Page 91

“I know I need to do that. It’s just that it’s not easy. It’s not in my nature to not want to help.”

“You can help him, but you just need to do it on his timetable.”

“Can I?” she wondered out loud. “You didn’t see him today. He’s completely pulled away from me. Totally shut down. What if it’s not temporary? What if it’s permanent?”

It was her worst fear spoken out loud. It had all been so good…until it wasn’t.

“Then he’s not the man for you. Perhaps you’re not compatible. I know that’s not what you want to hear, but it may be the reality.”

The reality.

Reality sucks.

And living in a dream world might just get her heart smashed into a million tiny pieces.

“You okay?” Cooper asked Sam as they walked to their cars in the hospital parking garage.

“Do I look that bad?”

“You have a strange expression on your face. I’m sure I have one, too, but it’s more of an I’m surprised my dad gave a shit look than yours.”

“What does mine look like?”

“Like your lunch is thinking about making a reappearance.”

Sam wasn’t nauseous, although he had good reason to be.

“I’m shocked about Dad’s reaction, too. I guess I thought that he wouldn’t care, which, when you think about it, is cold. Even if he didn’t love Mom, he was her husband. They had a family together.”

“I like to think that they never had a family together,” Cooper replied. “Instead, we were all brought by the stork because Mom wanted a big family. Dad was at the office and was uninvolved.”

“That would be a lovely fantasy to believe.”

“I try not to dwell on any DNA I may share with Joel,” Cooper said. “He didn’t want us to see, but he was clearly upset about Mom being found. Kim was, too, of course. I kind of feel for her because she’s going to cater to Dad’s feelings and not get to concentrate on her own. This had to hit her hard as well. She and Mom were close.”

“So close that Kim married her sister’s husband.”

“That, too.”

“I guess we all have to work through the news,” Sam said. “I worry about Frankie and Piper.”

“You don’t need to worry too much about them,” Cooper assured him. “Piper has the tools to work through her grief, and Frankie, despite not being able to play professionally, can still go out and whack a tennis ball over and over again until she feels better about the world. They’ll be okay. Honestly, I’m more worried about you.”

“Me? Why would you worry about me?”

Sam had always thought of himself as a man who dealt with tragedy and disappointment well. He’d learned to compartmentalize his life at a young age, and it had been helpful more than once over the years.

“Because I don’t think you’re planning to process this news, little brother. I think you’re planning to ignore it.”

Sam stopped at the back of his vehicle, blindsided by Cooper’s statement.

“Excuse me? You’re the one who doesn’t deal with things. You leave instead.”

“I just didn’t want to deal with Dad,” Cooper laughed. “But I deal with things through my writing. And with Jane, of course. Never underestimate the love of a good woman to help you through the tough times. I’m a lucky man.”

Cooper’s sentiments only made Sam feel worse than he had at lunch. When he’d heard the news about his mother, he’d pulled away from Alli. He’d known he was doing it, and he hadn’t stopped himself. It felt like the only way to deal with it all. She deserved better, and he’d find a way to make it up to her. But right now…

He had dealt with all he could, and then some.