A Chance at Love (A Ferry Creek Novel): (a billionaire romance novel) (17 page)

"Look," Bobby said.
"He said something and I ignored him. I chalked it up to the meds he's on.
Some of those pills will send you across the world and back, okay? But then he
kept mentioning it over and over. Finally, I sat down and let him tell me what
he wanted to tell me. He told me where to find proof."

"What kind of proof?"

"He had letters from a woman
named Sandy..."

"That's my mother,"
Sullivan whispered.

A pain hit his heart. This was
going to get very real.

"She had some letters and some
pictures."

"One of the
Ded Flyer...
"

"Yeah," Bobby smiled.
"Sullivan, the second I saw a picture of you it just... it just felt like
someone had ripped my heart out. You know? I'll admit it, I was angry with
you."

"I understand that
feeling," Sullivan said.

"I swore to myself that I
wouldn't get angry with my father because he was dying. Imagine if I woke up
and he was gone? My last living emotion toward him cannot be anger..."

"I get it," Sullivan
said. "My father... well... Henry... wow, I don't even know what to call
anyone right now."

Bobby reached out and squeezed
Sullivan's arm, nodding. "We're just speaking our minds, right?"

"That's right. My father - the
man who raised me - he died ten years ago. He woke up one morning and his heart
just gave out. Just like that. Out of nowhere."

"And my father is suffering,
waiting to die," Bobby said. "Makes you wonder what's worse..."

"Yeah, that's the truth."
Sullivan took a breath. "So you said you had pictures."

"That's right," Bobby
said. "A few. Most when you were younger."

"Where did they come
from?"

"I'd assume your mother,"
Bobby said. "The question that I wanted answered though is why... I mean,
nothing against you or your mother."

"Nothing against me,"
Sullivan said. "I had nothing to do with it. As far as my mother is
concerned, no love loss there."

Bobby nodded. "I was going to
ask about her but I was worried something... well, you mentioned your..."

"She's alive," Sullivan
said. "I checked before I left for Ferry Creek. She's not far from here
either. Right in South Carolina."

"You don't talk to her?"

"She left when I was a
kid," Sullivan said. "Kind of makes this situation that much harder.
The man who raised me wasn't my biological father, but he stayed and didn't
ignore me."

"You feel Dad ignored
you?"

Sullivan sensed tension beginning
to build. He didn't want to offend Bobby but at the same time he hadn't come
all the way from Virginia to tip-toe around anyone.

"How would you feel?"
Sullivan asked.

"How do you think I
feel?" Bobby threw back.

Two powerful questions that had no
real answers. The tension lingered in the silence that followed. Bobby stood
his ground and Sullivan did the same. He knew he was in Bobby's diner, but
technically, it was Bob's diner and, in a way, that meant it was Sullivan's. He
would never say such a thing to Bobby because it wouldn't be fair to do so.

"I'm going to talk to her at
some point," Sullivan said. "My mother."

"I guess that's good."

"I'd like to see what you
have," Sullivan said. "Pictures and whatnot."

"So you're not chomping to get
to the hospital and see him?"

"I don't know," Sullivan
said. "I didn't want to show up and rush things. I'm still processing all
this. Somewhere inside me, Bobby, I want to be angry with everyone, and for
some reason, that includes you. Maybe it's nothing but dumb jealousy or maybe
because you were the one who made the call that changed my life. I refuse to
believe that you or your father aren't good men, so I'm here to see that."

"You don't want to go
today?" Bobby asked. "To see him?"

"No," Sullivan said. The
honesty felt good, but it also pained him. "Or maybe I should be asking
you what I should do. You said he's going to... well, he's not going to make
it."

"No, he's not," Bobby
said. Sullivan walked to the counter and sat on a stool. He rested his chin on
his hands and swallowed. "I'm sorry. I don't know why but I feel I should
be."

“
Yeah,
I almost feel the same way,
”
Sullivan said.
“
I feel like
I
’
m barging in on your
life. Your town. Your diner.
”
Your waitress... Jess...
Sullivan didn
’
t
say that but it was sure close to the tip of his tongue.

“
Maybe
it
’
s best if we just come
to terms that we have the same father,
”
Bobby said.
“
We
’
re not hurting each other and we
’
re not going to do that, right?
”

“
Agreed,
”
Sullivan said.

Bobby put his hand out and Sullivan
looked at it for a second before taking it.

“
You
’
re going to be the talk of the
town come tomorrow,
”
Bobby
said.
“
If I were you, I
’
d stay clear of the diner or you
’
ll have to take it head on.
”

“
I
’
ll take my chances,
”
Sullivan said.
“
I
’
ll
be here for breakfast.
”

“
Better
yet, why don
’
t you help me
around here tomorrow. Earn your keep.
”

Sullivan laughed. He had to. He couldn
’
t remember the last time he had
to earn his keep anywhere.

“
Earn
my keep,
”
Sullivan said.
“
I like that.
”

“
Yeah?
Then grab a mop and help me.
”

“
Are
you serious?
”

“
You
’
re not leaving the limits of
Ferry Creek,
”
Bobby said.
“
There
’
s no way in hell you
’
re
going to go find a hotel to stay in. I don
’
t
care how rich you are.
”

“
So
what am I doing? Sleeping in the diner?
”

“
Not
quite,
”
Bobby said. He
looked up and smiled.

“
Your
apartment?
”

“
My
apartment,
”
Bobby said.
“
Hope you don
’
t mind an old couch.
”

Sullivan cracked his knuckles and
laughed again.
“
I can
’
t wait.
”

___SEVEN___

Bobby showed Sullivan the small
apartment above The Pot Diner and it felt like home almost instantly. Sullivan
dropped his bags next to the couch and looked around. Bobby opened the fridge
and grabbed two beers. He held them up and Sullivan nodded.

The brothers each held their beer out
and they clanked them together.

“
To
family,
”
Bobby said.

“
To
brothers,
”
Sullivan added.

Bobby turned and snapped his
fingers.
“
Let me show you
the pictures,
”
he said.

“
Okay,
”
Sullivan said.

He drank more beer to keep his
mouth from running dry. Once again, he was nervous as hell. He was almost
thirty-five years old and here he stood in an apartment above a diner in a
small town in North Carolina waiting to see pictures of himself that a stranger
had.

Bobby handed an envelope to
Sullivan.

Sullivan put his beer down and
peeked inside the envelope.

There were more envelopes in it.

“
He
kept it organized,
”
Bobby
said.
“
But I do have an
opinion...
”

“
Which
is?
”

“
Look
first, then I
’
ll tell you.
”

Sullivan dumped the envelopes on
the table and began to open them. There were only a handful but they each
contained a picture of Bobby, at different ages, right up to the point when his
mother left. So that maybe answered his question about whether or not Henry
knew about his real father. If he had known, wouldn
’
t he have kept sending pictures to Bob?

Sullivan closed his eyes and
swallowed hard. He put the pictures down and whispered,
“
I wonder if he knew...
”

“
Who
knew what?
”
Bobby asked.

Sullivan opened his eyes. He felt
the tears right there and didn
’
t
care. He stared at Bobby.
“
The
man who raised me. The man I called
Dad
. I can
’
t ask him that question, can I?
”

Bobby shook his head.
“
I
’
m
sorry about that.
”

“
Me
too. More than ever. I really wonder if he knew. Or maybe he died thinking I
was his son. Maybe he
’
s
looking down on this and he
’
s
heartbroken.
”

“
Sullivan,
he
’
s gone,
”
Bobby said.

“
I
know that,
”
Sullivan
growled.

He grabbed his beer and stormed
from the small kitchen.

There was nowhere to hide in the
apartment so Sullivan stood with his back to Bobby like a pissed off five year
old kid. He could feel Bobby staring at him.

“
I
’
m sorry,
”
Sullivan said.
“
I
just didn
’
t think seeing
those pictures would get to me like this. It
’
s
like everything I find out now is just another step closer to the truth and
another step away from everything I knew.
”

“
I
feel the exact same way,
”
Bobby said.
“
You know... I
had a wife and two kids. Well, I still have two kids. Great kids. They
’
re coming soon. You
’
ll meet them, hopefully. I had a
house. A nice little life. I lived life as an only son to my father. Then my
wife and I decide to get divorced. I move out of my house and get the call that
my father
’
s sick. That he
’
s going to die. And, oh by the
way, here
’
s the diner to
run because Ferry Creek needs the place to survive. Then, oh by way, you have a
brother.
”

Sullivan slowly turned.
“
What
’
s your opinion?
”

“
My
what?
”

“
Before
I looked at the pictures. You said you had an opinion.
”

“
Are
you sure you want me to tell you?
”

“
Not
at all. But I have to know everything I can at this point.
”

“
Okay,
”
Bobby said. He nodded to the
table with the pictures.
“
I
want to show you something.
”

Sullivan went to the table and
looked at the pictures again. Bobby flipped them all over and pointed to the
backs of three.

“
Look,
”
Bobby said.
“
Looks like ink.
”

“
Someone
wrote on the pictures?
”
Sullivan asked.

“
More
like someone wrote a note, folded it up, and stuck it in the envelope with the
pictures.
”

“
Doesn
’
t make sense.
”

“
It
does if someone wrote on the front and back of a piece of paper and folded it.
The ink touched the back of the picture and through the years it bled.
”

“
So
where
’
s these notes then?
”

Bobby looked at Sullivan raised an
eyebrow.
“
You tell me.
”

“
How
the hell would I know?
”
Sullivan asked.

“
That
’
s the whole point. Nobody knows.
Well, except our father and your mother. I think she wrote him letters and sent
pictures.
”

“
This
is too much,
”
Sullivan
said.

He drank and finished his beer.
Bobby did the same and took the bottles. He took out two more and didn
’
t have to ask if Sullivan wanted
one. Call it brother intuition or just chalking it up to a long night of
talking and getting nowhere.

Sullivan took the beer and this
time they didn
’
t tap
bottles. There was no cheers to be had. The bottom line of it was that Bob
Strate had a child with Sandy Chasen. It was before she was Sandy Chasen, but
it had to have been pretty damn close to it considering Henry Chasen raised
Sullivan.

“
Maybe
I should go see him right now,
”
Sullivan said.

“
Not
sure how he
’
s doing with
his recovery from surgery. Plus, there
’
s
a big favor I need to ask you,
”
Bobby said.
“
Something I
really need. We
’
ll talk
about it soon.
”

Jess couldn
’
t her mind off Sullivan Chasen as she drove to
Louie
’
s pizza. To put it
simply, Jess had never seen a man so damn handsome and sexy at the same time.
The first time she saw Darryl, she saw a tall, skinny guy on a motorcycle and
the appeal was sexy. He had the appearance of a bad boy and desperately tried
to live up to it. But that was it. When Jess saw Sullivan, it was like looking
at everything she ever fantasized about. The notion of his money or the fact
that he drove a fancy car into the tiny town of Ferry Creek meant nothing
compared to his thick shoulders, jeans that hugged his ass to perfection, and
his dark eyes that were threatening to steal all of Jess
’
s focus from the second she looked into them.

Sullivan Chasen seemed real and
Jess wasn
’
t sure she ever
saw that in a man before. Certainly not in Ferry Creek. Not that there weren
’
t bachelors in town but everyone
was just so close all the time. And with that in mind, Jess knew that every
woman would flock to Sullivan to see how hot he was. Not to mention most of the
men wanted to meet the first born son of Bob. Jess almost felt bad for
Sullivan. But then she thought about his steel cut jaw line and dark, slightly
messy hair and knew that Sullivan could probably endure anything.

When her phone rang, Jess looked
and saw it was Katey.

That prompted Jess to hurry and
pull to the side of the road to take the call.

She could already sense something
bad was going to be waiting on the other end of the call.

“
Katey?
”

There were a sob and then,
“
It
’
s
done.
”

“
It
’
s done? What
’
s done, Katey?
”

“
My
marriage, Jess. My marriage.
”

The words put a chill right through
Jess
’
s body. She
’
d heard it many times of how
unhappy Katey was with Nick. But she
’
d
always go back to him and they would work it out. Even the last time Katey
opened her heart to Jess, about the woman at Nick
’
s
custom car shop, Jess figured Katey would go back and things would ease their
way to normal. That
’
s how
it always went.

Not anymore.

“
What
can I do?
”
Jess asked.
“
Right now. Anything.
”

“
Come
get me,
”
Katey said.
“
Right now.
”

“
I
’
m on my way then.
”

“
Is
your backseat and trunk empty?
”

The question made Jess gasp.

What the hell had Katey done?

“
Why...
”

“
Just
come get me. Hurry.
”

Katey ended the call and Jess sped
away. She skipped the pizza because sometimes, in life, nothing was more
important than just being there for someone. It was a lesson Jess experienced
first hand when she stumbled her way to Ferry Creek all those years ago as a
pregnant teenager with nothing.

The ride to Katey and Nick
’
s house passed in the matter of
a few seconds for all Jess knew. Her mind was stuck between thinking about Katey
and picturing Sullivan. It figured she would finally have something to talk
about when it came to a man on the night her best friend calls her to pick her
up because she
’
s ending her
marriage.

Jess turned down Katey
’
s street and saw Katey standing
on the sidewalk with her arms folded. A second later Jess saw a bag next to
Katey
’
s foot. Then another.
And another. And then two boxes.

She meant business.

Jess put on her four ways and
climbed from the car, leaving the door open and the car running. She ran to
Katey and didn
’
t need to
say a word to comfort her best friend. She wrapped her arms tight around Katey
’
s neck and squeezed.

“
What
’
s happening right now?
”
Jess asked.

“
It
’
s done,
”
Katey said.
“
It
’
s been done for so long, Jess. I
’
m done.
”

Jess broke the hug.
“
Where
’
s Nick?
”

“
At
his shop,
”
Katey said.
“
He
’
s
staying there for a couple nights. I have a moving truck coming in a few days
to pack up the rest of my stuff and then I
’
m
gone.
”

“
Gone?
Where are you going?
”

“
Tonight,
I
’
m coming with you. Then I
’
ll find something else. I don
’
t know. I... don
’
t care, Jess. I just can
’
t be here anymore.
”

“
Does
Nick know?
”

Katey blinked as a tear fell from
her eye.
“
Nick knows
everything. He and I know... and now, Jess, you
’
re
going to know everything. Just not here. Please. I want to leave.
”

“
Okay,
”
Jess said.
“
Get in my car and I
’
ll pack this stuff up for you.
”

Katey walked away without looking
back. Jess hurried to pack her car and then drove away. She noticed again that
Katey didn
’
t look back. In
fact, she wasn
’
t even
crying anymore. Her face was stone like and determined.

“
I
ordered a pizza before you called,
”
Jess said.
“
I was on my way
to get it...
”

“
Will
it still be waiting?
”

“
It
’
s Louie
’
s,
”
Jess said.
“
It
’
ll be there. He
’
ll be pissed at me but I
’
ll smile and he
’
ll melt.
”

“
I
could eat,
”
Katey said. She
touched Jess
’
s hand.
“
Thank you for doing this for me.
I
’
ll pay for everything.
”