Lost in You: Petal, Georgia, Book 2 (3 page)

His laugh was a little uncomfortable, but he was saved when Roni came over to take their order.

Once they were alone again, he sighed and caught her gaze. “You
are
William’s little sister.”

“So what?”

“So it’s a fact. You and I both know it. Let’s talk about something else.”

She let it go for the time being. She’d be back. She knew he was interested. Good thing she was patient. She’d been bored with the men in Petal for years. He was the best thing to come along in ages. She wanted him and that was that.

“So, tell me why you’re back in Petal and I won’t pester you about kisses. For a little while anyway.”

“You promised to catch me up on all the doings around town. So you first.”

She sniffed, but sipped her iced tea and shrugged. “Well, my sister Tate married Matt Chase and they have two kids. There’s another one on the way too. You know William is married, of course. Tim is married as well. Lots of kids all over the place. Each is cuter than the last. It’s a trial, I tell you, being an aunt to all that adorable.”

“I take it you love kids.”

“Well, other people’s kids most especially. I can fill them up with sugar and pretend we’re watching all the Disney movies for them. They provide excellent cover for my addiction to Doritos and
Mary Poppins
. Oh and cake. But if you tell anyone that I’ll only deny it.”

“Gotta admit I was surprised to hear about Tate marrying Matt Chase.”

She narrowed her eyes at him. “And why is that?”

“Wow, I saw some scary shit in Iraq, but that face? Ranks up there. Why you mad?”

“Why you surprised? You don’t think Tate’s good enough?”

He laughed. “Yeah, because I’m so high falutin’ and stuff. I’m from the same part of town you are. I meant she was in my class at school. Tate is younger and she never hung around in that crowd. It’s not a matter of good enough. It’s a matter of who you know. That’s just reality.” Though he liked how protective she was of Tate, he was sorry to see how defensive she was. He understood it. Once he’d been away from Petal and had come back, he’d seen the stark differences between sides of town here that he hadn’t really had to contend with out in the rest of the world.

“I apologize. It’s a hot button. Tate went through hell at first. The stuff people said to her. She’s pretty much a mother to me. What happened to her when she should have been all about falling in love with her man, it makes me so mad.”

He liked a person who could own it when they did wrong.

“It’s okay. It’s good you spoke up for her.”

“The Chases have been so amazing. They’ve just sort of enfolded all of us Murphys into their family. Polly Chase treats William’s and Tim’s kids like grandchildren, like she does Tate and Matt’s kids. Makes a difference when their biological grandmother is a drunken loser.”

He took her hand to squeeze it briefly. “You have a fine family, just not that part.”

“Okay so why are you back?”

“Family stuff. I’ve been gone for years, it was time for me to come back. My parents are getting older.” No need to destroy a perfectly lovely lunch with any talk about his dad.

They ate until he remembered exactly why he’d missed this place. Fresh, great food. Neighbors all around who stopped from time to time to welcome him back to town. Beth helpfully told everyone that he’d taken over the Conway Auto Repair and needed the business. He wasn’t proud, that was how you got yourself new customers. And he couldn’t deny how much he liked watching her in action.

“You have a lot of energy.” They walked back toward her salon and his shop.

“You’ll turn my head with all your compliments, Joe Harris.”

He laughed. “It’s a compliment. I promise. You know everyone and everyone seems to like you. You have a way with people.”

“Ha. Not all people. Some people I want to hit with a shovel.”

“In my experience, Beth Murphy, some people need to be hit with a shovel. Do you need me to take care of any shovel smacking on your behalf?”

They paused near the pretty, flower-lined walk leading to the door of the salon. “You’d hit someone in the face with a shovel for me? Wow, you totally dig me.”

True. But he shouldn’t.

“It’s a service I offer to all little sisters of friends.”

Before he realized it, she’d tiptoed up and given him a quick kiss on his lips. She stepped back, a smirk on those pretty lips. “I should warn you up front, I aim to demolish that line of defense.”

“Now why would you go and do that?”

“Notice you’re not arguing.” She turned and walked away, waving over her shoulder. “See you later. Thanks for lunch. Oh and cake. But remember, mum’s the word on that or Tate will do me bodily harm.”

He stared at her, a stupid grin on his face, until she’d gone inside.

Chapter Three

Joe rolled over with a groan to answer his phone. Buck grunted from the foot of the bed where he was most assuredly not supposed to be sleeping. A quick look at the clock told him it was just after midnight.

“Hello?”

“I’m sorry to wake you.”

It was his mother, worry in her voice. He sat, more alert at her tone. “What is it?”

“It’s your dad. He got all worked up. I was getting rid of things. You know what the garage looks like. I’m afraid it’s a fire hazard. He got angry and then he left.”

“Did he hurt you?”

“No. No. He just, he left in his pajama bottoms. He’s been gone two hours. I’m worried but I don’t want to leave in case he comes back here.”

Joe scrubbed his face with his free hand. “Okay. I’ll get out and start looking as soon as I can. Hold tight.”

He pulled on jeans and a shirt, stepped into his boots near the door and hurried out. He might have to deal with cops, so he was sure to run a comb through his hair before he grabbed his wallet. He’d take his truck in case he found his dad and needed to give him a ride home.

Buck followed along and waited with a bark for Joe to pick him up. “Lazy bones.” Buck snorted and then licked Joe’s face.

The deteriorating situation with his father’s mental health is what brought him back to Petal at long last. His mother couldn’t handle it on her own anymore. He had a sister, but she lived in Maine and had a family to take care of. Joe knew he had her support when and if he needed it, but it was his time to be there and get things done.

Petal was small enough that he’d be able to do a drive of the main part of town in about ten minutes. But his parents lived on the outskirts of town and the neighborhood—though it was better now than it had been twenty years ago—wasn’t the best, so he wanted to start there and work his way outward.

After about half an hour, he spotted a man sitting on the swings at the park. Joe took a chance and pulled to the curb.

“Stay.”

Buck gave an annoyed snuffle, but moved to the window facing the park, getting nose prints all over it.

As he came around the car, Joe knew the man was his father. It was a warm night so at least he didn’t have to worry about the cool temps and his dad out there in his pajamas.

Carl looked up at Joe’s approach, but there wasn’t much to it. Blank and a little sad.

“Hey, Dad.” Joe lifted a hand casually. He took up the swing on his dad’s other side. “Want a ride home?”

His father used a bare toe to push himself back and forth just a little. His expression, when he finally looked to Joe, was confused. His heart ached for a moment.

A wave of helplessness washed through Joe. This was way more than he was equipped to handle. There was something so wrong here. How the fuck was he going to make this better?

His dad’s eyes cleared a little, and he looked around and back to Joe. “Hey, Joseph. What are you doing out so late?”

“I could ask you the same.” He tried to keep his tone upbeat. “I’m looking for you. Mom’s worried. You’ve been gone for a while now. How about we go back and get her to make us some tea?”

His dad stood when he did, following along, a little lost. Growing up, Joe’s dad had always seemed so big. But in his bare feet with his pajamas and his thinning hair in disarray, he felt smaller. A shell, and Joe had to swallow back all that emotion. He needed to focus, to get his dad home safely. Then he could deal with the rest.

“You’ll have to share the front with Buck.”

His dad grinned at the dog. “Spoilt.”

Joe laughed. “So much.”

Carl scratched the dog’s ears as Buck rested his head on his thigh.

Joe didn’t know what to say. Or to do. He felt like he should admonish his dad for running off the way he had. He could have been hurt. But one look at the confusion on his father’s face and he knew it wouldn’t be heard. Maybe not even understood.

He didn’t know what to do about any of this stuff.

The drive back to his parents’ place was quiet. The streets were pretty empty. Thank goodness for Buck, who seemed to calm his dad down just by being there.

He pulled up at the curb and they got out, Buck hopping down and trotting next to Joe. His mother opened the screen door and took his father in.

She looked…
old
. Joe realized his dad wasn’t the only one who appeared smaller and more fragile. Coming back to Petal was more than taking them to the grocery store and watching over his dad’s uneven moods. This was so much more.

“I was worried about you.” She reached out, tentative, to touch his dad’s arm.

“A man needs a walk every once in a while.” His dad was gruff, but there was a lot of emotion there, just beneath the surface.

Standing there, unsure of what to do next, Joe noted the front entry was full of boxes and garbage bags.

“What’s all this?” his father asked.

“Your stuff. I pulled it back in. I’ll call first thing tomorrow and tell them not to come collect it.” His mother must have been planning to donate it to the charity shop in town.

Carl looked at it, opened a few boxes. Junk. Christ, it was boxes of stuff Joe knew damned well his father hadn’t used in years, or had more updated versions of.

His dad turned his attention to Joe. “Your blasted mother is throwing my life away.”

Her mouth hardened. “I don’t hardly think so, Carl. The shed is going to catch fire. Or rats. It’s full to the rafters out there. You don’t need any of this. Everything you use is in the garage. You know I didn’t touch any of that stuff.”

Joe noted how worn thin his mother appeared. He wished he knew how to help them both. But he didn’t. This little moment between the two wasn’t the issue. He understood enough to get that.

The problem was huge and he was one person.

One problem at a time. That was the one way he could see to get through this. He needed to draw on his training and simply deal with one thing. And then the next. And the next. It was the only strategy he could imagine that could solve what seemed pretty insurmountable.

“How about some tea? Maybe a little something sweet to go with it?”

His mother sent him a grateful look. “I think I can do that. Come on through. I’ve got some leftover roast beef for Buck. He should get a treat if everyone else does.”

He had tea at the dinner table with his parents. His mother moved around the room, pretty much the same way she had his entire life. The tabletop was smooth from use, from plates moving across the surface for decades. It was comforting here. Even his father had calmed a great deal. The confusion he’d been wearing on his features had faded, easing the panic that had seized Joe’s heart.

Buck was dozing in a far corner, on the cool linoleum, sprawled to get the full benefit on his belly.

They sat for a while in sort of companionable silence. Joe didn’t quite know what to do next so he let his mother lead.

Finally she patted his hand. “You should get on home. I know you have to work in the morning.”

He glanced her way, hoping she understood. Maybe he should sleep over? She gave him a slight shake of her head.

His dad had wandered off in the direction of their bedroom, which was at the back of the small house.

“Thank you,” she said in a quiet voice as they headed toward the front door.

“How often does this happen?” They hadn’t really had the frank conversation they needed to. She was uncomfortable, he knew, and truth was, so was he. But avoiding it any longer wasn’t possible.

She licked her lips, her gaze skirting from his. “He just needs rest.”

Joe combed fingers through his beard. Time to push a little, though he hated to. “How often?”

“Sometimes he wanders off. But he comes back.”

He scrubbed hands over his face. “Like once a month? Once a week?”

“Used to be once every six months or so. More often lately. Like once every few weeks.”

Cold dread settled in his gut. “Mom, he needs to see someone.”

“He refuses. I tried to get him to the VA hospital in Atlanta, but he won’t do it. He’ll be all right. He just needs to settle. Relax a little.”

Joe would do some poking around to see if they couldn’t get someone out their way. Maybe a home visit. This couldn’t go on without some sort of medical intervention.