Impervious (City of Eldrich Book 1) Read Free Page B

himself up, quit drinking, and reached out to his kids, it was too late. For Meaghan, at least. She was a junior in high school by then and wanted nothing to do with her father.
    She relented a bit over time, elevating their relationship from non-existent to severely strained. At some point —she didn’t know the details—Russ made his peace with Matthew. Probably after Mom died from an aneurysm, a death that occurred quickly, painlessly, and way too soon.
    Russ responded by reaching out to his father. Meaghan, who was starting law school, stuffed her grief deep inside and buried herself in work. The door Matthew had managed to pry open a crack slammed shut again.
    After Russ’s first marriage failed, he moved back East at Matthew’s invitation. Russ had lived in Eldrich on and off for twenty years. Dealing with their father came easier for Russ because he was so much like Mom, and Mom and Matthew had complemented each other well. Yin and yang.
    Meaghan and Matthew were more like fire and gasoline. Or the rock and the hard place. So many years later, Meaghan had to accept that she was as much a failure at relationships as her father. Actually more of a failure, because her father had managed to be married for fifteen years, some of them happy.
    There had been men in her life over the years. She’d almost married once. But things always went wrong. By the time she reached her fortieth birthday, after another relationship blew up in her face, she decided she was done with love, with all of it.
    Single was lonelier sometimes, but so much easier. Giving up on romance freed up a lot of emotional space in her head. She still looked for a man, sort of, but nobody flared even a tiny interested spark within her.
    Ten years passed, and now she lived in a tiny little town in the middle of nowhere. If she couldn’t find love in the sixth-largest metropolitan area in America, she didn’t like her odds in itty-bitty Eldrich.
    Russ interrupted her thoughts. “Want a glass of wine?”
    Meaghan craned her head around to look at him. “There’s wine? What about Dad?”
    “He’s not interested anymore. But if he starts drinking again, so what?” Russ plopped down on the step next to her. “We send him to rehab?”
    She smiled. “Yeah. I mean no, I guess not.” She sighed. “Wine would be great.”
    “Chicken for dinner. Got a few nice bottles of white in the fridge.” He took her hand. “You okay?”
    She felt the tears well up and pushed them back down. Russ was a good guy. Always had been.
    “Yeah,” she said. “That’s as good as it’s going to get, isn’t it.”
    “Well . . . for the two of you, yeah, maybe.” He watched the fireflies for a moment. “That’s actually the best I’ve ever seen you get along. And he still has the occasional lucid moment, so don’t give up hope.”
    “Why didn’t you tell me about this sooner? When did he get sick?”
    Russ sighed. “He didn’t want me to tell you.”
    Meaghan snorted. “Of course not. I know you think the shit between us is all my fault, but he hasn’t exactly been father of the year. Ever. Not to me at least.”
    Russ shook his head. “It’s not like you’ve ever given him the chance. I think he didn’t want you to feel obligated or think that he thought you owed him something. He always knew how bad he’d screwed up with you, but he didn’t know how to fix it.”
    Meaghan let go of Russ’s hand and stared into the distance. I will not cry, she told herself. I will not start crying again.
    Russ gave her a moment then continued. “It wasn’t only you. He didn’t tell anybody he was sick for a long time. He did a really good job of hiding it. Masking is what they call it. Natalie—his secretary—she noticed it first. He was having a hard time remembering stuff and keeping track of time. Everyone covered for him, hoping, I think, that it was only a temporary slump.”
    “How long has this been going on?”
    Russ squinted, thinking. “Natalie