The O'Brien Way Read Online Free Page A

bills and no way of taking care of herself . She gets his social security money, but with him only working on and off, it isn’t much.”
    “Is she physically able to work?” Sean asked. He resisted the desire to reach out and comfort Moby.
    “Physically? Yeah, but she’ll be sixty-one in a couple of months. Who’s going to hire a woman that old who’s never worked a day in her life?” Moby sighed. “I tried to convince her to return with me to Vegas, but she wouldn’t hear of it. So I made the decision to move back to Sheridan. I hate it, but I love my mom despite the years my dad kept us apart.”
    Sean didn’t know what to say. He didn’t understand a bond so strong that a person would give up everything. It must be a mom thing. He’d never had one, so maybe he just didn’t get it. Sean thought of Ryan’s unusual relationship with his mother.
    “You think I’m a sucker for taking care of her, don’t you?” Moby asked, breaking into the silence that had fallen between them.
    “No. I guess I just don’t understand it. My mom died when I was born, and I never had that kind of connection with my dad or brothers.”
    “Sorry to hear about your mom,” Moby said.
    With his stomach settled, Sean reached for the aspirin on the tray. “I didn’t tell you so you’d feel sorry for me. You can’t miss what you never had.” He popped the pills into his mouth and washed them down with another drink. “Is your mom affectionate with you?”
    “You mean does she hug me and stuff?”
    “Yeah.”
    “No. But I know she loves me. Dad just screwed up her way of thinking after he kicked me out of the house. She’s slowly coming around though. I know she likes me to be home with her, so that’s something.”
    “I guess so,” Sean replied.
    Moby stretched out and felt Sean’s forehead. When his hand slid down to Sean’s cheek, Sean closed his eyes and leaned into the touch.
    “I think your fever’s going down.”
    When Moby didn’t remove his hand, Sean opened his eyes. They stared at each other for several moments before Moby eventually pulled away. “My clothes are probably dry. I should head home and let you get some sleep.”
    “Are you sure you’re okay to drive?” Sean asked. He wanted to ask Moby to spend the night but was afraid it was the fever talking.
    “Yeah, I’ll be fine. Mom may be able to take care of herself but Jilly’s another story. I imagine she’s crossing her legs by now.”
    “Can’t your mom let Jilly out?” Sean asked.
    Moby shook his head. “I didn’t realise until Jilly got out of the yard the first time that a large section of the privacy fence was rotten. Until I get the money to fix it, she has to be walked on a leash. Mom isn’t strong enough to control her.”
    “Sounds like you need to enrol Jilly in an obedience class.”
    “Yeah, I’ll get right on that in all my spare time,” Moby said with a chuckle. “Until then, I don’t mind walking her. It gives me a chance to get out of the house and unwind.”
    Faced with the thought of Moby leaving, Sean reached out and rested his hand on the other man’s thigh. He wasn’t sure how to put into words what he felt at the moment. “No one’s ever taken care of me like you did tonight. Thanks.”
    Moby covered Sean’s hand. “I find that hard to believe.”
    “Nope, it’s the truth. As a matter of fact, if you didn’t work for me, I’d probably ask you out right now.”
    “That’s another one of those O’Brien rules, huh?”
    “Yeah. I know everyone laughs at my rules but they’ve been proven to work.”
    Moby readjusted the robe. “Then it’s too bad because I’d love to get to know you better. Unfortunately I can’t afford to quit my job.”
    Sean nodded. “I understand.” And he did, so why did he feel so damn disappointed? He knew it would probably be the last time the two of them had a tender moment and he couldn’t let it slip by without one more thing. Sean pushed himself to a sitting