“Yes, I’m so sorry,” Whitney shook her head, her accent hitching. He was going to let that apology slide. For now. “Mama, this is Shay Cunningham. Shay, this is my mama, Lillian Scott,” Whitney introduced them and he didn’t miss her tiny hands shaking despite holding Quinn.
The tight line on Lillian’s mouth stiffened as she took his fingers, shaking them lightly. “As in Shay, the man whom helped transport my daughter to the hospital after she decided to walk around town about to give birth?” Her eyes cutting to Whitney she shook her head tightly. “Such poor taste, darling.”
What the hell?
“Shay. As in the guy who held your daughter’s hand while she delivered your granddaughter.” Snickering into her cup, Charlotte shook her head as if nothing her aunt said surprised her. Lillian’s eyes narrowed on him before dismissing him just as quickly.
“Can I get you something to drink, Mama?” Whitney asked, clearing all the medicine off the counter from last night and slipping them into a drawer. She was so tense and it bothered him.
“Eucalyptus tea, please,” Lillian said flatly.
Whitney agreed, treating her mother to a fake smile and he found himself getting more agitated. “Would you like to hold Quinn, Mama?”
Taking a moment to inspect Quinn, Lillian’s mouth drew tight looking at Quinn’s thick hair pushed sideways resting comfortably in nothing more than a bib and a diaper. She looked adorable with her rolls hanging out, cereal bubbles now dripping from her lips. He was just relieved she seemed to be back to herself after the scare she had given them both last night.
“Maybe later, dear.”
Cutting a look to Charlotte, she looked back at him biting her tongue. How had Whitney come from this woman? Her daughter was so warm and sweet and inviting. This woman was cold and ignorant, nothing like Whitney or Quinn, or hell, even Charlotte.
“Whitney, dear I wanted to invite you and Quinn to dinner next week. Your papa and Georgiana have a busy month coming up at the firm and I wanted everyone together,” Lillian said, taking the mug that Whitney offered, inspecting the rim before taking a sip. “It would be nice to actually see my only grandchild.”
“She’s been here for five months,” Charlotte quipped over her own coffee mug.
Turning around Lillian snubbed her gently. Was this woman the devil? “Yes, well Charlotte you are more than welcome to attend dinner with us as long as you track down your manners,” Lillian smirked. “Or your mother,” she shrugged raising the mug to her lips. “Whichever you can catch first, I suppose.”
“Mmm, yes, that’s right up there on the top of my priority list, Aunt Lil,” Charlotte grinned matching Lillian’s fake smile. “You know, right underneath bleaching my asshole.”
“Charlotte!” Whitney gasped as Lillian’s face filled with horror.
Laughing out loud, Shay tried to hold back, but it just didn’t work. Shooting him a look, Whitney’s eyes went wide warning him. “I’m sorry,” he shrugged, biting back his laughter. “I’m sorry.”
Placing down her tea, Lillian reached for her coat looking appalled. Good. She was getting back on her broom and heading out. “Imma pray for you,” Lillian said to Charlotte, narrowing her eyes. Leaning against the counter, he watched the interaction between Whitney and her mother and it made him angry. Whitney was nearly tripping over herself trying to comply with the woman. She had nothing to apologize for or feel ashamed of. She worked crazy stupid hours and had been up all night taking care of a sick baby. So what if her home was a bit messy, her kid was in a diaper and she looked exhausted. She was a mother. A real mother and he had a sense that Lillian knew nothing about any of that.
“Next time I phone you Whitney Mary, please pick up. This trip threw such a wrench in my entire week,” she lifted a brow, securing a large button on the front of her coat. “Truly.”
“I’m sorry Mama,” Whitney agreed, forcing another damn smile. “Are you headed home, already?”
Pinching Quinn’s cheek, Lillian did the same to Whitney and he clenched his jaw. “Oh no, darling. I’m meeting a few lady friends in Savannah for the rest of the weekend.” Grabbing her purse, she waved off Charlotte before heading towards the door.
“Always a pleasure, Aunt Lil,” Charlotte mocked, shooting her the finger once she turned around.
Opening the door, Lillian slipped her sunglasses back on her small face and waved them off. “It was nice to meet you, Shawn.”
“Shay.” He stuffed his hands in his pockets as the door closed behind her. “It’s Shay.”
Leaning against the cold door, Whitney let out a deep breath. Her mama was a hard one to digest among her other endearing qualities on any given day, but an unexpected visit was downright terrifying. “Was that necessary?” she asked, watching Charlotte dump the rest of her coffee into the sink.
Her eyes widening, Charlotte stood taller. “Yes. Yes, it absolutely was necessary. That heinous bitch can’t just walk into my house like she owns the place and expect the red carpet to be rolled out for her. This ain’t the country club.”
“Language,” Whitney sighed rubbing her forehead. “And you owe me a dollar for that.”
Rolling her eyes again, Charlotte grabbed her purse. “And what the heck, Whit? You’re running around catering to her like some kind of servant.”
Shaking her head, she put the rest of the dishes into the sink. “I offered her tea.”
“You shouldn’t have offered her shit.”
“Another dollar.” Whitney held out her hand as Charlotte placed two singles in her palm. Stuffing them into the jar on the counter she looked over at Shay, who was clearly finding the entire situation entertaining. “I’m sorr-”
He raised a brow and she stopped. It bothered him when she apologized and she appreciated that. She did. Her mama had been downright rude to him and she was embarrassed. She’d treated Shay exactly like she expected. Like he was beneath her. Because everybody was beneath Lillian Scott. Even her own daughter. “Can I just ask you something?” he asked, sticking his tongue out at Quinn and getting a giggle. “How the fuck are you two related?”
Cutting him a look, she put her hand on her hip. “One dollar, please.” Smirking, he watched her and she nodded for him to oblige. Chuckling he kept his eyes on her reaching across the counter for his wallet. Gosh, her mama had been so rude to him. Handing her a ten dollar bill, he shrugged. “May as well take it.”
She wanted to stay mad at that face, but she couldn’t.
Shoot.
“At this rate Quinn, we’ll have your college fund in no time,” she shook her head stuffing the bill into the jar. She would fix that mouth on Shay Cunningham, of that she was certain. But Charlotte, eh, well she knew when to cut her losses.
Falling onto the couch, Charlotte leaned over the back. “You can’t seriously be considering going to that dinner.”
Her family had been noticeably absent since she left Louisiana, not even her sister had been to Charleston to visit. And that hurt. A lot. Growing up, she often wondered if her mama would be different once she had grandchildren. If she would help, teach her things and reassure her that she wasn’t failing every single day. But that was silly. She had no business hoping for something that she never had growing up. Nothing would change Lillian Scott. Not even a little precious grandbaby.
“Well we have a doctor’s appointment to get off to.” She glanced at the clock ignoring Charlotte’s question. She would get nowhere and she didn’t have the energy nor did she have the time to listen to the list of reasons why she shouldn’t attend dinner. If she had any hopes of her baby girl having any kind of relationship with her family, it would fall on her to make the effort. All of the effort. But maybe it was better this way. Having the chance to prepare herself for her mother’s backhanded comments and cruelness instead of her mama surprising her in the middle of breakfast and humiliating her in her own home. And in front of Shay.
Changing Quinn on the bed, Whitney sifted through the laundry basket on
the floor. “The ones in this basket are clean?” she mumbled to herself picking them up and sniffing them. “Nope, definitely not clean.”
Exhaling, she stood up looking around the room. She really needed to figure out what they were going to do. Charlotte was never home anymore and that was okay, but there wasn’t enough space here and she didn’t even want to think what was going to happen once Quinn began walking. She had been looking at a few homes online, but maybe it was time to make a move. A real move. Grabbing an outfit from the basket, she blew kisses on Quinn’s belly pulling the shirt over her head, before struggling to get the matching pants over her chunky thighs. Yes, she needed to get them a home. One with enough room for Quinn to grow. Truth was, she was terrified. She was pretty sure she could swing it, getting by the skim of her teeth each month but she had to guarantee that Save the Date had overtime each month. And she wasn’t handy so she needed something up to date and in good condition. Maybe a place with an extra room for an office instead of the kitchen table?
That would be nice.
Smiling at the thought, Shay walked into the bedroom, reaching for his keys and phone off the dresser. Gosh, he looked exhausted. Not only had he been up all night, but he’d had to endure the tornado that was her mother all before noon. He had practice all day, of that she knew, and she felt awful, but she wasn’t allowed to apologize for that, the notion making her smile again. “Shay, thank you so much again for everything last night I don’t know-”
“Shhhh.” He placed his finger over her lips quieting her. His eyes were serious and so gosh darn blue. “Let me take you out on Saturday,” he said. “On a real date.”
Fluttering her eyes closed against his touch, she couldn’t even remember the last time she had been on a date. And a formal date with Shay made her anxious. Which was silly of course, but that’s what he did to her. He challenged her and left her breathless in just one sentence. Opening her eyes again, her heart slammed against her ribs. A real date with Shay was a lot to handle because things were so different now. She had feelings. Real feelings. It wasn’t gratitude or intrigue or the fact that he made her feel safe anymore. She had fallen in love with him. “Maybe,” she whispered, watching the corners of his mouth pick up.
“So I’ll see you at four then.”
“Always so sure of yourself, Cunningham, aren’t you?”
Lifting her chin, he ran his thumb across her bottom lip. “Yes. Yes, I am.” Holding her face as if she was going to break, he kissed her as her knees went weak. Sweeping his lips against her ear, she closed her eyes against the feel of his lips. “Have a good day, Sunshine.”
Leaning over the bed, he kissed Quinn on her forehead and her heart exploded in the middle of the cluttered bedroom. Just a small, simple kiss but the first one she had ever seen him give her. Winking, she watched him leave before sliding down onto the bed, Quinn’s squeals filling the room. “I know baby girl,” she rested her hand on her baby’s round belly, “I know.”
“You know, I actually got a minimalist vibe from them,” Whitney wedged her phone between her ear and shoulder, digging inside her purse for her wallet. “I think they’re tryin’ for modest sophistication for the weddin’.” Making her way up Front Street she stepped around patrons, the sidewalks feeling busier than usual today. “As soon as I get back to the office I will send you all the paperwork that I have,” she assured, seeing Myles a few feet ahead of her. “For cryin’ out loud Liv, yes, I promise. Goodbye.”
Disconnecting the phone she laughed to herself. She loved Liv, despite her boss still having a difficult time adjusting to taking a step back. True, Save the Date had been a tad bit crazy the past few days, with it being their first week without Charlotte and all, but it wasn’t anything the three of them couldn’t handle. But the office also felt off. Quiet and odd without Charlotte. Of course it would be a whole lot easier to accept if she actually believed that Charlotte was happy. She hadn’t seen her since Monday morning, only knowing she had actually stopped home by her dirty dishes in the sink and a banana disappearing each day.
“Hey you.” Whitney smiled looking up at Myles. The man was as tall as he was wide and he looked more like a bodyguard standing outside the café than a fierce athlete; yet he was the gentlest soul she had ever met and she just adored him for it.
“Hey, sweetie,” he said, giving her a small hug, so unlike the monstrous suffocating hold she usually received from him. “Going in?”
“Yes, sir.” Holding open the glass door, she walked inside stepping behind a couple in the long line. Rocking gently on her ballet flats, she stood quietly beside Myles as he studied the menu board a little too hard.
“How is Charlotte doing?” he asked finally, clearing his throat. Standing taller, he stuck his hands inside his pockets not taking his eyes from the chalkboard above them.
What in the world?
“Well, I would think that you would know the answer to that before I would,” she said carefully, peeking up at him.
Snickering, he shook his head in disbelief grinding his teeth and she held her breath. “Oh no,” she breathed out. “What did she do now?” Myles had been the longest relationship she had ever seen Charlotte in and she would be lying if she said she wasn’t worried about her cousin running scared at any given moment. She was happy with Myles, more than happy, as Charlotte was so full of life and finally looked content and comfortable. Secure. Chewing her lip she wondered if she should pry. It was rude to stick her nose in other people’s business, true, but this wasn’t just anybody. This was Charlotte. And seriously, when was the last time that girl had minded her own business? “Myles, please tell me,” she urged, placing her hand on his arm getting his attention. If she didn’t know what was wrong, she couldn’t fix it. “What happened?”
Watching the firm line of his lips tighten, he cleared his throat and her stomach flipped. “I asked her to move in with me,” he shrugged and she closed her eyes. “And in true Charlotte form, she got defensive and asked why and so I told her that between both our schedules, if we lived together we would be able to see each other more often and then one thing led to another and we had a huge blowup and she’s been dodging me ever since. I haven’t heard from her since last Thursday.”
“What?” she nearly cried out. “Last Thursday?” What was Charlotte doing? Here was an incredible man who took and dished back anything that Charlotte threw at him and one who had patiently given her time to ease into the notion of a real relationship. One that made her happy and who wanted a future with her crazy self.
“Large coffee and a bagel, please,” Myles said to the barista before looking down at her.
“Oh, a green tea, please.” Moving to the side bar they waited for their food. Her heart was breaking for him. Why was Charlotte doing this to herself? To Myles?
“I have to wonder, Whit,” he said finally, taking his bag and handing her the tea. “Sometimes I don’t think she’ll ever come around, you know?” Grabbing his coffee, the cup looked so small inside his hands, as they walked back outside, the cool breeze blowing her hair as she wrapped her sweater closer into her body. “I want a family and I want a life after football is over and,” he trailed off looking down the street, getting noticeably frustrated.
“Now you listen to me,” she insisted resting her cup closer into her chest and he finally looked down at her. “Charlotte is crazy about you. I can promise you that. She watched her parents run away from any kind of commitment or stability. They left for months at a time when things got difficult and that is something that she struggles with every single day, but,” she held his arm, “she loves you. She’s just scared. Maybe even more than scared, she’s probably terrified.”
Gosh this all sounded faintly familiar, but unlike Charlotte, she was actually giving Shay a chance despite how petrified she was. Despite how deep she was getting in, but unlike Charlotte running away from it all, she wanted more. She craved more from Shay and she still wasn’t even sure if that was the wisest decision.
“Give me some time to talk with her. To talk some sense into her.”
“That’s just it, Whit,” he said cutting her off, his jaw clenching. “How can I move forward with someone who needs to be talked into spending their life with me?”
Oh, she was going to shake Charlotte, but she got it. “Just give her some more time to come around, Myles. I promise you that she will.”
I’ll make sure of it.
“Please, don’t give up just yet.”
“Why do you have that stupid grin on your face?”
Glancing over his shoulder, Shay looked up at Jax, smiling even harder just to piss him off.
“Because he’s been spending time with Whitney,” Trevor offered, pulling his shirt over his head. “Although, I always thought she had good taste.”
Shaking his head, he grabbed his headphones. He knew it was only a matter of time before word about him and Whitney got around. He swore he shared a locker room with a bunch of gossip queens than actual grown men.
“Yeah, I don’t think I like it,” Jax added, slipping his practice jersey over his head. “This thing with you and her. She’s a good girl.”
“A really good girl,” Trevor added.
“Yes, she is,” Shay agreed, throwing extra clothes into his bag. “She’s the best.”
“And she’s not some girl to screw around with until you get bored-”
“-Cap,” Shay said cutting Jax off. “I got it.” They weren’t telling him anything that he didn’t already know. He knew exactly what kind of woman Whitney was and he didn’t need the lecture about his reputation. She wasn’t like any other woman he had ever been with. She was special and he was sick and tired of everyone telling him that he wasn’t good enough for her. Nobody would be good enough for her, least of all him, but he was damn well going to try his hardest to be what she needed. To be what Quinn needed.
Hail Mary (The Mavericks Series) Page 21