It was barely ten in the morning by the time I pulled into my parents’ driveway, but I was already so exhausted I could feel it all the way down to my bones.

The only silver lining was the fact that Mom hadn’t been slurring her words when she called earlier to tell me my father hadn’t come home the night before. She typically waited until the clock struck noon before starting up.

I pushed the front door of their sprawling mansion open and called out for her. “Mom? I’m here. Where are you?”

“In here, darling.”

I followed her voice into the formal family room to the left of the foyer. Walking in there was like walking onto the set of a crappy soap opera. The shades had been drawn, blocking out every bit of sunlight and creating the illusion of nighttime in the morning hours. She was lying on the couch, her head resting on the toss pillows with a chenille blanket wrapped around her. She’d thrown her forearm across her eyes dramatically, ever the picture of the poor, neglected housewife despite having willingly placed herself in that role.

I sighed and reached for the light switch on the wall. “Jesus, Mom. It’s too damn early to be this morose.” I made my way to her and pulled the blanket back, revealing her ivory silk dressing gown. “Come on, let’s get you up. You’ll feel better after you get showered and dressed.”

She let out a beleaguered sigh and allowed me to pull her to a sitting position. “I don’t possibly see how I’ll feel better knowing your father spent the night with her.”

Between my mother and the bullshit that went down with Daphne earlier, I was dangerously close to losing my shit. That goddamn woman was driving me crazy. She ran so hot for me one second only to turn ice cold the next.

With one hand resting on my hip, I dropped my head and used the other to pinch the bridge of my nose, hoping to lessen the tension building in my skull. “Who’s ‘her,’ Mom?”

“Well I don’t know who for certain, but what other reason would he have for being gone all night if there wasn’t another woman involved?” Her top lip curled into a sneer as she continued, “He said it was because of work, but I know that’s a lie.”

I didn’t need to see proof to know she was right, but my empathy was in really fucking short supply. My father had been exhibiting the same behavior for the past thirty years, and the longer she stayed, knowing he’d never change, the less I was able to tolerate her self-pity.

“Why don’t you just fucking leave him already?” I snapped, speaking to my overly delicate mother in a sharper tone than I ever had before.

She put her hand to her chest and sucked in an appalled gasp. “Caleb,” she admonished. “Watch your language. And how could you ask me such a thing?”

My mouth dropped open in bewilderment. “How could I ask? Are you kidding me? Because the man’s cheated on you for years! With god only knows how many women!”

“He’s my husband,” she returned in a weak voice. “You don’t just turn your back on your vows, Caleb. I love your father, and I know he loves me too. He just… can’t help himself.”

I let out a loud, booming laugh devoid of all humor. “Wow. You’ve come up with some creative excuses for his fucked-up behavior over the years, but this one takes the cake!”

“You don’t just walk away from your soul mate!” she argued, her tone growing stronger. “You’ll understand when you finally meet the love of your life.”

I couldn’t hide my dumbfounded reaction. “That’s a joke, right?” I didn’t give her a chance to answer before speaking again. “If there’s one thing I’ve learned from watching you and Dad, it’s that love and soul mates are a goddamn joke. If this is what it’s going to turn me into, I want nothing to do with it.”

She sucked in a stuttered breath. “If that’s what you truly believe, then I’ve completely failed you as a mother.”

It was a sucker punch of guilt right to the gut. Despite the resentment I harbored, she was still my mother, and upsetting her sat like stones in the pit of my stomach. “Shit,” I hissed, blowing out a puff of air. “Look, Mom, I’m sorry, okay?”

Tears began to well up in her eyes, but I’d had all I could take for one day. I leaned down and placed a kiss on her cheek. “I love you, but I have to go.”

“Wait!” she called after me as I headed toward the door, but I didn’t stop. “I thought you were going to speak to your father for me.”

I paused with my hand on the doorknob. “I will,” I seethed through clenched teeth. “Just not today.”

My dad, with his impeccable timing, was pulling into the driveway just as I reached my car.

“Caleb? I’m surprised to see you here so early, son.”

“Yeah?” Bitterness laced my words. “Well I didn’t expect to be here so early, but seeing as Mom called me in a fit of fucking tears because you didn’t come home last night”—I threw my arms out at my sides—“here I am.”

“Jesus, not this again,” he sighed, running a hand through his sandy blond hair, so similar to mine. I got my coloring from my old man. With the exception of the salt and pepper liberally laced in his hair, and the extra wrinkles around his mouth and eyes, we looked freakishly similar.

“Are you surprised? For Christ’s sake, Dad, could you make it any more obvious? How about a little discretion? I don’t even know why you bother making up lies anymore. Why not just tell her you can’t make it home because you’re out fucking other women?”

“Watch your goddamn mouth,” he snarled at me, stepping so close we were toe-to-toe. I had about an inch and a half in height on him, and a good thirty pounds of muscle, but my father was the kind of man who’d attempt to cow anyone he felt was inferior to him. And he felt everyone was inferior to him. “I’m your father and you’ll damn well show me the respect I deserve.”

My head jerked back as I scoffed. “The respect you deserve? Are you kidding me? What the hell have you done to earn my respect?”

Spittle flew from his mouth as he hissed, “I created you, you ungrateful little shit. And don’t you dare lecture me on discretion. Do you have any idea how much fucking money I shelled out to remove your name from the papers when you were younger? You humiliated your mother and me. And let’s not forget how much your little stunt with the dean of admissions’ wife cost me. It’s a miracle you weren’t kicked out of college!”

“I was a kid, for Christ’s sake! And anything I did was because I had you to look up to. Such an upstanding role model,” I chided sarcastically. “Leaving his poor wife home alone so he can get his dick wet with any available pussy on hand. At least I’m not committed to another woman when I’m screwing around.”

The back of his hand came up, smacking me in the face so hard my head jerked to the side and I tasted blood. I stood motionless for a second before facing my father again. I spit the bit of blood on the concrete directly beside his shoe. “That’s the last time you lay a hand on me, old man,” I warned ominously. “Next time, I’ll disregard the fact that you’re my father.”

With that I climbed into my car and sped off.

* * *

“Look, man, I’m not one to judge, but isn’t it a little early to be sucking back scotch? It’s barely past eleven in the morning.”

I set the glass back down on the bar top with a loud clank. “I’ve had approximately three sips. I’d hardly call that sucking it back. And you didn’t seem to have a problem pouring it for me when I asked, did you?”

Deacon lifted his arms innocently before smiling. “Well I can’t pay for this bar with smiles and hugs, now can I?”

I looked around at the few people who’d come in for lunch. “Not like anyone would want to hug your ugly ass anyway,” I returned with a chuckle.

Deacon went back to stacking clean glasses on a few of the shelves behind the bar. “So, what’s up with you this morning? I’d have thought you’d be in a better mood considering you left here with that hot chick last night.”

“I don’t want to talk about it,” I grumbled, taking another sip from my glass. “That woman’s off her freaking rocker.”

“She’d have to be to go home with you.”

“God, you’re an asshole. Why do I put up with you?”

“Because of my winning personality and access to top-shelf booze,” he deadpanned, making me laugh.

“What are you doing here, anyway? I thought Saturdays were your days off?”

He finished stacking the last glass, moved to the whole limes and lemons set up along the bar, and began slicing as he talked. “Got some family thing tomorrow at my folks’ house.”

He sounded as excited about a family dinner as he would a root canal. “You don’t seem too happy about it.”

“I’m not.” His knife banged harder against the cutting board. “Grayson’s bringing his new girl over to meet the whole family, so my presence is mandatory.”

“You talking about Lola? I’ve met her. She’s a good woman. Seems to have your brother twisted into knots.”

“About time someone finally did.”

I slid my glass back and forth between my hands as I studied his blank expression. “You finally want to tell me what the hell happened between you and your brother?”

He stared daggers at me. “You want to tell me what’s got you day-drinking in my bar?”

I knew he expected me to back down. Maybe it was my agitation. Maybe it was the scotch. Or maybe it was just the fact that I’d had my fill of bullshit for one day, but I decided to call his bluff. “I’m in here having a drink because my fucking father’s fucking around on my mother again. And she’s still got her head so far up her ass that she refuses to leave him, so she expects me to somehow fix it for her again. On top of all that, the one woman I can’t get out of my head, who just so happens to be the best lay I’ve had in my fucking life, is certifiable!”

He stood stiff for several seconds before muttering, “Shit, man. That’s harsh.” Then he grabbed two shot glasses, filled each with tequila, and slid one to me. We downed the shots, slamming the glasses back on the bar.

“Your turn,” I hissed past the burn of the alcohol.

Deacon’s hands rested on the bar top as he let out a heavy breath. “Remember Fiona Prentice?”

My brows dipped in confusion. “Of course I do, we grew up with her. Not to mention she’s Gray’s ex.”

His knuckles turned white with the pressure he exerted pressing them into the scarred wood of the bar. “Yeah, well, she never should’ve been his ex. She never should have been his fucking anything.”

My eyes went round and I pushed the shot glass back in his direction for a refill. “I think it’s safe to say you and I are going to need a few more of these.”