5
“YOU’RE JUST LIKE YOUR father.”
The familiar mix of emotions jumbled in Luke’s belly at those oft-heard words. Pride first, then the guilt. Because when his mother repeated that line she’d been tossing at him since he was a kid, she didn’t mean it as acompliment.
In all the years she’d thrown his likeness to his father in his face, he’d never come up with a response that would both satisfy his mother and prevent her from ever repeating thewords.
“Pass the jam,” was the best he could come up with at this Saturday-morning brunch at his mom’s. The family tried to get together every week or two and, since Stacy, the second youngest, had started working Sunday nights at the local cable company, they’d changed the customary Sunday night dinner to a weekend brunch. It was usually on Saturdays so his mom could attend church onSunday.
Roberta Lawson was still a beautiful woman, though she didn’t bother much with her appearance anymore. “What’s the point?” she’d say when one of the kids would put a makeup kit in her Christmas stocking or her daughters would suggest a girls’ day out shopping. “Nobody wants to look at me. And if you’re smart, you won’t want them looking at you, either. You know what looking leads to and that’s nothing buttrouble.”
“How can you be such a Jewish mother when we’re not even Jewish?” Deandra complained. The eldest of his three sisters, she was the one Luke was closest to, and the one most likely to jump to his defense when he, the only male in the family, came under attack for all men. Or hisfather.
His sisters were all gorgeous, but Deandra was cover-model stunning. All black, wavy hair, milk-white skin, big green eyes and bee-stung lips. She was also a brilliant scientist, which always gave him a kick when he’d watch yet another guy trip on his tongue as she walked by, totally oblivious to the havoc shecaused.
“Ha, Jewish mothers. How many Jewish mothers do you know whose husbands are getting married for the fifthtime?”
Luke caught Deandra’s eye and she grimaced. They’d tried to keep their dad’s most recent nuptials from their mom; obviously they hadn’tsucceeded.
“How did you find out?” Lukeasked.
“Not from any of you.” His mother sent a condemning glare around the table, skewering each of them as itpassed.
“Mom, we didn’t want you to be hurt,” Stacy mumbled. A younger, not quite so stunning version of Deandra, Stacy was the only one still living at home and remained closest to theirmother.
“It doesn’t hurt anymore. I just feel sorry for him. I really do. I bet she’s younger than you, Deandra. She’ll want children. Mark my words. What does a fifty-three-year-old man want with babies? He should spend some time with the children he’s alreadygot.”
Since three of Henry Lawson’s marriages had produced kids, there were half brothers and sisters all over the place. They got together every summer at their dad’s cabin on Lummi Island, with the bunkhouse out back to contain all his offspring. Once again, Luke wondered how a basically decent man such as his father could screw up so badly again and again, leaving confused children scattered in his wake like so much flotsam andjetsam.
His mom shook her head sadly. “Just wait till you getmarried.”
None of them were showing the slightest indication of doing so. Luke had a feeling none of them wanted to re-create the circumstances of their own childhoods. Not that their memories were bad—his mom always did her best—but they weren’t all picnics and smiling family photos,either.
Deandra jumped to her feet and started clearing dishes. Luke was only too happy to pitch in. The faster they got the kitchen cleaned, the sooner they could split. He loved his mom, and he’d already changed the washers in her sinks and the oil in her car before sitting down to omelettes and toast. But listening to her rant only made his belly burn. He couldn’t help her, and when she compared him to his father he was defenseless, because he knew she wasright.
Hewasjust like his old man. He loved women. And when he got bored with the one he was with, he knew there’d be another just around thecorner.
Deandra and he made their escape together and he walked her to her car then paused as she unlocked it and opened the door. But she didn’t get in right away. She faced him with concern in her gorgeous eyes. “She doesn’t mean it, you know,” his sister said, laying a hand on hiswrist.
“Sure she does.” He took Deandra’s hand. “And she’s right. But there’s nothing I can do to change what Dad did to her—to all of us—any more than I can change my owngenes.”
She nodded and shook her hair back. “So, are you going to his latestwedding?”
“Haven’t missed one yet. He asked me to be his bestman.”
Amusement flickered in her eyes. “The guy’s got nerve. Are you goingto?”
“Yeah. I guess. Are yougoing?”
“I always tell myself I won’t, and then I go. I know he’s an ass and he’s hurt Mom, but…” She sighed and ran her index finger along the top of her car door. “He’s our father and I don’t think he meant to hurt anybody. It’s as though he can’t helphimself.”
Luke nodded. “You bringing adate?”
“I’ll probably bring Sid.” Sid was a senior scientist in the lab where she worked. A brilliant man, but no partyanimal.
Luke shuddered. “Every time I see Sid I get the feeling he’s planning to clone me orsomething.”
His sister laughed. “Spoken like a true egomaniac. How about you? Are you bringing yourlatest?”
