Her Secret Sons Read Free Page A

‘ne’er-do-well.’”
    “Oh, my,” Pansy said, “I do think Pepper did the right thing, after all. I’m not sure Luke would have been the steadying influence on those boys that she and her aunt Jerry clearly were.”
    Helen nodded. “A man is not always the solution.”
    Duke’s brows furrowed. “Let’s not take sides against a guy we haven’t seen in years. He was just a boy when he left. I was a hotheaded kid once, too, and I’ve turned out well, given time.”
    Liberty smiled. “Parenting skills are a tricky business, Duke, is all Pansy and Helen are saying. Children have been known to be raised by a mother, or grandparents, or aunts, and turn out fine.”
    Duke looked at his wife. “I’ll just be happy that the boys are where they belong now.”
    “And yet,” Zach said, “it might not hurt Luke McGarrett to learn just how lucky he really has been.”
    Every head turned to stare at him.
    “I suppose you’re suggesting we tell his father he has grandchildren?” Pansy asked worriedly.
    Silence reigned for a moment as the thought sank in.
    “McGarrett is getting up in years,” Hiram said reluctantly, “though he’s no friend of mine.”
    “He’s not been a friend to many folks,” Bug added, “and I say it’s not our place to make that decision. It’s Pepper’s.”
    Helen shifted in her chair. “Luke’s never coming back.”
    “Oh, he will,” Hiram said.
    “Maybe for his father’s funeral,” Bug suggested.
    “Oh, boy,” Duke muttered. “That’s not a good thought.”
    Zach shook his head. “Listen, we could do something radical here.”
    They all frowned at him. “Last time you did something radical—” Pansy began, but Helen waved at her best friend to be quiet.
    “Like what?” Helen demanded, her black eyeglasses perched on the end of her nose.
    Jessie whispered in her husband’s ear, and Zach nodded. Helen noted the two of them had been doing a lot of whispering, which was a sure sign ofa conspiracy or a brainstorm, and right now, either would be better than what they had. “Tell us,” she prompted with impatience.
    “Unresolved situations are never good,” Zach said, “and while I am not one to advocate being involved in other folks’ business, it seems that there are suddenly a lot of people in this town who could benefit from seeing Luke McGarrett in the flesh. As I say, he’s luckier than he knows, so it’s not like we’d be interfering in his affairs in a bad way.”
    Duke looked at his brother. “You’re saying because his father’s old, and because Luke has two young sons he doesn’t know about, that we should get him home somehow?”
    “Couldn’t hurt,” Zach said, and Jessie nodded.
    “Could hurt,” Hiram said, “when Pepper kicks your tail for butting in.”
    “There is that,” Helen agreed. “Plus she’d say we were playing matchmaker or something, and that would be awful for her to believe of us, because clearly Luke McGarrett is not the man for a responsible woman like Pepper. Lucky, indeed.” She gave a righteous sniff.
    Bug sat up straight. “That’s exactly the way his father says ‘lucky’ when he’s talking about Luke.”
    “How the hell would we find him on a floating party barge in the middle of the big blue sea?” Duke demanded. “Even if we did all vote that this scheme was a good idea?”
    “His father sends the odd message through thegeneral’s office,” Bug said helpfully, “though he never gets a reply.”
    “What a jacka—” Duke halted abruptly, censoring himself for the sake of the ladies and children present. Although he was sure it didn’t matter what he said, because they all had the same low-down opinion of Luke at this moment. “We’d do better to send a P.I. after him so it could be done discreetly, instead of using a military office, anyway.”
    “There’s trackers over in Union Junction,” Zach said.
    “Yes. They came into my bridal salon one day to help out the bride of the young cowboy who