Harkham's Corner (Harkham's Series Book 3)

by Lowell, Chanse

  “Wow, it’s like you’re reading my past in a book, because Ryan, Zach’s new woman—she told me that, too.” Adam grabbed another donut. This one had sprinkles. He jammed that one in his mouth, too.

  “Not reading. Just able to see greatness when it’s in front of me. Like you.” Thomas took a deep breath, and his toes wiggled for a moment. “You’ll always be my son—no matter what.”

  “Good. ‘Cause I’ve already eaten half your donuts, and that’s something only a son could do.”

  “Very true.” Thomas motioned for Adam to hand him the bag. He pulled out a donut, too.

  They toasted with sprinkles and laughed, until Thomas fell into a fit of coughs.

  “Sprinkles aren’t worth dying over.” Adam patted his dad’s shoulder.

  “No, but laughing with you is worth it. Always.”

  Hmmm . . . Adam would need to consult his other medically knowledgeable dad about this fact, but for some reason, he thought he might agree with Thomas regardless of what Dustin might say.

  * * *

  It was Halloween, and Adam was bouncing around. Not from sugar, but from fun.

  “Do it again,” he whispered to Meg.

  She twirled her Twizzler around and he caught the end of it with his mouth in the air.

  “That’s so silly, Daddy! Even Choppy can’t do that.” She giggled.

  “She can’t because she doesn’t know the ways of sugar like I do.” He pounded his chest.

  Zach shoved him. “My turn. Toss some sugar this way, squirt.” He opened his mouth wide.

  Adam wished Jill was here and not with her mom, Lorraine.

  Meg threw a half-sized pixie stick in Zach’s awaiting mouth.

  Zach spit it out and laughed. “Not straight sugar. I mean candy.”

  Adam smacked his brother on the back. “She knows which is the good stuff. You get the crap she doesn’t like.”

  “No fair.” Zach pretended to frown.

  “Everything’s fair with kids and sugar,” Meg told him, patting his arm. “Haven’t you learned the rules of treats yet?”

  “All I know is in my house, Jill rarely shares her Halloween chocolates. And I like the Reese’s peanut butter cups.” Zach licked his lips.

  Meg rubbed her belly. “I like those, too. That’s why you can’t have any.”

  She skipped away from them and knocked on the next door. Her bat wings drooped a little.

  “She’s hoarding chocolate. Not fair. Do somethin’, man.” Zach shoved Adam again.

  “It’s her chocolate. She earned it with cuteness. Be cuter, and then people will give you chocolate, too.” Adam smirked.

  Zach joined Meg at the door and when it was a hot, dark-haired lady, he jutted his chest out and said, “Any way you can find it in your kind heart to give her tired uncle a peanut butter cup?” He held out a hand.

  The woman dug down in her candy bowl and handed him a rock.

  “What’s this?” He gawked at it.

  “Never seen Charlie Brown? If you don’t wear a costume and you ask for candy—which you’re also too old to do—you get a rock. Sorry, buddy. Them’s the rules.” She gave Meg another handful of candy, told her bye and shut the door.

  Adam was roaring with laughter out on the curb.

  “Not funny. I’m hungry,” Zach said, joining him as they shuffled to the next house.

  “There is no possible way you’re hungry. You ate more tacos at dinner than London and Ryan combined, and Ryan’s pregnant.”

  “Starving over here.” Zach pointed at his stomach with both index fingers.

  A car rolled up next to them with a couple of teens inside it. The song blasting inside was so loud it almost made Adam cover his ears, until . . .

  “Oh Jesus—that’s my song!” Adam stopped and stared at them. He leaned toward them and asked, “Do you like this song?”

  “Dude, I fucking love it! I play it all the time,” the driver said with three metal hoops in his bottom lip and gages in his ears the size of dimes.

  Wow. His music was this diverse that it reached this type of crowd? Adam had no idea it would be this universal.

  “How did you get a hold of it?” Adam asked.

  “I bought it, but someone told me that a DJ played it on the radio the other day. I about died when I heard that. Hopefully Arctic2 will create more. I’ve bought all their songs.”

  Adam pivoted on his toes, then ran after Zach.”Arctic2—that’s me! And they’re playing me in their car!” He pointed at the car behind them a few feet away.

  Zach gave him a humoring look. “Yeah, I’ve been telling you . . . People love it. You’re bringing in money all the time now. Ready to discuss agents that are clamoring for you finally?”

  “Uh, yeah . . . I think I am.” Adam’s mouth went dry, and so did his mind. It felt kind of fuzzy and weird. “They said it was on the radio the other day.”

  “That’s illegal. They’d have to get your permission, unless . . .”

  “Unless what?” Adam shook his brother.

  Meg stared at them as she chomped on a peanut butter cup she’d unwrapped all by herself.

  “Unless they did get permission from dad.”

  Adam’s eyebrows floated up. “Maybe . . .”

  Zach nodded with a smug grin. “Make millions, okay? Sounds like a solid plan to me.”

  “And I’ll give you some of it for your new baby on the way.”

  “Of course you will, because you love me.” Zach smooched in the air.

  “I do.” Adam grabbed him into a chokehold and kissed the top of his brother’s head.

  “Okay, then let me live, huh?” Zach chuckled.

  Adam released him and shoved him toward the next house. “Get me some chocolate. Point me out so they can see how cute I am.”

  “I’ll name drop instead and tell them you’re Arctic2.”

  “You do that and see if it works.” Adam still had his doubts about all of this. It wasn’t like everyone knew his music. How could they?

  That car was one of the few.

  A minute later, Zach returned to him with what looked like gobs of candy tucked into his shirt he’d made into a makeshift bag. His mouth was full of something chocolaty.

  “They wuf you, man. Go say hi.” Zach jerked his head toward the person at the door, waving in Adam’s direction.

  Adam stumbled forward, and when he was close enough, said, “Hello. I’m—”

  “Oh my God!” the teenaged girl yelled, jumping. “I know who you are! You’re Arctic2. Can I get your autograph?”

  “Umm, sure. Why not?” His fingers and toes were kinda tingly and his chest heated.

  The girl ran back inside and a few moments later came back with a sparkling green Sharpie and handed him her pumpkin-shaped Halloween candy container she was using to pass out candy with.

  “You want me to sign this?” His brows arched up.

  “Sorry. I can’t find any paper. Not when I’m shaking this bad.” Her hands were like earthquakes attached to her rubbery arms.

  He smiled, took the pumpkin and marker and defaced it without any qualms.

  When he rejoined his brother and Meg, they both giggled.

  “You signed a pumpkin. That’s like Charlie Brown when they draw on the back of his head,” Meg said. Her fingers were coated with chocolate.

  “Yep, except this was better. Because no one was embarrassed by it.”

  Zach snorted. “True. I wasn't embarrassed at all. I was very proud of you.”

  Adam shoved him playfully and then took off running.

  Zach swung Meg up into his arms, and took chase.

  Halloween was better when there was running, but only after the chocolate was in the bag.

  Rocks didn’t need to be included. Those just slowed runners down.

  * * *

  Adam’s voice cracked as he breathed his first, “Hello, this is Arctic2, and I’d like to know what you can offer me if I sign you on as my agent.”

  Zach g
rinned wildly and gave him a thumbs up.

  Dustin paced, and Thomas held tight to the guitar he gave Adam.

  They should all hear this, so Adam turned it onto speakerphone.

  The agent, Darnell White, had a nasally, yet squeaky voice. It reminded Adam of one of the adult voices on the Rugrat’s cartoon.

  He smothered a giggle with his hand.

  Dustin shook his head. Did he expect Adam to act more mature? How was he supposed to do that when Darnell sounded so silly?

  “I can offer you a massive contract. We want you enough we’re willing to offer you all the terms your brother has asked for, including a sign-on bonus.”

  Adam listened attentively, still smiling over the man’s hilarious voice.

  Tons of money was discussed, and everyone in the room got involved with the discussion.

  In the end, Adam let both his fathers work it out. When they reached an agreement, Adam was satisfied. He knew they had his best interests in mind.

  “You heard what my family said. They know what I should do, and I trust them,” Adam said, sounding more than mature. He sounded like he was important.

  Dustin nodded.

  Adam took a breath and said, “Sign me up then. Just make sure Zach gets ten percent, not five, and Thomas gets ten as well.” Dustin refused to take any money. Adam knew this better than he knew what temperature was best to drink soda—thirty-five degrees.

  All the jaws dropped in the room and there was nothing but silence.

  “If my music doesn’t help all of my family, then I don’t want to make money off it. That seems unfair.” Adam gave them all a demanding look.

  They didn’t cower or look away, but they all seemed to understand he wouldn’t bend on this.

  He looked at Thomas last of all. “I love you, and we’re going to see you get some high quality medical help to make you feel better. That’s how you’ll know I really do care.”

  “I love you, too,” Thomas said, collapsing into a chair.

  He bent over, panting.

  Dustin went over and patted his back.

  Zach brought him a glass of water.

  They all slowly circled around him like he was an injured bird, and they were part of his flock.

  “Take this—it’ll make you feel better.” Adam handed him a piece of Halloween candy.

  It wasn’t a jelly donut, but it was sweet and tasty.

  “Thanks.” Thomas crammed it in his mouth.

  “You’re welcome.” Adam roamed back over to the phone on the desk. “Sign us all up, Darnell. We like you, so that means you’re kind of like family now, too.”

  He ended the call.

  All that was left to do was eat the candy Zach secured last night from Adam’s fan whose pumpkin he had signed.

  That was what men did after signing large deals.

  Chapter 18

  “Someone broke our bank,” Adam said, handing Mari his phone with the bank balance on there.

  She blinked twice and gaped. “Holy fuck! This is unreal!”

  “Zach and Dad took care of it. They got me a transfer from the previous joint account Thomas opened for me, and put my sign-on bonus as direct deposit.”

  “This is too much.” She handed him back his phone, and her eyes glassed over.

  “What do we do?”

  “Invest it?” She shrugged. “I have no idea.

  “What if we get a bigger house?”

  “Um, yeah, okay, yeah. That sounds like a great way to . . .” She drifted off. Her brow wrinkled. All at once, she looked deep in thought and distracted.

  “Should I give it back? If thirty thousand upsets you, then I don’t want it.”

  She turned in a split second and yelled, “No!” Her eyes flashed wide. “That’s yours!”

  “But you look like sadness.” His stomach tightened. Was he misunderstanding?

  “I was just thinking how if my dad was still alive, I could’ve helped him out some with money like that.”

  Adam smacked the table. “You know he had the money to fix up his house. He chose not to.”

  “I know, but if I’d . . .”

  “What’s going on really?” He swiveled around, swinging his legs toward her. He patted his lap. “Sit down and tell me.”

  She scurried over to him, took a spot on his legs and said with a sad smile. “It’s Thomas.”

  “What about him? I just talked to him last week. He sounded good.”

  “Oh, sweetie—he’s anything but good. He’s gotten way worse, and today the in-home nurse you got him said he needs to be switched over to hospice. He collapsed this morning, and she was worried when it took a while before he woke up.” Mari’s eyelashes moistened. “What if we lose him? We just got him back into your life a few weeks ago. And the holidays are right around the corner. I wanted him here for Christmas with us since he doesn’t have anyone anymore.”

  “I . . . We’ll do all that. He’ll be fine.” He hugged her, holding her close to his chest. “He’s not going to die. He’s strong and stubborn, and we share donuts now.”

  “I know you do, but that doesn’t mean he’s not a very sick man with a tumor-riddled body. Lung cancer is scary.” She cupped his cheeks, kissed him, then whispered, “I love you. And he loves you, too.”

  “I know he does. And that’s why I have faith in him.”

  “Adam . . .” She said his name like she was going to say something very hard to hear.

  “We can’t say he’ll die. That’s not nice.”

  “I wasn’t going to say that. I said it once, and that’s enough.”

  “Then what?” His heart sunk into his lap, right under where she was sitting. His legs were knotted up, and he could barely breathe.

  “I think maybe you should visit your mother and let her know how bad off he is. She should be made aware.”

  “Zach can tell her.”

  “Both of you can do it together. Just in case.” Mari slid off his lap and leaned up against the table.

  “Mommy! Button’s hiccupping. It’s too loud!” Meg called from the living room.

  “Be right there,” Mari answered. She looked at Adam. “It’s a good idea to have your brother there, in case she goes psycho like Samara did. They’re not too far off from each other. You know that, right—that she’s equally dangerous for you?”

  Adam nodded. Well, not really. He didn’t really know that, but he believed his wife. She was always right.

  “Okay, I will. Zach needs to face her as well. He never did with Sam, so this time, we’ll both be strong.”

  She gave him a parting kiss, then left to go help Meg deal with a hiccupping disaster of a brother.

  * * *

  Zach groaned. “She’s a nutjob. Is she even going to understand or care about what we tell her?”

  Adam spun on him. “She’s our mother, no matter what happens. We can’t act like we don’t love her.”

  “I’m not acting anything. I’m just not sure she deserves to know about Thomas.”

  “It doesn’t matter if she deserves the air in her room.” Adam blinked away the formation of tears. There was no reason to cry, other than his brother was hurting his heart. It was difficult to see his brother in pain, and it was clear Zach was very deep in it.

  “She left me, too, you know. It wasn’t just you. It was Samara, Dad, me, and you. We all felt it. I was little, but I remember feeling like my entire world was yanked away.” Zach stopped walking toward the entrance. “I don’t think I can do this.”

  “Yes, you can.” Adam tugged on his arm.

  “Why are you so sure?”

  “Because you help everyone. You did the right thing with Ryan, even when you knew it would hurt Lorraine and possibly Jill a little, and look how well that all worked out.”

  “Yeah, but Mom isn’t going home with me where we can talk it out, and there’s no love there. Not anymore.” Zach squared his shoulders and brushed Adam’s hand off his arm.

  “Stop it. We’re going. I
need you. She needs you. We’re a family. We choose to be there for each other because there is nothing worse than a family that holds grudges and won’t forgive. It’s not worth living that way. Mari regrets every day that she wasn’t able to repair things with her dad before he passed. Thomas is about to die. I’ll have one less father. I have a sort of mother with Amelia and with our mom. Let’s make it better. We can do that.”

  “I don’t want to say anything to her, though. I’m only there for moral support for you. You’re welcome to speak for me, but I’m not going to admit that I care about her. I won’t do that. She’ll just have to take your word for it.” Zach’s eyes were like a lost kid.

  Adam remembered saying the same thing to their mom when they visited Samara in France in the mental hospital.

  It hadn’t worked how Adam thought it would. He doubted very much Zach would be able to keep quiet either.

  They went through all the usual procedures before being allowed in to see her.

  With Sam, he had seen her outdoors, but with their mother, they had to visit her in the rec room.

  Adam’s eyes filled with stinging tears immediately when they fell on her.

  This woman could not be his mother.

  She was all skin and bones, her hair was gone and there were claw marks all up and down her cheeks that looked angry, red and some of them infected.

  It looked like she kept picking the scabs.

  Zach moved behind Adam. Was he as horrified as Adam was?

  “Hi, Mom,” Adam said upon approach.

  She was seated at a table with a practice keyboard that was dented on both ends, missing some keys and dirty as hell.

  Adam stiffened when she hugged him back, because there were socks on her hands, tied at the wrists.

  What in fucking hell was going on here?

  “Did someone attack you?” he whispered in her ear.

  “Yes. Love attacked me.”

  He pulled away and sat down.

  Zach made no move to hug her and was silent. He stood behind Adam, almost looking like a worried bodyguard.

  “Is that someone’s last name? Like Jennifer Love Hewittt or something?” He searched her eyes.

  “It’s your name—both of yours.” She leaned forward, gripping the table as best she could through her gloved hands.