Protecting the Line, Draft 1, CH 46
#46 of Protecting the Line
draft 1 of Book 4 in the inheriting the Line Series.
Denton deals with revelations he never wanted to learn by focusing on home, his family, his company, and finding his missing friend. All the while, a hidden war spreads around the world.
Supposedly in charge of running the war against his uncle, Arnold discovers that it's a difficult thing to do when every elder around barely wants to sniff in his direction. But he's an Orr, and he fully intends on kicking them all in the balls, if that's what it takes to save their collective miserable asses.
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Epilogue
I looked at the steering wheel. This was it. My last chance to make this happen. Dad was still blocking my calls, and he hadn't accepted any of the parcels I'd had delivered to the house or his office. I could have lied on one of them. Mark the sender as one of his suppliers, but I couldn't do it. I didn't want to trick dad into talking with me.
It wouldn't be honest.
"Denton?" Lorraine asked from the passenger seat, but she didn't reach for him. I'd thought about leaving her behind, she could see to setting up the new house, but if dad answered the door, if a miracle happened, I was going to introduce Eddy's mother to him, to my family.
"I'm okay." I took shaking breath. "I won't be long, when, if, the door opens, come join me."
"You do now have to do this."
"They need to know about Eddy."
She shook her head. "Me. They do not need to know--"
"They do. My family's all-inclusive, when you aren't on the outs with them, Dad's always been on my back to find someone." I chuckled. "You are going to throw him for a loop since the expected me to end up with a guy, and explaining the circumstances of our relationship might make things uneasy, but you will be part of it." I looked at the house. "If dad will talk with me."
"I know I am not who you would have chosen," she said, her voice even, "but you have a family, is this one will not accept you."
I nodded. I'd been telling myself that for days now, trying to work up the courage to do this. She meant well, but it wasn't as helpful as she thought.
I got out of the car, stepped around it and opened the back door. Eddy cooed at me as I undid his restraints and took him out of his chair. "This is it, Eddy. Moment of truth and all that. If you can't melt dad's heart, he's a lost cause and I'll just have to accept that."
Lorraine looked at me, biting her lower lip. "Just keep an eye out for the opening door." I started to turn and stopped. "If I come back, don't try to comfort me. It's something I need to deal with myself." A second betrayal in only a few weeks.
I cursed Damian and what he'd told me. I didn't want to believe him, but his explanation made sense, the fucker. I shoved him out of my mind. This was about me, my dad and Eddy, not that asshole.
I walked up to the door, Eddy in my arms. They were there, I knew it. This was Sunday, so they were having dinner, the whole family, except me and Magdee. She hadn't even offered to come with me and I my feelings were mixed about it. I knew her presence would only have complicated things, but I could have used her comfort.
I knew they were there because I'd stepped out of my body and looked into the house. I hadn't crossed the threshold, past the phrases protecting the house, not because of them, but because to do so would have felt like an invasion of their privacy. I wanted to be invited in, not to barge in.
My hand shook as I pressed the buzzer.
A full minute passed and no answers. I could peak out of my body, and see what they were doing, but I was terrified of seeing them still having dinner, ignoring me. Without seeing into the house I could make believe they were huddled around dad's phone, looking at the screen, at me and Eddy, arguing with him about answering the door.
Tim might even defy him.
I turned to the camera next to the porch light, and made sure Eddy's face was visible.
"Dad?" I said, my voice breaking. "I'd like you to meet your grandson, Edward Brislow. Dad, please, open the door. Just talk to me." Tears fell down my cheeks. "Dad," I pleaded, but couldn't find other words. If Eddy's face wouldn't bring him out, would anything?
It took five minutes of standing there, silently pleading at the camera before I admitted defeat. "I'm going home, I'll have someone courier my new address, in case you want to talk. I won't bother you again, dad. What happens next is up to you. Eddy could use a grandfather."
I headed back to the car, resolving to put my old family out of my mind and to focus on my new one. Moving in would keep me occupied for a while, then there would be Steel Link, trying to convince the Families who'd taken their man out after the attack to send someone new.
He'd keep busy.
What he wouldn't do was wait for his dad to do something.