Total pages in book: 188
Estimated words: 182255 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 911(@200wpm)___ 729(@250wpm)___ 608(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 182255 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 911(@200wpm)___ 729(@250wpm)___ 608(@300wpm)
“Yeah. I put out my shingle in Cali. You still at the Two-Four?” He scanned Tony’s passable off-the-rack suit. “Looks like you made detective.”
Tony’s expression darkened. “Yeah, but the precinct isn’t what it used to be. Politics and bullshit. Trust me, be glad you got out when you did.”
Seth had sensed the tone shift at the precinct even before he’d left. “You still single?”
“Not for long. I met a girl online. Crazy, right? Her name is Megan, and we’re getting married in March.”
“Congratulations! That’s fantastic.” Seth glanced at his watch. “Hey… I hate to run. I’ve got an appointment in Yonkers, so I’ve got to get going.” Not that he was looking forward to getting fitted for a tux with his mother’s fiancé, whom he barely knew. “But it was great seeing you, man.”
“If you’ve got time later, I’d love to grab a beer. Maybe hear more about how you made the successful switch from homicide detective to PI?”
Because Tony was thinking about doing the same?
“Maybe next time? I’m only in town for a few days, but I’m back next month. It would be great to shoot the shit.” Seth wanted to hear more about the change in the precinct, especially if it was making Tony re-think his direction in life.
“You got it. Take care of yourself out in La-La Land.” He clapped Seth’s shoulder.
After they parted ways, Seth headed for Grace’s car and found his mom waiting patiently. He couldn’t help but feel a pang of nostalgia for the old days, mixed with relief that he’d left when he had. Some chapters in life were meant to close.
The drive home was quiet after the somber ceremony. It wasn’t until they were sitting in traffic that Grace spoke again.
“Do you ever miss police work?”
“Sometimes. But not enough to re-join the force.”
“California really is your home now, isn’t it?”
“Yeah.” Because that’s where Heavenly and Beck were.
After dropping Grace off at the house, Seth arrived at the formal wear shop to find Carl Mahoney waiting. He was a bear of a man with reddish-brown hair and a matching beard tinged with gray, weathered hands that spoke of years in construction, and gentle eyes.
The tailor bustled around them with measuring tape and pins. In the awkward silence, Seth found himself searching for something to say.
“So, Mom says you’re in construction,” Seth offered. “What kind?”
“Commercial mostly. Office buildings, a few residential developments. Been doing it for thirty years.” Carl shifted as the tailor adjusted his collar. “Grace tells me you’re doing well with your PI business out in California.”
“Can’t complain. It’s steady work, even if the hours sometimes suck, and I get tired of cheating spouses.”
“I’m sure.”
Their conversation lagged again until Carl cleared his throat. “You know…your mother misses you. Talks about you all the time. She’s so proud of how you held the family together after your father passed. That couldn’t have been easy. You were still a kid.”
Seth felt his throat tighten. “Someone had to step up, and I was the oldest.”
“She says you made sure your brothers stayed in line, that the yard work got done, and that the house didn’t fall apart around her. That’s not something many teenagers could manage. You were basically a father to the other boys when you were still growing up yourself.” Then Carl’s smile turned wry. “And Jack and Connor’s romantic life aside, they turned out just fine.”
Seth grimaced. “They’re good men. They just…need to grow up.”
“I’m sure you worry about your mom, especially after the way you and I met.” Carl winced, clearly still embarrassed that Seth’s first introduction had been when he’d walked in on Carl fucking her on the kitchen table. “Our relationship may have seemed sudden to you, but she waited a long time to open her heart again after losing your father…”
“A very long time.”
“I understand. I lost my wife to breast cancer eight years ago. I thought I was done with love.”
“But it wasn’t done with you.” Seth understood. When he’d lost Autumn at twenty-four, he hadn’t planned on ever getting involved, much less married, again. But he was living proof that things changed.
“No. I resisted my attraction to your mother for weeks, but the more I tried…the more I fell for her. She made me re-think everything. She’s a good woman.”
“The best. And if she finally said yes to you after all these years, she must be sure.”
“How do you feel about that? Danny, Matt, and the twins have all accepted us, but…in hindsight, I should have asked for your blessing before I proposed to your mother.”
Seth softened. “Mom has always been her own woman. If you make her happy, that’s all I need. I’m actually glad she won’t be spending the rest of her life alone. She belongs with someone who knows how special she is.”
“She is, and I don’t know how I got so lucky. I can’t wait for her to meet my kids.”