For The Love of Easton (For the Love Of #2) - A.M. Hargrove Page 0,37
video meetings together, and I’m letting him handle more and more each day. He surprised me.”
“How so?”
“I never took him for such a serious one,” Stanton said. “He’s focused and determined to do it right the first time.” A chuckle followed his statement. “Dad would’ve been proud of him.”
“Have you told him that?”
“Not yet, but I plan to. He’s toe-dipping right now, but when he’s halfway in, I’ll let him know.”
“Stanton, tell him now. Out of all of us, you were the closest to Dad. I would’ve loved to have known how Dad really felt about me. I always thought he was indifferent and hated the fact I went out on my own. Landry needs the encouragement.”
“You’re right. I’ll tell him tomorrow. Honestly, he’s made me proud. I used to think all he was interested in was partying. But my mind has made a one-eighty on that.”
I rubbed my chin, deep in thought. “When Mom called to tell me about the accident, the last thing I wanted was to come here. This place was never welcoming. It hadn’t felt like home in so long. But things are different now. Knowing how you and Dad changed the company and realizing our relationship is better because of it, I look forward to these visits.”
“And to think we wasted all those years.”
I tapped his shoulder. “That’s over. No more wasting time.”
He grimaced as he changed positions. “Can you help me up? I need to move around some.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yeah. I’m supposed to get out of bed often. This makes my back ache and my ass sore.” He waved a hand across the bed.
“Is it the mattress? We can change it.”
“No. It’s lying around like this.”
I helped him swing his leg to the side and then pulled him up using his good arm. He’d had surgery on the other shoulder, and the leg, along with sewing up a ruptured spleen and some other internal stuff. His age and his physical state had put him in a better survival category. He also worked every day with the therapist and was getting stronger.
“Walk me to the bathroom, please.”
I left him in there with a crutch, but I was worried he’d fall or something. When he emerged, he said, “I can’t wait to take a full-body shower without this cast.”
That hadn’t crossed my mind. My skin itched at the thought.
“Stop it. My leg has itched for several weeks now.”
“I feel for you, man.”
He stood, leaning on the crutch. “I never thought I’d appreciate standing so much.” He frowned but it took on a sorrowful tone. “I’ll never forgive myself for speeding that night.”
“Stanton, don’t go there. It was an accident.”
“No, it wasn’t. If I hadn’t been so careless, Dad would still be alive.”
Maybe if he talked this out it would help. “Can you remember all the details of that night?”
“Most of them.” His head hung as he gazed at the floor. “We’d gone to that breakfast meeting. We did a stupid coin toss on who would drive.” A rueful chuckle escaped from him. “If only that coin had only picked him and not me. Anyway, we were on the way home, and you know how I love driving fast. I thought nothing of it until we came around a curve and the car didn’t respond like it should have. Then I spun out of control and the rest you know.”
My ears perked up. “Wait a minute. What do you mean the car didn’t respond like it should have?”
“I don’t know. It was sluggish on the turn. It felt stiff or something.”
Stanton loved fast cars, and he drove them that way. He currently owned a Porsche, but in the past had owned a Ferrari, a Lamborghini, and a Bugatti. I was simple when it came to cars—functionality was more my speed. Give me an SUV any day of the week and I’d be a happy man.
“Sluggish as in it wouldn’t turn?”
“As in the power steering didn’t feel right. It was fine when we left the meeting, but the further away we got, the stiffer it became.”
It made me think someone had tampered with it. “The car is totaled, but I’m going to see where it ended up.”
“Why?”
“A hunch. That’s all.” I’d keep my suspicions to myself until there was something concrete to share. “I need to go have a chat with Mom and Ravina.”
“Yeah, how’s that going?”
“Ravina has yet to get a job. I believe she thinks this is all a joke.”