Goose in the Pond - Earlene Fowler [57]
Before I could protest, she disappeared into the guest room. I looked at Gabe, who was still grinning.
“You won’t be so happy when there’s no hot water for your shower.”
He laughed. “I’ll use the showers at the station.”
“Speaking of showers,” Sam said, not looking at his father. “I think I’ll take one right now.” He breezed past us and claimed the bathroom. Gabe stared after him a moment before turning to me.
“Alone at last,” he said, downing the rest of his Coke. “Is there anything to eat? And where have you been? You usually leave a note.”
“And you usually call,” I answered, snatching the empty Coke bottle out of his hand and heading for the kitchen.
He followed after me. “Sorry, we got so involved . . . why are you mad?”
I tossed the bottle in the trash and started putting dishes in the dishwasher. “Sam cooked you dinner. We waited, and you never showed up. That short and sweet enough for you, Friday?”
“Look, I just wasn’t ready—”
“To be decent to your son,” I finished.
“No,” he replied. He paused for a moment, and I could tell he was picking his words very deliberately. “Benni, I’m really sorry you have to be caught in the middle of this thing between me and Sam. As I told you before, there’s a lot about him you don’t know. It’s not your fault. Everyone falls in love with him. At first. You think I haven’t been taken in a million times by that smile of his? Lydia and I both have, especially after the divorce. She and I have discussed this many times, and we both agree that we caused a lot of his manipulating personality. Hopefully it’s not too late to try and correct some of our mistakes. I want him to become a self-sufficient adult who doesn’t try to just get by scamming off friends and family.”
I looked down at the ground guiltily.
He groaned softly and took my hands in his. “You gave him money, didn’t you?”
“He didn’t ask,” I said defensively. “I offered.”
He squeezed my hands, his face sad. “Sweetheart, he never asks. That’s how good he is. That’s what I want to try and change before it’s too late. I want him to become a responsible member of society, not a leech.”
“At the cost of your relationship?”
“Even at the cost of that. My responsibility as a parent to raise a child who can fit into our society is more important than having a child who thinks I’m the most wonderful person in the world.”
Can’t you have both? I wanted to ask but held back. Who was I to ask that question? I’d never even had children. He pulled me into his arms.
“I’m sorry,” I mumbled into his chest. “I just wish it was better between you two. You never know when . . .” I trailed off. His arms tightened around me, and I felt him rub his face across the top of my head. I knew we were both thinking about Aaron and I worried again about Gabe essentially ignoring the fact that his best friend had just died. Was his anger at Sam a reaction to that? I knew that was how some people reacted to death—push away everyone you care about with the irrational thought process that if you don’t get close to anyone, then you can’t be hurt when they’re taken away. “Gabe—” I started.
He let go of me and opened the refrigerator. “Can we discuss this another time? I’m hungry and tired and would honestly rather talk about anything but my problems with Sam.”
“Okay,” I said, watching him take out the leftover chicken and rice. “While you eat, I have some stuff to tell you about Nora’s case.” I filled him in on what I learned from both Nick and Will Henry. “So, why didn’t you tell me Nora inherited Bonita Peak and the land surrounding it?”
“I only found out about it this morning. You and I haven’t really had a chance to talk, have we?” He scooped chicken and rice onto his plate, then put it in the microwave.
I considered his answer, still not satisfied. “Were you going to tell me?”
He hesitated just a moment too long.
“Gabe! Don’t you think that’s something I should know? I am working with these people.”
“That’s exactly my problem. I’m going to ask you just to trust me on this. I’ll tell