more about kids than I already knew.
My brothers had seven kids between the three of them, each rowdier than the last. Those rascals had looked at our unspoken motto of working quietly and keeping your head down and said, “Um, nah.” The next generation of Suttons was loud for no bloody reason at all and firmly believed in having fun.
John and I made a little small talk about my flight. I’d stopped by the house earlier and found my room clean and orderly, and the bed was made with fresh linens. I asked him to thank his wife, and he said he would. I teased him about still being too tall, and he razzed me about still being too short. I informed him that I was perfectly average, and he reminded me that I only had two inches on his wife. I shot back that I probably had two inches on him in another place, and he pretended to take offense.
And that was about it. We stared at each other frankly, not bothering to fill the silence that settled between us. We hadn’t seen each other in three years. We should really have more to say.
John sighed. “I know you didn’t come all the way down to the garage to see how I’m doing. We’ve got all the pleasantries out of the way. Let’s talk turkey.”
We were a little beyond turkey. We were turducken at this point. Something was happening that shouldn’t be happening, and I needed to know who’d thought this was a good idea.
I held up the caregiver folder the nurse had all but shoved in my hands. “Did you know about this?”
The way his gaze shifted away from mine answered my question, but he went ahead and added the words. “Maybe I did. JJ—”
I was already shaking my head. “You’ve got to take him.”
His eyes widened. “Take him where?”
“Disneyland,” I snapped. “Don’t fuck with me, John.”
At least he had the good grace to look guilty. “Look, I can’t take him. I’ve got a family and the business to help take care of. With dad temporarily laid up, I finally got a look at the books. They’re a mess.”
“Are you guys in trouble?”
“I don’t know.” He shook his head. “Like I said, it’s a mess.”
“I can help with the books,” I said impatiently. “You know I’m good at that kind of thing.”
“That’s a Band-Aid, JJ. What happens when you leave?”
“Well, I was going to snatch all the computers out of the office and stuff them in my suitcase,” I said dryly. “But now, I’m thinking I’ll probably just set up something easy to operate and show you how to use it.”
“Oh.” He looked a little nonplussed. “Well, that might work.”
“I’m thinking it just might,” I said with a grave nod. “Maybe Matt can take him.”
“He’s got school. Just went up from part-time to full-time, while he’s working here.”
“Mark?”
“He has his hands full with the kids. Since Laura opened the bakery, he’s been helping out more at home.”
I worked a hand behind my neck, massaging what suddenly felt like a huge knot of responsibility—albatross-sized. I didn’t want to do this again. I didn’t want to be the fixer anymore. “Maybe I can hire someone. In-home care, you know?”
“You mean throw your money at the problem and make it go away,” John said flatly.
He made it sound like it was drug money instead of money I’d earned through my craft. Money that had provided the down payment for Laura’s bakery and several family emergencies over the years. I’d left here with a camera and a dream, and I’d made it work.
Do not engage. Despite my sudden urge to introduce my knuckles to John’s eye socket, I stayed calm. “And just what is the problem with hiring a qualified individual for round-the-clock care?”
John snorted. “You know dad isn’t going to want a stranger in his house.”
I knew he was right. So… Matty was out, John was busy, and Mark had his hands full with the kids. Excellent. The tension in my neck ratcheted up more. I ran a hand through my hair, already thinking logistics. “I guess I can bring him home with me for a couple of weeks.”
“He doesn’t like to fly. Hell, I don’t think his doctors would even want him to fly so soon after a stroke. And he’s going to need more than a few fucking weeks, JJ.”
“Well, he’s not going to be able to have everything his way,” I shot back. “I’m trying to help, but