still too close to his parents for his taste. But he'd sublet his condo when he'd gone on tour and that lease wouldn't run out for another three weeks. So, he'd accepted his mother's offer to stay here. He had a feeling he was about to regret that decision.
Another impatient knock came at the door, which didn't surprise him at all. Jack Callaway was a determined man with strong opinions, and he usually got what he wanted when he wanted it. Success was always his goal and failure was never an option. Jack had high expectations for himself and everyone in his family, and Sean had never managed to meet those expectations. He and his father had been butting heads since he was a kid. He had a feeling that would never change.
Rolling out of bed, he stumbled to the door, knowing Jack would no doubt have something to say about the fact that it was almost noon, and he was just getting out of bed. He might be twenty-eight years old, but his father had yet to see him as anything but the kid who'd always disappointed him.
He opened the door, his gaze narrowing on the sight of his father dressed in a black suit. "Where are you going?"
"The same place you are." Jack gave his wrinkled t-shirt and sweats a look of disapproval. "Why aren't you dressed? We're leaving in ten minutes."
"What are you talking about?" He rubbed his temple again, the pain in his head getting worse now that he was talking to his dad.
"Your cousin Camille's wedding. It starts in an hour."
He vaguely remembered his mother mentioning something about a wedding, but he hadn't realized it was today or that he was supposed to go. "I thought just the two of you were going."
"When have we ever had a family wedding where everyone wasn't invited? Not that you would know, since you rarely show up to anything."
He had no reply to that. It was the truth.
"Well, are you coming or not?" Jack demanded.
"No, I can't come. I have to work today."
Irritation flashed through his father's eyes. "Can you get out of it? It would make your mother happy if you'd come with us."
"I can't imagine that she'll miss me. There will be dozens of Callaways in attendance."
"That's what you always think, but it's not true, Sean. When you're not there, you are missed. You're part of this family whether you want to be or not. You take family for granted. Someday you may regret that." Jack paused. "Since you're not going to the wedding, you can do your mother a favor."
"What's that?"
"She promised to send a stepladder over to Jessica. She's moving into the Emery's old house today. You can take the one in the backyard."
His stomach turned over. That was the last thing he wanted to do, but he could hardly turn down such a simple request. "Fine. Is that it?"
His father stared back at him and then shrugged. "That's it."
Sean closed the door and let out a sigh, bothered not only by the conversation with his father but also by yet another mention of the Emery house. His feelings were completely irrational, but that didn't make them any easier to shake.
Another knock came at his door, and he jumped. Damn he was on edge.
It was his stepmother, Lynda, this time. Although stepmother wasn't really a label that made any sense, since Lynda was the only mother he could remember. His biological mother had died when he was a toddler.
Lynda, an attractive blonde with blue eyes and a warm, loving smile, wore a short maroon dress with black heels. In her hands she held a plastic container.
"Jack said you're not going with us to the wedding," she said.
"I'm sorry. I didn't realize it was today, and I have some things to do."
"Well, I'm disappointed, and I think Camille will be as well, but I'll give her your best. Your dad says you'll take the ladder over to Jessica. I want you to take this, too. I made Jessica some sandwiches. She's going to be too busy unpacking to worry about food. Keep it in the fridge until you go."
He took the container out of his mom's hands with a sinking heart. "All right. So
Another impatient knock came at the door, which didn't surprise him at all. Jack Callaway was a determined man with strong opinions, and he usually got what he wanted when he wanted it. Success was always his goal and failure was never an option. Jack had high expectations for himself and everyone in his family, and Sean had never managed to meet those expectations. He and his father had been butting heads since he was a kid. He had a feeling that would never change.
Rolling out of bed, he stumbled to the door, knowing Jack would no doubt have something to say about the fact that it was almost noon, and he was just getting out of bed. He might be twenty-eight years old, but his father had yet to see him as anything but the kid who'd always disappointed him.
He opened the door, his gaze narrowing on the sight of his father dressed in a black suit. "Where are you going?"
"The same place you are." Jack gave his wrinkled t-shirt and sweats a look of disapproval. "Why aren't you dressed? We're leaving in ten minutes."
"What are you talking about?" He rubbed his temple again, the pain in his head getting worse now that he was talking to his dad.
"Your cousin Camille's wedding. It starts in an hour."
He vaguely remembered his mother mentioning something about a wedding, but he hadn't realized it was today or that he was supposed to go. "I thought just the two of you were going."
"When have we ever had a family wedding where everyone wasn't invited? Not that you would know, since you rarely show up to anything."
He had no reply to that. It was the truth.
"Well, are you coming or not?" Jack demanded.
"No, I can't come. I have to work today."
Irritation flashed through his father's eyes. "Can you get out of it? It would make your mother happy if you'd come with us."
"I can't imagine that she'll miss me. There will be dozens of Callaways in attendance."
"That's what you always think, but it's not true, Sean. When you're not there, you are missed. You're part of this family whether you want to be or not. You take family for granted. Someday you may regret that." Jack paused. "Since you're not going to the wedding, you can do your mother a favor."
"What's that?"
"She promised to send a stepladder over to Jessica. She's moving into the Emery's old house today. You can take the one in the backyard."
His stomach turned over. That was the last thing he wanted to do, but he could hardly turn down such a simple request. "Fine. Is that it?"
His father stared back at him and then shrugged. "That's it."
Sean closed the door and let out a sigh, bothered not only by the conversation with his father but also by yet another mention of the Emery house. His feelings were completely irrational, but that didn't make them any easier to shake.
Another knock came at his door, and he jumped. Damn he was on edge.
It was his stepmother, Lynda, this time. Although stepmother wasn't really a label that made any sense, since Lynda was the only mother he could remember. His biological mother had died when he was a toddler.
Lynda, an attractive blonde with blue eyes and a warm, loving smile, wore a short maroon dress with black heels. In her hands she held a plastic container.
"Jack said you're not going with us to the wedding," she said.
"I'm sorry. I didn't realize it was today, and I have some things to do."
"Well, I'm disappointed, and I think Camille will be as well, but I'll give her your best. Your dad says you'll take the ladder over to Jessica. I want you to take this, too. I made Jessica some sandwiches. She's going to be too busy unpacking to worry about food. Keep it in the fridge until you go."
He took the container out of his mom's hands with a sinking heart. "All right. So
Similar Books
Echoes of Tomorrow
Jenny Lykins
The Death of Rex Nhongo
C.B. George
The Butcher of Smithfield
Susanna Gregory
T.J. and the Cup Run
Theo Walcott
The Ivory Road: A Walk in the Sand
Siobhan Muir
Murder in the Dorm
C.G. Prado
Looking for Alibrandi
Melina Marchetta
Rescue Nights
Nina Hamilton
