Page 35 of His Coveted Obsession

Dad furrowed his brow and sat down, sliding a plate my way. “Oh?”

“Easton probably did it, but I told him not to. Easton does what Easton wants. He’s a take-charge kind of guy.”

“Who’s Easton?”

“Tommy’s newboyfriend,” Annie teased, elbowing me.

“I didn’t know you were dating anyone,” Dad said.

“Well, we’re pretty new still, but it’s not like a secret or anything.”

If I didn’t love Easton before, I did then. Even when I told him he didn’t have to do those nice things for me, he did them anyway. He really cared about me.

“Tell me about him.”

“Well, he’s very handsome, and he has a really good job. He works for this travel insurance company that contracts for the government.”

“How old is he? He’s not… much older, is he?”

I shook my head and sprinkled Parmesan cheese over my sauce. “No, he’s super smart, and he got successful pretty fast. He’s my age.”

Dad relaxed and shoved half a meatball into his mouth.

“Easton’s so sweet and took care of me today while I was sick. He brought me soup and meds… heck, he even bought me tissues. He’ssothoughtful.”

“Aww, my big bro’s in love.”

I blushed and smiled as I twirled pasta on my fork, saying nothing.

“So, he’s rich then?” Dad asked.

My body tensed, instantly knowing why he was asking. I regretted telling him what Easton did for a living. “I wouldn’t say that,” I hedged.

“You should have him over for dinner one night so we can meet him.”

“Uhm, I’ll ask, but we’re still new, Dad.”

I guess it made sense for Easton to meet my family, but I wasn’t ready to share him yet.

Isatinmynondescript car, which I used for jobs, across the street from Thomas’s house. It needed to be cared for, but it had been falling into ruin, as most of the homes in the neighborhood were, and the yard was overgrown and half dead. Perhaps his father could have fixed it up if he’d not been so greedy with his money.

But I wasn’t there for Thomas, who was attending classes. I was there for Mason Isaac Lauder, a forty-one-year-old widower and father of Thomas and Annie, employed as a field operating manager at Ace Storage and Logistics. And a gambling addict.

While Mr. Lauder was paid a decent amount, he blew through most of his earnings, leaving Thomas to carry the load.

The old home was nearly paid off, so it didn’t have much left on the mortgage, but there were other expenses.

I wasn’t thereto harass Thomas’s father. Not yet, anyway. Mostly, I was there to assess. If I learned the extent of Thomas’s neglect, there would be hell to pay.

Seeing Mason Lauder, Thomas’s father, walk down the street some distance away instantly triggered my memories.

Dad lifts my chin and moves my face around, inspecting it. My eyes are black and blue, and my nose is swollen. “What happened to you?”

“School fight,” I lie smoothly. It’s easier than breathing these days.

“Hmm, no son of mine should get injured. How did this happen? I’ve trained you to be stronger than this.”

I shrug. “You should see him.”

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