The Lemon Sisters (Wildstone #3)(39)

“I don’t think you should go after her,” Brooke said. “She knows you planned on being here today. She’ll come home when she’s ready.”

Linc shook his head. “But—”

“The best thing you can do for her right now is let her feel like she’s in control, Linc.”

He ran his hands over his face. “What do you know that I don’t? Tell me all of it. Everything, Brooke.”

“She said something about you and the cute, perfect Brittney. And then some hot doctor she thought was a guy, but is really a woman. And oh yeah, you don’t ‘see’ her anymore. Or”—she grimaced—“do things to her anymore, including using the costumes from your secret sex chest. And I’m never going to forgive you for making me say that.”

Linc let out a breath. “I see her. She’s the only woman I’ve ever seen or wanted. And as for Brittney, she’s gay. And a child,” he added, sounding horrified at the accusation.

“And Dr. Sam?”

“She’s a professional associate.”

“With breasts,” Brooke pointed out. “Perky ones.”

Linc grimaced. “She’s just a friend.”

“Well, I’m sorry to be the one to tell you, Linc, but good-looking husbands, especially husbands married to my sister, don’t get to have female friends with good breasts.”

“You do realize that entire sentence is insulting.”

“Good. Maybe it’ll wake you the hell up.”

“Look, I know I’ve been busy—”

“Nonexistent,” Brooke corrected, “and not there for your children and your wife. And that’s bullshit, Linc.”

“I know it’s been crazy. I’ve been working at getting new partners for the practice, which would allow me to cut my hours. I tried to sell the practice to the hospital—they’ve made several great offers over the past few years—but Ethan won’t sell.”

“Yeah, well, your brother’s a dumbass. And I don’t care about him. I care about Mindy and your kids.”

Linc looked frustrated. “I know, but Ethan’s family, too.”

“Yeah. I get that.” She waved her arm, gesturing to herself being in the kitchen. “People will do just about anything for family, dumbass or otherwise. But that isn’t going to help me help Mindy. I need you to wake the hell up.”

A balloon floated into the room, attached to Ketchup the Tortoise.

“What the hell?” Linc said.

“We kept losing him, so we tied a balloon around his shell.”

Linc gave a slow blink. “Somehow that makes perfect sense.”

“Of course it does,” Brooke said. “You know what doesn’t? The fact that you work fourteen hours a day and leave before the kids get up, and then get home when there’s maybe half an hour before bedtime, and you think that’s okay.”

“I’m a doctor,” he said. “You know my brother and I took over my dad’s practice. And Ethan’s marriage is falling apart, so I’ve been having to take up the slack.”

She gave him a long look.

He paused and then grimaced. “Okay, yeah, I heard it as I said it. I’m putting my own marriage at risk. I need to spend more time at home.”

She sighed and softened slightly, knowing he was a good man in a tough spot. “These are your kids, Linc. Half an hour a day isn’t enough.” She poked her head out into the living room. Garrett’s long legs stuck out from under a big blanket tented between the back of the couch and a recliner. From inside came a bunch of giggles. “Hey,” she called out to the kids, “when’s the last time Daddy took you to the park?”

They all stuck their heads out and blinked. Clearly no one could remember.

“Well, guess what?” she asked brightly. “Daddy’s taking you to the park now. Aren’t you, Daddy?”

“Daddy” looked a little nervous, but he smiled gamely. “Everyone load up!”

Garrett stood. “I’ll be upstairs working on your tile.”

“Or . . . ?” Linc asked meaningfully.

“Or . . .”

“Or you’ll be with us.”

“Or I’ll be with you,” Garrett said smoothly.

“Yay!” the kids yelled, and jumped up and down.

“I’ve got to coach a soccer game at six,” Garrett warned.

“You come with us and then we’ll go with you,” Linc said.

The two men bumped fists and Brooke rolled her eyes. “That was cheating,” she said to Linc. “But A-plus for effort and creativity.”

Before they left, Linc stepped outside to call Mindy in private. Brooke pressed her ear to the window, but couldn’t hear a thing. “Dammit.”

“Maybe you could trust him to do the right thing.”

At the sound of Garrett’s voice in her ear, she jumped a mile in the air and sent him a baleful glance. “I’m not big on trust.”

“No shit.”

Linc came back in, and he and Garrett left for the park with the kids. Brooke left, too, and took herself on a drive around Wildstone, waiting for the urge to keep going on the highway heading south.

The urge didn’t come, so she drove back to the beach, parked, and walked up the stairs. And then she forced herself to walk the bluffs again. This time she only flop-sweated half her body weight.