Page 57 of Fierce-Baker

He laughed. “I don’t have to tell you what you already know.”

16

GOING BACK FOR MORE

“How are things going, Baker?” his sister asked him four days later.

Good question.

On one hand, some might say they were great. It sure the hell felt it after his day with Tasha on Friday.

The other hand was ready to slap him across the face and ask him what the fuck he was getting himself into.

“Not bad.” It was the closest he could get to the truth. “What’s going on with Mom now?”

Brittany laughed.

He loved his sister, he really did. Without her, he might not be as sane as he was. She’d often said the same thing.

But they weren’t known to talk often. More like a text.

The text asking him to call said something had to be going on that he didn’t want to hear.

“She’s depressed again.”

“Same old, same old?”

“Yep. Dad confessed he was involved with someone else. Someone at work, but he promised to end things. That Mom was ignoring him and he was lonely.”

Baker ground his teeth, his fists clenched, a tick in his cheek was damn well noticeable for anyone who walked in.

And if they walked in and saw him, they’d scoot back out as if he’d shot flames up their ass rather than ask him what was going on.

“Did she buy it?”

“She always does. She said she’s trying and asked my advice on what she could do better. It started out with asking if I remembered what Dad’s favorite dessert was. She was drawing a blank.”

Baker pushed back in his chair, it tipping dangerously close to the wall. “What was your response?”

“I told her she’d be better off looking for a place to live than a recipe to make a man happy who would only cheat on her again.”

“And she cried after you said that?”

Brittany’s sigh was loud enough it might have pushed his hair back through the phone. “Right on the first try. What are we going to do about this?”

“Nothing. It’s their life. I gave up a long time ago. I consider myself a saint for not lifting him up by the shirt front when I’m forced to see him.”

“When was the last time you talked to Dad?”

“When was the last time I was home?”

“That’s what I thought.”

He hadn’t been home since he had moved here three years ago. Since he saw the ad and knew it was time to head out and push the memories behind him.

“I’m not sure why you’re chasing something here. Do you really think they are going to ever change their behavior?” There was silence on the other end. “Brittany?”

“Mom said that Dad is sick.”