by K. A. Linde
Aunt Helene waved when we walked up to where she was seated in a lawn chair. “Hello, dear.” She smiled at Jason. “And hello there, Jason.”
Jason promptly hid behind my leg. He wasn’t shy once you got to know him, but he was definitely in that clingy stage otherwise.
“It takes him a minute to warm up.”
“That’s fine. I’ll be around for a long while, and I would love to get to see him more. He’s adorable.”
“Thank you. How are you feeling?”
“I’m fine,” Helene said. “Just taking it one day at a time.”
“Well, if there’s anything I can do, please don’t hesitate to ask.”
“You all are so kind. I really do regret not coming down here sooner.”
A dark cloud crossed over her face. I wondered if she was thinking about how my uncle Owen had hamstrung her for all those years. He’d left a foul taste in my mouth. It wasn’t a good thing to bring up in front of Morgan either. She would go postal. With good reason.
I spoke with Helene for a few more minutes and let Jason gradually warm up to her. Once she pulled out children’s books, I knew that she had him. By that time, my eyes were drawn to the front door. In walked David, still in his suit from work. I didn’t know how he was going to lift boxes in that, but who was I to complain about a well-cut suit?
Morgan followed in behind him. Her eyes flitted between me and David, and then she winked at me. I laughed, made sure Jason was okay with Helene, and then approached them.
“Hey, Mor.”
“Sutton,” she said. “I see things are in better shape than when I last saw y’all.”
“They are,” I agreed.
“No more lying or hiding?” Morgan asked David.
He shook his head. “No more hiding. This is who I am.”
“Good,” Morgan said. “I get tired of always putting my siblings’ relationships back together.”
I swatted at her arm. “Hey now. Last I checked, I had to put you and Patrick back together.”
“Speaking of,” Morgan said, glancing around the room, “where is my man?”
“He’s in the garage,” Austin called as he hauled in a chair with Landon. “Carrying in boxes and leaving the hard stuff to us men.”
Morgan rolled her eyes dramatically. “I’m sure that’s exactly what’s happening.”
“He’s actually carrying in all the boxes of books,” Landon said. “There’s probably a hundred of them, and they’re all backbreakers.”
“Hope there’s a fucking library, is all I’m saying,” Austin grumbled.
They set the chair down, and my brothers staggered over to us. Landon rubbed his back.
“Should you be doing that?” I asked.
Landon had injured his back in what we all thought was a career-ending move. He’d taken eighteen months off, and he was back at it again. It was kind of a miracle.
“Probably not. I have a clean bill of health, but I’m starting back full-time on the circuit in the fall. Can’t afford any new injuries.”
“Maybe leave the heavy stuff to the other idiots,” Morgan said.
That was about the moment when Austin realized that David was standing there with us.
His brows furrowed, and his jaw clenched. “What the fuck are you doing here?”
David seemed unfazed. “I came to help.”
“Your help isn’t needed.”
I put my hand out between Austin and David before Austin got it in his thick skull to punch David again. “It’s okay. We’re okay here.”
“He lied to you. To all of us.”
“Yeah,” I agreed. “He did. But so did Julia, and you seemed to have forgiven her.”
“That was different!”
“Maybe, but this is different, too. You don’t know why he did what he did. We all jumped to conclusions instead of thinking about it reasonably.”
“Maybe you’re not thinking about it reasonably, Sut,” Austin said in frustration. “I told him, if he ever hurt you, I’d kill him. Then, he totally fucked this up, and you’re just going to let him back in your life. It’s hardly been any time at all.”
“First off, I can handle this myself. Second, you do not get to kill people. Nor do you need to threaten anyone. David and I are together, okay? You might think it’s too soon, but that’s just how it is.”
“I want what’s best for you,” Austin argued. “You deserve the best. Not some trumped up Van Pelt masquerading as one of us.”
“Austin, back off,” Morgan said.
“Yeah, I think Sutton can handle this,” Landon agreed.
David still hadn’t said anything. He was standing there, taking the assault Austin was laying on him. I hated that he let Austin say whatever he wanted. He didn’t deserve this.
“Why are you all on his side?” Austin asked in confusion. He looked between his siblings. “What do we really know about this guy? It’s not been very long. Hardly enough time to even verify whatever spin he put on his story. This isn’t the right move.”
“Austin, I appreciate you looking out for me,” I said calmly. “But fuck off.”
“Sut—”
“No, you don’t get to say these things about me or David. Now is not the time. I love you. And, if you love me, you’ll accept that I’m happy. David makes me happy.”
David moved forward then and extended his hand. “I never want to hurt her again. Truce?”
Austin looked at all of our earnest faces. He shook his head and then grabbed David’s hand. “Don’t fuck this up again.”
“I have no intention of doing that.”
I sighed with relief as the tension dissipated between them.
David went off with my brothers to help them bring more boxes inside. And I was left thinking about all the things Austin had just thrown in my face. He wasn’t wrong exactly. It had been fast. David and I had rushed things a bit. But we’d deal with those things later and work it out together. I knew I wasn’t going to fix trust issues overnight. I just hated that I was even thinking about this.
We’d had one blissful weekend, and now, we were back to reality. Reality sucked.
Seventeen
Sutton
“Sutton,” Jenny whispered, dragging me away from the rest of my family later that day. She looked practically giddy.
“What’s going on?”
“I know this is last minute, but do you think you could find a sitter for Jason tomorrow?”
“Tomorrow?” I asked. My eyebrows rose to the ceiling. “It’s already evening. Who am I going to find on such short notice?”
“I don’t know. I’m sorry. His grandparents?”
“What is this all about, Jen?”
Her eyes darted back to the living room and then to me again. “Julian asked me out.”
“Oh my God!” I squealed, jumping up and down. “That’s so exciting.”
Jenny blushed. “It was unexpected, for sure. I thought, when he went back to Vancouver, that would be the end. And, now, it looks like it was only the beginning.”
“Well, let me call Linda and see if she’s free tomorrow. I’m sure she’d be happy to watch him while I’m at work.”
“Thank you, thank you, thank you. If it doesn’t work out, then, of course, I’ll still be there, but I’d love to say yes to this.”
I nodded understandably and then pulled out my phone. It only took one ring before Linda answered and a quick conversation before she emphatically agreed to watch Jason. She even said she’d come over to the house in the morning to be there when I left. I gave Jenny a thumbs-up, and she actually jumped up and down.
“I’m going to go tell him. Thanks, Sutton.”
I waved her off, and David appeared then. “Everything all right?”
“Yeah. Julian asked Jenny out for tomorrow, so I’m having Linda look after Jason.”
“That’s new.”
I laughed. “Uh, not really. They kind of started talking when he was visiting.”
&n
bsp; “I thought Annie and Jordan—”
“Yeah. Them, too.”
David kissed the top of my head. “I wish I could come home with you.”
“Maybe you could?” I suggested.
He laughed. “What about Jason?”
My eyes flitted to my son, who had snagged Austin’s attention. He was now carrying Jason on his shoulders around the room.
“I should probably get him home. His bedtime is going to come sooner than I’d like.”
“Next time,” David assured me.
I leaned in for another kiss. “Maybe after Linda leaves tomorrow?”
“I’ll come by for a bit. Maybe bring some pizza?”
“Sounds like a plan.”
The next day, Linda came by for Jason, as planned. Work dragged while I counted down the minutes until I could leave. Then, I could see both Jason and David in the same place. I’d been putting that off. And I was pretty sure I was ready. Despite what Austin had said about us moving too fast.
By the time my shift ended, I was already throwing the apron on a hook and darting toward my Audi parked out back. I zipped across town and saw Linda’s Toyota parked out front.
“Hey, Linda!” I said with a smile. “How did today go?”
“Mommy!” Jason cried, wrapping his arms around my legs.
“Hey, buddy.” I picked him up and crushed him to me with a big bear hug. Then, I walked him over to the couch and sat down with him in my lap.
“Today was excellent. We went to the park and swimming at the pool. He’s such an excellent swimmer already.”
“Early lessons,” I said. “They really paid off.”
“We had a great day. You know, you could always get rid of that nanny, and I could do this full-time for you.”
“Don’t you need to help on the farm?”
“Well, yes, but Jason could help me with everything that I need. Maverick did the same thing at that age.”
My heart panged at the name. It frequently echoed through my mind, but hearing it right now while holding Jason and thinking about another man…it was too hard. I tried to remind myself that it was okay in these moments to remember him. I didn’t want to forget him. But talking about him, even to his mother, made it feel like I was trying to swallow peanut butter.
“Maybe, once Jenny gets into pharmacy school, we could revisit this conversation.”
“Of course,” Linda said. “You never told me how New York was. Did you miss Jason?”
“Terribly, but it was wonderful.”
I kissed Jason on the forehead, and then he rushed into his room, likely to grab some more of his favorite books. He loved hanging out and flipping through every single book on his shelf.
“It was nice to have a weekend to myself. I’m sure you know, as a mom, we don’t get a lot of time to ourselves.”
“Well, you have a nanny and grandparents. It looks like you get a lot of time to yourself.”
I clenched my jaw at those words. I was constantly with Jason. I didn’t have Jenny for the weekends, and just because I was finally having a relationship didn’t mean I was neglecting my time with Jason.
“One weekend off in two years seems justifiable.”
“Two weekends,” Linda reminded me.
“Well, the other was for a bachelorette party.”
That didn’t seem to matter to her.
“I think you’re spending a lot of time away from Jason. I worry about him.”
“You don’t have to worry about him.”
“I’m his grandma; of course I do. Especially since Maverick is gone.”
I clenched my teeth. I didn’t want to be having this conversation. David would be here in the next hour, and I was ready for Linda to leave. Thinking of Maverick made my heart hurt, and reminiscing with Linda was always a treasure, but I just couldn’t do it right now. Not with the judgment and distaste. If she just wanted to talk to me about Maverick, I would always be there. But, if she wanted to make me feel bad, I was too tired.
“Are you bringing that boy around Jason?” Linda asked.
“No, I haven’t been, but I’m about to start.”
Linda clucked her tongue on her teeth. “As I suspected.”
“What? What did you suspect? That I’d start dating someone else, and it would freak you out? I can’t help how you feel, but I don’t want you to try to control how I feel.”
“I’m looking out for Jason!” Linda said, jumping to her feet. “Someone has to.”
“Being upset like this isn’t going to change my relationship with David.”
“It’s been a year, Sutton,” Linda cried. “A year. I know it’s normal for people to take off their black mourning clothes after that time, but you don’t just forget him. And that’s what you’re doing. You’re trying to forget Maverick. But I can’t forget him. He’s my son—my only son—and now, he’s gone.”
“I’m not forgetting him.” I buried my face in my hands. “I can’t forget him, okay? But I can be happy and move on. And I’m not saying David is perfect. He’s not. He didn’t tell me he was a Van Pelt. He held back his past from me. There’s still a lot about him I don’t know. But I do know that I love him.”
Linda took a step back, as if I’d slapped her. “You love him?”
“Yeah,” I whispered.
Linda shook her head in disbelief. Then, something seemed to dawn on her. “Van Pelt? Like that criminals who has been on the news?”
I realized my mistake too late. I’d been so busy with trying to argue my case that I didn’t even realize what I’d said. Linda hadn’t known that David was a Van Pelt. In fact, very few people did. But she did know about the Van Pelts. Most people did. Especially since it was on the news again.
“Uh…”
“You are letting a criminal into your life…into Jason’s life?”
“No. He’s not a criminal.”
“His parents are criminals! They steal money. What do you really know about him? How do you know he’s not getting close to you just to steal from you?”
“He’s not…he’d never.”
Linda shook her head in horror. “Jason isn’t safe. You’re not safe, Sutton. You don’t even know this man, and suddenly, you’ve forgotten your husband, your son, your life. You’re entrusting everything to this person you don’t even know after only a couple of weeks?”
“That isn’t—”
“Oh no,” Linda cut me off. She straightened her spine. “I can’t let Jason stay here.”
“Excuse me?” I snapped.
“I’m going to have to call the authorities.”
I raised my eyebrows. “You are going to do what?”
“You cannot be with this man. You don’t even know what he could do to you, to your family. You’re negligent with Jason. If you don’t get your act together, then I’m going to have to do something drastic.”
“What the hell are you talking about?” I asked, raising my voice as fear crept into my spine.
The way she was talking was insane. Totally crazy. And yet it was clear that she meant every word. That her own fear and grief and torment were pushing her over the edge.
“If you don’t leave this man, then…I’ll have to take you to court for Jason.”
Silence.
Then, a ringing in my ears. A horrible ringing.
“No,” I said. “Don’t you dare threaten me with that. Jason is my son. I am his mother. I work a steady job. I have a trust fund. My family is well known, and we have more lawyers for our family than you’ve met in a lifetime. There is no way you could win that battle, which means you’re just saying that to hurt me.”
“I’ll do it,” Linda cried.
“It’s futile. I’m a Wright!” I said it with such conviction and had never been happier to have my last name. “In this town, I’m royalty. There’s no way you would win. Not a chance in hell. And, if you’re going to come into my house and threaten me and my son, then you can get the hell out.”
I poi
nted at the door. All the fire and anger shot through me at the empty accusations, and I was in mama-bear destruction mode at the thought of someone getting near Jason.
“Sutton,” Linda tried to reason.
“I said, get out,” I barked. “And don’t come back until you’ve gotten some sense. I wanted you in his life. I wanted him to grow up with grandparents to love him since mine were gone. I wanted him to have a piece of Maverick. But I will no longer allow you near him. You threaten me, and we’re done. No one—and I mean, no one—is going to take my son away from me.”
Linda opened and closed her mouth. Then, she snatched her purse up and strode from the room. I locked the door behind her, and then I stumbled back into the living room and collapsed onto the couch.
Jason appeared then with worry on his little face. “Mommy?”
“Hey, buddy.”
He stepped forward, put his hands on my cheeks, and brushed the tears away that had slipped out of my eyes. He leaned forward and kissed me on the lips. My heart ached, and he knew it. And he was trying to make me feel better, which only made me cry harder.
“Come here, you.”
He jumped onto the couch and snuggled up against me. This was exactly where I wanted to be.
I hated what Linda had said. I hated what I’d had to say to her. I hated everything in that moment, except my son, who I would fight for with my last breath. I prayed that Linda wouldn’t make me do just that.
Eighteen
David
It was raining, and I’d forgotten a damn umbrella again.
I darted out of Wright Construction and straight toward my shiny red Ferrari. By the time I made it into the car, I was soaked through. Just fucking awesome.
I hated the rain in Lubbock. It’d come out of nowhere in the middle of the afternoon like a beach thunderstorm, poured until all the streets flooded, and then stopped just as suddenly. Except today it hadn’t freaking stopped, and my Ferrari really hated the flooding. I really hated the flooding. The entire city hated the flooding. And there was nothing we could do about any of it.