Bad Blood by Mary Monroe

Japanese dude whup his ass?”
    â€œThat hundred-and-twenty-pound Japanese dude is into all kinds of martial arts. Anyway, Uncle Albert is going to need a place to recuperate until he can find another place to live. Is it okay if he stays with us?” One thing I had managed to do since I’d met Seth was to keep my volatile temper in check. I prayed that I would never show him, or anybody else, the side of myself that I had been hiding so well. If he disagreed with what I’d just said, I might lose it, and then he and I would have a serious confrontation of our own.
    Seth responded immediately and favorably, even though it was with a heavy, worried tone of voice. “Well, if Albert needs a place to stay, we have to help him. You do know that a broken leg can take several weeks to heal, right? Maybe even a couple of months.”
    â€œI know. And he wants us to go to the apartment and pack up his stuff and put it in storage. He gave away his furniture when he moved in with Kingston, so all he has is clothes, books, and his computer. We can put everything in our spare bedroom.”
    â€œYou mean the room we have set up as an office?”
    â€œI can move my computer into our bedroom or into the kitchen, so I don’t have a problem with that. But I know that with all your files and other things, you really need the space. So, uh, could you use your old bedroom in your mama’s house as an office for a while?”
    â€œI suppose I could,” Seth said dryly. “What about his expenses? He drinks like a fish, so his alcohol bill must be mighty high. He eats like a mule, and I know he’ll be using a lot of utilities and whatnot.”
    â€œI’ll make sure he pays his way. I don’t know how much he’ll be getting from disability, but I’m sure he’ll get enough to cover his food and other expenses.”
    â€œWhat about his car note?”
    â€œOh. I forgot about that new SUV he just bought.”
    â€œI’m sure he’ll want to pay that and his insurance before he thinks about paying a light bill.”
    â€œI’ll take care of his car note and insurance myself if I have to,” I said. “He’s family, Seth.”
    â€œAnd another thing. Albert is a party animal. I’m sure he’ll be having a lot of company running in and out.”
    â€œI know. We’ll set some rules, which he’ll have to follow,” I said firmly. “I just don’t want to let him down after all he did for me when I moved out here. And if it gets too crowded, or if his presence gets to be too much for you, well, I’ll think of something else.”
    â€œLet’s finish this conversation when I get home. I’ll be leaving in about half an hour.”
    â€œI’m going to change clothes and go to the hospital where they took Uncle Albert and bring him here. I’ll get one of my neighbors to drive me over to get his SUV and park it over here. Do you want me to wait until you get home so you can go with me?”
    Seth didn’t waste any time answering my question. “No!” he boomed. “Excuse me for hollering. . . .”
    â€œTo tell you the truth, I feel like doing some hollering myself. I know it’s not going to be easy having Uncle Albert under the same roof, following our house rules and such, but I can’t turn him away.”
    â€œI know you can’t, Rachel.”
    â€œIs there anything you want me to tell him before I bring him here? I don’t want the first day to be too awkward for him, or you.”
    â€œTell him we’ve got his back,” Seth said gently.
    â€œThanks, baby. I knew you’d understand. I promise you that this will be a very temporary arrangement, and I’ll make sure it’s as painless as possible.”

Chapter 8
    Rachel
    I ALREADY KNEW THAT M AMA THOUGHT I HAD MADE A LOT OF STUPID decisions, so when she told me what a fool I was for moving Uncle Albert