Suddenly Last Summer (O'Neil Brothers 3)

“Thanks to you my wardrobe is empty, too.” Jackson closed the fridge and frowned at him. “Isn’t that my shirt? Kayla bought it for me.”

“That explains why I like it. She has good taste.”

“Which is why I want it back.” Jackson gave Tyler’s legs a shove with his foot. “Those muscular thighs might do it for women but get them off the damn table.”

Tyler cursed as he lost his balance and beer sloshed onto his thigh. “You never used to be this fussy. I blame Kayla.”

“It wouldn’t kill you to clear up once in a while. You’re responsible for a teenage daughter. What sort of example are you setting?”

“I’m a supercool dad. And the easiest way to clear up food is to eat it.” Tyler heaped the remains of the potato salad onto his plate and Sean stood up.

“I need to get some air.”

Tyler waved his fork. “Why not just lose your temper right here? That’s what everyone else in this family does. Just let it out. Don’t mind us.”

Sean looked at his brothers. They didn’t know the whole story.

They didn’t know just how unhappy their father had been.

They didn’t know about the rift that existed between him and his grandfather.

His head exploding with it, he strode to the door and scooped up his jacket. “I’ll finish the deck before I leave tomorrow.”

“Temper, temper.” Tyler speared a potato with his fork. “You can pay up anytime you like, Jackson. Cash works for me.”

CHAPTER SIX

SEAN BREATHED IN the night air, trying to walk off the anger. Anger that made no sense. Had he really expected everything to change just because his grandfather was ill and he’d dropped everything to rush to his side?

Had he really anticipated an emotional reunion, gratitude and a shift to a new level of mutual understanding?

No, but he’d hoped for it.

He wanted to heal the rift. His grandfather wanted him gone.

And he wanted to go. This whole damn place just made him think of his father.

Sean strode along the path to the lake, a hollow ache in his gut. Instead of turning left to go to Jackson’s house, he turned right and walked toward the boathouse.

The sun was setting over the lake, sending flashes of dark gold over the still surface. An owl hooted in the darkness, a familiar sound from his childhood.

The sudden rush of emotion caught him low in the gut.

How many hours had he spent here? How many facts had he soaked up while listening to the beelike buzz of the blue-winged warbler in the trees nearby? There’d been no better place to learn about Galileo than here, sitting, looking up at the stars.

Sean bent to examine the unfinished section of the deck. If he started work at dawn he’d be finished by lunchtime. That way he could fulfill his promise to Élise, help Jackson and still be gone before his grandfather showed up.

Frustration overflowing, he picked up a stone and sent it skimming across the darkened surface of the water into the black of the night.

“You could jump in,” a voice said from behind him. “That would cool you down.”

He turned and saw Élise leaning against the boathouse, arms folded, watching him.

“My brothers have thrown me in the lake often enough for me not to want to do it voluntarily. How long have you been there?”

“Long enough to see you boiling with anger.” She pushed away from the side of the boathouse and walked toward him, her eyes glinting in the moonlight. “You are like a little boy, throwing things and having a tantrum because things aren’t going your way. Instead of thinking of yourself, you need to think about your grandfather.” Her accent was more pronounced than usual, her voice velvet-soft. “He is the one who is suffering.”

Anger collided with exasperation. “What the hell do you think I’m doing here? I’ve done nothing but think about my grandfather. I dropped everything the moment I got Jackson’s call. I’ve been wearing the same clothes for three days, pulled in a million favors from colleagues and slept in Jackson’s spare room, and all I’ve done is made things worse. Gramps doesn’t want me here. Fortunately that’s easily fixed.”