The Two Younger Men Complete Collection

Maddox liked Joel. He was a nice guy and a good son. “What are you worried about?”

“I haven’t been able to figure out why Restin had to borrow the groundskeeper’s cell phone.”

“We were thinking the exact same thing,” Zane said. “It doesn’t make sense.”

“Unless he didn’t want our father to know he was notifying us. What if our father is trying to hide this from Mom? If we’re right about his man taking Restin’s note, maybe that’s why. To keep his location secret from Mom. My father stole from her, you know? And she was never able to find him.”

Maddox nodded. Joel was a very intelligent guy, just like his mother.

“What I can’t figure out is why he wanted to see me and Restin? Why now? What’s changed? He’s never been a part of lives, which has suited us just fine. He’s up to something. Do you think we should be armed when we go out there?”

“After what you’ve told us, we will be prepared. Don’t worry.” He didn’t want Joel to know about the two Glocks, believing the kid would want one of his own. Joel was very protective of his mother, so it made sense. But he was only eighteen and Maddox doubted he had any training with guns.

“But I don’t want my father to ambush us, guys. He’s not trustworthy.”

“If what we suspect is true or not, Joel,” Zane said, “we have to be very careful. Maddox and I were in the military and have extensive combat training.”

Maddox looked the young man in the eyes and saw strength and courage. “When we go to your father’s compound, we’ll be prepared for whatever we find. You just stay close to your mom, okay? Make sure she’s safe.”

“I will.”

The lavatory door opened and Toni emerged, looking as beautiful as ever in a blouse and a pair of jeans. “Hey, guys. I feel so much better now.” She looked at Zane. “Are we switching seats for some reason?”

“No,” Zane answered but at the same time Maddox said, “Yes.”

She laughed. “I’ll sit by Maddox for a while and you can get more acquainted with my son, Zane.”

Maddox was thrilled to hear that.

“That’s a good idea,” Zane said. “And later Maddox and I will change seats so that he and Joel will also have a chance to get to know each other better.”

Maddox thought that was a great idea, but not just about getting to know Joel better for him and his brother. They would each get to enjoy some quality time with Toni. So, he took his seat by the window and motioned for her to sit in Zane’s on the aisle.

When Toni sat down beside him, he took her hand. “I’m very impressed with how you are handling this very stressful situation.”

“Grace under pressure, I suppose. At least I’m trying.”

“And you’re doing a great job, too.” He looked in her blue eyes and saw the steel there. “So are you a fan of Hemingway?”

“Hemingway? I guess so, but why do you ask?”

“You quoted him. ‘Grace under pressure.’”

“I did? He said that? No. I was thinking about Rush.”

“Rush Limbaugh?”

“No. The band, silly.” She giggled. “Grace Under Pressure is the title of one of their albums from the early eighties. I’m a big fan. When I was in seventh grade, they were all the rage in my school. I’ve never stopped loving their music.”

He sensed she was more relaxed than she’d been since they’d left Dallas. He wanted to keep her talking about music or anything that would distract her from thinking about her ex. “Did you ever play an instrument or sing?”

“Yes. I played piano and sung with Izzy and Cami. We had a girl trio, which was quite good for our ages. Don’t tell her I told you, but Izzy plays a mean guitar. And Cami is fantastic on the drums.”

“Why did you all quit?”

She sighed. “I got married, but there are many other reasons as well. I’ll tell you about it sometime.” Her lighter mood vanished.

Damn, why did I ask that question? “What songs did the three of you sing?”