“Hey, boss!” Johnny shouts, wiping his hands on a grease rag.
“How’s it going today?”
“Good. Good. Transport go okay for you?”
I shrug. “It’s out of my hands now so hopefully. Client was incredibly happy with it.”
Johnny grins. “Of course he was. You’re the best.”
“Damn right, I am,” I joke. “Gotta go help Katie. She had a flat this morning and someone she didn’t even know ended up helping her.”
“What the hell?” Johnny asks, irritated.
“My thoughts exactly. She took some side roads today on the way to meet someone for coffee, got a flat, didn’t have a spare, couldn’t call anyone because she had zero service. Some random guy was there and let her use his spare tire. He’s going to pick it up here. At least that’s what she said she planned.”
“Not cool, man.”
“I agree.”
“She okay?”
“She’s okay. She’s safe, but yeah, it could have been bad.”
He nods and my stomach tightens. I won’t let my mind go the direction of how bad it truly could have been. “Need my help? I can come with ya.”
“Nah. I’ll be fine. Y’all good here?”
“Well-oiled machine, man. Must be the excellent management,” he says, puffing out his chest and complimenting himself since he’s the “excellent management” he speaks of.
“Definitely.”
After checking in with the rest of the staff, I take off in the service truck toward Katie. The town is less than an hour away so it doesn’t take me long to get there and find her car in the parking lot of the Starbucks.
Me: I’m here.
Katie: Don’t yell at me but I left it unlocked just in case you needed to get in.
I groan and drop my head back. This woman is going to kill me.
I’m about to reply when another text pops up. This one from my mom. And seeing it immediately reminds me that I had told her I’d come over today to help her fix her washing machine.
Mama: Where are you? I’ve been waiting here for hours!
I groan. Of course she has. I do feel bad because I told her I’d be there and just plain forgot.
Me: Sorry, Mom. Had to take the service truck to fix a flat tire.
It’s not a lie, even if it’s not entirely true.
Mama: You could have told me so I wouldn’t have been sitting here all day. I really needed your help today.
And this is what makes me irritated with my mother. Because even if I wasn’t giving her a half truth, and there was someone stranded and needed my help, she would still think of herself first.
Me: I’ll come over when I get back to town but I can’t stay long. I have something tonight.
That’s not necessarily the truth, either, but I hope I have plans. Those plans centering around Katie.
Mama: Just don’t skip out on me again.
I toss my phone in one of the cupholders in the truck and climb out, getting to work on fixing Katie’s tire. Whatever she ran over did a number on her tire. I can put in a patch, but I don’t know how long it will hold.
Just as I’m finishing up and tightening the lug nuts, Katie comes walking quickly through the parking lot. I stand up to greet her and grunt when she launches herself into my arms.
“Missed you,” she whispers into my neck. I give her a squeeze and release her but don’t let her get far. I keep my hands on her waist, kiss her on the lips, then step back. “Today was so, so weird. I don’t even know how to thank you for coming all this way or for not yelling at me for being stupid. Or for eating with that weird guy. I didn’t know what else to do! It was all awkward and uncomfortable and he barely talked. I kept wondering what his deal was but I think he’s just super private. I don’t know. I’m glad it’s over.”
“I gotta admit, I hate the idea of you eating with another guy but especially a guy you thought was weird.”
She sighs and looks down. “I know. It wasn’t smart of me. I had my mace and I promise it was in a public area. I felt like I needed to do something to show my appreciation for his help, you know?”
“And that’s the only reason why I’m not mad about it.”
She lifts up on her toes and wraps her arms around my neck, keeping a bit of space between us so she can look up at me. “You’re a good guy, Brody. You know that?”
“I’m really not.”
“You are, too. You might not think so but I know so. You drove all this way to help me.”
“I forgot my mother today,” I admit and watch as amusement skitters across her face.
“What?”
I nod and rub my forehead. “Yeah. I forgot I was supposed to go to her place this morning and help her with a few things.”
“Oops.”
“Yup. After I follow you back to Benton, I’ll head over there and take care of what she needs then I have a favor to ask of you.”
“This my way of paying you back?”
“Yeah, we can call it that.”
“Okay, I’ll bite. What’s the favor?”
“Go out with me? Tonight? I don’t know if you have to work for your dad or if you can take the night off, but I’m seriously getting very impatient when it comes to taking you on a date and officially making this official.”
“Official, huh?” she teases.
“You called me your boyfriend today. Figure that means I’d better take my girlfriend on a date.”
She blushes and I lean down, kiss her on the lips but leave my lips close to hers. “I liked hearing it,” I say then kiss her again and stand up. “You done for the day? Your tire isn’t in the best of shape and I want to make sure you get back home okay. We’ll take it to the shop and have Johnny replace it.”
“Oh! I wondered if it’d be bad. It went flat really quick, it seemed.”
“Big nail was in there so I’m not surprised. Call your dad on the way, make sure he knows you’re not working tonight. I’ll be up to your place at seven to pick you up but I’ll see you before then when I get you settled with Johnny to get your tire fixed.”
“You sure are bossy.”
I shrug. “That’s probably true.”
She gives me a smile that says she doesn’t mind it one bit that I’m bossy.
“I can leave and have you hire a repair man, Ma,” I huff.
“I just don’t understand why you wouldn’t get me groceries.”
“Do you not have money?”
She glares at me and snaps, “I have money, Brody, and it’d be good of you to respect your mama.”
“You’re the one who seemed incredibly concerned about me getting your groceries, Ma. I assumed that meant you couldn’t afford them.” She looks incredibly guilty and she looks away. “Ma? What is it?”
“It’s nothing. I just needed some staples and didn’t feel like going out, okay? I’ll go tomorrow. It’s no big deal.”
“Ma?” I ask again, adding an inflection into my voice so she knows I know something’s up. “Tell me what’s going on?”
“It’s nothing. I just don’t want to go to the store is all.”
I look at her and see the way she won’t make eye contact and groan. Because I know this woman and her tells, I know exactly why she won’t go to the store. They’ve asked her not to return. “You’re not allowed in there, huh?”
“Of course I am. I’m a citizen of this town, aren’t I?”
“You’re also a thieving citizen and my guess is the manager asked you to politely get your groceries elsewhere.”
“He’s a jerk,” comes her reply.
“Oh, for fuck’s sakes, Ma!”
“Watch your mouth around your mama.”
“Really? You’re going to lecture me on morals right now? Do you have no willpower?”
Tears spring to her eyes and she crumbles, her face buried in her hands, butt planting on the floor in her laundry room. She cries for a few moments and sniffles then looks up at me from her place on the floor
. “No. And I’m sorry, okay? I don’t know what’s wrong with me!”
This makes me stagger a bit because it’s truly the first time I’ve ever heard her offer up some sort of remorse for her actions. I crouch down in front of her and place a hand on her shoulder. “Nothing’s wrong with you, Ma. You have an addiction. It’s just like any other addiction.”
“I’m sick.”
“You are. And that’s why Dad and I had been trying to get you help.”
“I think… I think I’m ready.”
I sit down next to her and pull her in for a hug. In all my thirty-two years, she’s never asked for help. Never taken blame. Admittedly, I have a hard time believing it now, only because she’s been so hesitant to get help until now, however, I want her to get the help she needs. Until she doesn’t let me, or she refuses to get help, I’ll be there to support her.
“I’m here, Ma. Dad will be there, too.”
She cries on my shoulder for a few more minutes then sits back, wiping her tears away with the sleeve of her sweatshirt. “Bet it’s pretty strange to have a mom like me, huh?”
“You certainly made life interesting, that’s for sure.”
“I’m embarrassed.”
She should be, actually, and maybe that’s a good thing. I don’t respond, rather I nod my understanding.
“And I’ve embarrassed my family. Brought shame upon you.”
“It used to bother me,” I admit.
“Not anymore?”
“I’m not the one stealing Cheetos from Albert’s grocery store,” I joke.
“My sins are not your sins, huh?”
“Something like that. When I was younger and realized what you were doing, I hated it. I realized it wasn’t a reflection on me, though.”
“How’d you get so smart?”
I grin and hug her once more. “Let’s get this washing machine fixed, shall we? I’ve got a date tonight and don’t wanna be late.”
“Oh, yeah? Who’s the lucky girl? Anyone I know?”
Ma and I talk for a while like a typical mother and son and I tell her all about Katie, our date, and how we knew each other long ago but only recently reconnected.
“I don’t remember her,” she admits.
I raise an eyebrow. “Why would you remember her? You weren’t really around, you know?”
“That’s not true.”
“It is,” I grunt, tightening a bolt in the back side of the washer.
“I wasn’t a good mom.”
“You were who you could be,” I say as a non-answer.
We fall into silence for a few minutes and then…
“I hear you just built a big new shop.”
I side-eye her. “Yeah?”
“Well, what’s that for?”
Something tells me she knows exactly what the new shop’s for. I could pretend like I’m not on to her, but unlike her, I’m not a good liar.
All the good that she and I were experiencing earlier vanishes the second it clicks with me that she probably called me to come fix her washing machine solely to get more information about my contract and working with the production company.
“Are you really doing this right now?” I ask her.
“Doing what?”
“Oh, come on, Ma! I know you know about the contract so just tell me what you want so we can move on.”
“I don’t…” She stops talking when I give her a hard look. “I don’t…” She tries again then clears her throat. “You’re going to be meeting all those fancy singers, right?”
“Fancy singers? Ma, they’re country music singers. All I’m doing is customizing the vehicles that go in the videos. That’s it.”
“But you’ll be meeting them? And you signed that contract.”
“Yes. So tell me what you want.”
“I bet that will be so cool,” she says, trying to sound nonchalant but she fails miserably. “Meeting and working with them.” I know her and she might be ready to stop her petty thieving, but if she can manage to use me to get what she wants, she’ll do it.
“Mm hmm,” I say, putting the last of my tools in my toolbox and snapping it closed.
“I’d love to see where you’re working now.”
“Would you?”
“Of course I would. You’re my son, Brody! I am so proud of you.”
Standing up straight, I look her dead in the eye. “What are you proud of me for?”
“What do you mean?”
“Test the washer so we know it’s working before I leave,” I demand then ask again, “What, exactly are you proud of me for?”
She loads clothes and detergent in the washer then starts it up. It appears to be working fine which means I can leave.
“Well, for… your job. It’s exciting, isn’t it?”
I roll my eyes because she’s hedging around her truth. “It’s the same job I’ve had for years, Ma.”
“But now…”
I interrupt her with a shake of my head and irritated huff. “I’m making a lot more money at it and meeting celebrities? Yeah. I understand you.”
“That’s not what I meant!”
“Sure it is.” Then it clicks with me. The whole production of her crying on my shoulder earlier. It seemed weird to me that she suddenly felt remorse after all these years. “That’s what the whole “I’m sorry I’m such an embarrassment and I need to get help” bit was about, wasn’t it? You wanted to make amends or get on my good side so I would introduce you to some Nashville star or give you money.”
“What? No!”
I grab my toolbox and walk out of the laundry room, through the kitchen. It might make me a chauvinist, but just once I would like to come to my mother’s house and have her feed me homemade cookies or brownies. Or anything, really. To take care of me in any way. Instead, she’s always selfishly asking for me to bring her things. “Sure it is. Here’s what you need to know, Ma. Me customizing these vehicles? That’s all it is. It’s the same thing I’ve been doing for years. I’ve been hired to do a job, plain and simple.”
“You’re mad at me. Why? I’m only telling you that I’m happy for you,” she protests.
“I’m not mad, Ma. Just… unsurprised, which I suppose makes me mad. This job? It’s just a job. Yeah, I’m happy that I get to work with some pretty cool people and that doing what I love has increased my checking and savings accounts, but it’s not the point!” I shout. “Money isn’t everything, Ma.”
She turns her head and looks at me with pity. “After you and Hannah broke up, I thought you’d have such a hard time and I’m happy to see that you’re doing well.”
My mouth drops open. Is she delusional? What the heck does Hannah have to do with anything? “What the heck does Hannah have to do with anything, Ma?!”
“She was…”
“She is my ex-girlfriend. She’s married. I’ve not been harboring feelings for her all these years. She’s in my rearview mirror, Ma.”
She looks truly confused. “But… isn’t that why you went after this big contract?”
My eyes widen. “Are you serious? I wasn’t the one who went after anything. They came to me.”
“But she said…”
“Oh my gosh. Ma! Are you telling me that you talked to Hannah?”
“She’s the one who told me about the new shop,” she admits with a small shrug.
I pinch the bridge of my nose. “Explain.”
“We have lunch sometimes,” comes her explanation, albeit a bad one.
“Please don’t. I have no idea why you think you need to stay in contact with an ex-girlfriend of mine, but I’d honestly rather you didn’t. I know I just now told you about Katie but she and I are not just a phase. I like her. A lot.”
“But, you used to like Hannah a lot, too.”
I don’t even know what to say here so I just turn to the door. “I don’t have any feelings for Hannah. In fact, I haven’t thought about her for months. Whatever she’s told you, figure she was lying. You and she are
obviously cut from the same selfish cloth.” Before walking through it, I turn to my mother. Open my mouth to plead my case against Hannah more but I can tell she’s not even paying attention to me. “Just… forget it. My words won’t mean a thing to you anyway, right?”
I leave her house and climb into my truck. She doesn’t try to stop me.
Chapter Fifteen
Brody
Like a gentleman, I knock on Katie’s door at exactly seven o’clock. Once we got back to Benton, Katie went straight to the tire shop so Johnny could get her tire replaced, while I went to Mom’s. I called Johnny to make sure he set aside the spare so Elijah, the guy who helped her at the café, could pick it up as per Katie’s instructions.
When the door opens to a smiling Katie, she steals all the breath out of my lungs. It has nothing to do with the fact that she’s wearing a gauzy black top with a cut out in the center so I can see just the tiniest hint of cleavage and a pair of jeans that show off her curves. It has everything to do with the fact that she’s opening the door with a smile on her face because I’m standing on the other side getting ready to take her on our first official date.
“You’re beautiful,” I tell her.
Her cheeks turn pink and I advance, sliding a hand over her hip and brushing my lips against hers. Her hands rest on my chest and she looks up at me, her long blonde hair flowing down her back and ruby red lips so appealing I want to nibble on them all night.
“You’re not so bad yourself,” she replies, arching her body into mine.
I’m wearing nothing special. A pair of boot cut jeans, navy blue Henley shirt, and brown boots. I should have dressed up more, but I don’t really have anything much different than this. It’s my standard wardrobe but by the way Katie’s looking at me, she appreciates it.
“I would really like to take you out to dinner and if you keep staring at me the way you are, that’s not going to happen.”
The little minx arches farther into me, pressing up on her tiptoes and kissing my chin. “And how am I staring at you?”
“Probably very similar to the way I’m looking at you. And I want all this as much as you do. But I also want to take you out.”
Without You: A Friends-to-Lovers Small Town Romance Page 16
