Spark, page 22
“For fuck’s sake. My father is in the hospital. Someone shot him!”
Her mouth drops. “God, Donny, I’m so sorry. I don’t know why I said that.”
“You said it because you are angry. I get it. I’m angry too.”
Her eyes gloss over with unshed tears. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean—”
“Yeah, you did. You meant it all.”
She gulps. “I didn’t. Please believe me.”
Rage engulfs me, though. I’m ready to explode right here in this stupid-ass hotel room with no minibar.
“Donny…” She reaches toward me.
I back away. “I love you, Callie, but I can’t do this right now.”
“If you’d let me explain—”
“Explain what? That you think all us Steels shit gold bricks? Remember one thing. I wasn’t always a Steel, Callie. I came from somewhere else, and you have no idea what I went through.”
She shudders visibly and wraps the robe around herself more tightly. “Donny, I love you too.”
All these years, I’ve prided myself on being able to put my past behind me. I’ve watched Dale struggle with what he thought came easy to me.
Truth? It was never easy. It took a hell of a lot of work on my end, but I was determined not to live in the past. The Steels gave Dale and me a future, and I wanted it. I wanted it, and I made sure I got it.
“I can’t,” I say. “I can’t do this tonight. We’ll talk in the morning.”
She nods. “I’ll get dressed and go home.”
“You don’t have to,” I say. “You can have the room for the night. I’ll go.”
“Or we can both go.”
“Perfect,” I say, gathering my clothes. “Meet me for breakfast at Ava’s tomorrow at seven a.m. We’ll talk once we’ve both cooled off.”
She nods. “I love you.”
“I love you too.”
The words are true. Undeniably true. But there are things Callie doesn’t know about me. Things I’ll have to tell her if this is going to work.
And…
I have the distinct feeling there are things I don’t know about her as well.
Chapter Forty-Eight
Callie
I knock softly on Rory’s door when I get home. “Ror? You awake?”
The door opens, and a yawning Rory looks back at me. “Cal? What are you doing up this late?”
“I just got in. Sorry to wake you.”
Another yawn splits my sister’s pretty face. “S’okay. What’s up?”
I walk into her room and close the door behind me. “Some shit’s going down.”
“Like what?”
“I ran into Pat Lamone tonight.”
Rory wipes the last of the sleep from her eyes and widens them. “Shit. How?”
“He’s back in town, apparently, working the evening shift at the Snow Creek Inn.”
“How can he be back in town?”
“Hell if I know. I had to act all innocent with Donny, like I hardly remembered him.”
“Did he buy it?”
“I think so. He was more angry about other stuff.”
“Like what?”
“I think…” My heart hurts. It hurts so badly for the man I love. “I think he and Dale must have gone through some serious stuff before they came here. Like really bad.”
“I guess we always suspected.”
“Maybe you did. I didn’t give it a thought, which makes me feel about an inch tall right now.”
“Damn, Callie. You’re in love with him, aren’t you?”
I nod, sniffling back tears.
She pulls me into a hug. “It’ll be okay. We’ll work it all out.”
“How can we? Why is that jerk back in town?”
“I don’t know, hon. But I’ll find out.” She sighs. “I have some news myself. It’s not good.”
I pull back. “What? What happened? Is it Talon Steel?”
“No, no. He’s still fine, as far as I know. It’s Raine.”
“Oh my God. What happened?”
“She’s fine, as well, but she’s decided to stay in Denver. A former colleague offered her a partnership in his new day spa. She’ll be in charge of the salon. It’s too good an opportunity for her to pass up.”
“Ror, what are you going to do?”
Rory pauses a moment. “I don’t know. Except that I think I do.”
“I wouldn’t blame you if you wanted to get far away from this place.”
“But the family. The fire. They need me. And you, Cal. If Pat Lamone is back in town, you and I need to stick together.”
I gulp audibly. Rory’s right, but I can’t be selfish. “Raine needs you too.”
“I don’t think she does, Cal. I don’t think we’re in that place.”
“But you live together.”
“We do. Or did. But lately…”
“What?”
“Things have been a little tense, like I told you. She can’t seem to get over the fact that I’m bisexual and she isn’t. Plus, apparently Willow White has offered to buy Raine’s business here, so other than me, there’s no reason for her to stay.”
“You’re a pretty big reason.”
“I shed a tear or two earlier tonight, but I feel okay now. I think our time has passed. We weren’t each other’s forever.”
I say nothing. I’m not sure what to say.
“Have you found your forever?” she asks.
I simply nod. I have. Whether Donny feels the same way after tonight is up in the air, but at least he loves me. He said it, and I believe him.
One silly fight doesn’t change that.
But it does bring the current issue back to light.
“I’m sorry about Raine,” I say, “and Donny and I will work through our issues. But Pat Lamone…”
“Right.” Rory nods. “I guess we gather the group together.”
“Some of them don’t even live here anymore.”
She nods. “Carmen Murphy is still here. And Jordan.”
Carmen Murphy. Brendan’s cousin, born to his unwed aunt, Ciara Murphy. And Jordan Ramsey, Rory’s and my cousin, who was in Pat Lamone’s class at school.
Pat Lamone.
There were others, but he was the worst.
He tried to destroy us.
He failed.
But now he’s back.
Chapter Forty-Nine
Donny
It’s after midnight when I drive up to the home belonging to Jonah and Melanie Steel, my aunt and uncle.
I came here on a whim.
Uncle Joe.
He’s the oldest of Bradford Steel’s children, and Brendan mentioned him by name when he told us about another Steel heir, a brother to Brad.
If anyone has answers, he does.
I sit in the driveway and make the call.
After four rings, I get a groggy, “Hey, Donny. You okay?”
“Uncle Joe. Sorry to bother you so late.”
“No bother. Is it Talon? Is anything wrong?”
“No, Dad’s fine. I just checked in with Mom a little over an hour ago.”
“Thank God. What’s up, then?”
“I’m here. Outside your place. I want to talk to you.”
“What for? Can it wait until morning?”
I clear my throat. “No. I’m sorry. It can’t.”
“Okay. Give me a few minutes. I’ll let you in.”
I turn off the motor and walk to the door. A few minutes later, Uncle Joe appears in a robe, unlocks the door, and lets me in. His dogs bound around my ankles. I give them some love before he lets them out.
He leads me down the hallway to his office and sits down at his desk. I sit across from him.
“What’s this all about?” he asks.
“It’s about a lot of stuff,” I say. “But first and foremost, it’s about Bradford Steel’s brother.”
Uncle Joe raises an eyebrow. “What about him?”
I cock my head. His reaction surprises me. “You’re not going to deny he exists?”
“Why would I do that?”
“Well…because none of us knew he existed until a few days ago.”
“How did you find out about him?”
“I’ll be happy to tell you how, right after you tell me why no one ever talks about him. We all assumed Brad Steel was an only child.”
“He was a half brother. My grandmother was in an accident after she had Brad and she couldn’t have any more children.”
“So his father had an affair? Or what?”
“Apparently.”
“Apparently? That’s all you have to say?”
“Donny, my father was…” He pauses, clears his throat. “I was about to say he wasn’t a good man. But that’s not the whole truth. In many ways he was a good man. He just did some really bad things.”
“Okay. What’s this got to do with his brother?”
“Half brother.”
“Half brother. Whatever.” Uncle Joe’s use of the term half brother like it means something perplexes me more than a little. After all, Uncle Ryan is only his half brother. Why does that make a difference at all?
“Where is this coming from?” he asks. “And why in the middle of the night?”
“Because Dad got shot. That couldn’t have been an accident, and I’m finding there’s a lot of family stuff that we don’t know.”
“I’m sure your father has his rea—”
“It’s not just Dad, and you know it. Dad has started to tell Dale and me a few things. Things he says you guys all decided to keep from your kids.”
Uncle Joe flattens his lips into a straight line. “We had our reasons.”
“That’s a cop-out.”
“It’s not a cop-out, Don. Those decisions were made out of love. For you and your brother. For Henry, Brad, and Diana, who were so young, and for the rest of them that were still unborn at the time.”
“Well,” I say, “those decisions are coming back to bite us all in the ass.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean…I found out about Brad Steel’s half brother, which you say was never a secret, but I call bullshit. So it’s only a matter of time before I find out more.”
“Donny,” Uncle Joe says, “sometimes the past is better left buried.”
“According to whom?”
“According to people who have lived through it and don’t want it dredged up.”
“I see. And those people would be…?”
“I’m sure I don’t have to spell it out for you.”
“I get it. You’re protecting us. That’s a noble cause, for sure, but my father’s been shot. On his own property. He was on the northern quadrant of the beef ranch, Uncle Joe, a place he hardly ever goes. On a Sunday, when the workers are reduced to a skeleton staff. This wasn’t an accident.”
Uncle Joe sighs. “I’ve already talked to Ryan and Bryce at length about this. We’ve come to a conclusion. A theory, rather.”
“And…?”
My phone buzzes.
“Damn!” It’s John at the energy board. At this hour? But I have to take it. “Sorry,” I say to Uncle Joe, and then, into the phone, “Yeah?”
“Sorry, Donny. I know it’s late.”
“It’s tomorrow, John. The day you’re supposed to— Do that thing we discussed.”
“Sorry. The flight got canceled, so I had to drive. I just got in and got settled in the suite.”
“Glad you’re comfortable.” I resist an eye roll for Uncle Joe’s benefit.
“I was hoping to get to use the suite for more than a couple hours, but whatever.”
“Stay an extra day on me.”
“Thanks, man. I appreciate it. I’ve got the paperwork in hand, and I’ll drive into Snow Creek first thing in the morning to serve the papers and get the bar evacuated and shut down for a few days.”
“Good enough. Make it between ten and noon. Brendan Murphy usually closes the bar, so he won’t be up yet. Then I need you to go over to the Snow Creek Inn and arrange for a room for Murphy while his place is shut down.”
“I don’t have author—”
“Don’t worry about it. It’s all on me. Got it?”
“Got it.”
“You’ll be well taken care of.”
“Thanks, man.”
“Now go get some shut-eye.”
“Will do. Thanks, Donny.”
“Don’t mention it. I owe you.”
“Not a bad position to be in,” he says.
No shit. I end the call and turn to face Uncle Joe. “You were saying? About a theory?”
“Never mind.”
“Are you kidding? You can’t dangle that kind of bait in front of me. This is my father’s life we’re talking about.”
He sighs. “All right. But don’t tell your father I told you. This is only between Ryan, Bryce, and me so far. Your father is out of the loop. We don’t want him to worry. His only job is to heal.”
“Agreed,” I say. “So what’s the theory?”
He meets my gaze, pauses, and then clears his throat. “You want some coffee or something?”
“Are you fucking kidding? It’s the middle of the night. No, I don’t want coffee. I’m hoping I might get two hours of sleep before I have to get up again.”
I can’t help a soft scoff at the thought. Right. Like I’m sleeping tonight at all. No way in hell. I won’t be able to stop my mind from churning.
“Good enough.” Uncle Joe plunges his hands into the pockets of his robe. “I really shouldn’t say anything without talking to the others.”
“Please. Don’t even go there. This is Dad. My dad.”
He nods. “Right. You’re right.”
“What is it, then? What’s your theory?”
He pauses again, and I’m ready to grab him by the throat, when finally—
“It’s our feeling that your father wasn’t meant to be shot. At least not yet. The target”—he rubs his temples—“was me.”
No way will I sleep tonight, so I head to Dale’s. Yeah, he’s still a newlywed, and yeah, it’s the middle of the fucking night, but damn it, this can’t wait. He’s still keeping something from me, and tonight I need to be armed with every fact at my disposal.
I don’t bother texting. I just pound on the fucking door. His rescue dog, Penny, barks until she recognizes me. Then she pants and wags her tail through the window.
One minute passes. Two. I pound again. Three. Four—
The door jerks open. My brother stands there looking like a madman with his long hair in disarray.
“What the fuck, Don?”
I walk in without an invitation. “Let’s chat.”
“In the middle of the damned night?”
“Yeah, in the middle of the damned night.” I make my way to his office and walk in, taking a seat.
“You’ve got some nerve.”
“Dale, I’ve got a Mack truck rolling over my brain inside my head, I just arranged for someone from the energy board to illegally close down a bar, and Callie and I had a humdinger of a fight, not to mention what Uncle Joe just laid on me, so don’t even start with me.”
“Uncle Joe?”
“Yeah. Apparently, he, Ryan, and Bryce think Joe was the target of our mystery assassin, and I have to admit, it makes sense. Dad was in the north quadrant, which is Joe’s domain.”
“Fuck.” Dale runs his fingers through his already messed-up hair.
“Now get in here, sit your ass down, and spill whatever’s left that you haven’t told me.”
“It’s nothing, Don.”
I grit my teeth. “I’m in no mood for lies, Dale. No fucking mood.”
His facial features soften, then—a mixture of love and determination.
I’ve seen the look before.
All those years ago, when he safeguarded me. When he was taking what was meant for me. All those years, he protected me, and at what cost? Himself. He took the beatings, the rapes, the torture so I wouldn’t have to.
He’s protecting me still, and it needs to stop. Without all the information, I can’t do what has to be done.
“Please.” I soften my tone. “I need this. I won’t be able to sleep until I know all that you know.”
“I’ve told you all I know,” he says. “Dad didn’t elaborate.”
“Then what are you hiding? Because I know you, Dale. I know you.”
He clears his throat. “I’ve thought about whether to tell you my last secret. It’s not something you need to know, but it’s something I feel you should know. Even if you end up hating me.”
I widen my eyes. “Hate you? I could never.”
“You haven’t heard what I’m about to say yet.”
“Fine.” I’m too tired to argue. “Shoot.”
He inhales. “It’s not that easy.”
“You can tell me anything. We’ve seen each other at our worst, Dale. At our very worst. We don’t need to have secrets.”
“This is a big one, Don.”
“It’s not too big to share with me. I promise.”
“God, if you only knew…”
Dale’s forehead wrinkles, and he rubs at his stubbled jawline. He’s troubled. Both happy and content—due to Ashley and his newfound love, no doubt—and troubled. It’s an odd look.
We’re a hugging family, but Dale and I aren’t touchy-feely brothers. Despite this, I reach forward and grasp his forearm. It’s cold as ice.
He yanks it away. “No. Not until I get this off my chest.”
“Okay.”
“I know you’re trying to comfort me. Tell me it’s all okay, and I believe it will be. In time, anyway.”
I go rigid. Something’s up. Something big. “Dale, whatever it is, it will be okay.”
“I’m not sure you’ll be able to forgive me.”
“Forgive you? For what? You’ve taken care of me your whole life. Even when I’ve gotten sick of it.”
“I can’t take this to the grave. I’ve tried. I held it inside me for so long that it got buried. But then… Ashley…”
“What about Ashley?”
“She opened up something in me. Let it all loose. It’s been wonderful, but parts of it were also terrible. Horrific, even.”
“Dale”—I force a chuckle, trying to ease the situation—“you’re not making marriage sound all that great.”
