A California Christmas (Silver Springs #7) - Brenda Novak Page 0,85

a say. And now that doing so had turned into a problem, Heidi was scrambling to cover her ass.

Of course she was.

But if the station had been served, Emery was fairly certain Ethan had been served, too. How was he taking the news?

I’m afraid Ethan will do something to get revenge, like he did before when he was mad at me. Tell me again that I was right to pick this fight.

They picked the fight. You’re only finishing it. And if he does anything, I’m going to have a little talk with him.

After which Ethan would very likely have a broken jaw. Emery felt terrible for enjoying the image that conjured in her mind, but she couldn’t think of anyone who deserved to be punched in the face quite as much as he did.

Maybe it wasn’t politically correct, but instead of telling Dallas she didn’t condone violence, she used the kiss blowing emoji to respond. She was grateful he was there to hold her hand through this and wanted to support him, too.

You’ve been so good to me. I want you to know that I’m here for you, too. That if you’d like to talk about your father, what happened to your family or even what happened last night in the ice cream store, I’m more than willing.

Thanks but it’s ancient history, so there’s nothing to say.

She frowned at his response. It hadn’t felt like ancient history last night.

Apparently, he could help her, but he couldn’t accept help. He preferred to internalize everything—lock it up and soldier on.

Did that mean he’d never be able to open up enough to fall in love himself?

* * *

Dallas had spent the day driving to Santa Barbara for the tuxedos and was glad for the time alone. He’d said nothing about his father’s release from prison to his family—and would say nothing, least of all to Aiyana. That would only start her worrying about him, and she didn’t need anything else to worry about before her big day.

He wished he could block Robert’s release from his own brain but, hard as he tried, he couldn’t get his father off his mind. Forty years had seemed as though it would last forever. He’d expected Robert to be in his late seventies when he got out. If he got out. Some people didn’t live that long. Dallas had been holding out hope that Robert would be one of them and that he’d never have to face the prospect he was suddenly faced with now.

How was it that the bastard had been released seventeen years early? After what he’d done?

Dallas’s jaw clenched as he pictured his father able to move about at will and interact with innocent people who had no idea what he was capable of. What if he married again? Would he tell his next wife what he’d done to the last one?

His phone rang when he was about half an hour from home. It was nearly dinnertime. He could’ve returned earlier if only he’d made the effort, but he’d spent a couple of hours doing yoga at the beach. He did yoga as often as possible, especially when he couldn’t climb.

He expected the call to be his mother, wondering where he was. But it was the owner of the gym where he worked—again. Dallas had been dodging Brian’s calls for over a week, which was unfair, both to Brian as his employer and Brian as the father figure he’d come to be.

This time he made himself pick up. “Hello?”

“There you are. God, what does it take to get you to answer your phone?”

“It’s possible I’ve been out climbing. Have you thought of that?”

“No, because you’re in Silver Springs. You told me that your mother is getting married, and I’d bet my life on the fact that you wouldn’t miss it. You’ll be there until the big day is over.”

Brian knew him too well. But he didn’t yet know about the contract Dallas had signed with Xtreme Climbing Apparel. Dallas had been hesitant to tell him. He wanted to wait until he could break the news in person. “That’s true. I’m trying to have some family time. So what’s the emergency?”

“I want to find out if you’re going to buy the gym and take over for me or not. If you don’t want it, I need to find someone else. I’m not getting any younger, you know.”

“You’re not ready to retire quite yet,” Dallas said, hoping to God it was true. He was afraid to