Never Too Late Read Online Free PDF

attention. “Clare? You’ll talk to him about that? Tell him, regardless of our family problems, his place is with his father.”
    In her mind she saw that blonde again; she remembered the night Jason overheard their fight.
    â€œNo,” she said. “No, Roger. We don’t have ‘family problems.’ You have a problem. I’m not sure what it is—sex addiction? Being a pathological liar? Doesn’t matter. The fact is, I don’t have a problem and Jason seems to be doing fine. He’s had a big scare with my accident and I’m not going to make it even worse by forcing him to go to your house. We’ll deal with your relationship later.”
    â€œMy house? It’s still our house, Clare. And there are legal—”
    Her hand came crashing down on his and he yanked it off the bed rail with a yelp. “What the…?”
    â€œListen to me, Roger. Don’t you dare fuck with me now. You leave Jason alone or, so help me God, I will make you pay! Now go home and leave me alone. No one will bother you—you can screw your brains out with any hoyden you can find!”
    He looked at her as though cut to the quick. “That’snice, Clare. Very nice. As though your accident hasn’t been a big shock to me, too?”
    â€œOh bite me, Roger.”
    He shook his head sadly. “I don’t know what’s happened to you.”
    â€œIt’s very simple—I got smacked up the side of the head and all your bullshit fell out and some sense seeped in. Now go! ” She flipped on the nurse’s call light for emphasis.
    â€œFine,” he said. “Fine.” He turned and left.
    It was amazing how good that felt. She didn’t seem to even want a pain shot. It was as if drawing that line in the sand with him, firmly for once, was all the narcotic she needed.
    She saw someone peeking in the door. George had a real evil grin on his leathery face. “Oh, Clare,” he said. “That’s the best entertainment your old dad has had in ages.”
    So how did they get past that trauma of Jason overhearing? He skipped the night at his friend’s house and Clare took him with her to the Hilton in Lake Tahoe where they got a plush two-bedroom suite. She bought them bathing suits in one of the shops there, and ordered room service and a movie. They went swimming at midnight. She told him as much of the truth as she thought he could bear—but she could see it really didn’t get through his anger.
    The real credit went to George, both for being there for Jason and somehow managing not to kill Roger. George explained to Jason that Roger was a screw-up when it came to flirting with women and had really disappointed and let down Clare. It was probably a good idea for them to separate, but what George wanted Jasonto understand was that while Roger seemed to have this weakness, he had many strengths—he’d been a pretty good father and was proud of Jason. He cared about him and was suffering, terribly, because he’d disappointed his son. “So what? He should have thought of that before,” Jason had said.
    â€œYou’re right, he should have. But none of us is perfect, so let’s not throw stones. I know you’re all bent out of shape, and maybe I don’t blame you, but don’t nurse this too long, Jason. Your dad loves you, and you’re only as mad as you are because you love him.”
    â€œYou’re saying I should forgive him?”
    â€œI’m saying I hope we get to that pretty soon, yes. Because whether you believe me or not, the two of you need each other.”
    Clare topped that off by getting Jason in a counselor’s office, too. She intended to do all she could for him, feeling so damn awful about not bolting the door that traumatic night against his possible surprise return. What they finally came to learn was that once Jason knew his father had been unfaithful, he immediately