The O’Connells Books 10 - 12

Chapter 15

Chapter Fifteen

What was it about Jack? Raymond couldn’t shake the feeling that the man could be a problem for him, especially considering that after his talk outside with Iris, she’d done everything she could to avoid him. She wouldn’t even look his way where he stood in the kitchen of Marcus’s house, where food filled the counter. Little Eva, Marcus and Charlotte’s adopted daughter, was sitting on a stool, staring at him, holding a glass of juice.

“Eva, if you’re done, why don’t you go and find your cousin?” Charlotte said from where she was rinsing lettuce at the sink.

He’d expected her to say something to him. Instead, Eva just put the glass down and slid off that stool, then started out of the kitchen. But she stopped and looked back at him.

“I don’t think she knows what to say to you. She’s curious, is all,” Charlotte said.

He hadn’t realized she was watching him. He stood by the island, holding a beer Marcus had handed him before joining the others in the living room. Owen and Tessa were out back, with their coats on, by the smoking barbecue.

“Does Owen always barbecue?” Raymond said. It was cold out, but he could see them from the window. Owen had gone out of his way to avoid him.

Charlotte moved away from the sink and started ripping the clean lettuce into a bowl on the island. She lifted her hand and pressed it into her lower back. He could see she was uncomfortable.

“Why don’t you sit down here?” he said. “Come on. I’ll do the lettuce.”

“You sure?” she said.

He put down his beer and pulled the stool out, then gestured to it, and Charlotte walked around and slid onto it. He picked up the lettuce and started ripping it up, not missing the way she groaned. He didn’t know why, but it made him remember Iris and how many nights he had rubbed her swollen feet and ankles while she carried his children.

“Owen is kind of the head of the family,” Charlotte said. “He looked after all the kids. As long as Marcus and I have been together, this has been what Owen does. You should try talking to him. He’s overprotective of everyone because he’s had to be, but he’s steady.”

Charlotte glanced out to him. Owen had the lid up on the barbecue and was turning the chicken he’d insisted on cooking. He wondered if he’d ever figure out a way to reach his son. Anger was anger, and Owen had stepped into his role overnight. He could feel how much he disliked him. He noticed that Charlotte was staring over to him as if trying to figure him out.

“You know, I remember how tired Iris got with all the kids running around,” he said. “By the time she was pregnant with Suzanne, she had Owen helping with Ryan and Marcus. Luke had always been the difficult one, getting into everything. Marcus…he was damn smart, and he got into trouble I don’t think his mom still has any idea about. You could see him thinking, planning, doing… Then there was Ryan, who followed everything Marcus did.”

A smile touched her lips. “Well, maybe that’s why Marcus is the best at what he does, the best sheriff this town has ever had. He knows where to look when someone has committed a crime. No one else knows where to start, but he just does. Then again, I’m rather partial to him.”

The way she talked about his son had him smiling. Just then, he spotted Karen walking his way, wearing a fuchsia dress with a light sweater and heels. Her hair was a mix of blond and red, and she reminded him of Iris at her age. She looked so much like her mom.

“Hi, Dad. What are you two talking about?” she said as she slid on a stool next to Charlotte.

“You know what? I’m going to leave you two and go put my feet up in the living room,” Charlotte said, running her hand over Karen’s arm before slipping off the stool and walking out.

Raymond finished ripping the lettuce. He could see how close they all were.

“I hope I didn’t interrupt?” Karen said, and he could feel her hesitation.

“Darlin’, you’re never interrupting. So tell me about you, everything about you and that husband of yours, who seems to have his eye on me.” He rested his hands on the island and took in the smile that touched Karen’s lips as she glanced out to the living room, where he knew Jack was with everyone else.

“Jack is just Jack. He wants to make sure none of us gets hurt, is all. Dad, can I ask you something?” She flicked her blue eyes up to him the way she’d done as a little girl, when he’d have done anything for her.

“Hey, you can ask me anything. What is it? That husband of yours, you need me to talk to him for you? He’d better be treating you right.”

That brought a teasing smile to her face, but she shook her head. “No, it’s something Jack said, but he’s right. I need to know if you’re going to be here tomorrow or if you’re going to disappear again.”

He spotted Suzanne walking hesitantly their way, and he stood from where he was leaning. “Hey, come on in here,” he said. “I haven’t had a chance to talk to you, either.”

Suzanne was a tomboy, always had been, tall and slim. If his mother were there, he wondered what she’d think of Suzanne. It was her face; she looked just like his mom, bringing up all the nostalgia he’d never expected to feel again.

“Well, I came to grab another beer for Harold…” she started.

He knew Karen was still waiting for his answer. “Your sister just asked if I’m planning on taking off again,” he said.

Suzanne moved beside Karen and didn’t pull her blue eyes from him. He could tell she was evidently thinking the very same thing.

“I guess you all deserve an answer. I left you so many years ago, and it wasn’t by choice. At the same time, I didn’t plan on still being here. I love you all so very much, you girls and your brothers, and…”

And Iris, he thought, but he stopped himself from saying it, because he could see something in their eyes that he couldn’t encourage. It was the kind of hope he knew would crush his girls.

“But I never stopped watching you, doing what I could from a distance,” he said.

They were so quiet, saying nothing, waiting for him to say…what, that he’d stay forever? He couldn’t do that.

“I never knew,” Suzanne said. “I don’t understand, though. Why couldn’t you reach out?”

She had no idea, he realized. He could see now that she still didn’t get it.

“Anyone seen Brady and Alison?” Ryan said as he strode into the kitchen, holding Eva’s hand.

Raymond could see that Suzanne and Karen were still waiting for him to give them the one thing they wanted. “No, I thought they were in the living room,” he started.

Suzanne shook her head. “No, I saw them go upstairs with the remotes and video player.”

“They’re not there,” Ryan said. “The video player was just sitting in the spare room by the TV, not hooked up. They didn’t come back down? Eva is looking for them, and I don’t remember the last time I saw them. They’re not out back, are they?”

“I’ve been in the kitchen the entire time,” Raymond said. “They’d have had to walk past me…”

The back door opened, and Owen strode in with Tessa, her cheeks pink from the cold. He could smell the chicken that filled the platter Owen carried.

“What’s going on?” Owen asked without looking at him.

“We can’t find Alison and Brady,” Raymond said. “You didn’t see them?”

That forced Owen to look over to him. “Nope, I haven’t. Just me and Tessa out back. Check the front porch?”

Marcus walked in then, wearing a blue and white T-shirt and blue jeans. His dark hair looked as if he’d run his hands through it. “What’s going on here? You find the kids?” He looked at each of them.

Raymond didn’t know why, but the warning he’d given all of them was echoing in his mind. Stay together, check in. Those damn kids were trying to sneak off and do the opposite!

“They’re not upstairs or out back. Are they out front?” Raymond said. He went to take a step around the island, around Owen.

Marcus dragged his gaze from the front door to him. “No, they’re not,” he said. Then he had his cell phone to his ear, and he shook his head. “Alison’s not answering. It went to voicemail. I don’t hear it ringing in the house.” He dialed again. “I’ll try Brady.”

They all waited.

Marcus shook his head. “Nope, voicemail. Ryan, maybe they snuck over to your place.”

Suzanne stood, and Ryan lifted Eva and sat her on the empty stool beside Karen, whose arm went instantly around her.

“I’ll go check,” Ryan said.

“I’ll go with you,” Raymond said, following, but he stopped in front of Marcus. “I don’t want to sound the alarm bells, but…”

Marcus shook his head. “I get it. Go and look. I’m sure they’re over at Ryan’s, and then we’ll sit them down and have a talk with them again so they understand there’s no more bullshit and sneaking off.”

He just had a bad feeling, though, as he followed Ryan to the door. Iris, who was holding a glass of wine, was walking his way along with Jenny, Ryan’s pretty wife. The front door was open, and Luke and Harold were already outside. He rested his hand on his son’s shoulder before they started out.

“You know Brady is angry, but I can’t understand him taking off like this,” Raymond said. “This isn’t like him. Even as angry as he is, he’s not like this.”

“Well, Alison is a different story,” Ryan said. “This is something she’s done. For all we know, they just wanted a little space, but I swear, when I get my hands on her…” Ryan didn’t finish.

Raymond took in the concern in Iris’s expression, but he pulled his gaze away, following Ryan out of the house. They just stood on the front porch, taking in the neighborhood, the cars on the street. With this middle-class suburbia came a warning, a feeling that something wasn’t right. Raymond just hoped that this time, his instincts were wrong.