All In (The Blackstone Affair, Part 2) Read Free Page A

Fucking perfect . I could focus on
football for a few hours, hopefully drink four out of the six beers
and forget about my girl for a little while . And cry to my
Dad.
    I leaned my head back and closed my eyes.
Something furry and soft climbed into my lap. The cat was back.
    “Ahh, well you’re here then, and I see
you’ve met Soot.” My dad walked up behind me.
    “Why did you get a cat?” I couldn’t wait for
this answer. We’d never had cats growing up.
    My dad snorted and sat down in his chair. “I
didn’t. You could say that he got me.”
    “I can imagine.” I stroked my hand down
Soot’s sleek body. “He just came in the house the second I opened
the front door like he owned the place.”
    “My neighbour asked me to feed him while she
left to take care of her mum who’s very ill. She’s had to move into
her mother’s house and I got him by default. We have an
understanding I s’pose.”
    “You and the neighbour, or you and the
cat?”
    My dad looked at me shrewdly, his eyes
narrowing. Jonathan Blackstone was very perceptive by nature.
Always had been. I could never slip anything by him. He always knew
if I came home drunk and when I started smoking, or if I was into
trouble as a lad. I guess he’d been that way because he was a
single parent for most of our lives. My sister Hannah and I were
never neglected despite the loss of our mum. His senses got keener
and he could sniff out problems like a bloodhound. He was doing it
now.
    “What the hell happened to you, son?”
    Brynne happened.
    “That noticeable, huh?” The cat started
purring in my lap.
    “I know my own child and I know when
something’s off with you.” My dad left the room for a minute. He
returned with two of the beers cracked and handed me one. “Mexican
beer?” He lifted an eyebrow at me and I wondered if I looked the
same way when I did it. Brynne had remarked on my eyebrow quirking
more than once.
    “Yeah. It’s good with a sliver of lime
shoved down the neck.” I took a slug and stroked my new ebony
friend. “It’s a girl. Brynne. I met her, and I fell for her, and
now she’s left me.” Short and sweet. What else was there to say to
my own father? This was all that mattered or all that I could think
about. I was aching for her and she had left me.
    “Ahhh, well that makes more sense.” Dad
paused for a moment as if letting it all sink in. I am sure he was
surprised by the revelation. “My lad, I know I’ve told you before
so this is not news by any stretch, but you came to your good looks
from your mum, rest her soul. All you got from me was the name and
maybe my bulk. And your blessings in the Adonis department made it
very easy for you with the ladies.”
    “I’ve never chased women, Dad.”
    “I didn’t say you did but the point is you
never had to. They chased you.” He shook his head in remembrance.
“Gods, you had the females clamoring for you. I was sure you’d get
caught sowing your oats and make me a granddad long before you
should have done.” He gave me a look that suggested he’d spent much
more time worrying about this than he’d wanted to. “But you never
did…” Dad trailed off and got a rather sad look in his eye. After
school I’d shipped off to the military and left home. And nearly
didn’t come back...
    Dad patted my knee and took a pull on his
beer.
    “I never wanted anyone like I want her.” I
shut my mouth and started in earnest on the beer. Someone scored a
goal in the game and I forced myself to watch and pet the cat.
    Dad was patient for a while but he got his
questions in eventually. “What did you do that made her leave
you?”
    It hurt just to hear the question. “I lied.
It was a lie of omission but still I didn’t tell her the truth and
she found out.” I set the cat off my lap carefully and went into
the kitchen for another beer. I brought back two instead.
    “Why did you lie to her, son?”
    I met my dad’s dark eyes and spoke something
I’d never said before.