She would come face to face with him again. Very likely tonight if Mrs. C’s was his first stop. She felt dizzy. He could be there now.
I actually have a house not too far from here. It’s uh, in Moonlight. We could eat, talk. Have amazing sex. Whatever you want.
What had she done?
More importantly, where could she go?
Not there. Definitely, not there.
Too bad she didn’t have a choice. She dug Mrs. C’s list out of her pocket and began smoothing her tangled hair.
Chapter Five
“Mom?” he called after opening the front door. A gust of wind helped blow it open even further and he caught the slab of wood just in time before it crashed against the inside wall. That should be locked, he made a mental note. “Hello, Ama?” he said, switching without thought to the Spanish his father had taught him as a boy. “Mom?” he went back to, realizing she might not appreciate a reminder of his dad.
Will walked up behind Stefan with his one bag strapped across his shoulders. “Anyone home?” he asked. A boom of thunder pounded loudly and dark clouds creeping across the blue parts of the sky reminded him of the frequent childhood storms that had fascinated him but kept him inside too often.
“Not sure. Door was unlocked so I’m assuming.”
“This is where we’re staying, right?”
Stefan searched the entryway to the house which hadn’t changed in all these years. Same wood painted a creamy brown color and the key rack still carved with a “C” hung as soon as you entered. “That’s the plan,” he said. The whole point was to try and make up for times past and get right with his mom once and for all. He hated that it had taken her last fall to wake his ass up. Staying at his empty house nearby would have been the asshole move to make. But he wouldn’t lie. He was glad to have it as a backup.
“Hey brother, take a breath,” said Will quietly with his hand on Stefan’s shoulder. Stefan did and felt his shoulders relax.
Until he saw her in the next second.
His heart sank to the pit of his stomach.
Coming slowly down the stairs, she was shorter and her hair that had still been mostly blonde seven years ago was now all white.
“Ven paca.” Come here.
She hadn’t forgotten Dad’s teachings either, what surprised Stefan was that she used them. Thrown off by that, he set his bags down, wiped at his mustache which he forgot he had grown, and went to her. She stayed on the last step which made her taller but not nearly enough. He leaned over like he did when he was hugging Jaxon’s little daughter back in Nashville. “Hello, son.” She kissed his cheek and waited. He couldn’t move. Finally, she hugged him. Stefan made it a point to lose his rigid stance, and his shock. “You look well, Stefan.” She patted the sides of his arms. “And your friend?”
If anyone should be complimenting the other on their looks, it should be him admiring his mom. For having just entered her seventies and making it through one of the harshest winters on record for the northeast, she looked amazingly better than what he’d envisioned. Still had a lot of her hair, it just wasn’t thick like his anymore and she’d always been thin but seemed to have just enough meat on her bones. Her elbows poked out from the short sleeves of her fuzzy coffee colored robe. Stefan remembered she’d also asked about Will who cordially stood there smiling. God, what must his mom think about the two of them and the ungodly amount of tattoos? He’d meant to throw on a jacket like he always did the few times he’d visited, to spare her the view. He hadn’t felt ashamed of himself or any of his friends in a long time, but Mom was different. She didn’t see him like anyone else.
“Mom, this is my good friend, Will Cordero. Will, this is my mom, Gina.”
“Will. It’s nice to meet you,” his mom said in her northeastern accent.
“Mrs. Calderon.” Will dipped down for a hug before Stefan could warn that his mom wasn’t the touchy feely type. But she embraced his friend and smiled. “It’s great to finally meet one of my son’s friends. Are you from California, Will?”
“Oh, no ma’am. I was born not too far from here, in Maryland actually. But I did meet Stefan in California.”
“And Stefan tells me you live in Tennessee now. You boys really get around. How do you like it?”
“Very much, ma’am. It’s nice seeing the seasons change again. Kind of like right now.”
She smiled. Stefan didn’t know if Will really loved their new hometown or if he was just trying to be convincing for Mom.
Stefan was comforted to know some of her strictness had mellowed and so far, it didn’t look like he’d need to go hiding with his tail between his legs at the empty house. Even though she didn’t go as far as to suggest Will call her Gina, there was a warmth about her Stefan didn’t remember. Shit, maybe her added years and frail health had done that. Kind of like that looming fortieth birthday had his ass thinking about being a better son. She’d beat cancer in her sixties and this damn osteoporosis now had shrunk her but she was still standing. Truth be told, he’d been counting on her sternness to keep her going like it had when Dad left them. He hoped she hadn’t softened up too much.
“Well, it’s good to have you both here. Have you boys eaten?” she asked.
And just like that, it was as if he’d never been asked to leave.
Like Mom had never looked at him the same ashamed way she had his dad standing at the front door on their way out. Dad had left her for another woman. Two years later, she’d asked Stefan to leave because of a young girl who hadn’t known how to deal with being fourteen and pregnant and had lied, throwing him under the bus, to save herself with her parents and get rid of a responsibility he would have shared in.
Stefan wasn’t sure what he felt. It was going to take more than a few minutes to sort it all out. But food was always a good place to start.
He and Will answered on top of each other. “Starving.” Apparently Will’s pizza hadn’t done much for his buddy’s hunger. A sizzling memory of someone eating licorice made his own gut twist. He had to stop thinking of that young woman. He stretched his neck.
Stefan added, “I could cook you something, Mom. What would you like?”
“Oh no. Daniela prepares something every morning. I’ll just take it out and we can reheat it.”
“Daniela?” he asked, the name vaguely familiar.
His mom’s eyebrows hiked ever so slightly at his question. Was that the live-in nurse? He’d wondered whether his mom had finally found someone compatible. He’d been sure to send her enough money to cover those costs, even though she insisted her pension could handle it. He hadn’t pushed when she’d said she didn’t need his help to find the right person. Mom might be old but she wasn’t a pushover. She could handle her business and he knew better than to suggest otherwise.
“Yes,” she said. “My helper. She’s out right now picking up my prescriptions. Why don’t you boys put your things away and I’ll get plates out. We’ll set one for Daniela, too.”
“Yes ma’am,” said Will.
Stefan nodded, unsure of the ease of the situation but glad his mom seemed at peace. Finally. Maybe he could do this. Maybe his plan would work and she’d say yes to him and the life he could give her in Nashville.
Upstairs Stefan motioned for Will to follow him. Mom wasn’t the only thing that had shrunk in his absence. “Man, I remember this place being so much bigger.” Will muttered something in agreement but Stefan knew Will’s childhood had been spent in and out of extended family’s homes, as close as a person could come to foster care. And then to have lost his only brother in combat. It fucking sucked. They passed his mom’s upstairs room which he still thought was ridiculous and dangerous. If she’d have taken the house he’d bought her, she’d have a master suite downstairs and wouldn’t have to force herself up and down the stairs every day. He’d read up on osteoporosis and knew the risks. Stefan trailed his fingers along the wall, remembering more things that made no sense to him. He’d always thought his parents had t
he perfect marriage until one day Dad sat him down and explained he’d be leaving them soon.
Just like that.
Dad had fallen out of love with Mom.
The kicker? Dad had stayed living with them until Mom finished her college degree. It sounded so kind. So benevolent. Well, it should have been messier. Angrier, in Stefan’s opinion. Heart ache should hurt, right? There should have been fights with screaming and slamming doors. But no. Mom graduated college and then Dad had left quietly. Stefan shook his head, vaguely aware Will was speaking.
“So how long’s it been since you were here?” Will asked him, standing near an old wedding photo of Mom’s parents that hung in a polished brass frame that had hung there for forever.
If it had been anyone else asking, Stefan might not have answered truthfully. But this was Will and there was no need to lie. “I’ve been back a handful of times for Christmas and Mother’s Day in the last twenty years. Not nearly enough, man.” He wouldn’t dredge up the reasons why.
“Didn’t you take time off from the Play tour to come visit her? I distinctly remember feeling like a total ass for like three weeks straight that year.” Will rubbed the bare sides of his head with his hands.
“What are you talking about?”
“You didn’t tell any of us why you had to go home so I just remember being stoked to spend the time off with Honey. That was such a long ass tour. Then I found out like a year later why we’d gotten the break and felt like shit that it was because your mom had cancer.”
“That was a long time ago. I can’t believe you remember that stuff. You shouldn’t feel bad.”
Will shrugged and that characteristic sadness washed over his face right before he donned the same smile he always did to cover it up. Will’s love for Honey scared the shit out of Stefan. The effect was never-ending and Will’s wife had been gone a few years now.
Hell, his dad had been gone a little over twenty and Mom still carried the man’s last name. She was either too proud, too stubborn, or even more hung up than Will. Or maybe like Stefan, she had no idea what to do with love.
“It’s been too long. I’m an ass,” he said, because it was the absolute truth.
“Hey, your mom looks good for her age. She could probably kick both our asses. Moms are like that. She’ll be okay.”
Stefan hoped so.
They passed by what used to be Stefan’s room. He assumed from the purple, yellow and white daisy bedspread that this was where the home nurse was now staying. Made sense since it was right next door to Mom’s. The delicate white and yellow flowers had him thinking about a certain yellow tracksuit he’d never see again. Get over it, he told himself.
“This is gonna be us,” Stefan said, pausing at the third and final room of the modest house. They peeked in together. They both stared at the single bed. “Looks like you’re finally gonna get your chance to cuddle with me, stud.”
Will hit him hard. The guy had ridiculously strong hands, especially when they were balled into fists. At least Will didn’t have his sticks. “Don’t know what you’re talking about. You know how many floors I’ve slept on? Toss me a pillow and blanket and I’m good.”
Stefan could only guess. “Fuck you. You’re not sleeping on the floor. I’ll see if Mom has an air mattress and if not we’ll buy one tomorrow.” He’d go tonight but thunder had now joined the lightning which flashed in the bedroom window. If they lost power, his Mom shouldn’t be alone and the nurse had yet to come back. He’d be sure Will slept on the bed tonight since it would be wasted on Stefan. Too much to digest for a good night’s sleep tonight.
“Oh, a shopping trip. Sweet. You know I love me some Taggert’s.”
Stefan grinned, remembering the late night phone calls he often got from Will, always wanting an opinion on snacks, candle scents, sheet thread counts, and teeny bopper books. A thought hit him. Will spent a god-awful amount of time alone. “Hey man, you found a place yet?”
“In Nashville?”
“Yeah.”
“Nah. Not yet. You?” Will asked.
“I’m close. I was having fun drawing it out and looking with Triple Red but I think I’m gonna get serious about it now. Find one big enough to hold us all,” he let out at the end.
“Who? You and your harem?”
Will knew better than that. Stefan didn’t have live-in girlfriends. Visitors, yes. He scratched his head. “Not exactly. I’m thinking about bringing my mom back with me. You know, maybe get a place with a house in back for her. Kind of like what Lucky and Tris did for Grace.”
Out loud, the statement surprised him too.
While Mom should be the only woman on his mind right now, the troubled young lady he’d held a few hours ago wouldn’t leave him. But that was crazy. He had to see that for what it was. Two paths crossing for a minute in time. A very hot moment in time but one that was gone now. He’d had lots of those to speak of over the years. So why couldn’t he smile this one off like he always did and move on?
Fuck, I’m turning soft.
He looked over at Will who was sitting on the edge of the bed, thumbing through the DVD’s he’d bought at the truck stop. A shrink-wrapped copy of “Road House” lay on top with some teeny bopper werewolf drama underneath it. What he’d love to let a “We need to find you a woman” rip, but he didn’t.
“And my main man,” he said instead. “Think about it. You, me, my mom. Good times to be had.”
“And her nurse,” Will added.
“Her nurse,” he said and subtly wagged his eyebrows at Will who barely smiled. What had his mom said her name was? “Daniela.” He said it with his father’s Spanish accent.
“Sounds right up your alley,” Will said, effectively dismissing Stefan’s hint.
Will made a good point but not in the way he thought. Even having Mom living with him, Stefan would still need someone to be with her for the times he’d be gone. This new tour starting in a few weeks would be a long one. Probably a nine-monther. There was a lot he loved about being on the road but it was still something he had to gear up for. Get his head in the right place. Stefan cracked his neck from side to side.
Shit, them all living together had the makings of some crazy reality TV show, but Stefan loved Will like a brother and hoped his friend would take him up on the offer. Besides, he couldn’t keep getting his usual gaming buddy, Ben, in trouble at home. Now that the band’s webmaster had a woman, their late night Fall for Duty sessions had come crashing to an end. Love, the ultimate man-friend killer.
“We’ll see,” Will said and restacked the DVD’s on the floor near the small TV in their room. “Road House” was now second to “Dirty Dancing” and the teen werewolf flick dropped to third. Looks like Will would be up all night watching his new Swayze stash. There had to be some way Stefan could get Will around someone new without his buddy knowing what he was up to. At least one of them needed to get laid.
“Yeah, I guess this visit will be a pretty good dry run with us all under the same roof.” Stefan wouldn’t push. He would unpack his clothes later and left his suitcase against one of the walls. For a second, he stood facing the mirrored closet door. “Hey, thanks for coming with. I appreciate it.”
Will just nodded then said, “Let’s go eat. I’m starving.” He smoothed his hair down over the side of his head with the harsher scars.
“You’re always starving.” Not sure why he kept doing this to himself, Stefan’s thoughts immediately went to how hungry he was for her.
“I know. Hey, out of curiosity, has your mom ever seen a picture of Sin Pointe?”
Stefan considered the fact that glancing around the walls as they’d made their way through the home so far and all pictures of him were the same childhood ones, probably not. “I don’t think so. If you want I can dig one up and show her,” Stefan said as they made their way back out of the room, down the hall and to the stairs. “I’m sure she’d be fascinated by the platinum spiky mohawk, leather and chains. Your piercing would go over r
eally well.” He pulled out his phone and mouthed “Let’s see here, Google Image search Sexy Sin Pointe Drummer Will Cordero. Nipple Ring.”
“Asshole. You wouldn’t.”
“I would but I won’t. Besides I’d be outing myself too,” Stefan said and rubbed his still growing beard.
“Oh, so mom’s never seen her boy wearing eyeliner?”
“That’s guy-liner and you wear it too.”
God, he hoped Mom hadn’t seen any of the band’s magazine spreads. Sin Pointe’s shoots were about being fast, easy and pleasing to the fan base. They’d once posed butt naked for some full body tat shots. All but ink-free Marion, who stood there dressed in what looked like a black apron, looking more like a butcher with his arms folded across his chest than their keyboardist. “Dude, you remember that shot that had Marion looking like our Dom Master?” Stefan asked.
“Yeah, all he needed was a whip. That was fucking funny until he slapped my ass,” Will said, rubbing his butt. “That shit stung and left a welt. He’s got a firm ass slap.”
Stefan nearly cracked up. “Yeah, that was fucking funny … unless Mom saw that issue.”
“Something tells me we’re safe then. Mom doesn’t strike me as a Tat Master subscriber.”
Will had a point.
But worse would be the paparazzi rags they always stocked right there at the grocery checkout and the parade of bad shots with him and who knew how many different women.
They hovered near the last few steps and spoke over each other again.
“Agreed, no band pics for Mom.”
“Something smells good. This Daniela must be a really good cook,” Will said as he hopped down, skipping the last step. Stefan smiled, remembering doing that as a kid.
The more he heard the name, the more it bugged Stefan that she wasn’t here with his mom. He’d give the lady credit, she kept a clean house. At least he hoped that was her doing and not Mom’s. How many times had the babysitter made him do the chores when she’d been paid extra to do them? At least until Stefan was old enough to keep her occupied with other things. Mom had apparently never known about that or she’d have had even more to be ashamed about when it came to her only son.
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