exploded, and both men stared at her. She directed her wrath at George Fly this time. “Why are you even here? Damian hasn’t done anything wrong!”
Fly cleared his throat, and then scratched his chin. “Damian’s escapades in this town are legendary. Being from a prominent family, I think everyone knew about his drinking. Didn’t he get a few DUI’s?”
Casey swallowed hard. “Yes, but he doesn’t—”
“Was Miles ever in the car when he was drunk?”
“No!” That infuriated her. Damian had never once endangered their son. Or her, for that matter.
“As far as you know he didn’t.”
“He never did!”
“As far as you know.” George Fly’s flat voice sounded like a scream to her. “Look, nobody’s in trouble now, but I’ll be watching him like a hawk.”
“And I’ll report any mishaps,” Sam said.
“Why don’t you leave him alone?” Casey knew Damian would hate how she was protecting him, but she had no choice. This was vicious and insane.
“I’ll leave him alone when he’s gone, not until.” Sam’s gaze didn’t waver.
Casey stared at him for a moment, and then let out an ugly laugh. “Your jealousy is pathetic. You’re pathetic!”
“The sooner Damian goes back to Alabama, the better it will be,” Sam said, his voice rising. “Miles can spend a few weeks satisfying his curiosity, and then my little brother can pack his bags and go home again. Miles will have his good memories, maybe see him once in a blue moon, but life will continue.”
“This is none of your business! Why are you being such an ass? Well, a bigger ass than usual—”
“Because that asswipe needs to get the hell out of town!” Sam’s loud voice caused a few passersby to glance in his direction. He lowered his voice. “He’ll hurt you and Miles all over again!”
“I told you, he won’t! He feels guilty about his behavior—”
“Plus, watch, he’ll try to get Dad to screw me out of running the mill when he retires. He’s going to want a piece of the pie.”
Casey drew in a quick breath. “That’s your main concern, isn’t it?”
“I’ve worked my ass off for the right to run that mill!”
“I doubt he wants anything to do with the damn mill anymore.” Casey shuddered as a chilly breeze swept over her, blowing her hair back.
“I’ll feel better about that when he’s back in Alabama, far, far away. I’ll also feel better about your safety and Miles’. If he slips once, he’ll lose his rights to seeing Miles without supervision, the same shit he wanted to slap me with.”
“I’m slapping you with that,” she said, in an icy voice, “until you discipline him my way. Why don’t you let Damian and Miles develop a relationship? He’s not going to stay here forever anyways. Why worry about something that won’t happen?” As she spit out the words, they saddened her. It was true. Damian would leave, and she’d never recover, but she couldn’t concentrate on that now.
“I want him gone yesterday.” Sam narrowed his eyes.
Casey felt a wave of uneasiness. Her fists balled at her sides. “Yeah, well, he won’t leave until he’s ready.”
Sam flashed a cold smile. “I predict it’ll happen soon.”
“I think he’ll stay a while. He really wants to make things up to Miles.”
“And you.”
“No. Not me.” She wished!
Sam put his arm around Fly’s shoulders. “I’m sure Damian will screw up and have to leave sooner than he plans. He can stay a few weeks to make Miles feel better and then see Miles a few times a year—take the kid for short vacations—but, in the long run, Damian will run away from here in disgrace, just like the last time.”
Casey felt an eerie sensation of dread that she rarely experienced from Sam. Is he going to try to expedite Damian’s departure? “I think you’re wrong,” she said, her voice hard.
“I’ll be watching him,” George Fly said. “He’d better act like a fit father.”
Casey wished her own father, Congressman
Fly cleared his throat, and then scratched his chin. “Damian’s escapades in this town are legendary. Being from a prominent family, I think everyone knew about his drinking. Didn’t he get a few DUI’s?”
Casey swallowed hard. “Yes, but he doesn’t—”
“Was Miles ever in the car when he was drunk?”
“No!” That infuriated her. Damian had never once endangered their son. Or her, for that matter.
“As far as you know he didn’t.”
“He never did!”
“As far as you know.” George Fly’s flat voice sounded like a scream to her. “Look, nobody’s in trouble now, but I’ll be watching him like a hawk.”
“And I’ll report any mishaps,” Sam said.
“Why don’t you leave him alone?” Casey knew Damian would hate how she was protecting him, but she had no choice. This was vicious and insane.
“I’ll leave him alone when he’s gone, not until.” Sam’s gaze didn’t waver.
Casey stared at him for a moment, and then let out an ugly laugh. “Your jealousy is pathetic. You’re pathetic!”
“The sooner Damian goes back to Alabama, the better it will be,” Sam said, his voice rising. “Miles can spend a few weeks satisfying his curiosity, and then my little brother can pack his bags and go home again. Miles will have his good memories, maybe see him once in a blue moon, but life will continue.”
“This is none of your business! Why are you being such an ass? Well, a bigger ass than usual—”
“Because that asswipe needs to get the hell out of town!” Sam’s loud voice caused a few passersby to glance in his direction. He lowered his voice. “He’ll hurt you and Miles all over again!”
“I told you, he won’t! He feels guilty about his behavior—”
“Plus, watch, he’ll try to get Dad to screw me out of running the mill when he retires. He’s going to want a piece of the pie.”
Casey drew in a quick breath. “That’s your main concern, isn’t it?”
“I’ve worked my ass off for the right to run that mill!”
“I doubt he wants anything to do with the damn mill anymore.” Casey shuddered as a chilly breeze swept over her, blowing her hair back.
“I’ll feel better about that when he’s back in Alabama, far, far away. I’ll also feel better about your safety and Miles’. If he slips once, he’ll lose his rights to seeing Miles without supervision, the same shit he wanted to slap me with.”
“I’m slapping you with that,” she said, in an icy voice, “until you discipline him my way. Why don’t you let Damian and Miles develop a relationship? He’s not going to stay here forever anyways. Why worry about something that won’t happen?” As she spit out the words, they saddened her. It was true. Damian would leave, and she’d never recover, but she couldn’t concentrate on that now.
“I want him gone yesterday.” Sam narrowed his eyes.
Casey felt a wave of uneasiness. Her fists balled at her sides. “Yeah, well, he won’t leave until he’s ready.”
Sam flashed a cold smile. “I predict it’ll happen soon.”
“I think he’ll stay a while. He really wants to make things up to Miles.”
“And you.”
“No. Not me.” She wished!
Sam put his arm around Fly’s shoulders. “I’m sure Damian will screw up and have to leave sooner than he plans. He can stay a few weeks to make Miles feel better and then see Miles a few times a year—take the kid for short vacations—but, in the long run, Damian will run away from here in disgrace, just like the last time.”
Casey felt an eerie sensation of dread that she rarely experienced from Sam. Is he going to try to expedite Damian’s departure? “I think you’re wrong,” she said, her voice hard.
“I’ll be watching him,” George Fly said. “He’d better act like a fit father.”
Casey wished her own father, Congressman
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