He hadn’t been amused and threatened to call the cops. But after my rather embarrassing, snot-filled blubbering plea, he opted to call my dad, instead. I was grounded for a month and made to single-handedly clean up every scrap of toilet paper from the street.
Kyle, feeling guilty for bailing, helped me out.
But Judge Radner had labeled me a troublemaker ever since, even after going to law school and returning to my hometown to start my own practice. Once Dick Radner made up his mind about someone, it was damn near impossible to change it.
The thing about Southport was that memories were long and grudges even longer.
Rob helped me with the case, offering to read over the file on Monday to see if there was anything I missed. Having an extra set of eyes was always a plus, but my partner was a horrible shot, so we spent most of the day chasing balls in the blazing July heat. I was a sweaty, stinking mess.
I grabbed the bottle of Merlot I had picked up for my dad and made sure to remember the tray of baklava I had ordered from Mom’s favorite bakery as a peace offering for it being so long since we last had dinner together.
I turned the alarm on and headed out to my car, waving to Mrs. Hamilton as I left.
“Kyle came by on Thursday,” she called out. “Thank you again! You’re a godsend.”
“I’m glad to help out, Mrs. Hamilton. You know if you ever need anything, you just have to ask.” I carefully set the baklava on the passenger seat and walked around to the driver’s side.
“Where’re you off to?” Mrs. Hamilton asked suspiciously. I knew she was wondering if I was going to meet up with Chelsea. Thankfully, after her unannounced visit last week, I hadn’t heard from my soon-to-be-ex except for a voice message letting me know her lawyer had received the divorce paperwork. There were no tears or pleas, and for that, I was grateful, yet I couldn’t help feeling this was the calm before the storm.
“Having dinner at my parents,” I told Mrs. Hamilton.
Her creased face relaxed into a sweet smile. “Oh, that’s nice. Please tell your mother I said hello.”
“I will,” I replied. “Have a good evening!”
I got into the car and headed toward the opposite end of town. My parents lived in the same house they had purchased as newlyweds over forty years ago. It was a brick Cape Cod with yellow shutters and three dormers. They took a lot of pride in their house, so when I had suggested buying them a bigger, fancier house once I came into money, they shot me down without hesitation.
“We don’t need a bigger house. It’s just the two of us,” Dad had responded. Mom had never considered moving for a second. Their roots were twenty feet down, and there would be no budging.
I pulled up out front of my parents’ house and made my way to the front door. Lena opened it before I could ring the bell. She looked slightly frazzled, which was unusual for my otherwise cool and collected sister.
“Hey, big brother, you’re late,” she said, her voice high and thready.
I checked my watch. “Only by ten minutes. Surely Mom can’t have called for my head yet,” I joked, sidestepping her into the foyer. I could hear the sound of voices coming from the back of the house. “I was out playing a round with Rob. I had that waste of time case this week that I wanted to talk to him about.”
Lena was fluttering about, acting oddly ruffled. She was all but blocking me from walking into the hallway. “What’s with you? You’re hopping around like a damn kangaroo. Are you going to let me in the house or what?”
“Oh, it’s just that Mom invited some people over. She didn’t tell me there would be anyone else for dinner. I had no idea.” Her eyes were wide, and she was chewing her lip again. A clear giveaway she was agitated.
I shrugged. What was the big deal? Mom and Dad had a lot of friends. They frequently had a house full on the weekends. It wasn’t a new thing.
“That’s cool. I know most of Mom and Dad’s friends. I can make conversation with just about anyone. Just don’t tell me it’s the Pattersons. I’m not sure I can deal with Mrs. Patterson’s ‘accidental’ crotch grazes. Last time I swear she pinched my ass.” I patted Lena’s shoulder and gave her a gentle shove so I could get around her.
“No, not the Pattersons,” Lena said as she hurried after me.
I entered the kitchen, which was empty. I could see the patio door open leading out to the backyard. I briefly glanced outside, noticing several people besides my parents. I could smell the grill and noted that Mom had steaks and burgers out on the counter. I put the red wine on the table and started rooting around for the corkscrew.