by Parker, Lexy
“Really? How interesting,” my mother cooed.
“How is it interesting that Clay never bothers to leave his house to meet people?” Emmitt quipped.
“Clay is a busy man. He owns his own business and has managed to do it all on his own,” my mother replied.
I blinked, looked around the table to make sure it had been her voice that had said the words. She wasn’t exactly my biggest fan. In fact, I couldn’t remember ever hearing her talk like that about me. It was strange, but good.
“I had heard of his delivery service, but my work has only recently started using them,” Dani replied. “He’s very good at what he does.”
Emmitt made a choking sound. I shot him a glare.
“Thank you,” I said to Dani, earning a warm smile.
“You’re a vet?” Emmitt asked with a slight hint of disgust.
Dani turned to look at him on her right. “I’m a vet’s helper. I don’t have the fancy degree.”
“You’re an assistant?” Emmitt asked in a haughty tone.
My mother jumped in. “I bet that is an exciting job. I love animals.”
“It is a very fun job. I love animals as well and I love being able to help them when they are hurt and scared,” Dani said, completely ignoring Emmitt.
“She’s thinking about going back to school and becoming a vet,” I chimed in.
“Really?” my mother exclaimed. “Now, that is something to look forward to. I always said I was going to go back to school after the boys were old enough. I never did and I have regretted it to this day.”
“Go to school for what? What would you want to study, Baking 101?” Emmitt scoffed.
I gripped my fork so tight in my hand I nearly bent the stainless steel. I hated the way he spoke to her.
“I suppose you went to college right out of high school?” Dani asked, barely looking at him.
Emmitt puffed up. “Yes, I did. I finished my bachelor’s degree early and got right to work.”
“You should be thankful your parents made that possible. I bet your mother would have appreciated the same opportunity. I find it admirable that a person is willing to sacrifice their own wants and wishes so others can get what they want. I mean, Clay served in the marines instead of going to college, that’s very admirable. Your mother raised you and groomed you to go to college and get that degree,” Dani said, taking a bite of her dinner.
Emmitt’s face turned red as a tomato. “My mother had no ambition.”
I looked at my mom, saw her shoulders droop with the insult. I opened my mouth to defend her, but Dani beat me to it.
“Your mother’s ambition was to raise a family. You look like you’ve been fed, watered and cared for. I guess that proves she is successful,” Dani quipped.
I bit back a laugh, watching Emmitt grow angrier. Dani was not afraid to go toe to toe with him. The way she did it was better than anything I could have said or done. She was putting him in his place without batting an eye.
“My family has always been important to me,” my mother said, looking toward the end of the table where my father was sitting, listening to the conversation.
“Your mother did her job and she did it well as far as I’m concerned,” he grumbled finally. “Raising you two boys wasn’t easy. All your bickering was a lot to deal with. You’re lucky she kept me from taking my belt to the both of you.”
Emmitt rolled his eyes. “I’m so glad you stepped in and helped her out,” he snapped.
I had hoped that would be the moment my father slapped his hand on the table and unleashed thirty-something years of anger at Emmitt’s behavior. He didn’t. He looked at Emmitt and quietly went back to eating his dinner.
“Thank you for an excellent dinner, Mom. We should be going,” I said, ready to leave.
I’d had about as much of Emmitt as I could take. He was ruining what should have been a delicious meal. It was not settling well. I wanted to get Dani out of the house before he could say anything else.
“I’m going to help clean up,” Dani said.
I looked at her, then my mother, who was beaming. “Thank you. I would really appreciate that.”
I wasn’t going to get her out of there. She wasn’t the kind of woman who listened to anyone. I was stuck. My only option was to get Emmitt away from her. I rose from the table, taking my plate into the kitchen. Dani followed behind me.
“We can go,” I whispered.
“I’m going to help her clean up. It isn’t right she had to cook the meal and then clean up after everyone. It won’t take long,” she said in a low voice.
My mother came into the kitchen carrying more dishes.
“I’ll clear the table, Mom,” I said.
“Thank you. Your father and brother have gone into the living room. I can take care of the table if you want to visit with them for a bit,” she said.
I shook my head. “Nope. I’ll do it.”
The last thing I wanted to do was sit in the living room with the two of them. Besides, Dani’s comment had left me feeling a little guilty. My mom went to a lot of effort to prepare delicious meals for us and then spent another hour cleaning up the kitchen and doing the dishes. I realized I wasn’t completely innocent when it came to the way I treated my mother. She did do a lot for me, even if she didn’t sing my praises all the time.
In that moment, I decided I was going to be a better son. I was going to ignore all the bullshit with Emmitt and focus on helping her out and making her feel better about herself. Watching her at dinner, I’d realized she didn’t feel great about herself. I was going to change that. I would beat the shit out of Emmitt if he continued to put her down and insult her. She was our mother and he was going to damn well learn to have some respect for her. I wanted her to stand up for herself, but I didn’t think that would happen anytime soon. In the meantime, I would do it for her.
Chapter 28
Dani
I liked his mom. She was sweet and kind, the same two words I used to describe Clay. He was more like her than I bet he thought he was. She was a good woman and I was beginning to understand the family dynamic a bit better. I understood why Clay was angry with his brother. Emmitt was a real piece of work. He didn’t bother me, but I was somewhat impervious to men like him.
“You have a beautiful home,” I told her.
“Thank you. It isn’t much, but I like it.”
Her comment made me believe Emmitt wasn’t impressed with the modest family home. “I think it is a lot. I love how warm and inviting it is and your kitchen is wonderful.”
“Do you cook a lot?” she asked.
“No. I should, but it’s just me and it’s a little hard to get excited about cooking a meal for myself,” I confessed.
“I see. I know who you are,” she said in a quiet voice.
I cringed. A lot of people did, especially after the Memorial Day ceremony. “Does that bother you?” I asked her, not one to beat around the bush.
I could see she was protective of both of her sons, whether Clay realized it or not. I could understand if she was apprehensive about her son getting involved with a widow.
“It doesn’t bother me in the slightest. You are the first woman Clay has ever brought home. That tells me you must be pretty special. I’m happy for him and I am very proud that you find my boy worthy of spending time with. You seem like a very nice girl and I have always admired your quiet strength from afar,” she said, rinsing dishes to put into the dishwasher.
“Thank you. I appreciate that. He’s a good guy and I can see he gets a lot of his kindness from you,” I told her.
She blushed a little, swatting her hand. “He’s the man he is because of him. The marines were the best thing for him. It taught him discipline and gave him something to be proud of. I know he was so disappointed when he had to come home. I think he would have made a career out of it given the chance.”
“He had to come home?” I asked, interested in the story behind that.
She sighed.
“He was injured over there. Nothing big, but it was enough that he wasn’t able to stay in. He came home and started his business almost immediately. He’s always been so driven. He has so much energy, he makes me tired.”
I laughed. “He always seems so laid-back to me.”
“He’s the kind of guy that is the quiet one in the room, but that’s because he’s listening and observing. He’s the guy that’s going to find the one person in the room who needs some attention. Clay has always been what I like to think of as an empath. He feels everything. He is everyone’s champion. I know he wants to be my champion, but I’m his mother. He shouldn’t be championing me, I should be the one encouraging him,” she said, her voice filled with regret.
I put my hand on her shoulder. “Clay loves you. He needs to be your champion.”
“I hope he can be yours. He’s a really special man and I know he’s been waiting all these years to find the right woman. His brother gives him a hard time about his lack of dating, but it’s because Clay is careful and very selective. The fact he brought you here tonight says a lot,” she said with a bright grin.
I laughed. “To be honest, I didn’t give him the choice. We went fishing this morning and he told me he was coming here for dinner. I kind of invited myself. I really hope I didn’t impose.”
She giggled, shaking her head. “I don’t mind at all. I think you are the type of woman he needs in his life. Someone to give him a good shake.”
I winked. “I’m very good at telling people what to do.”
“I hope you’ll stick around. I think you could be very good for him and he would be good for you,” she said, closing the dishwasher.
With the cleanup done, I figured it was time to let Clay off the hook. I was hoping he and his brother could use the time alone to talk. I walked into the living room to find all three men staring at the TV. They weren’t talking. Hell, it didn’t even look like they realized there were other people in the room. I scowled at Clay. He looked at me with confusion.
“Are you ready to go?” he asked, jumping to his feet.
I nodded. “I think so. Did you want to say goodbye to your brother?”
Clay looked at me, shaking his head. I looked over at Emmitt, who had a smirk on his face. I wasn’t sure if more had been said, but it was pretty clear neither of them wanted to speak to one another. The tension in the room was palpable. I didn’t understand how their father could sit back and pretend it didn’t exist. I assumed it had to be his way of coping. Unhealthy, but it worked for him.
“I’m ready,” he said firmly.
“It was nice to meet you all. Thank you for an awesome dinner,” I said, smiling at the family.
Emmitt’s gaze was lecherous and made my skin crawl, but I refused to let him see a reaction. Clay put his hand on the small of my back and steered me out the door. He said nothing as we walked down the path. He opened the truck door for me, closing it behind me before getting into the driver’s seat. Part of me said to keep my mouth shut. The other part of me was not willing to let things go so easily.
“I’m sorry,” he blurted out once the door was closed.
“Sorry for what?” I asked with confusion.
“For my brother and for putting you in the middle of an awkward family dinner.”
“Clay, it wasn’t bad. I really like your mom. I had a nice time and your mom is a great cook,” I assured him.
“You really didn’t have to clean up,” he said, starting the truck.
“I wanted to. Besides, it gave me a chance to talk to your mom a bit. She couldn’t stop talking about you,” I told him.
He looked at me with a shocked expression. “Really? About what?”
I shrugged. “I don’t know, everything. She’s really proud of you for all that you have accomplished. Your business, your service in the marines, all of it.”
“Wow. I had no idea,” he muttered.
“She also told me I was the first girl you ever brought home,” I said with a laugh.
He looked a little embarrassed under the glow of the streetlight as we stopped at a light. “You are.”
“Really? That seems odd. You’re not exactly an ogre. Why haven’t you ever brought home a girl before now?” I asked.
He shrugged a shoulder. “I’ve never met anyone that I felt was worth the trouble. It’s easier keeping my private life separate. I don’t like a lot of fuss and drama. I didn’t want to have my mom meet a girl and not like her or meet a girl and like her and then we ended up breaking up. It would only give her more things to lecture me about.”
“I don’t think your mom is a big lecturer. At least, that’s not the vibe I got. I think she cares a great deal for both of you.”
“Maybe, but I didn’t want a crazy ex dragging my mom or any of my family into our drama.”
I thought about it for a second. “I hope I didn’t force you to do something you were truly uncomfortable with.”
“What do you mean?”
“I kind of pushed myself into your family dinner. If I made you uncomfortable, I’m sorry. I didn’t realize it was such sacred ground. I wouldn’t have been so insistent had I known,” I told him.
“Don’t be sorry. I’m glad you came with me tonight. It was nice. I didn’t mind you meeting them at all. Well, I would have preferred you not have to have met Emmitt, but he is part of the family and if anyone is going to make you run in the opposite direction, it’s him,” he grumbled.
His brother didn’t make a great first impression, but I felt like I owed him the benefit of the doubt. Maybe the loss of his job had made him extra surly. I wanted to know for sure before I decided I hated him as much as Clay seemed to.
“Did you get a chance to talk to Emmitt about his job?” I asked casually.
His head whipped around, staring at me. “No! God no! Why would I do that?”
I rolled my eyes. “Because he’s your brother and he might be struggling right now.”
“No way. He isn’t struggling. If he’s struggling, it’s because he made the struggles. He can fix it himself. There’s nothing I can say to help him. Nothing I can do either, not that I would want to,” he snapped.
I didn’t respond right away. I was trying to figure out what it meant to me. I couldn’t make it about me, but it seemed like a big part of his life and that bothered me. I sighed, staring out the window while he drove back to his house. I liked him. I really liked him, and I wanted to explore a relationship with him, but I didn’t want to waste time. I didn’t want to go through all the hassle of getting to know him, only to come back to this one thing that bothered me. I didn’t want weird family dinners and holidays filled with animosity. I didn’t have a family, which meant his family would be our go-to for the holidays. I didn’t want to become one of those couples who lied to get out of going to family gatherings because the brother was going to be there.
That’s when reality slapped me in the face. What the hell was I thinking? I was already planning a life with him, thinking of his family as my in-laws and we had gone on two dates. I mentally shook my head, slowing things down and moving back to square one. I had a tendency to jump ahead, but that was a huge leap.
When he parked his truck in the driveway, neither of us made a move to get out. There was a tension between us and it had nothing to do with sexual attraction.
“Clay, I think we need to talk,” I finally said.
He let out a long sigh. “I get it. We don’t need to have the talk.”
“Yes, I think we do. I don’t like leaving things unsaid. We don’t know what tomorrow holds,” I told him, a lesson I had learned the hard way.
“Fine, just say it,” he grumbled.
“I have some things I want to get out in the open if we’re going to try and make this thing between us into a real relationship. If you don’t want a relationship, I understand and we can skip the talk,” I told him, giving him an easy out.
He turned to look at me, his eyes full of hope. “A relationship? Y
ou want to talk about a relationship with me?” he asked as if it was the craziest idea ever.
“Yes. Unless you don’t want to, that’s cool, don’t feel obligated. We had good sex a couple of times, nothing more, but I can assure you I’m not a booty call and I don’t do the friends with benefits thing. If this isn’t going anywhere, then I’m out,” I told him firmly.
His head was bobbing up and down. “Yes. I want it to go somewhere. Do you want to talk now?”
I shrugged a shoulder. It wasn’t like I had any plans. “Yes, please.”
Chapter 29
Clay
I grabbed two beers from the fridge and carried them into the living room. I wasn’t sure what kind of conversation Dani had in mind, but beer felt like it could be very much needed to help me digest all she was about to say. I knew I shouldn’t have taken her to meet my family. I had warned her. She didn’t believe me and now, she was probably going to deliver some ultimatum. I liked her a lot and could see us having a future together, but I couldn’t ditch my family, no matter how crazy they drove me.
“What’s on your mind?” I asked her, sitting at one end of the couch while she sat on the other.
I wanted there to be plenty of room between us. I didn’t want to blur the lines and end up having sex instead of the important conversation she was angling to have.
“I want to talk about Emmitt,” she started.
I leaned back and groaned. “I told you not to pay any attention to him. He’s an asshole.”
“That’s not what I want to talk about. I want you to talk to him. I feel like you’re not being true to yourself. You’re a good man who cares a lot about the people he loves and the way you are treating Emmitt seems out of character for you.”
“Why does it bother you?” I asked, a little angrily.
“Because I like you and I do think we could have a meaningful relationship, but I think this thing with your brother might end up biting you in the ass. I don’t want that to happen and I certainly don’t want to have more family dinners like we had tonight. I love your mom, but the tension between you and Emmitt was no joke,” she said.
