Melt (Steel Brothers Saga #4)(13)

Bryce nodded. “You’re right.”

Larry Wade had been caught, but the other two hadn’t. Those two could have kept abducting kids. “My parents knew Larry Wade was one of Talon’s kidnappers, and they let him get away with it. I sure as hell don’t know why. Larry claims he helped Talon escape, and maybe he did, but I still don’t get why my parents let him go.”

“Have you asked Larry?”

“I haven’t gone to see him. Only Jade has. I’m not sure Talon could hold it together. Hell, I’m not sure I could either.”

“Did Larry tell Jade anything?”

“No. Larry won’t say a word about the other two. He’s scared to death of them. We don’t know who the hell they are, and he won’t roll over on them.”

“That is a pickle.”

“A pickle?” I laughed, despite the somber subject.

“Just a phrase my mom uses,” Bryce said. “I’m sure you’ve heard me use it before.”

I shook my head. “I’m certain I’d remember that. But seriously, I don’t know. Maybe I should go talk to the SOB. I can force myself to hold it together. God knows I’ve done it before. Nothing to lose, except a couple hours of my life.”

“I’ll go with you, if you want. I’d like to pick his brain about Luke. My cousin could be alive somewhere for all I know.”

Poor Bryce. I’d have to tell him the truth about Luke at some point. But not right now. I loved the idea of him going with me, though. Facing Larry alone was more than I could stomach. “Would you really go along? I’d be grateful for the company, and I can’t ask one of my brothers to go with me, especially not Talon. They have to go in their own time. But I should talk to Talon first. It’s really his call whether I go. This is his story, not mine.”

“That’s true to a point. But we don’t need his permission to talk to Larry. Why shouldn’t we try to figure out what happened? We can help Talon all the better the more we know, and I’d like to find out more about what happened to Luke.”

“It’s a plan, then,” I said. “We’ll go see Larry. Does tomorrow work for you?”

“I set up a bunch of appointments to look at houses tomorrow. How about sometime next week?”

“Sounds good. God knows I have work to do around the ranch.”

Something occurred to me then, something I hadn’t yet asked Bryce about. “Tell me about Henry’s mother. What happened between you two?”

Bryce chuckled. “She was really hot, and I was drunk and in Las Vegas. That’s about the sum of it. Not one of my finer moments.”

“So how long were you two together?”

“About a year. She got pregnant the first night we were together. My own damned fault. I was shit-faced and forgot the condom. She gave me the ‘Oh, honey, it’s okay. I’m on the pill,’ line. What a crock.”

“She’s not the first one to use that line.”

“Yes, I should’ve known better. I’m not an idiot.”

“No, you’re not. But look at that cute little boy you got out of it. Is she in the picture at all now?”

“Not really, and it’s just as well. She has no business having a kid. I requested custody, and she didn’t fight me on it. It was a quickie divorce, just like it had been a quickie marriage.”

“At least it was a relationship. It’s more than I’ve had.”

“It was no relationship, Joe. It was a one-night stand with consequences.”

“What was her name?”

“Francine. Francine Stokes. She’s a topless dancer.”

I smirked. “Are you going to tell Henry about her one day?”

“Of course I will. He has a right to know who his mother is.”

I nodded. “I never thought about having kids, at least not until I saw you with Henry when you came back to town.”

“Neither did I,” Bryce said. “But I have one now. And you know what? I’m not sure how I ever got along without the little guy. Kids change things, Joe. I can’t say how much I look forward to his little smile. And my parents are having a blast. I’m no spring rooster. I wasn’t sure I’d ever have a kid, but I’m sure glad I do.”

My parents hadn’t lived to see any grandchildren, but I felt certain there would be some. Jade and Talon would probably have a child at some point. Would I? I’d have liked to think I would.

Melanie Carmichael’s face popped into my head. She had gotten to me the first time I saw her, and now, after that kiss… I wasn’t sure how to deal with it. There wouldn’t be any need to deal with it, because she had called it off. She didn’t want to have a relationship with me, so I had no other choice. If I wanted to see her, I had to make another appointment for therapy.

Whether she would take my appointment was up in the air.





Chapter Six





Melanie




Gina’s parents had never contacted me.

I sat in my bedroom in my loft in downtown Grand Junction, reading over Gina’s file. Yes, it was self-torture, but after I had inadvertently come across her letter earlier, I couldn’t help myself. This was far from the first time I had pored through the file, wondering where I had gone wrong. I’d taken copious notes after each session, just like I did with all my patients. I never took notes during the session. I liked to concentrate on the patient. But I was very detailed in my notes once the session was over.