Nobody's Son Read Online Free PDF Page A

school. The Atlanta transit system had a station just blocks from the house and could get him to a lot of places in town in a hurry. It had been handy for the commute in college, but MARTA couldn’t get him to work. The farthest station out was still a good thirty minutes from the resort, and that was without traffic. But driving from the west side of the city could take nearly two hours during rush hour, so he compromised. He drove to the Doraville station at the end of the northeast line, left his car in overnight parking, and rode the train home. In the morning, he’d ride back and drive to work from there. It didn’t always save a lot of time, but it saved hassle, and he could read or nap or just zone out during the train ride.
    He went with zoning out today. He leaned his head against the window and stared out over the city, watching high-rises and graffiti and blankets of kudzu pass by until the train hit the tunnels through the center of the city. The car was jam-packed by the time it reached Five Points, the system’s center station, but boarding at the far end of the line meant Shaun had a seat for the whole ride.
    The car gradually emptied again, until only a dozen people remained when the train pulled in to East Point station, just two stops from the southern end of the line at the airport. Shaun shouldered his backpack and exited onto the platform, making his way out the gates and down the street toward home.
    It was five thirty by the time he got to the house, and he knew his gran would be getting ready to go back to church for the evening service. She used to cook a big meal after the morning service, but since Shaun started working weekends, she’d taken to going to a local restaurant with some of her church friends most weeks. There’d probably be leftovers from the day before in the refrigerator, though. She never had been able to adjust to cooking for just one or two.
    “Gran?” Shaun called as he pushed through the front door.
    “In the kitchen, baby.”
    Shaun crossed the living room into the kitchen to find Gran with a stack of sandwiches on a plate in front of her. She wore her customary Sunday finery: a flowy dress with bright bunches of flowers on a brown background. She’d probably had on a hat that morning, but the ladies rarely wore those to the evening service.
    “They’re doing a little potluck tonight to welcome a new family that just joined this morning,” she told Shaun with a small smile.
    “You need some help?” Shaun stepped forward, but Gran shook her head.
    “Elsie and Mabel will be here in a few minutes to give me a ride. Just come take some of these for your dinner. I know you’re tired after working and driving all day.”
    “Thanks, Gran.” Shaun dropped a kiss on her cheek and reached in the cabinet next to the refrigerator for a small plate. He held it out, and she put four of the diagonally cut sandwich quarters on it.
    “There’s chips in the cabinet too,” she said. “You enjoy your dinner.”
    “I will. Thanks again.” Shaun gave her another smile and headed downstairs. He tried to brush off the feeling of relief. He’d been sincere in his offer to help, but he needed some time to decompress and think after the day he’d had.
    His mind and body gave him a reminder of the scorching kiss he and Con had shared earlier, and he shook his head to dispel the memory. Okay, so maybe thinking wasn’t the best idea right then. Maybe he could find something on TV with a lot of explosions….

Chapter THREE
     
     
    MONDAY MORNING Shaun woke with just one thought: I have got to meet with this Erwin guy and figure out what’s going on.
    The night before, the action movie he’d watched had done little to distract him from his thoughts, but he’d been surprised to find himself dwelling more on his possible father than on Con. He’d considered, and immediately discarded, the idea of talking to his gran. If this guy was playing some kind of prank, the last thing he