Dylan: The Sons of Dusty Walker Read Free Page A

bypassed the gargantuan great room. Inviting as that space was, it held too many images of Dusty, and the life he’d built without Dylan and his half-brothers.
    His brothers. Still couldn’t get used to it. Since the departure from the lawyer’s office, Dylan’s thoughts had dwelled more than a time or two on Jackson, Rogue, and Killian. As some of the shock had worn loose, a new grievance had settled in place. All these years they’d known zilch about each other. Dusty had deprived them of any brotherly bond. Sure, maybe they wouldn’t have been best friends who did everything together. Plenty of siblings weren’t that close. But damn it, Dusty had no right to keep that secret from them just so he could continue to perpetuate his lies.
    Edginess stiffening his stride, he passed through the entry leading into the kitchen. Marliss, the housekeeper, whistled in greeting somewhere behind the massive center island. He was beginning to think the woman possessed bionic hearing that’d pick up on a footstep the next county over.
    Biting the bullet, he stepped around the counter. She flashed him a genuine smile. “Exactly the strapping young fella I was hoping to see. Be a sweetheart, and help an old lady up?”
    Concern automatically overriding his need to escape, he hurried to Marliss’s side. “What happened? You fall?”
    Gripping the arm he offered, she shook her head as he carefully assisted her to her feet. “Gosh darn knees decided to take an early lunch break while I was cleaning out this cupboard. Hate being reminded I’m no spring chicken anymore.”
    Happy to know she wasn’t injured, he tucked his thumbs in his back pockets. “I was thinkin’ I’d take a look around town after work today. Anything you need me to pick up?”
    She patted him on the cheek. The gesture reminded him so much of his mom, he couldn’t help but grin. No sooner did she pop into his head, and his previous gloominess returned. Georgianna was still in the dark about Dylan’s half-brothers and the other women. He’d debated breaking the news to her during his brief trip home to collect his things for this week, but one look at the grief lurking in her eyes killed that idea dead in the water. She had enough to deal with right now. He wouldn’t add to her pain.
    “Now you mention it, Lou forgot to pick up my prescription yesterday. I’d accuse him of getting old and senile, but it’d be like the pot calling the kettle black.”
    He chuckled. “How can you be senile when you’re only thirty?”
    “Oh, aren’t you just a smooth talkin’ fibber.” Batting her eyelashes, she smacked his chest with her rubber glove. “Obviously the apple didn’t fall far from the tree.”
    He immediately stiffened. The sparkle dimmed in Marliss’s gaze and she squeezed his arm. “I meant no offense. Your father wasn’t perfect, but he was a good man. Just as I know you are.”
    He stared at the toe of his boot before stepping away from the island. “I’ll pick up your prescription. No problem.”
    Marliss wouldn’t be put off topic that effortlessly. Another thing he was quickly learning about the woman. “This can’t be easy on you. On any of you boys. Any time you want to talk, I’m always here. Same with Lou. Even if we’re off the clock, you come on over to the apartment. Our door is always open.”
    He appreciated the offer, but it didn’t feel right to take her up on it. Didn’t matter that she and her husband, the cook, resided on the property, they deserved their privacy. Besides, nothing she’d say would make one damn bit of a difference. Dusty had proved himself to be a bigger bastard than Dylan originally estimated. If nothing else, Marliss hit the nail on the head with the apple comparison. Only in Dylan’s case, his bastard lineage was in the literal sense. He cleared his throat. “I should hit the road. Don’t need the office sending a search posse after me.”
    Marliss nodded, her expression sad. Not waiting