Trials and Tiaras (Untouchable #7) - Heather Long Page 0,16
kids, over Mom. But even at his worst? Yeah, I never thought he didn’t love us. Just—fuck. I glanced over at Archie, who stared at his phone, reading something with the kind of intensity you reserved for a super villain you were planning on dismembering.
A glance at his screen had me looking away. He was messaging Frankie, so I’d leave him in peace.
“It’s fine,” he said quietly next to me, and I glanced at him. We were the only two in first class on this flight, which was fucking weird. But it also afforded us a measure of privacy, and he probably needed it. “She’s just checking on me. I told her we needed to do a DNA test ourselves, and Jeremy’s arranging something with a private clinic so we can rush the fucking results. It would be easier, but we’re the same blood type.”
“What can I do?”
“We land in…” he began, then paused to check something on the phone before continuing, “In about thirty minutes. I told Bubba and Coop to keep her busy and distracted.” With a grimace, he motioned to his phone. “Currently, she’s worrying about me.”
“And you’re worrying about her, so lay off on trying to wrap her up in too much soft cotton. She wants to be there for you every bit as much as you want to be there for her.” Yes, I totally got the irony of me telling him to back off on the overprotective attitude. The snort he favored me with pointed out his feelings on the same.
“Bubba’s gonna take her to the studio to work on practicing with her guitar and him on piano. Coop’s gonna set up shop at the apartment and do some cleaning. Apparently, I should hire a maid because she started stress cleaning the bathrooms.” Archie shook his head, and I didn’t laugh, tempting as it was.
“She does that when she starts to feel out of control.”
“Yeah well, we’re going to fix that. I’ve got a car picking us up, and I know where Edward is. I plan to pay him a visit.” He cut a look at me. “You in?”
This was a bad idea. “Fuck yeah, I’m in. What do you need me to do?”
The car took us from the airport to some country club. Considering it was still overcast but not raining, I guessed I shouldn’t be surprised his father was at the golf course. Not that I had a lot of experience with them. My family didn’t run in these circles, and with the exception of Arch, I wasn’t finding all that much attractive about them.
“Wait for us,” Archie instructed the driver as he pulled into the portico at the club. “We’ll be thirty minutes max.”
The man nodded, but Archie didn’t even wait for the response. I got it. He had a goal and a target. I was right after him. At the front doors, a man stepped forward to greet us and give us the stink eye.
I guessed jeans and T-shirts weren’t appropriate attire? I didn’t really give a fuck. Archie waved him off. “We’re not eating, just heading out to the greens.”
“Mr. Standish,” the man said, his tone chiding and prim. He started to block us, and I cracked my knuckles. That earned me a startled look. “If you’d like us to send word to your father, you could wait in the club or out here, until he comes in.”
“I absolutely could,” Archie told him in the most frigid tone possible. “And if that was what I wanted to do, I would have said as much. Now do us both a favor, get out of my way and don’t make me put in a word to the club director about you hampering a member.”
I swallowed a smirk, but it was hard. Archie didn’t flinch as he stared at the man. The guy blinked first, then nodded and backed up a step. “Of course, sir.” The last word was almost an afterthought, but I’d give the guy props. Archie wasn’t in the mood, and he could read the room or at least the situation.
Archie flicked me a glance, and I nodded. I had his back. He led the way, and we headed through the club and out a pair of back doors. Outside, a fine mist had begun falling. I was over this shit. At least New York had snow, even if it had been cold enough to freeze my balls off. He slid right behind the wheel of a waiting golf