Page 72

And Gray, which I don’t add.

“She’s not my family. You’re my only family.” Reaching out, I hold his hand. “Would you just try the pills and see if they help you? You don’t have to stop drinking entirely. Just cut down some?” By like ninety-five percent.

He stands back, studying me closely with those judgmental eyes, those eyes so full of hate and hurt and defensiveness. “I’ll think about it.”

A smile breaks across my lips. I can barely believe he softened this much. “I’ll get some samples from the clinic for you to try.”

“Don’t go talking about me up there at that clinic.”

Again, I have to roll my eyes at his cluelessness. Does he really believe nobody knows what he does?

“I will not be talking about you at the clinic.”

He continues past me now, taking out the whiskey as he grumbles under his breath. I sigh, trying to reassure myself I’ve made an important first step as I watch him pour a double into the thick crystal tumbler.

“I’ll make us something hearty for dinner tonight. Beef stew sound good?”

“Eh.” He does a dismissive shrug as he greedily take

s a long sip of the amber liquid.

He tops off the glass again and leaves the room. I collapse onto the bar wondering if I’ll even see him again today.

Chapter 20

Gray

Billy is hanging around the garage when I get there. “Hey, man, got time to come with me and fish that Jag out of a ditch?”

“What the fuu…” A worried look crosses his dark eyes, but I wave a hand.

“It’s okay. You can say what the fuck around me. It’s very much a what the fuck situation.” I wave for him to climb inside the cab, and we start back out of town toward Lake Mary.

“We should have replaced those tires.” Billy has another stick in his hand, and I figure I caught him mid-whittling. “The rain makes these roads extra slick.”

We get closer, and I see the site that nearly destroyed me last night. Those red taillights sticking up from the gully.

“Ah, shit,” I grumble. “I hope we can get it out without needing a tow.”

Both of us walk over to the deep trench. “We can get it out.” Billy jumps down, going under the vehicle. “It’s not too bad from under here, he calls. This tree limb kept it from hitting the rocks.”

Damn, I can’t express how happy I am at that news. I saw the worry on Drew’s face when I dropped her off. I know her dad loves this car, and I don’t want him having a setback or giving her shit. It was just as much my fault she was driving too fast on this road in the rain. I shouldn’t have pushed her.

“I’ll come down there and lift it. Help me attach it to the truck.”

It takes us less than a half hour to get the car out of the ditch and back to the garage. Billy hangs around a bit longer, helping me check the axel and the oil pan, any parts that could have been damaged.

“The tires will be in tomorrow.” Billy has an app on his phone that syncs with our shipping information.

“You’ll have to show me how to do that.” I look over his shoulder at all the useful information he’s carrying around.

“Dude, you’re so old.” He starts to laugh and I punch him on the shoulder. “Ow! Don’t hurt me old man!”

We both laugh, and I like the easy camaraderie we’re developing. “Show me what you’re working on now.”

“Ahh,” he grins. “Something inspired by our breakfast bunny.”

I frown, but when he pulls out the cylinder of wood, I see it’s carved in the shape of a woman’s torso, shoulders to knees. The breasts are round and pointy, but he’s only made a curved line in the lower area.