Page 31 of The Baxters
“He’s your nephew.” John didn’t mind the sharpness in his voice. Luke hadn’t treated Ashley the same since last spring when she came home from Paris pregnant. “And she’s your sister. I’d like you to at least make an effort, Luke.”
“Come on, Dad, the party is for Ashley. Not Cole.” He was on his feet again. “And why would we throw a party for her? She’s…” He seemed to realize how loudhe was talking. His voice fell a few levels. “She’s a terrible mother, Dad. She leaves Cole at your house all the time and stays out late with friends.”
“Luke, that’s—”
“No… please, let me finish.” He turned toward the window and for a long minute the two of them watched lightning split the sky. When Luke looked back at him, his eyes held more pain than accusation. “Don’t you see, Dad? She made a mockery of our family. She goes to Paris and gets pregnant? By a married man?” Disgust colored Luke’s words. “And now we’re supposed to gather round and throw her a party?”
John felt like he’d been kicked in the leg. “Ashley made a mistake. She knows it. We all know it.” He stood and crossed the room. “We don’t judge each other in this family. We forgive and move on. We show the grace of God to people like Ashley.” He hesitated. “The grace God showed each of us.”
“Yeah, Dad, I know all about grace.” Luke crossed his arms. “You think Ashley’s learned her lesson? She stays out all night with people we don’t know. Half the days she leaves Cole with you. So she canpaint.”
Luke rose and paced to the window. “She doesn’t go to church with us, and for all you know she doesn’t even believe in God.” He turned and looked at John. “And don’t blame the accident.” His tone was loud again and there was a catch in his voice. “My best friend died in that accident. For what? So Ashley could waste her life and leave her kid with you and Mom every day?”
“Son.” John took a seat at a small table in the corner of the room. “Sit down. We need to talk.” John had always suspected Luke’s distance toward Ashley was motivated by the accident. Because he lost his friend Jefferson that day.
“I’m just saying.” Luke did as he was asked. When he was seated he looked straight at John. “She should be living the best life anyone ever tried to live. Because Jefferson traded his existence for hers. If he could see her now I’m not sure he would’ve jerked the wheel.”
The reality of Luke’s pronouncement hung in the room. “Son…” John ached for Luke. But what he was implying was wrong. “You’d rather haveherdead than him? That’s what you’re saying.”
Luke groaned. “No. I don’t want that.” He leaned back in his seat. “Of course not.” He stared at the ground for a while. Finally he lifted his eyes to John’s again. “I just mean… there’s Landon Blake. One of the best guys on the planet, Dad. I mean, really. And the poor guy never gives up on her. It’ll be Ashley for Landon till the day he dies.”
John understood Luke’s frustration on this point. “She’s very stubborn.”
“Yeah.” Luke took a few breaths. Probably to calm himself. “Landon doesn’t care what Ashley’s done or who she’s become. He’ll be here today, same look on his face.” He shrugged. “It’s just… you’d think my sister might notice that. Landon Blake is the best thing that ever happened to her. And one of these days, if she doesn’t figure it out, he’ll be gone.”
Luke had barely finished speaking when the door opened. Tim stepped in wearing a black tuxedo, and with him were four guys dressed in the same gray tuxes John and Luke wore. “Here you two are! We were looking for you.” Tim couldn’t have smiled any bigger if he tried. He walked up to John. “Big day, huh! It’s finally here.”
“Yes.” John was on his feet. Luke, too. “Big day!”
“Congratulations.” Luke was trying. None of the guys would’ve guessed his foul mood from just a minute ago.
The three of them shook hands and then Tim motioned for the other groomsmen to join them in the small room. When they were all gathered, Tim introduced his friends.
“Surprised to see Tim so bright-eyed today.” One of the guys slapped Tim on the back. “Last night was a late one.”
Last night? John felt his heart drop to his knees. “After the rehearsal?” He and Luke hadn’t been told about any bachelor party.
The look on Tim’s face made it clear he hadn’t planned to talk about whatever had kept him and the guys out so late. Tim gave his buddy a light shove. “Joe’s the wild one. Not me.”
“Yeah, but you—”
“Thanks, Joe.” Tim chuckled and gave the guy a rougher shove this time. “What’re you trying to do? Get the wedding called off?”
The guys all laughed and a few of them gave Tim hearty slaps on his shoulders and back. Tim was stillsmiling. “Go on now, get out of here. Do your groomsmen thing, whatever that is.”
Joe led the way out of the room talking about pop cans and finding Tim’s car. Luke seemed unsure what to do, but then Tim motioned to the door. “Luke… go hang with them. They want to get to know you.”
John knew what Tim meant. He wanted a few minutes with John. Alone time to undo the damage done in the previous conversation. When the others were gone, Tim gave him a quick look. “Joe’s a clown. He didn’t mean it.”
A lecture wasn’t something John intended to give his future son-in-law. Not today. But the insinuation hung like so many knives in the room. John cleared his throat. “Is it true? You all went out last night? After the rehearsal?”
“We did.” Tim gave a single laugh, but the sound was much weaker now. “It was Joe’s idea.” Tim raised an invisible glass. “You know… one last night of freedom. That sort of thing.”
“Actually… I don’t know.” John remained standing. He didn’t want this talk to last much longer. “When I married Elizabeth, she was all I could think about. I didn’t need any… last night of freedom.”
Something in John’s tone must’ve gotten Tim’s attention. Because he straightened up and his smile faded. “Nothing happened, if that’s what you’re asking. It was just the guys hanging out. Nothing else.”
Nothing happened?John felt his heart skip a beat.Why did Tim even feel the need to say that? The whole thing felt sketchy now. He narrowed his eyes at the young professor. “You love my daughter, Tim?”
