Total pages in book: 75
Estimated words: 77857 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 389(@200wpm)___ 311(@250wpm)___ 260(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 77857 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 389(@200wpm)___ 311(@250wpm)___ 260(@300wpm)
I have to concentrate. Pray. Send healing vibes. Stay positive.
Which means I can’t think about the fact that I saw Pat Lamone with Brock when Callie and I came back out here.
I don’t want to ask about it. I want to shove it into a compartment and forget about it until my father is out of the woods.
But I can’t.
“Brock?” I choke out.
“Yeah, sweetheart?”
“What was Pat Lamone doing here?”
“Shit. I was hoping you hadn’t seen him.”
“I was hoping I hadn’t either, but you just confirmed it.”
“He says he’s here to see someone in the hospital, and he parks at the ER because it’s easier.”
“So he doesn’t know about Dad?”
“If he does, he didn’t indicate it. He could be lying, of course.”
“Yeah. He probably is.”
“But Rory, why would he be here if your father’s in the ER?”
“I don’t know. Kick us while we’re down?” I scoff.
He kisses my lips. “I don’t think so. He was here to see someone.”
“Who?” I ask.
“It doesn’t matter who,” Brock says. “You concentrate on your dad. Forget about Pat Lamone. He doesn’t matter.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT
BROCK
Rory opens her mouth to answer and then widens her eyes.
I follow her gaze. Jesse has come back into the waiting area, and he’s talking to Donny and Callie.
“Come on.” I lead Rory over to where the others are standing.
“Good, there you are,” Jesse says. “They’ve taken Dad up to the OR. There’s another place in the hospital where we can wait, and it’s more comfortable.”
“All right,” I say. “Let’s go.”
“Thing is… It’s family only,” Jesse says.
“Donny’s family,” Callie says.
“So is Brock,” Rory says.
Oh God.
“I’m sorry,” Jesse says. “There’s already five of us up there, and Mom thinks…”
“You mean you think,” Callie says.
Rory touches Callie’s arm. “Callie, it’s okay. Let’s just go. We can let Donny and Brock know what’s going on.”
“That’s not—”
“Callie,” Rory says, in a voice that sounds like she’s talking to a child. “It’ll be okay. Donny and Brock have a lot on their minds as well.”
“Rory—” I begin.
“No, Brock. It’s okay. Callie and I will be okay. Jesse, Maddie, and our mom are there. We’ll keep you informed.”
My Rory. She will be a great mother. In her way, she already is one.
I kiss Rory on her lips. “If you’re sure.”
“Yeah.” Then she comes to my ear and whispers. “You’ve already seen me break down once today. I don’t want you to see it again.”
“Oh, sweetheart…”
“Please,” she whispers.
“All right. I’ve got you if you need me.”
“I know.”
Donny gives Callie a kiss, and then the three head back.
“Now what?” I say.
“Now we wait. I guess.”
“Or…we could figure out why the hell Pat Lamone is here and who he’s visiting.”
“Brock, you do know that hospital records are confidential.”
“Yeah, I know that. I also know I’ve got a couple of Benjamin Franklins in my pocket.”
Donny laughs. “God… Are we truly becoming our fathers?”
“No. Well, maybe. But apparently our grandfather…”
“What?”
“I’ve been talking to my dad, Don. Evidently our grandfather wasn’t above holding a gun to a person’s head to get what he wanted.”
Donny’s jaw drops. But almost as quickly, he recovers and says, “Now why doesn’t that surprise me?”
“Yeah, why doesn’t it? It surprised the hell out of me.”
“Listen, Brock. I’ve been racking my brain for the past couple of weeks, trying to figure out how the hell all of this fits together.”
“Any conclusions?”
“Only one.”
“Care to share it?”
“Sure. What we have are a bunch of puzzle pieces, and none of them fit together, but they must all be related somehow, right?”
“Maybe. Hell if I know.”
“Anyway, whether they’re related or not, there’s one thing that doesn’t fit. How a fucking rancher in Colorado turned his business into a billion-dollar enterprise.”
“Investments,” I say. “Start-ups probably. I mean, tech was just beginning back then. He probably invested in Apple and Microsoft. Intel and HP.”
“Yeah. We could easily find out by talking to Uncle Bryce. If he’ll talk to us.”
I nod. “Yeah. If.”
“Then you see what I’m saying.”
“Yeah, I see what you’re saying. There’s also our great-grandfather—the one who spawned this half great-uncle from whom Pat Lamone is allegedly descended.”
“Honestly? I think maybe that’s where we start. Great-Grandpa Steel, and then Grandpa Steel. If we can find out where they went wrong, maybe we can figure out the rest from there.”
“But this was years and years ago,” I say. “If there was any dirty money involved, it’s been laundered and then laundered again. It’s squeaky clean by now.”
“True.” Donny rubs his forehead. “All right. We’re here now, so let’s do what you said. Let’s figure out why Lamone is here and who he’s visiting.”
“If he’s even visiting anyone,” I say. “He could’ve been lying.”
“Absolutely. He absolutely could’ve been lying. Let’s go on the assumption, for just a minute, that he’s not. Maybe there is someone here.”
“And if there is someone here…” My mind races. “He told me he always parks here, at the ER, because it’s easier. Which means…he comes here a lot. Or he’s been coming here for a while.”