Page 85 of Hold

“You can’t get him for abandonment now that he’s back, right?” Thea shook her head, the helplessness sweeping over her again. She would never be free of him. “You know he can get his hands on everything you have? The house, the trust fund, everything?”

“He won’t. He was gone for so long. No judge is going to—”

“But he’s back! I’m sure all he has to say is that he wants to make it up to you, and a judge—male judge, mark my words—will roll right over and let him take it all.”

“I’ll get a good lawyer. There’s no way he’d have the balls to ask for money after all he owes us.”

“God, you’re an idiot, T.” Cat strode back and forth in front of her and Antonio’s bed. “Sorry, but you are. That’sexactlywhat he’s going to do! You’re falling for itagain! You should have filed those papers a year ago!” Cat came back to her and put a hand on the old rocking chair so she could point at Thea more forcefully with the other. “You can’t keep drifting through life like this! You have to make some goddamn decisions for you and the boys to make your future safer!”

“Drifting?” Thea was on her feet now, too, shaking with her own anger. “You’rethe one drifting through life with your perfect fucking husband and perfect kids and this old house you never have to worry about being able to fix up, with time to kill judging other people! I have to fight every day to make our lives just a little bit stable! You know when Jake isn’t here, he barely speaks to me or any other adult? And Benji is so desperate for a father, he was looking at Liam like he was a god until Gabe showed up—”

“Who,” Cat interrupted, “is Liam?”

Shit. “It doesn’t matter.” Thea went to the door.

“Who’s Liam?” Cat repeated as Thea went through it. She shut the door on the words, but sure enough, Cat followed her down the stairs. “Who in the living hell is Liam?” she said. Thea had gotten into the family room, hoping for safety behind her kids, perhaps.

The boys heard Cat. “Liam’s Mom’s friend,” Benji said, not looking away from the TV.

“Mom’sboyfriend,” Jake added.

“Jake!” Thea snapped. “He’s not—”

“He was until you pissed him off.”

Cat actually stamped her foot. “Who thehellis Liam?”

Everyone finally looked away from the TV. Cat in full flow was not to be ignored.

Thea cast about for a way to describe him that would neutralize the spark coming from Cat’s eyes. “You remember,” she said. “The guy who fixed Kane’s flood on the Fourth of July. Penny’s cousin.”

“Jake was working for him,” Cat said. “What does he have to do with…?”

Thea saw the tumblers clicking into place in Cat’s mind, the memory of how Benji skipped and danced around Liam, and Jake waited on his every word.

Thea closed her eyes, then opened them again. Everyone was looking at her. “It’s the end of the summer now. Jake’ll go back to school. We probably won’t see him again.”

“Oh,” Benji said, disappointed. “He was going to let me use the power drill next time he came over.”

“Yeah, Mom,” Jake added. “How’s his power drill?”

“Jacob!” The kid had lost all pretense at respect. “Just because you’re mad at your dad doesn’t mean you can disrespect me!”

“Yes, Jake.” Antonio backed her up. “That was not appropriate.”

Jake’s shoulders hunched in the way she hated, the way that showed he was in a hostile world with very few weapons against it. He backed toward the French doors that led to the backyard. “How about a little respect forme, Mom?” he said. “Why aren’t you two talking anymore? Now I have to work with him, and you’re like a big elephant in the middle of every conversation we have.” He opened the French doors behind him and walked out.

Cat didn’t seem to know who to yell at first. Finally, she settled on, “Boys! Upstairs! You too, Benji!” They knew better than to argue.

Then she rounded on Thea. “Is this before or after Gabe showed up?”

“First of all,” Thea said, making her stand, “and again, this is none of your business.”

“It is when it affects my nephews!”

“They’re my kids! Don’t you think I worry constantly about what affects them? Why do you think I didn’t encourage Liam or tell you about him?”

“The kids know him! They’ve hung out with him!”

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