a better cook than this. I’ll be fine.”
Remy rose from his chair. “I’m glad you have her, Dad.”
“And she’ll be glad you accept us.”
He gave his father a brief hug, careful not to disturb the wires. “I’ll give you a call later.”
“Remington.”
He startled at the name people in his life rarely used. His mom had discovered the old TV show, Remington Steele, and insisted on naming him after what she called, the dapper main character. He shook his head at the memory.
“What?” he asked his father.
“No more guilt. Your sister told me you’re taking care of Raven?” His father knew her from his time visiting The Back Door.
Remy nodded, keeping the details to himself so as not to upset his father or cause him stress. “She’s the one, Dad.”
Alex smiled and looked like his usual self for the first time this morning. “Be smart and lock her down, then.”
“I will,” Remy laughed as he made the promise, leaving his father in a much better mood than he’d been when he’d arrived.
And he had Raven to thank for it.