The Chance (Thunder Point #4)(83)

She put her hands on her hips. “He’s gone out to the lake. Fishing. Now what is this about?”

“It’s about the black eye,” Al said evenly.

“It was his own screwing around,” one of the kids from the family room said.

“He said Ernest was drunk,” Justin said.

“There’s no liquor in this house,” Evelyn said. “He’s making that up so he doesn’t get in trouble for it. You’re going to want to drop it right now before you make more trouble.”

“Liquor doesn’t have to be in the house for a man to come home drunk,” Al said. “I expect child services will want to know. Don’t you have to report injuries?”

Evelyn stepped toward them, throwing down the towel. “You best think on this,” she said, and she no longer looked at all pleasant. “First off, if child services pulls that boy out of here, there’s no place for him to go except emergency housing and half the time they stick ’em in a child haven or juvie. And they’ll only take the one kid, not both. And if I get my license pulled, those two’ll get split up and go to different parts of the state! There will be hell to pay. I put ice on it. It’s just a bruise. He’ll be all right.”

“I’m making a complaint,” Justin said.

“You complain all you want, you ungrateful little troublemaker. I was the only one willing to take both boys. If they make trouble for me, I’ll turn ’em back and they aren’t going back to you! That’s for sure!”

Justin ground his teeth against a rising rage, his eyes narrow and his fists clenched and Al thought, He’s a thread away from launching an attack.

“I have one thing to say to you,” Al said soberly, calmly. “You better be sure neither of those boys gets hurt again or there will absolutely be hell to pay and you’ll pay it to me. I hope you hear me, ma’am, because I’m not warning you again.” He put a hand on Justin’s shoulder. “Come on, son. Let’s go.”

They walked out of the house, got in the car and drove for over two hours to the nursing home. Through the whole ride all Al could think was, I can’t do this. I can’t watch this. I can’t see these young boys who have shouldered so much already be abused. This is way bigger than I am.

* * *

Scott Grant was kept very busy all through the spring. He was on call to Spencer Lawson, the high school’s football and track-and-field coach. Scott was the volunteer team physician. It was a pretty laid-back job, since not many injuries occurred in these organized sports, but it meant being available and being in town when there were meets or games. That meant no moonlighting in Bandon.

In addition, there were several people he was watching over, Justin Russell being one. And he had his practice, a new practice that was constantly growing. But this was exactly what he wanted—to be in a place where he was needed. A place where he was the medicine man of the town.

And it was a good town. As spring gave way to summer, there were community celebrations for graduation, which included parties—Scott was invited to all of them. And the beach was once again a warm and inviting place. Cooper’s house was nearly finished and Scott helped them install shutters, hang shades, move furniture. Quite a few of Cooper’s friends were also on hand to help—Eric, Al, Mac, Spencer, Rawley, young Landon... And those days of working on getting the house ready were always capped off with a beer or two on the deck of the bar next door. There were barbeques on the beach and in the backyards of friends. And it seemed to Scott that to every one of these town functions, whether casually thrown together or by invitation, he attended with his children—four-year-old Jenny and five-year-old Will. Everyone else attended with their spouse or significant other. Everyone except Eric, because Laine was away at the moment, but Eric was constantly seen on the periphery of their gatherings, smiling and talking into his cell phone.

If Scott was on the phone it was either to check on a patient or his kids....

It had been four years now since he lost his wife and he hadn’t even had a serious flirtation since. He thought he could keep loneliness at bay by staying busy, but it wasn’t working. He’d been ready, for a couple of years now, for a new relationship. It didn’t have to be as perfect and loving as the one he’d had with Serena, his late wife. He didn’t expect it to be—they’d been together for so many years before he lost her. He didn’t expect a miracle.

Then, while they were putting the finishing touches on Cooper’s new house, Devon—the best office manager he’d ever had—asked him if she could take a little time off. “I don’t think I have any vacation coming,” she said. “But could I take a few days, maybe five, without pay? Spencer and I want to get married the first part of July. Just a quiet ceremony, close friends only, but we’d like to go away alone for a couple of days. Cooper will see that Mercy and Austin are covered.”

Scott was momentarily stunned. Of course he knew they were planning on marrying. But his life seemed to be filled with people who never expected to find partners and were now not only all hooked up, but also blissfully happy. All he could think of to say was “What if Sarah has the baby?”

“Well, if that happens, we’ll want to rush home,” Devon said. “But there’s lots of backup—Rawley, Gina and Mac, all the teenagers, your nanny Gabriella. For her sake, I almost hope it happens—she’s not due for weeks but she’s already awful big.”