“That’s it, the mother. That’s the person she screamed at. The impact play brought back the attack. Fuck me!” He riffled his fingers through his hair. “But… Hold on a second, where was the fiancé in all this? What did he do? Didn’t he beat his brother to a pulp?”
Soledad crossed one leg over the other. “Well, those were the days when Hunter was still innocent and loving. She hadn’t earned her cynical stripes yet. She didn’t tell Marco what happened.”
“How’s that possible?”
“Marco was in California on business. When he returned…” She flicked her fingers in the air. “Hunter had disappeared.”
He frowned. “Disappeared? I don’t understand.”
“Marco and his brother Antonio are polar opposites. Marco was studious and responsible. He wanted the dream. A good career, a wife, a home out on the Island, kids… Antonio is a dangerous thug who hung out with the wrong crowd in Brooklyn. It was rumored he carried everywhere he went.”
Fidgeting on the seat, Soledad uncrossed and crossed her legs again. “As soon as she was released from the ER, Hunter begged her father to take her out of Brooklyn. He understood her reasons and agreed, so he drove her to his sister’s house upstate. Hunter called Marco, told him she’d made a mistake and the wedding was off.”
“A phone call…” he murmured.
Soledad frowned. “She couldn’t wait for his return. He’d see her condition, the brothers would fight, and if they did… Antonio might have killed Marco.”
“She protected Marco.” Pressing his palm hard against his mouth, he breathed through his fingers. “Who is Kevin’s father? Antonio?”
“Heaven forbid. No.” She recoiled in open disgust. “Hunter was already pregnant with Kevin. It was a miracle the baby survived the beating.”
“And…”
She sighed. “Hunter gave birth to Kevin upstate. Healed. Got her act together. Continued her schooling. Refined her language skills, then returned to Brooklyn two years later.”
“Does Marco know he has a child?”
“He doesn’t. It’s kind of sad.” She took a small sip. “Marco left. No one knows his whereabouts. His mother passed away before Hunter returned from upstate. Antonio got picked up after a deadly shooting and is rotting away in Attica.” She sneered. “Hopefully, he’s getting his comeuppance as some dude’s girlfriend.”
“Where do you fit in all this?” Leaning forward, Joe pressed his elbows on his knees.
Soledad pulled her long braid over her shoulder. “My mother and Carmen worked at the Macy’s makeup counter in Kings Plaza Shopping Center, close to our homes in Marine Park. I met Hunter after she returned. We became instant friends.”
“There’s more, right?”
“Of course,” she scoffed. “I moved to Florida first. I tried to convince her to join me. But she adores her father and wanted to stay. Her plans didn’t pan out. The constant bickering with her disagreeable mother was too much. She asked her parents to take care of Kevin for a short time while she found a job in Central Florida. Carmen suggested her cousin’s place in Kissimmee as Hunter got squared away, but…”
Soledad sighed, and her expression saddened.
“Hunter’s looks are too much for some men. The cousin started with mild suggestions and innuendoes, then he grew bolder. She ignored him. One night he snuck into her bed. By the time she woke up, she was half undressed. He punched her, ripped her clothes off. Hunter fought him off, yelled for help. His wife woke up, accusations flew…another mess.”
“And now she’s here,” Joe murmured.
“Yep. She arrived, jaded, cynical, fed up, and closed off to emotions and men. Can you blame her?”
“No. Things make sense now. Her reluctance. Her behavior.”
Soledad waved a hand. “Would you believe? Despite all efforts to keep dudes away, they moon after her like puppies. The more she tells them to piss off, the more they want her. It’s cray cray. And for that, she’s criticized. Kevin was the only man in her life. Then you came. Apparently…you’ve broken through her wall.” She stabbed her finger in the air. “Let’s hope you’re deserving.”
“I intend to be,” he shot out.
“Hey.” She snapped her fingers. “You get defensive, my hackles rise.”
“Okay. You have a point.” He held up his palms.
“Just saying…” She cocked an eyebrow. “I tell it like it is.”
“Straight shooter. That’s what Brenda says about you.”
“I like your mom. She’s a nice lady.”
Soledad smiled as she fussed with the folds of her skirt. Joe narrowed his gaze, studying her. Should he go further, tiptoe around the question? Nudge out of Soledad the answer he wanted to hear more than anything in life?
Go slow and easy.
“So.” He hesitated for a casual effect. “Hunter pushes guys away, but they come crawling back.”
“Yep. All the time.” She flicked her hand. “They swarm like gnats. Disgusting.”
“Gnats like…Dan Barton?”
She eyed him with surprise. “Your buddy and business partner?”
He frowned. “I’ve known Dan since school, but we’re not best buds, and he’s not a business associate. We’ve had an occasional beer at the end of a project. I hire him because he’s a good worker. Period.”
“Oh, I thought…”
“Nope. You thought wrong, Sole. Reid Landscaping Designs is family owned.”
“Hmm, the problem with small towns.” She fiddled with the tip of her braid. “People make assumptions.”
“You still didn’t answer,” he said softly.
“Let’s say Dan and Hunter don’t see eye to eye.”
Soledad confirmed the animosity. He had a strange urge to learn more about it, except he’d already led her toward Billy. He couldn’t stop now.
“Interesting,” he murmured.
She nodded.
Now. Go for it.
“What about stalkers? Like…infatuated young dudes?”
“Umm…” Soledad folded her arms, her expression thoughtful.
Joe held his breath.
“Steven was a stinking cheat. Although Hunter dispatched him right away, she got blamed for the breakup with his girl. So unfair…” She rubbed her chin. “Jack from Port St. Lucie was the most consistent. Hunter saw him a few times. But when she wanted to end it, he wouldn’t leave her alone. Finally, she had it out with him in public. That worked. She also dealt with the strange pair, the young man and his crazy mother.”
“Are you kidding? Son and mother?” He didn’t expect to hear that. “Sounds nuts.”
She sighed. “Yeah, Hunter gets all the weirdoes.”
He’d come to the end of the line. The young man couldn’t be Billy. Joe had never heard him mention his mother. Not once. Would Billy take his mother along to see a girl? No sane guy would.
Unaware of his thoughts, Soledad kept on talking. “Guys fawn over her, but she ignores them. The only one she’s allowed to stay the longest is Aaron, and mostly because he’s a goofball in love with himself. He fulfills her self-punishment needs without asking for commitments.”
“What? Did I hear correctly? Self-punishment?”
“Oh, Joe…” Soledad flopped back into the chair. “I’m not a therapist. I don’t understand it either. Up to the moment you arrived in her life, Hunter used sex as a form of abasement, a kind of punishment for her sins, if you will. No emotion, no attraction, and absolutely no pleasure. She felt nothing.”
“Sins?” He sat upright. “Which sins?”
“Her eyes, her face, her figure. She was born beautiful.”
Joe couldn’t sit anymore. He stood and began pacing around the shop as he riffled his hair and rubbed his forehead, trying to process all this information.
Soledad didn’t speak; she only followed his movements in silence. She had to know she’d dropped a couple of grenades on his lap, and he needed to think.
He stopped and pointed at her
. “The mother has issues with Hunter.”
“Yes. She’s from the old guard.”
“What does that mean?” He resumed his pacing.
“Mind you, things have improved a lot.” Picking up her snifter, she took another sip. “Carmen is not from Santiago, the capital. She was born in a small town out in the boonies. From a young age, she was taught that women had a secondary place in society. They had to be silent and modest, stay at home until married, hide their attributes. Don’t challenge authority. Don’t make a fuss. Fathers and husbands rule the roost…things like that.”
“So for Carmen, an attractive daughter would have been a headache.”
“You got it.” She pointed back to him. “Add life in a huge, modern city like New York…”
“You have culture shock.”
“Uh-huh.”
“The mother was working with what she knew.” He grimaced. “Still, she should’ve been there for Hunter. Comforted her. Instead, her accusations wounded Hunter more deeply than the attack.”
“Yep.”
“Thank you, Sole.” Joe dropped heavily onto the chair. “This is a big help. It clears up the mystery and puts things into better perspective.” He sighed, deflated.
“What are you going to do?” she asked gently.
“External pain is cathartic for Hunter. That’s what came out in play. The lash releases the old hurt and brings it to the surface, which she desperately needs.” He rubbed his jaw. “But now that I know where this is coming from, I’ll handle it correctly. Give it in careful doses until she allows me in. It’s important she relives and faces the memory by my side, with my support, in a safe environment.”
“Sounds good.”
“And, if you don’t mind, I’ll take some of that brandy now.” He eyed her. “I need to think.”
“I hear ya. It’s a lot to take in.” She stood. Her chuckle had a bitter edge. “Coming right up.”
CHAPTER TWENTY
“TODAY WAS A total success.” Kelly beamed at Hunter as she made a left turn onto Pennsylvania, heading for Tenth Street and Pete’s Place.
Indeed, their shopping trip to the Florida Mall had been great. Not only had they found all the items on Debbie’s list, but also, the simple pleasure of going out with a close friend felt like chicken soup for her soul.
Hunter smiled, turning sideways on her seat. “Yep. Loved the onesies, especially the pale yellow with the little rainbows. Debbie will be so pleased.”
“And the floppy hat is the cutest thing I’ve ever seen.” Kelly laughed. “It’ll last him for a while. Thanks for coming with me.”
“That’s what friends are for. I had a lot of fun.”
“Me too.” Kelly bobbed her head. “Can’t wait to show everything to Pete.”
“Grandpa Pete, you mean,” Hunter added as she mused about the happy experience. “We should do this more often, and bring Soledad with us next time. Yanira too. She’s a clothes horse.”
“Absolutely.” Suddenly serious, Kelly sent her a quick glance. “I hear a vibration. Is that your phone or mine?”
Hunter straightened, trying to locate the source.
“It’s mine, Kel. I tossed my bag behind the seat.”
She wiggled under the seat belt, extending her arm to reach her bag. She grasped the edge of the strap and brought it forward. “Went to voice mail,” she said, holding up the phone.
“Aren’t you gonna check?”
“Not now. It’s Mamá. Who knows what she wants. Probably spoil my day. Her timing is usually perfect.” She dropped the phone into the well of the console. “I’ll check when we get to the bar.”
An insistent ding followed her words.
“Crap, she texted.” Hunter held up the screen. “Uh-oh.”
“What? What’s wrong?”
“Hold a sec.” Hunter raised her finger as she read the message. “It’s Kevin. He was in a fight. Was taken to see the principal. I need to call her. Can you drop me off at my place, please?”
“Again? We’re almost at Pete’s.” Kelly frowned. “Call her from the bar.”
“I can’t. Who knows how contentious this call is going to get. Besides, we’re early. I’ll drive over when I’m finished.”
Kelly slammed on the brakes at the stop sign. She flipped on the seat toward Hunter. “Listen, Joe specifically asked me to watch over you. Now you wanna drive later. Am I supposed to tell him that I just left you, dropped you off like a package at the curb?” She waved her hands for emphasis.
“Don’t be silly.” Hunter sent her a pleading smile. “How many times have I done this all by myself? Pretty please with a cherry on top?”
“But…he’s coming to pick you up later,” she huffed. “What are you gonna do with your car? I ain’t explaining this one, sister. If he asks, I’ll throw you to the wolves. I’ll say you overruled him.”
“Don’t worry so much.” Hunter gave her a light shove. “I’ll leave the car overnight behind the bar and pick it up tomorrow. That’s all.”
“Okay.” Kelly made a U-turn in the first driveway that appeared. “Better hurry up.”
“I promise. One hour tops. I know Kevin is upset. I need my wits to talk to him and bring my mother down from the ledge. I can see and hear her already. I’m sure her hair is on fire.”
“Mamá Giordano needs a good talking-to. She’s a pain.”
“A few more months and this is over,” Hunter grated.
Minutes later, Kelly stopped her Tahoe at the curb. “Okay, girl. Remember don’t dilly-dally around. Straight to the bar.”
“Yes, ma’am.” Hunter touched her forehead in mock salute and jumped out. As Kelly sped away, she jogged up the stone path to her front door.
The studio was dark and felt a tad warm. She tossed her bag on the daybed, then went around opening the shades, flipped the AC on, and grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge. She sat by her small table, preparing for what would surely be a belligerent phone call.
“It’s about damned time.” Mamá’s harsh voice spoke two rings later. “Daughter, your son is like you, a spoiled troublemaker.”
“No hellos”, “no how are yous”. She didn’t bother with such niceties. Her stern disapproval was direct and to the point.
Hunter sighed. Much as she hated asking, the question was inevitable. “What did he do this time?”
“You mean in addition to the fight and the visit to the principal? Let me tell you…”
Hunter scrunched her face, blocking out the five-minute, two-language tirade. She could catch up with it near the end, when Mamá paused to breathe. Her mind wandered off toward Joe and the happy future he’d offered. She saw him and Kevin playing catch…
“Don’t you have anything to say? Hunter? Answer me.”
Ooops, she’s finished…for now.
“What can I say, Mamá? Kevin is a child, and children misbehave. It’s what they do. But he’s a good boy at heart. Let me talk to him.”
“Kevin es más que travieso, es un maleducado. Punto,” she snarled. “I’ll put him on, but before you hang up, we need to discuss money matters.”
“Okay, Mamá.” She pinched her nose, begging the universe to give her patience.
“I’m sorry, Mommy.”
Hunter’s heart melted, as it always did, into a tiny puddle at her feet. If only she could reach through the line and pull him into her arms.
Soon.
“Tell me what happened, baby.”
“Stupid Johnny Russo. I tried to ignore him, Mommy. Promise. He wouldn’t stop teasing. But when he called you names, I punched him right in the nose.” The ferocity in his tone surprised her. Her boy was no pushover.
“Hmmm, I understand. Sometimes you have to stand your ground. Remember, baby, violence doesn’t solve anything. I’ve told you before.”
“Yes. But you didn’t hear what he said.”
Perhaps Kevin had a good reason for fighting. The least she could do was listen. She refused to be an unsympathetic mot
her like Carmen Giordano.
“Okay, Kevin. What did he say?”
“We were in recess, and he told all my friends that I was a reject. I live with my grandparents because no one wants me. My father left me because…”
“Go on, baby.”
“Because you… You have sex with lots of men. And… You’re a…w-whore. I was so angry, I didn’t think. I punched him.”
Tears filled her eyes. Her beautiful, brave boy had protected her honor. She had to take a sip of water. Her throat had tightened into a knot that wouldn’t let her speak.
“Kevin, listen to me carefully.”
“Yes?”
“You were defending me, so I’m not angry with you. Okay?”
“Uh-huh.”
“And more importantly, you are not a reject. On the contrary, you are very much wanted. You’re my precious son, and I love you above all things in life. Your grandparents also adore you. And in three months, I’m going to pick you up. Next semester, you’ll have new friends, because you’ll be attending school in Orlando. Don’t forget, not a word to Grammy.”
“I know. But…”
Oh, no. Here it comes, the dreaded question.
She held her breath.
“Where’s my father?”
Leave it to the effin’ bullies to raise the difficult topics and the questions she’d avoided until Kevin was ready to hear the answers.
She blew out her cheeks. “He’s not in New York. Now, can I ask you a favor?”
“Uh-huh,” he murmured.
“I know that’s not a full explanation. Can you wait a little longer before I answer all your questions? I would like us to be together when we talk about your father. Can you do that, baby?”
“’Course I can. I keep secrets too.” He giggled, and her heart danced. Children could be so resilient, but only when loved and protected. A new urgency rose in her. Three months seemed like an eternity to hold him in her arms. Maybe she could move up her flight and go sooner, even if she hadn’t found a new apartment. The main thing was to have him with her.
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