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“Hey.” His voice is oddly steady.
“You okay?”
He pauses. “Not even close. Can you come over to my place?”
I check the time on my phone. It’s not too late. “I suppose I can. Do you still live in the guesthouse behind your parents’ house?”
“Yeah. How far away are you?”
“It’ll take me about half an hour, but…” I slap my palm to my forehead. “Shit. I don’t have a car, Dave.”
“Oh…”
“You could come get me.”
“Yeah. I’ll come get you. But then we’re going to my place, okay?”
“All right.”
He hangs up without saying goodbye.
His voice was weird. And he said he wasn’t doing well.
Whatever the Steels were called home for…
It wasn’t anything good.
Chapter Seventeen
Dave
I’m on autopilot as I drive to Maddie’s place. The Pike land is adjacent to our land, on a parcel that was exempt from the liens that Wendy Madigan held on all the property in Snow Creek that wasn’t ours.
I can’t worry about that now.
Uncle Joe…
I don’t think any of us ever thought anything would happen to him. He was always so big, so strong. He and my father are so close, like brothers.
This is going to kill my father. I could see it in his eyes today at the meeting. He was holding it together—being strong for Mom and the rest of us—but losing Uncle Joe will fucking kill him.
It will kill all of us.
So much to digest.
Pat Lamone is a member of our family.
Uncle Joe will probably be dead within a year.
It’s just too fucking much.
I pull into the driveway of the Pikes’ ranch house, exit my car, and walk to the door. I knock softly.
No response, so I ring the doorbell.
Maddie opens the door, and my God, she looks beautiful. She’s wearing simple jeans and a bright-green sweatshirt.
I want to grab her and kiss her.
