from his temple. Instantly blood began to trickle down his face.
“Are you sure you’re not going to need stitches?” Lindsey asked.
“That’s what I’m thinking,” Walker said.
“I’ll be fine. Try the bandage,” Cal told him. “Go on, Lindsey.”
“Oh. Okay. Well, she, um, got this weird look on her face and then she just blurted it all out. She told me who you were and that you’d always wanted to be a part of my life, but you didn’t want to push and that you were my biological dad and stuff. So I wanted to come see you.”
Cal groaned. “Did we just walk in the house and leave your mom parked out there?”
Lindsey laughed. “No. She went to get coffee. I’m going to call her when it’s time to come get me.”
Walker tugged on his skin. Cal did his best not to react to the pain. The bandages were put in place, but Walker didn’t look pleased. “These aren’t going to hold.”
Lindsey moved close and wrinkled her nose. “He’s right. You really need to go to the hospital.”
“In a minute.” He smiled at her. “I’m glad you’re here.”
“Me, too. I thought, you know, maybe we could be friends.”
“I’d like that.”
She glanced at Reid and Walker. “It’s nice to have more family. I’ve always wanted that. Are any of you guys married?”
Walker snorted. “Reid settle down with one woman? Not likely. I’ve been out of the country and Cal…You’re going to have to talk to him about that.”
Lindsey glanced at him expectantly.
Cal shook his head. “Another long story,” he said, knowing there was no way he could explain about Penny.
“That’s too bad. I’d like some cousins or even half brothers and sisters. I wouldn’t even mind babysitting. Well, at least until I go to college. Then I’ll be really busy.”
Impulsively, Cal grabbed Lindsey’s hand. “Thanks for coming to see me. I know you’re all grown up and have a life, but maybe we could get together for lunch sometime.”
She ducked her head, but squeezed his fingers. “That would be nice. I can give you my cell number. We can talk and stuff. And e-mail, too.” She grinned. “I love e-mail.”
“Me, too.”
Reid pulled the towel away from the cut on his jaw and showed it to Walker. Just then a fresh gush of blood dripped down the front of his shirt.
“That’s it,” Lindsey said forcefully. “I can see I’m going to have to take charge here. You’re both going to the emergency room. You need stitches. There’s no discussion about this. I just went through chemo and a bone marrow transplant. I think you tough guys can survive a couple of stitches.”
“WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?” Dani asked as she sat next to Cal in the emergency room. “You’re too old to be fighting each other.”
“We weren’t thinking,” Cal told her. “That’s how fights usually start. No one plans them. Well, Reid kind of planned this one.”
“But you’re mature adults. At least you were. And on the front lawn.”
He winced. “How’d you hear that?”
“I had a fascinating talk with your daughter before she had to leave. This was while you were being stitched up.” Her stern expression softened. “She’s great.”
“I know.” He still couldn’t believe she knew about him and wanted them to be friends.
“And her first impression of her father is he and his brother fighting. I should slap you myself.”
“Please don’t.”
“Are you in pain?” Dani asked.
“Yes.”
“Good. I hope Reid is suffering. Maybe that will teach you two.” She studied the bandages on his face. “What were you fighting about?”
“I made Penny cry.”
Dani’s eyes narrowed. “You sure did.”
“I don’t need you taking me on, too,” he told her. “I feel like shit.”
She socked his arm anyway, which, fortunately, was one of the only spots that didn’t hurt. “Why didn’t you tell her you were moving back east? What kind of moron has a relationship with a woman and doesn’t mention that at least once?”
“At first I didn’t think it mattered. Then I didn’t think about leaving at all. Over the past couple of weeks, I’ve been thinking that maybe I wouldn’t now.”
“Maybe?” She socked him again.
“I won’t go,” he said as he rubbed his arm. “I know I should have told her. I never meant to hurt her.”
“Too bad. If you had meant to, you could be happy you’d accomplished your goal. As it is, her heart is broken and you’re an ass.”
“Gee, thanks.”
“I mean it, Cal. You’re better than this. You don’t play with other people’s feelings. You’ve never been mean.”
He went from feeling like slime to feeling like slime was only something he could aspire to.
“What do you want me to say?” he asked.
“To me? Nothing. I’m not the problem.”
He knew that. But Penny had been so angry-not without cause, he admitted. “I should have told her,” he muttered. “I should have made it clear.”
“Not many people get a second chance,” Dani told him.
“I know. I lost Penny before. I’m not going to lose her again.” He couldn’t. She’d come to matter too much to him.
Three months ago, he’d been eager to leave Seattle, to try something new, but now…
“Is she all right?” he asked. “She was upset, and with the baby and all.”
“Upset? You call that upset?”
His insides clenched as he swore. “I should let Reid beat on me some more.”
“That will only help you. There’s someone more important to worry about.”
“How much have I blown it?” he asked.
“A lot, but Penny isn’t unreasonable. Lucky for you, she’s especially vulnerable right now. Naomi’s leaving.”
“What? Leaving for where?”
“Ohio. But that’s not important. What are you going to do?”
Beg and crawl, he thought. Hope the words came to him and if they didn’t, he was going to camp out on her doorstep until she finally agreed they belonged together.
He stood. Every muscle in his body complained loudly. “I’m too old for this crap,” he muttered. “Tell Reid and Walker I went to see Penny.”
Dani glanced at her watch. “She’ll be there the rest of the night.”
“Good. Don’t let her know I’m coming. I have another stop to make first, and I don’t know how long it’s going to take me.”
Dani glared at him. “You’re not going directly there?”
“No, and get off of me. I know what I’m doing.”
“Oh, that’s clear. We should all allow you to run our lives. You’re doing such a great job of your own.”
He bent down and kissed Dani’s cheek. “I love you, too.”
THIRTY MINUTES LATER Cal walked into Gloria’s office. His grandmother took one look at him and jumped out of her chair.
“What on earth happened?” she asked. “My God, you have stitches and a black eye. Is your lip cut?”
He waved away her questions. “Not important,” he said. “That’s not what I’m here about.”
“All right.” Gloria sank back in her chair. “Then why are you here? Not that I’m not delighted to see my oldest grandson.”
