Page 95 of Turn

A door opened and my brother appeared, still in his pajamas and toweling his hair off. “I’m not ready,” he complained.

I grinned. “I can see that.”

“Give me fifteen minutes,” my brother grumbled and disappeared down the hall.

Saylor was smiling as she watched him walk away. Then her smile faded. “We didn’t tell him anything,” she said. “About Tristan. I was sorry to hear that things didn’t go well.”

“I was sorry to hear it too,” I said, remembering the ache in my chest as I watched my brother turn away and resolutely walk into a bad fate.

“Cord’s in the garage,” Cassie’s mother said. “If you’d like to go say hello.”

“Thanks, I will,” I said and headed for the kitchen door that lead to the garage. I wasn’t sure what was the appropriate thing to say to a man I liked and respected the morning after I screwed his daughter but I would have to come up with something.

Cord was in there with three fans blowing and it was still as hot as the mouth of hell. He was crouched in front of a sizeable block of wood and chipping away pieces with a chisel and hammer. He didn’t look up right away when I entered the garage, perhaps lost in his own artistic haze. Or else he didn’t especially want to be reminded that I existed just now.

“Hey, Cord,” I said.

He lowered his tools and stood up.

“Hey,” he said and finally looked at me. The fact that he and Cassie shared the exact same color eyes was disconcerting.

I cleared my throat. “So, um, how’s it going?”

He raised an eyebrow. “I guess that depends on what ‘it’ is.”

This wasn’t easy. I felt more nervous than I had the day I met him and asked for a job. “Uh, what are you working on there?”

Cord glanced down at the wood and tools as if he’d forgotten they were there. Then he returned his piercing gaze to me. “Is there something specific you wanted to talk to me about, Curtis?”

“No. Well, actually yes. There’s something that I really wanted to tell you face to face.”

“It’ll have to wait because there’s something I want to say to you first,” he said, taking a seat on a nearby stool. He watched me as I stuffed my hands in my pockets and then removed them. I got the feeling he was enjoying my discomfort.

“What’s that?” I asked.

“I need to thank you.”

I stared at him, trying to figure out if he was bullshitting me but he looked totally earnest.

“Thank you for being there for Cassie,” he said and then winced. “It’s terrifying to think what would have happened to her if you weren’t around that night. She told us the whole story. She said you took care of her, that you’ve been there for her every step of the way. My daughter thinks you’re a good man.” He paused. “And I completely agree.”

“You don’t have to thank me for that,” I said, shaking my head. “There are moments when I still wish I would have done more permanent damage to that fucker.”

He nodded. “I understand the feeling. But he’ll be experiencing his share of damage. I’ve got some clients in the police department so I made a few calls. He’s going to be arrested any minute now. And I think I’ll go out of my way to make sure that his mug shot makes the rounds on social media. He won’t ever be able to get away from this. Every future employer, every relationship, everyone he fucking meets from now on will be able to paste his name into an internet search engine and learn what he is.”

“Good,” I said. And it was good news, at least as good as it could be under the circumstances. I doubted Parker Neely would do any time. In my experience, criminal charges didn’t tend to stick to guys like that, but at least there will be a permanent mark on his name. Although that was nothing compared to what would happen to him if he dared to come within an arm’s length of Cassie again.

“We’re together,” I blurted. “Me and Cassie. I mean, we’re-“

“I know,” Cord said. His mouth tilted slightly. He was definitely feeling entertained by my awkward explanations.

“Are you okay with that?” I asked.

“Would you give her up if I said no?”

“Hell no.”

He chuckled. “I’m fine with it.” He wiped the sweat from his brow. “Curtis, if you’re ever lucky enough to be the father of daughters you’ll understand something. It’s hard to believe any man would ever be good enough for any of them.”

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