Page 72 of My True North
Caleb brought two cups of coffee over and set them on the table. “Two spoonfuls of sugar, right?”
Finally able to breathe normally, Theresa took a few sips of coffee. “It’s perfect, thank you,” she said, setting the mug on the coffee table.
“Do you want to tell me about your conversation with your brother?” Caleb settled beside her and draped his arm around her shoulders.
She nodded. “When Jacob called me that first time while we were leaving L.A., he told me my dad has congestive heart failure.”
“Ah, so that’s why you made the comment about that being the only organ your father never learned to use. It makes sense now.” His brow rose. “Jacob is the middle sibling, right?”
“Yep, and Andrew is the oldest,” she said. “He called to tell me Dad is really sick. My brother ordered me to come home.” Her eyes filled again. “From there, things went downhill.” She shared the details of the conversation with Caleb, including the part where Drew said their mother had abandoned them because of an affair.
“Dad didn’t ask for me. Drew is the one who thinks I should come home, and I know what would happen if I did. I’d be expected to step into my designated role as caregiver and housekeeper for a sick old man who never said a single kind word to me my entire life.”
“Is your dad in the hospital or at home?”
“I don’t know for certain, but I believe he’s at home.” She snorted. “Otherwise, why would my brother want me there?” How pathetic was it that Andrew only called her during a crisis he expected her to manage? “I’ll ask Jake for the details.” Frowning, she rested her head on Caleb’s shoulder. If she didn’t go, did that make her a terrible person?
“What are you going to do, Theresa?”
“I don’t know.”
“Recovering from childhood abuse and neglect is hard enough without voluntarily stepping in front of that busload of crap again,” he said. “You don’t owe your father a thing. If he’s at home, you can offer help in the form of nursing care if you want to. That would be an act of charity on your part, and more than he deserves.”
“That’s a great idea.” Would she have regrets if she didn’t take this opportunity to say goodbye? Would seeing her tormentor one last time finally allow her to leave the past behind? “I need to think about this before I make any decisions.” She kissed his jaw and snuggled closer. Either way, the decision was hers and hers alone to make, and for her, that was progress.
“Come on.” Theresa straightened away from his embrace. “Let’s get to work. We’ll have to pick up Jeremy and Charlie from school in a couple of hours.
“In a minute.” Caleb wrapped her in his arms and kissed her.
Her insides melted as she kissed him back. Maybe taking the afternoon off would be a good thing. Sully chose that moment to insert himself between them, and his cold nose pressed against her neck. “Yuck,” she said as Sully licked her face.
“Note to self: Put dog in crate before kissing woman,” Caleb grumbled as he pushed Sully away. “Okay, I surrender. I’ll get my laptop and meet you at the baby grand.”
Theresa picked up both mugs of coffee and headed for her living room.
“Now that the boys are in school, I could start coming earlier on Mondays,” Caleb said as he joined her.
“Better yet, spend Sunday nights here,” she suggested, setting their coffees on the table beside her piano. “I talked about our changing relationship with Charlie and Jeremy. They’re both fine with having you spend the night.”
“That’s great.” He flashed her a hot look and took his place on the piano bench. “I’ll pack an overnight bag next time.”
“Do that.” She set the music on the piano and sat beside him. “We’re going to be on the road in a few weeks. Will you join us in our hotel suites, or do you think that might cause problems?” Their gazes met, and she watched for any sign of … well, for anything he might be feeling.
“If you’re sure you want me to, I’m all for joining you,” he said.
“I’m sure.” Everything was still so new between them. “It’ll give us a chance to see how things go with all four of us together over an extended amount of time.”
“You mean all six of us.” He grunted. “Don’t forget about the boys’ teacher and your bodyguard.”
“Oh. Right.” How could she have forgotten? “I’ll have to look into getting adjoining suites.”
“In the meantime, let’s see if we can get a little work done.” He played a few scales like he always did to warm up.
“Okay. This is the chorus, and here’s the music I’ve come up with so far.” Theresa took out the lyrics for the song from her folder. She placed her hands on the keys and played the beginning of the melody.
“Trust, so fragile a thread from one to another….”
Once she’d finished, she turned to Caleb. “What do you think?”
