Always for You:Jack(2)

Shit, had he missed anything important? If so, hopefully Tino would fill in the blanks for him.

"Again, I'm sorry about Joe, and please let me know your decision about  the business as soon as possible so we can process the necessary  paperwork."

This time Jack let his brothers lead the way, each of them pausing long  enough to shake the attorney's hand one last time. As soon as they were  outside, he headed straight for Joe's old truck. "I don't know about you  two, but I could use a beer … or three."

Mikhail clapped him on the shoulder, "Big brother, I love the way you think."                       
       
           



       

-

Twenty minutes later, the three of them were ensconced in their favorite  booth at a small bar not far from the law office. When the first round  was sitting in front of them on the scarred table, Tino got the ball  rolling. "So, how do we want to handle this?"

Jack took a long, slow drink of beer, more to avoid responding than  because he was thirsty. If he waited long enough, he could usually  depend on Tino to answer his own questions. Jack liked that about his  brother. That didn't mean he always liked what the man would say. His  gut feeling said that this was going to be one of those times.

"It's clear that one of us has to step up and take over. You know, like  immediately." Tino glanced at their youngest brother before continuing.  "Mikhail and I both think it's obvious who that should be."

Maybe to them. Jack didn't see it that way, leastwise not if they were  talking about him. To buy himself a little more time, he signaled the  waitress to bring another round. The longer he held out, the better the  chance that one of his brothers would jump the gun and volunteer  instead.

The continuing silence made it clear that wasn't going to happen. Damn  it all, they had him cornered and knew it. Thanks to his bum knee, he  was the only one who didn't have to report back for duty. Besides, none  of them would leave Marlene Lukash in the lurch, especially when she had  just lost her husband of forty-plus years. He set his drink down on the  table a little harder than was necessary.

"Fine, but I'm not making any long-term promises. For now, I'll sit down  with Mom and see what needs to be done. If a job has been started, I'll  finish it. If Dad already ordered materials for a job, I'll see that it  gets done." He leaned forward, staring hard at each of his brothers.  "But that's it. If he'd only written an estimate or had an appointment  scheduled to write one, we should pass the work off to another  contractor. Mom will know the best ones to recommend."

Mikhail was already shaking his head. "She won't like that, and you know  it. Seeing the business close down will be like she's losing Dad all  over again. Besides, I hate the thought of her rattling around in that  big house all alone so soon after his passing. Not to mention she can't  take care of the whole house and that huge yard."

Jack snorted. "Baby brother, I want to be there when you try telling her  that. For sure she'll kick your worthless ass up and down the street  for suggesting she can't mow her own lawn."

"That doesn't mean she should have to do it all by herself." Mikhail  reached over to punch Jack's arm. "And I'm not your baby brother,  asshole. There's less than a year's difference in age between all three  of us."

Tino joined back in the conversation. "Mikhail is right on both counts.  Mom won't like it if we shut down Joe's Construction Company, and she  shouldn't be alone right now."

Mikhail clinked his beer bottle against Tino's. "Hear, hear."

Tino grinned. "But having said that, Jack is also right. You're ten  months younger than he is and six months younger than me. Any way you  look at it, that makes you the baby of the family."

He saluted Jack with his beer in a show of solidarity. "So, now that we  have that much settled, what can we do to help you take over the  business?"

Surrender tasted bitter. But after his time in the army, Jack knew when a  battle was a lost cause. "If you two idiots can hang around for a few  days, I'll make a trip back east to get my stuff packed up. If I'm going  to be here for a while, there's no use in paying rent back there. I'll  make arrangements to have it all shipped and just bring the things I'll  need for the short term with me. Considering everything, it will take me  a week or so to get back here with my SUV."

Tino leaned back in his seat, looking far more relaxed than he had a few  minutes ago. "I can hang out here for another week at least. While  you're gone, Mom and I can go through active jobs to see what needs to  be done. We'll call the customers to make sure they know why there will  be a delay. I should have it all organized by the time you get back."

Mikhail joined in. "I asked for three weeks' leave, so I'll be here,  too. While he works with Mom, I'll do the yard work and go through the  house to see if anything needs immediate attention before I have to  leave. And if she wants help going through Dad's things, we can handle  that, too. If there's anything of his that you might want, let me know."

Jack caught himself rubbing his chest, trying to ease the ache that had  taken up residence there the minute he'd gotten the call about Joe's  death. The man had been the one rock in Jack's life, and his death had  left a big hole in all of his sons' lives, that was for sure. He forced  his hand back down to the table. The answer to Mikhail's question was  easy. "I don't know if Mom will be weeding out any of Dad's library, but  I'd like his collection of Zane Grey books if they haven't fallen  completely apart by now."                       
       
           



       

All three brothers smiled. Jack didn't know about the other two, but  he'd lost count of the number of times he'd seen their father reading  those old westerns. He'd often thought Joe would've been right at home  in the Wild West. He'd definitely had the personality to be a hard-nosed  lawman always on the hunt for outlaws.

Mikhail nodded. "I'll let Mom know you'd like them."

Jack finished off his second beer and set the empty on the table. "We'd  better get back to the house so I can make travel arrangements."

It was Tino's turn to pay, so on the way out he tossed some money down  on the table to cover their tab. Outside, they piled into Joe's old  pickup. Jack turned the key, and the engine kicked over immediately. The  truck was over two decades old and looked its age after all the years  it had spent on construction sites. However, like everything else that  was important in Joe's life, the engine and transmission were in perfect  running order. That brought back another rash of images of Joe and the  three of them spending hours together tuning up cars and lawnmower  engines. Even now, Jack could almost hear the man saying, "Take care of  your tools, boys, and they'll take care of you."

The memory made him smile.

They rode in silence the short distance back to the house. As they  pulled into the driveway, Tino cleared his throat. "Um, guys, what are  we going to tell Mom about the business? I don't want to lead her on and  let her think we're champing at the bit to take over the company  permanently when we're clearly not. Do you think honoring the last of  Dad's commitments will be enough to make her happy?"

Jack already knew the answer to that. Hell, no, she wouldn't be happy.  Marlene and Joe had dreamed of the day when their three sons would  return home and start families of their own. No doubt the two of them  saw giving them the company like this as a way of jump-starting that  process. Jack didn't know how the other two felt about that possibility,  but he had no intentions of ever saddling the world with another  generation of McShanes. "I'll talk to her after dinner and let you know  how it goes."

Then the three of them trooped into the house and tried to pretend it  didn't seem awfully damn empty with Joe no longer living there.





Chapter 2


Two weeks later, Jack bit back a curse as he reached the ground. His  damn knee was killing him thanks to too many times up and down the  ladder to reach the steep roof he was repairing. If this went on much  longer, he was going to have to hire an assistant to bring him the stuff  he needed rather than making so many trips back to the truck himself.  Taking on an employee was the last thing he wanted to do. Maybe he could  find someone who would be interested in picking up some extra money but  without a promise of long-term employment.

Like maybe that kid who was circling the area and watching every move  Jack made. He'd first noticed him hanging out at the edge of a small  park down the street. Yesterday, the boy had crept closer but had gone  into full retreat the second he realized Jack had seen him. He'd  wondered if he'd be back today, but there hadn't been any sign of him  all morning until he'd suddenly appeared a little while ago.