“Enough said.” He shook his head. “Let me guess, she can’t be proud of you because you’re more like him than you are like her, and everything you do reminds her of him.”
“Spot on.” I smiled wryly. “She thinks I did it to spite her. She thinks I did it because I wanted my father’s attention.”
“Did you? Want his attention?”
“I haven’t spoken to him since I was ten. I don’t want or need his attention.”
“Why?”
“Why what?”
“Why haven’t you spoken to him? Divorces happen. That’s pretty normal.”
I didn’t say anything, and then I exhaled a long slow breath. “He didn’t just leave my mother and me. He had another family in secret. I have two half-brothers I’ve never even met.”
“Jesus. Are you serious?”
“Yeah. As soon as the ink was dry on his divorce papers to my mom, he married Callie.”
He reached over to touch my thigh and gave it a little squeeze.
“He’s been calling me recently, trying to get in touch,” I admitted. “I’ve ignored his calls.”
“What do you think he wants?”
“No idea. Don’t care, really.” I pulled into the near empty parking lot of the hospital. “What about your mom? Are you close with her?”
“Yeah, we were close.”
I didn’t miss the past tense. “Did she…”
“Die? Yeah. A few years after I patched in.”
I turned off the engine. “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be. She was in a lot of pain. It was better for her.”
I leaned across the car, and he met me halfway. Our lips met, our breaths minty. For the first time, our need for one another wasn’t fueled by lust. It was acceptance and solace. Understanding.
He pulled back and shot me a somber grin. “We know how to have fun, don’t we? Talking about heavy shit before the sun even comes up.”
I sighed and leaned my head back against the seat rest. “That’s new for me. Talking about my parents and family life.”
“Same.”
We got out of the car, and I hit the clicker to lock the doors. As we were heading toward the hospital, I heard the rumble of an engine. Boxer’s truck pulled up to the curb and then idled for a moment.
“What service,” I teased.
Boxer grinned. “You’re gonna be thinking about me all day while you’re at work.”
“Am I?”
Boxer leaned in close to whisper in my ear. “Oh, yeah, you’re gonna miss my mac and cheese and most off all, my great big—”
“Hey, Linden,” Peyton greeted.
I jumped back from Boxer, embarrassed that I’d been so wrapped up in him that I hadn’t heard her approach.