She rolls her eyes, causing the blood to pump harder through the overworked organ she’s constantly taxing.
“Is this the crap you give to Mom and Dad? No wonder why they stopped having kids after you.”
“I broke the mold, Kody. Not a damn thing wrong with that.”
“Watch your mouth.”
“Watch yours,” she snaps right back.
“I’m having a coronary! Cut me some fucking slack!” I shout.
Of course, right then is when my mother decides to intervene. It doesn’t matter to her she has seven children ranging from forty-two to sixteen, she’s raised us all the same way: to love and respect each other. “Kody Jacques, Sandra Marie, what is wrong with both of you?” Uh-oh. I might be thirty-eight, but I still cringe every time my mother whips out my full name. “You’re both yelling so loudly your father can’t even enjoy the show he’s watching on the History channel. Now what in sweet blazes is the problem?”
Immediately, Sandra takes the offensive. “Mom, Kody’s treating me like I’m three. I’m almost a grown woman.”
Before I can formulate a reply, my mother demonstrates the no-nonsense approach that allowed her to raise seven relatively normal children. “Then stop provoking him. You know darn good and well he’s feeling overprotective of you these days with good reason, young lady.”
Sandra’s “Yes, Mom” is sullen but heartfelt. But before I can relax, my mother turns on me. Coloring the same as mine and Sandra’s, and hair a faded gray that illustrates what my own will look like in twenty more years frames one of the most beloved faces in the world. “And Kody, you should know better,” she scolds.
“Mom, the kid’s nineteen,” I growl, as much because she used my full name than anything else.
“He’s lovely. He’s Miss Dora’s great-nephew. I do believe you remember him, darling, as you helped him…”
I glare at my smug-faced sister over my mother’s shoulder. “… get an introduction to Nick?” After Nick retired from the Extreme MMA Championship about ten years ago, he began traveling all over the world recruiting new talent for the sport. “Shouldn’t Tatum”—my voice twists his name—“be getting his ass kicked or learning how to get out of a submission?”
“I’d like to submit him,” Sandra drawls. “That would be…”
“Enough!” my mother and I both shout simultaneously. I pinch the bridge of my nose before demanding, “Now, do you understand why I was yelling, Mom?”
She chuckles. “I wouldn’t worry too much, son. Despite what your sister is alluding—”
“Tormenting me with,” I finish her sentence.
She continues on as if I haven’t spoken. “—to, I doubt the cracked ribs and broken arm Tatum’s recovering from will permit him to be anything but the perfect gentleman. And if not, well, your father could probably take him in his current state,” she concludes.
Somewhat mollified, I still make a mental note to call Nick—and not just because my princess of a sister wants me to. “Okay. Fine.”
“Now that the two of you have ceased this useless bickering, Sandra, give me a moment to speak with your brother alone.” Before my sister can object, my mother tacks on sternly, “Now.”
With another flick of her long hair like she’s practicing for a shampoo commercial, Sandra calls, “Bye, Kody! Maybe Tatum’s lips will be healed by prom,” before she disappears from view.
“Was it your mission in life to have her to pay me back for sins I hadn’t committed yet?” I ask my mother when my sister is out of earshot.
“Darling, that’s just an added perk. How are you feeling?”
“Physically or mentally?”
“Well, judging by the fact you’re normally much swifter to pick up on any of your sister’s machinations, I’d say you’re exhausted, my sweet boy. Need an ear?”
So, I give my mom a rundown of my mental state of affairs: how the business is going, my continued anguish over missing Jed, and the frustration inside myself to do something more since I received his bequest to me. “It’s my name on the company, Mom. I should feel something more than frustration every time I walk onto a new job site,” I conclude. She hums, processing all of the information I dumped on her. Of the five of us who met and became brothers deep within our souls, Jed, Brad, and I had the most conventional upbringings. Though, I think not without a touch of amusement, having six sisters is not by any means normal.
“Maybe it’s time for you to grieve, Kody.” Mom’s voice tunes me back in. “You came back from Jed’s funeral last year and buried yourself into work.”
“I put all my focus in moving past the pain. Work was a focus for me to do that.”
“No, Kody. Work became your foundation to protect yourself against the heartache you weren’t ready to accept. The problem is foundations can only accept so much strain before they start to crack. You’re a smart boy; you know that.”
Putting my now empty cup aside, I run my fingers through my overlong hair. It’s been so long since I’ve done anything for just me, I can’t even remember the last time I had it cut. “You’re right,” I admit.
“Now, promise me you won’t let the force of these emotions explode on some poor soul while you sort yourself out, Kody,” she chides.
“What? I’m a nice guy, Mom.”
She laughs at me in the way only a mother can. “True, darling. But you’re a force of nature.”
“That doesn’t sound so bad.”
“Most days, it isn’t. You’re as warm and glowing as the sun. You’re like a calm breeze. But Lord help us all when the clouds start gathering.”
“Come on, Mom. I think you’re watching too many nature shows. Either that or Bewitched.”
Her eye appears full screen again. It rolls creepily. “Kody, I’m not saying you’re a witch, I’m saying your personality is very elemental. Most of the time, you’re all sunny days, but when your frustration ignites, it’s a thunderstorm, fast and furious to be sure.”
I start to scoff before I think back to that last night with Meadow—a regret I’ve paid long and hard for. Anytime I’ve seen her since, I’ve never had the chance to apologize for it. Damn, it’s not her fault I waited too long. “Mothers are always right, aren’t they?”
“Most of the time. Just remember that Sandra’s very much like you, and the rest of us are mere mortals who have to deal with the cleanup after your redhead tempers clash. Okay? You are supposed to be the adult here.”
Chastised appropriately, I nod in assent. “Yes, ma’am.”
“Keep saying that, Kody, and any woman you meet will think your mother did a fine job raising you.”
I laugh, and the sound comes out rusty. Following it, I can’t prevent the tear that slides down my cheek.
And being my mom, of course, she notices. “Why don’t you come home for a few days?”
I smile crookedly. “Can I time it to be there when Sandra goes to prom?”
She glances to the side before leaning so close to my sister’s phone all I can see is her nostril and half an eyeball. “If you do, I won’t tell your sister. It will be a very fitting punishment for her behavior tonight. Don’t you think?”
My shoulders shake as I acquiesce. “Send me the dates. I’ll come home for a few days no matter what I have going on.”
Mom pulls back so I can see the rest of her face. “Perfect. Now, are you going to call Nick?”
“Did you have a doubt?” I ask wryly.
“Wonderful.”
“Why?”
“Because your father would like you to ask a few questions about this Tatum boy, but he doesn’t want to irk your sister.” I get the nostril again as she leans forward to whisper, “I do say, Kody, I think your father’s a little scared of her. Why, after raising six of you before her, I don’t know.”
And I bark out a laugh before answering truthfully, “Probably because she has him wrapped around her finger.”
“True. She certainly was a surprise for all of us. Now�
��—Mom’s voice gets businesslike—“when you talk with Nick, your father would like to find out for certain his cast will still be on by the time of prom.”
My shoulders shake. “And if it won’t be?”
“Well, we know Nick’s a good boy.”
“I’ll be sure to tell him you said that.” I’m already imagining the lazy humor on my friend’s face when I tell him my mother’s comments. “Would you like for Nick to fight him to seal his fate?” I tease her.
“Dear me, no. But he is awfully handsome and does look a great deal like Jennings did…”
I just groan hearing that. My mother goes on. “But it would be cruel to hurt him.” She chews her lip. “Maybe a stern warning from Nick?”
“Maybe we’ll both come home for this thing,” I think aloud.
“Oh, that’s a brilliant solution, Kody,” my mother exclaims. “Let me get you the information and you can contact Nick. Now, is there anything else going on?”
Grabbing my mug, I make a new cup of coffee before heading over to the couch to settle in for a long-overdue talk with my mom. It isn’t until Sandra storms back in infuriated we finally stop talking which gives me an opportunity to call Nick.
He answers my FaceTime call half-naked and sweating. I don’t question whether he was working out or engaging in extracurricular activities. Before he can take my head off either way, I drawl, “Did you know your boy Tatum is taking my baby sister to her junior prom?”
His darkly handsome face flushes red. “The fuck he is! He’s supposed to be healing and recuperating.”
“Yeah, well, apparently he found another way to do that.”
“What the hell is the age of consent in your damn state?”
“Sixteen.” The night my baby sister became legal, making all the bozos who hit on her no longer eligible to be sentenced for crimes against juveniles, I got rip-roaring drunk and called Jed looking for someone to commiserate with. It was a week before he died. Since he was away on a vacation with his husband that precipitated the accident that led to his death, I know why I never heard from him after I left him a rambling, drunk voicemail detailing my agony.
I didn’t know what agony was.
I rub my hand over my chest again, feeling a different ache. Damnit, I know this one won’t go away with a few words from my mom. “Besides, she’s almost seventeen anyway.”
“Fuck us all,” Nick moans.
“That’s the point. I don’t want her doing that anyway. Especially with one of your fighters,” I point out.
“What do your parents think about this?”
“Well, Mom was asking if you thought the doctors might be able to keep him in his cast longer,” I begin before I’m cut off by something I so rarely hear—Nick roaring with laughter.
“I swear, Kody, I’d do just about anything for your mom,” he wheezes, giving me the perfect opening.
“Well, I’m glad to hear that because she asked if we wouldn’t mind making a trip to go see her.”
“Oh? When?”
“The night of prom.” I let that sink in for just a moment.
Much to my surprise, Nick’s smile widens even further. “Do you think Brad and Jennings are too busy to join us in the middle of nowhere, Iowa? We can rent tuxes and everything for the photos?”
Now, I’m the one howling with laughter. “It sounds like something Jed would cook up.”
“Yeah, which is exactly why I think we should do it. When is it?”
Right then, a text pops up. “In just under a month,” I tell him.
“Let’s do it. We’ll even spring for a limo to get them there. Wait, before we make any more plans, let’s get the guys on the line.”
Seeing the time, I groan. “Jennings is going to kill us. It’s almost eleven in Florida.”
Nick shrugs. “So what? Kara’s a mother. Think she doesn’t worry about this stuff? Hold on.”
A moment later, our call has all four of us on it. Jennings demands instantly, “What’s wrong? It’s a work night.”
“We need you, Jennings. One of my fighters is hitting on Kody’s sister,” Nick declares without preamble.
Jennings immediately says, “Hell to the no,” as Brad sucks in an enormous breath.
“Let me set the record straight.” I catch them all up, including our impromptu plan. “So, what do you think?”
Brad’s already yelling to his wife, “Honey, I’m flying to Iowa to keep one of Nick’s fighters from jumping Kody’s baby sister.” There’s a muffled question. “No, it works out perfectly with that in case I’m needed.” After a pause, he announces, “I’m in. I think we should all wear crazy-colored cummerbunds in honor of Jed.”
“God, that’s perfect. And Kara just confirmed it’s the week before Kevin’s prom, so I’m good to go,” Jennings confirms.
We spend the next hour laughing and plotting ways to alleviate the worry from my mother’s eyes. But I can’t help but flinch a bit every time Jed’s name comes up in conversation.
Meadow
“I think that’s all she’ll hold,” I tell Rainey as I slam the lid closed on my last suitcase. She sits on it while I zipper it shut. Together, we heave it off the bed, which is being sold with the house.
When I accepted the job being the day-to-day supervisor over several rental properties on Flathead Lake in Bigfork, Montana, I was relieved when they said I would be living rent-free on one of the larger properties in what used to be the guest house. “Since the owners decided to list it for rent, they appreciate having someone from the management company on-site to ensure nothing happens to the property,” my new boss, Russell Covington, confided. “Once you arrive, I think you’ll understand why.”
“Of course, Mr. Covington,” I replied, but inside I was dancing over being able to save the money from the sale of Mitch’s and my home for unforeseen emergencies.
“I have to say, I’m glad you’re not driving.” Rainey pulls me out of my thoughts. “I remember when Jennings and Kody used to make that trek back and forth each summer. It took them almost four days from Iowa, and that was only because Kody’s mother would beg them to stop and sleep.”
“I remember. They drove from Kody’s family home. But if it wasn’t for Jennings, there’s no way I could have afforded to have shipped all of this.” I wave my arm to encompass the boxes and bags piled up, ready to be loaded into one of the Northern Star Flights planes. “One good thing about giving them this time with all of you before they come down is getting all of this sorted and put away. Then the kids will have the time to personalize their rooms and spend the summer getting to know the area before school starts in the fall. Besides, I think I need this time for just me. When was the last time I had that?”
Rainey slings an arm around my shoulder. “Maybe when you were nineteen and you hadn’t started dating Mitch yet?”
“I have to let out of some of this anger, Rainey.”
“And you will,” she assures me. “But you need to remember you’re not alone in feeling it.”
I rest my head on her shoulder. “I’m going to miss you so much. And God, Rainey, I’m…”
“What?”
“I’m so scared I’m going to fail. I mean, now I have this degree in hospitality, but what do I really know about it? Slinging plates of food at people qualifies me to do what?” Hearing Mitch’s words come out of my mouth taints the clean happiness that followed Mr. Covington’s call two months ago telling me I had the job.
Rainey turns to face me. “You know more about managing than anyone I know. Between the work you did for Donna’s and then at Brad’s, you’re going to knock them dead.”
Doubt creeps in like it does every night before I go to sleep. “I know Brad is friendly with the owner because he and the rest of the Jacks rented one of the properties. Maybe it’s because of him—them—that I got the position.” I use the shorthand Maris and Kara taught Rainey and me when talking about Brad, Jennings, Nick, and Kody. And, tragically, it used to include Jed.
“It’s a variation of playing for higher stakes,” Maris explained breezily one night.
“I’m kinda pissed you two never told me that before now,” Rainey grumbled good-naturedly.
“You weren’t in the game. You’d already won your jackpot,” Kara informed her.
We’d all laughed, but it was the truth. Rainey and Brad have been together since high school.
Rainey startles me by mumbling something about kicking my ex’s ass. As much as I’m sure her anger might let her do some damage, I feel it prudent to remind her, “He’s a federal agent now, remember? I think beating the shit out of him—as much as I agree he deserves it—might land you in the clink for a while.”
“Damn. I don’t think I can live without Brad’s cock for that long.” We both laugh before she sobers. “All Brad did was make a phone call, Meadow. You know as well as I do that only puts your resume to the top of a pile. You’re still the one who went through the interview process, and that’s before you fought Mitch about your custody agreement.”
“It originally said we’d live no more than fifteen minutes apart,” I remind her.
“Which would have left you living in Idaho working at a job that may or may not have accommodated the fact you still have young children living at home. Now, your children will be essentially on-site with you.”
“True.”
“And you did this by pointing out the fact they’ll be in a wonderful school district and will finish growing up in a safer environment because they’re going to see their father a guaranteed once a month due to the nature of his new job.” Rainey turns to face me. Taking my hand, she gives it a hard squeeze. “I’m not surprised you may have nerves; I would too. But the woman who was able to swallow her pride and then find her strength will find this is the best thing that happened to her. You have a chance to start over and be happy.”
Return by Land (Glacier Adventure Series Book 2) Page 4
