“Dad,” Luke croaked, pulling out of his hold. “She lied. She said you were mad because she didn’t want to be married anymore. That you kicked her out of all our lives.”
Lawson squeezed the back of Luke’s neck. “Your mom lies. I don’t know what happened, or how things twisted for her. But she’s sick. It’s not because she doesn’t love you. She just can’t show up the way we need her to.”
“She doesn’t love us. She just wants money and to not feel guilty,” Luke snapped.
He’d hit the nail on the head there. It was just that, over the years, Melody’s actions had caught up with her and they were now eating her alive. She’d concocted a whole other story to make herself feel better. Maybe she even believed it. But she didn’t mind getting some cash out of it either.
Lawson dipped his head so he was looking straight into Luke’s eyes. “I know one thing for certain. I love you. With everything I have. You and your brothers are the most important things in the world to me. And I’d do anything to keep you safe.”
Luke’s tears began again. “How can you even look at me? I’ve been such a dick. I thought you were keeping us from her.”
Lawson pulled Luke into another hug. “There isn’t anything you could do that would ever make me stop loving you.”
My tears fell then. Lawson’s love was a force unlike anything I’d seen. And it would bring Luke back, help him find his way again.
“I’m sorry,” Luke whispered.
“Everything’s forgiven. I just missed my boy.” Emotion filled Lawson’s voice as unshed tears glistened in his eyes.
“I missed you, too.”
Lawson’s throat worked as he swallowed. “Why don’t we all go home?”
Home.The place Lawson had created for all of us. A haven of warmth and acceptance. But it was time for someone to give a little of that back to him.
36
LAWSON
I stalkedout of my house and down the stairs, rage pulsing through my veins. Luke was calmer now but drained. There wasn’t a single person I would’ve trusted him with more than Hallie right now. And I had to. Because if I didn’t fix this, I would put my fist through a wall.
Jogging down the stairs, I pulled my phone out of my pocket. I didn’t trust myself not to yell, so I needed distance. I wasn’t about to traumatize Luke any further.
I strode toward the guest cabin and unlocked the door. Stepping inside, I slammed the door behind me. Scrolling through the apps on my phone, I found my digital file folder. I didn’t keep tabs on Melody, but I’d asked Holt to. I wanted to have a current phone number and address for her wherever she was. Easy as pie for my brother with the security company.
Pulling up the file with her name, I grimaced. Her address was listed in Seattle—only a few hours from here. A cell phone number was noted below the address. I tapped it.
It rang twice before a familiar voice came across the line. “You’ve got Melody.”
Her voice was bright, cheery. It didn’t fit with a woman who’d put her kids through hell. Nothing about her had.
“This is Lawson, and I need you to listen—”
“Law, how are you?” she chirped.
“Shut up.”
“Excuse me?” That familiar hostile tone took over.
“I just had my sixteen-year-old son crying in my arms for the past hour because the woman who was supposed to be hismotherhas been fucking with his head.”
“I am his mother,” Melody snapped back. “You’re the one who kicked me out—”
“Bullshit. We both know what happened. So does the State of Washington. And now, Luke remembers it, too.”
Melody was silent for a moment. “You blew it out of proportion. So, I took them to a party. They were upstairs the whole time. Totally fine.”
“Melody.” Rage made my voice shake as if someone had me by the throat. “Our kids were terrified. People werekilled. It could’ve been one of them.” Just saying the words had ice and fury surging through my veins. “You have a no-contact order from the state. I could report you now, and you might do a little more jail time—”
