Page 27 of Rock

Rock stepped fully into the room, straightening his spine. He didn’t need both his kids on his back about food and health. “I’m fine. Right as rain.”

“Okay. You’ll tell us if anything changes, right? Remi and I?”

“Of course.” He waved a hand through the air. “Don’t you worry.”

As Rock turned to step back into the hallway, Atlas spoke again. “Oh, hey. I almost forgot to tell you. I ran into a woman at the grocery store this morning. I didn’t get her name, but she thought I was you.” Atlas chuckled. “It looked like she was seeing a ghost until I told her I was your son. She must have known youin high school. Did you have an old girlfriend you never told us about?”

Rock grabbed the doorframe again. This time, he thought he might collapse. His legs felt unsteady, and his chest was tight. The room started spinning.

He was aware of Atlas jumping up and rushing toward him, and then his son was helping him into an armchair in the office. “Shit. Fuck. Are you okay?”

Rock’s hands shook as he brought them to his thighs. He couldn’t speak yet.

“I’ll get Doc.”

Rock reached out and snagged his son’s forearm, stopping him. “No need.”

Atlas squatted in front of him. “Dad, you look like you’re going to faint. I thought you would pass out on me. Something could be wrong with your heart.”

Rock shook his head. “Nothing is wrong with my heart.” He smirked. “Not from a ticking standpoint anyway.”

Atlas’s brows shot up. “Pardon?”

Rock gripped his son’s arm tighter. He stared into his face. “How did she look?”

Atlas frowned. “Do you mean what did she look like? Brown hair, dark eyes. Mid-fifties. Though I probably would have said younger until I got it into my head that she knew you from a long time ago.”

Rock shook his head. “I know what she looks like.”

“Ohhh. Are you asking me if she was thin and sexy?” He laughed. “Dad, you old dog. Do you know who this woman is? I didn’t even get her name.”

“I know who she is.”

Atlas’s face sobered. He grabbed a chair, pulled it over, and sat knee-to-knee with his father. “Talk to me.”

Rock sighed and ran a hand over his face. He stared past his son, uncertain he was ready for this discussion. If he was going to open this can of worms, he’d rather confront Lyla first. “Not yet.”

“What’s going on? How the hell did you know who I ran into at the grocery store before I even told you a thing about her?”

“Because Ink and Breaker saw her yesterday. I knew she was in town.”

“Who is she?”

“A woman I…knew many years ago.”

“Before Mom,” Atlas said, not wording it as a question.

“Yes, way before your mom.” Rock rose and stepped around his son. “I’m not ready to discuss this right now.” He set a hand on Atlas’s shoulder as he passed him. “Please don’t say anything to Remi yet. Let me absorb this and deal with it in my own time.”

Atlas tipped his head back to look up at Rock. “She’s important to you.”

Rock drew in a breath and nodded. “She was once, yes.”

“Maybe you could ask around and find out where she is.”

“I know where she is.” Rock squeezed Atlas’s shoulder and strode from the office.

It was obvious he was not going to be able to ignore the fact that Lyla was in town. It shook him to the core that she saw him in Atlas. Did she really remember him so well? Did it mean anything?

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