“Okay, okay, I’ll let you be,” she said, knowing he needed time to adjust to the bomb she’d just set off in his life. “But Grandma’s coming over and—”

“I don’t want to see her,” Josh insisted, reaching for the remote control and clicking on the small television set to a decibel level guaranteed to shatter glass. “I don’t want to talk to anyone.”

“You might. Later.”

He glared at her with red-rimmed eyes that were filled with silent, deadly accusations. His chin wobbled and his back stiffened in some vain attempt at manhood.

“I’ll be in the living room. When Grandma gets here I’ll send her in.”

“No.”

“Josh—”

His lips compressed and she held both hands up as if to fend off an attack. “Okay, okay, bud, I’ll give you some time alone, but I think we should talk this out.”

“I don’t want to talk to you or Grandma or anyone.”

“We’ll see.” She walked out of the room and jumped as the door slammed behind her. Clearing her throat she headed for her desk and told herself it would all work out. Of course, Josh was hurt, disappointed and angry. Of course he wanted to scream and cry and mourn for a father he’d never known.

She sank into her desk chair and sighed, stirring her bangs.

And of course, he was right. She should have told him the truth. Years ago. But she hadn’t. Now, it seemed, they would all have to pay the price.

Chapter Eight

Chapter Eight

“Of course, Josh is upset,” Brynnie said, rummaging in her purse for a pack of gum that, it was advertised, would cut down her need for a cigarette. She tossed her keys, eyeglass case, coin purse and wallet onto Katie’s table before she found the gum. “Who wouldn’t be?” She opened the pack and shook out a stick. With a longing sigh for a smoke she’d sworn to give up, she plopped the gum into her mouth.

Katie swiped at the counter haphazardly with her sponge. “I should have told him about Dave. No. Reverse that.” She rinsed the sponge at the sink. “I should have told Dave about Josh.” Wiping her hands on a towel hanging over the handle of the oven she glanced down the hallway. “He’s been in there over an hour.”

“Give him time,” her mother advised.

Katie bit her lip. She felt worse than awful. Sometimes she thought that as a mother she’d failed miserably. This was one of those times.

Brynnie eyed the few boxes that were stacked in the corner. “I’ve got an idea. I’ll help you load these into the Jeep and you can take them over to the new place.”