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For a moment, Sandy was stunned before she regained some of her wits. “Sorry, you must have me confused with someone else. My brother died five years ago.”
Her father’s face twisted in pain at the reminder. Sandy’s mom had hired a private detective to track him down and tell him the news, but it had taken weeks, and Trace had been buried by then. Not that he’d ever responded.
“Kevin is your half-brother. My son. Mine and Bianca’s.”
Bianca. The wealthy socialite’s name was one she’d heard her mother mention in hushed whispers over tea with Lenny’s mom. The one he’d left them for. At the time, there were rumors of her being pregnant, but it was all just supposition.
Regardless, it didn’t matter. She hadn’t been interested in the sordid rumors then, nor was she interested in hearing about them now. Her half-brother was nothing but a nameless, faceless stranger who hadn’t existed in her world until a few seconds ago. She owed him nothing—and her father, even less.
“I can’t help you.”
“Please, Sandy. He’s a good kid. He just needs a place to stay for a couple of days while I straighten some things out. That’s all.”
Sandy grimaced. “What things? Why can’t he stay with his mother?”
“Bianca left us,” her father admitted.
She narrowed her eyes. “Why? Did she find out you were cheating on her like you’d cheated on Mom? Or did she finally get tired of supporting your gambling habit?”
Her father winced but didn’t deny either accusation. “Bianca’s confused. She just needs some time to sort things out; that’s all.”
“Hmm,” Sandy hummed and crossed her arms in front of her chest. “Sounds kind of like Karma to me.”
“Look, I get it. You’re angry with me. You think I did you wrong, and you hate me.”
“Do you blame me? Did you seriously expect that, after all these years of nothing, you could just walk in here, and we’d have some kind of Hallmark moment?”
“No, but ...” He ran a hand through his hair. “Your mother and me, it just wasn’t working.”
“I think what you mean is, you weren’t working. You saw an easy way out, and you took it, leaving us to deal with the mess you’d made. And the only reason you’re here now is because you need something, not because you actually give a shit about anyone besides yourself. Tell me I’m wrong, Dad.”
“You’re not wrong,” he admitted with a heavy exhale. “But you have no reason to hate Kevin.”
“I don’t even know Kevin.”
“All I’m asking is for you to let him stay here for a couple of days while I find Bianca and try to talk some sense into her. Please, Sandy. I wouldn’t ask if I had any other option. He won’t give you any trouble, I swear.”
Since Sandy hadn’t even known of her half-brother’s existence until a few minutes ago, she couldn’t know if that were true or not. However, having been in a similar situation herself, she felt a pang of empathy for the kid and knew it wasn’t fair to judge him based on the actions of her father. She knew firsthand how shitty that was.
She cast a look at Lenny, who’d returned to standing in the doorway. He must have been thinking along the same lines because he nodded slightly in encouragement.
Damn it.
“I want to meet him.”
“Of course, of course! He’s in the car.”
“I said I wanted to meet him, not that I’d do this,” she clarified, but her father pretended not to hear and stepped quickly outside. Sandy exhaled and looked at Lenny. “Tell me I’m not an idiot.”
“You’re not an idiot,” Lenny confirmed with approval in his eyes. “Just a woman with a big heart and a tremendous sense of decency.”
She snorted. “What you really mean is, I’m a sucker.”
Lenny’s lips quirked. “A sucker with a big heart and a tremendous sense of decency.”
Sandy’s father returned with a boy in tow, holding a suitcase. He stood just past her father’s shoulders and was nearly as broad. Going by size alone, Sandy guessed him to be in his mid-teens. It would also fit the time frame. If her dad’s mistress had been pregnant at the time he left, that would make the kid fourteen or fifteen, depending on just how far along she’d been. It was hard to tell though since he was staring pointedly at the floor.
Sandy had the impression he wasn’t any happier about the situation than she was. Then again, the kid’s mom had bolted, and his father was trying to pawn him off on a stranger, so that was understandable.
“Say hello to your sister, Kevin,” her father prodded.
Kevin shook his head and continued to stare at the floor.
“Hi, Kevin,” Sandy said. “I’m Sandy, and this is my friend Lenny.”
Kevin slowly raised his head, and Sandy fought to keep her gaze neutral. He looked from Sandy to Lenny and then back down at his feet.
“Come on in, Kevin. Lenny, would you take Kevin into the kitchen and get him something to drink, please? I need to have a word with my father.”
“Yeah, sure. Come on in, Kevin. Sandy makes the best homemade lemonade in town.”
“Go on, Kev,” her father coaxed, laying a hand on the boy’s shoulder. Kevin shrank slightly from the contact. “It’s okay.”
Kevin did what he had been told, shuffling into the kitchen behind Lenny.
Sandy went over to her father, grabbed him by his sleeve, and pulled him to the far side of the room where she was less likely to be heard in the kitchen. “What the hell?” she hissed.
“He’s autistic,” her father confirmed. “But he’s a good kid, Sandy. Smart too.”
“I don’t know the first thing about taking care of someone who’s autistic.”
“You don’t need to. He’s very independent, and he can take care of himself. He just needs someone around; that’s all. He won’t be any trouble, I swear. There’s no one else I can ask. No one else I trust.” He paused, licking his lips. “It’s only for a few days, Sandy.”
She felt for Kevin—she really did—but she didn’t have time to play babysitter. She had so much to do before she left for New York.
She opened her mouth to say so, but her father cut her off, “Please, pumpkin. Hate me, I deserve it, but don’t hold my sins against him.”
Sandy could feel her resolve weakening. She felt no inclination to help the man who had abandoned her and her family, but that wasn’t the kid’s fault.
“Do this,” her father pleaded, “and I swear, I will never darken your doorstep again.”
“A few days. That’s all. And I’m not doing this for you. I’m doing this for him.”
Her father’s face lit up. “I knew my baby wouldn’t let me down. A few days—that’s all. You have my word.”
“Is there anything I need to know?” she asked, hoping she didn’t wind up regretting her decision.
“He doesn’t like to be touched,” her father said after a moment’s hesitation. “And he likes Cheerios and peanut butter. If you have those on hand, you won’t even need to cook for him.”
Without wasting another moment, he went back out to his car and returned with a suitcase. He placed it just inside the door. Lenny and Kevin emerged from the kitchen.
“Great news, Kev. You get to stay with your sister while I go get your mom. Be good for her, and I’ll see you in a few days, okay?”
Moments later, her father was gone, and Sandy, Lenny, and Kevin stood awkwardly in her living room.
“So, Kevin,” she said, summoning what she hoped was a friendly smile, “do you like pizza?”