BooksBarbecue
Back The House Party
Chapters (57)
  1. Cover
  2. Dedication
  3. April 2008
  4. 1
  5. 2
  6. 3
  7. 4
  8. 5
  9. 6
  10. 7
  11. 8
  12. 9
  13. 10
  14. 11
  15. 12
  16. 13
  17. 14
  18. 15
  19. 16
  20. 17
  21. 18
  22. 19
  23. 20
  24. 21
  25. 22
  26. 23
  27. 24
  28. 25
  29. 26
  30. 27
  31. 28
  32. 29
  33. 30
  34. 31
  35. 32
  36. 33
  37. 34
  38. 35
  39. 36
  40. 37
  41. 38
  42. 39
  43. 40
  44. 41
  45. 42
  46. 43
  47. 44
  48. 45
  49. 46
  50. 47
  51. 48
  52. 49
  53. 50
  54. Author’s Note
  55. Acknowledgments
  56. About the Author
  57. About the Publisher

Oh, fuck, the BMW. A brand-new six series, borrowed without permission, since he’d totaled his own car a few months before. Hunter winced. “Stepmother,” he muttered, stalling for time.

Dom Finch sighed. “That’s Lindsay’s new car. She said that she told you that you could borrow it, but she didn’t expect it to come back damaged inside and out.”

She’d covered for him, at least a bit. That surprised him. Hunter thought fast. “We, uh, went kayaking on the river after school. It turned into kind of a late night—there was a bonfire.” He sat up in bed, warming to his story. “I didn’t realize how muddy it was. Maybe I scratched it on a branch by the boat launch?”

“Kayaking?” It was clear that Dom didn’t buy it, but he was looking at his watch again. He seemed even more distracted than usual. “Look, Boy Scout, I have to go. I have meetings in New York all afternoon. Make it right. Drive June and her friend home, then take the car in and get the paint taken care of. It won’t kill you to take responsibility for something. And apologize to Lindsay. I really don’t need this shit right now. I have my hands full with work.”

“It’s Saturday,” Hunter said. He was surprised by how childish he sounded. Why did he care if his dad was working on the weekend? The man hadn’t built one of the most successful real estate businesses on the East Coast by sitting around the breakfast table with his kids on the weekend. Hunter cleared his throat. “Whatever. I’ll deal with the car.”

Dom sighed. “Hunter, I know I haven’t been around much lately. We’re having some hiccups with the financing for the new Brooklyn waterfront properties. It’s unusual enough that I feel like I should go up there and look everything over myself, take a few people out to dinner, try to feel out what’s going on.”

Hunter’s window began to rattle. The helicopter was coming in to land on the tennis courts behind the house.

Dom glanced out the window, then back at Hunter. He seemed to be assessing how much more time he should take talking to Hunter, and how late that would make him for his meeting. He blinked, the calculation complete. “I gotta go. I’ll be back late. Don’t forget about the car.”

“See ya.”