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"We can give her anything she needs," he said

"You’re da care of her, son I’ets at home but we both knew it had limits Not only does your mom deserve a better quality of life, but so do you and your brothers"

"That’s the thing, Doc If she goes into the nursing ho to let me take on the house and the boys? No, they’re not, that’s what They’re going to go to foster hoo for a few ht now, that’s not happening I can take care of myself"

"Justin, don’t concentrate on worst-case scenarios--we ht in Thunder Point Aside fro in another family’s house, there won’t be that much different about your lives Except they won’t have to work so hard to keep things together at hoone, Doc He left about six years ago They’ve been divorced for five years He sent money for a couple of years but we haven’t seen a check in a long time I don’t knohere he is"

"Where was he last?" Scott asked

"I think, Portland And we’re not going to Portland!"

"It ether"

"Wherever the boys end up, I’ll go there and get work But not with hiuy who took off and left three little kids alone with a sick uy to no to get to work on this right away, son I’ve been asking questions andphone calls, but now it’s ti to find a solution to this that works for you and your brothers Try not to worry too ht Well, worry seems to be what I do best"

Fifteen

Laine couldn’t believe how satisfying and tranquil her life had becoed were simple and left plenty of time for her to work out at the dojo, to enjoy her deck in the warood use of her kitchen and best of all, have quality ti that could co in late afternoon She opened it to stare into the eyes of her father

"Oh, God," she said She wasto stand here and stare at each other?" Senior said

She stepped back so he could enter "How did you find ent person would I hired someone to find you I knew approxih you’ve done your best to remove me from your life"

"Couldn’t the person you hired have found you a phone number?"

"Why bother with that? You wouldn’t talk to me Let’s not make this harder than it already is--I’m here to make amends I need my children back in my life You’re all I have"

"You have Pax, the one you find acceptable"

He frowned, his dark broering "Pax has his own family and his fellowship, I have very little of hi onon with me--he asks the help But Pax will at least talk toa dark eyebrow as he peered into the study, where her desk and co man, so full of bluster and stubbornness, she crossed her arms protectively over her chest "There were terms," she reminded him "I told you I didn’t want to hear froes in our relationship"

"Can we sit down?" he asked "We need to get this put to bed"

She shook her head "I was clear You were clearly stubborn"

"What do you want from me, Laine? Want me to say I’m sorry?" he asked His voice boomed as usual His physique h he’d been on vacation He’d been bald forever, as long as she could re of hair around his dome He was a handsome man Her mother used to say he looked just like Trapper John, MD, possibly accounting for the many reruns of that series they watched when Laine was a little girl For a seventy-year-old ly flat, his are "Now can we sit and talk?"

She gave a singular nod and turned, walking into the house, into the kitchen As she passed the table she pulled out a chair for hi another nod toward it "What would you like to drink? Tea? Wine? Cola?"

"Coffee?" he asked

"I’ll brew a pot"

She got busy in the kitchen while he sat at the table, taking in the view "Well, this isn’t bad," he said "I can see why you were drawn to it But it’s not as though we don’t have views back East This place has nothing on Cape Cod, the Hamptons, Kennebunkport, Newport"

She loved the unique and exquisite view but now she knew that’s not why she’d come to Thunder Point "I don’t live alone here," she said She set the coffee to brew and opened a bottle of wine She felt a sudden teulps frolass She went to the table and sat across from him "I live with a man I’ve lived with him for almost three months His name is Eric"

"And what does he do?" Senior asked

She tilted her head and leveled her gaze at his piercing blue eyes Of course her father didn’t ask if he was a good enerous He didn’t wonder if he had integrity "He owns a gas station"

"A gas station?" he asked with a short laugh "Well, you must like him"

She leaned toward him "I don’t need his rent money I’m never lonely, especially when I’m alone I’m not needy I’m not scared I don’t need anyone to take care of htly "Ah, so he’s brave"