Accidentally Family (Pecan Valley 1)

“Need anything?” she asked.

He shook his head.

“I’ll be up in a few.” She watched him make his way up, then she headed back into the kitchen. “Honor?” Not in the laundry room. Or the garage… But Amber’s car was gone. So were her keys. With a frown, she stared around the kitchen. A hastily scribbled note made her heart sink.

Robert Klein, his office address, a meeting time for tomorrow, and his phone number. Felicity picked up the phone and dialed.

…

“He’s on the verge, Dad.” Diana sat, knees drawn up, wide-eyed and upset. “I know what that looks like. And he’s so there.”

Graham tossed his tie on the back of the sofa and ran a hand along the back of his neck. Did he want to know what she was talking about? Right now, he was still battling the urge to head back to Felicity’s. It took a lot to get him upset, but Nick Buchanan had succeeded. Not for himself, but the way he’d spoken to Felicity. Nick was a teenager, volatile and self-absorbed, to boot. But he was a good kid deep down. Today had been a lot—for all of them. Enough to put Nick over his breaking point. “What happened?”

“Tonight?”

“Something happened before tonight?” He flopped onto the couch opposite her, doing his best to act calm. If he overreacted, she shut down. If he acted indifferent, she blew up. Calm and slightly curious seemed to work best.

“Yeah. This isn’t his first slip.” Her eyes pinned his, like she was evaluating her options. “I took him to hang out with some friends one night. He texted me.” She waved away any questions. “He was upset so, you know, I was all come hang out and relax.”

“You mean get high?” he asked, trying to keep his calm.

“Yeah, Dad, exactly. It’s not like meth or cocaine or something.” She smiled. “Anyway, it hit him way hard. But he walked it off.”

He swallowed all the questions and reprimands he had. All of them. It was hell. “What happened, then?”

“He saw some video. His dad and Amanda fighting—on some nanny-cam thing his aunt was watching.” She leaned forward. “Mr. Buchanan said he’d made a mistake leaving Felicity. Sort of gutted Nick, right?”

Graham shook his head. “Right.” He rarely used words like “hate” or “despise,” but he’d make an exception when it came to Matt Buchanan. Of course he’d made a mistake. He’d left Honor, Nick, and Felicity. Left them—all the love and laughter and noise. A family, a real, messy, devoted family. How could he ever have believed he’d create something like that with Amber?

“Tonight, we were chilling out and Charity gets a phone call from Sheriff Martinez. Next thing I know, we’re missing the last fifteen minutes of the movie, flying to the cemetery. Nick’s passed out in the sheriff’s car. Word is he broke his dad’s headstone.”

It hurt to breathe. Whatever anger he felt fizzled out. In its place was an aching hole. “Word from who?” he asked.

“People.” Her smile grew. “I know people.”

He nodded. “Right.” Because his daughter would know the sort of people who participated in or knew about illegal activities taking place in a cemetery at night.

“Cemeteries are good places to party, Dad. No one goes there at night.” She sighed. “So, yeah, they saw Nick climb over the fence and break his dad’s headstone with a sledgehammer. Then he was screaming. Sheriff Martinez showed up, and then Nick went face-first into the dirt.”

Her fingers spun the strands of woven bracelets on her wrist. “I don’t get it. I mean, his dad was a freakin’ asshole. Why does he still get so worked up over it? Are we surprised Felicity is getting stuck with his kid? Really? I mean, she’s Felicity. Like, the perfect mother. Who wouldn’t want to give their kid to her?” Her chipped nails flicked a charm. “Why does each new piece of evidence that his dad is, in fact, a world-class sleazebag make Nick lose his shit all over again?”

Graham couldn’t help but smile. His daughter had a way with words. He might not always agree with what she said, but sometimes—like now—she was pretty astute. “I guess he keeps hoping something will prove us all wrong.”

She blinked, her brows rising. “How is that even possible? You mean, the shithead accidentally cheated on Felicity? He, oops, accidentally knocked up Amber? And then, surprise, he accidentally forgets his real family?” She shook her head. “I don’t get that.”

“I don’t think there’s a way to undo any of that—you’re right. But Matt wasn’t always like that. Once, he was a good dad—and a good husband. I’m sure Nick wants to hold on to that somehow. Still, those

memories don’t align with the last few years.”

“So he can’t even trust his own memories? Because of the shit his dad pulled at the end?” Her eyes widened.

“Yes.”

“That is the saddest thing ever.” She wrapped her arms around herself. “Nothing can mess up what I know about Mom.”

“She was incredible,” Graham agreed.

“Felicity is pretty awesome, too,” Diana said, watching him. “I’m sorry we crashed your party tonight.”