Unbreakable (City Lights, #2)(79)

“You’re not dying, Pops. Would you like some coffee?” Cory raised his eyebrows meaningfully at me.

“That’d be great. And we’ll be fine. Really.”

“Well… okay,” Cory said, and I could see how pleased he was, how relieved. “One coffee, one candy bar.” He stopped at the door. “Behave yourself.”

“Don’t tell me what to do,” Walter grumbled.

“I was talking to Alex.”

I made a face back and shooed him away.

“Smart ass, isn’t he?” Walter said, though there was a flicker of warmth in his eyes. “See what I’ve had to put up with all these years? How long have you been putting up with him?”

“Not long. A few weeks.” I shifted in my chair. I wasn’t about to dishonor Cory’s wishes but I couldn’t stay completely silent. “He saved my life.”

“That’s what his mother used to say,” Walter said, and turned his gaze to the window and back over the years at the same time. “She said he saved her life. Not literally, of course. His mother…she wanted some kind of meaning and he gave it to her. Don’t know what. That’s between the two of them, I suppose. Though she’s been dead a long while now.”

“How old was Cory when she died?” I asked softly.

“Hmmm, little older than Callie is now. Ten years? Cory clammed up when she passed. Didn’t talk for a whole month. Not one word.” Walter rubbed the silver stubble on his chin. “Yeah, that was some tough times. Cancer,” he spat the word. “No rhyme or reason to it, is there?”

“No, I guess not,” I said, and watched as the sharpness fled Walter Bishop’s eyes and he swiveled his watery gaze to me.

“Eh? Georgia? Do you love him yet?”

Something deep in my heart flinched at the question. “I’m not Georgia, Mr. Bishop. I’m Alex.”

“No? What’s it going to take?”

“I…”

“He sold the business, Georgia. Can you believe that? Just when things were getting good. And for what?”

I eased a breath, regained some composure. “He wanted to take care of you. To make sure you had the best.”

“Fool boy. He could have built it up into something great and instead he threw it down the toilet. Bishop Construction. New owners now, but they wanted that name, oh yes. The name was everything. Meant something solid. Reliable. Because it was us. The new people...they just put a chess piece on it so it made sense.” He shook his head. “Why did he do that? Sell our name like that?”

“He did it for you,” I said quietly.

“For me,” Walter said. “What have I got left? I’m fading away like a picture in the sun. He should’ve let me die.”

“You know he could never do that.”

He held my eye for a moment more and then lost his focus again, as if someone kept pulling the shades up and then dropping them down. No rhyme or reason.

“You’re not Georgia. Who are you?”

I leaned forward, and took his hand in mine. “I’m alive because of your son. A few weeks ago, Cory saved the lives of fifty-three people. Including mine. He’s a hero.”

“A hero?” Walter snorted, but his eyes softened. “Yeah, that’s sounds about right. He’s a good boy. The best thing Vera and I ever did. The best.” He looked at me then, his expression sad, but he was still there, still with me. “He sold the business to take care of me.”

I nodded.

“So who’s taking care of him?”

I swallowed hard. “I am.”

“Yeah?” Walter Bishop leaned close, his eyes sharp and dark. “Do you love him yet?”

Cory returned with a Snickers bar and a coffee. “Here we go.” He stopped, eyeing the two of us. “Everything okay?”

Walter leaned forward in his chair. “What’s that? Snickers? Yeah, okay, that’ll do. Give it quick, before the KGB shows up and confiscates it.”

Cory bent to hand me a small coffee. His expression darkened with concern. “You okay?” he murmured. “He didn’t say anything inappropriate, did he?”

“No, no…” I glanced at Walter. He was chewing his candy bar, his eyes still sharp as they watched me. My cell phone buzzed, startling me. It had been ages since I’d had a call, and I’d never been more grateful.

“Excuse me. I’ll just take this…”

I stepped into the hallway. “Abed? Hi. It’s nice to talk to you.”

“You too, Alex. You’re sorely missed here.”

“Thanks. That’s good to hear.”

“No, I mean that literally. Munro. He’s not happy with the new development. Christopher taking his case and all. He’s been calling the office nearly every hour, raising holy hell with Lawson and Dooney.”

“Is he?” I said, and I couldn’t help but feel the smallest measure of satisfaction.

“He is,” Abed said. “He wants you back on the case, pronto. And he’s not the only one. Everyone’s working overtime to keep your cases afloat. Dooney’s eating crow, if that’s any consolation.”

I grinned. “Maybe a little.”

“Keep your phone on and expect a call from them any minute now, begging to have you back.” Abed lowered his voice. “I’m only a lowly paralegal, but I could be a lowly paralegal to a brand new partner in the firm if she plays her cards right.”