“Yeah,” Reese said and looked to the skyline of New York. “Plus, I need to finish moving in, unpacking, if you were serious about letting me stay with you, and then we need to decide what kind of upgrades we need to do.”
Reese had just moved back from Vegas and was staying with me, we had been best friends for ages, and instead of him wasting money on buying a new house, or paying rent for a year, I offered him a place to stay. We had already had a payment arrangement because the ass wouldn’t even stay while his mom was in the hospital without paying, so it could stay the same as he moved in permanently, then we’d both save and have more cash to improve the house. He was gonna help me renovate the house I had bought, because it was huge. And thankfully cheap, which meant I had a lot of extra money to fix things up.
“Well, let’s go look to see what we need to get ready. Zoey may not know it yet, but she is gonna be put on notice.”
See, we were both cut from the same cloth, the woman wasn’t going to have a chance in hell getting away from us.
Chapter Five
Zoey
“Okay, Ms. Marshall, just lay back and relax. Everything seems to be alright, it is only a precaution that Dr. Graham wants to keep you overnight.” The nurse talked while she looked at the chart in her hands. The doctor had already informed me that in my condition, fainting could be the result of several things, they wanted to make sure something wasn’t causing it, other than me not eating and taking care of myself like I should be doing. “Your brother is in the hall, I will send him in,” she said as she walked out. Awesome, couldn’t wait.
“What the hell, Zoe? Seriously, you’ve been here for a couple months and you couldn’t find the time to tell me?” Ranger walked in and immediately started with his questions. I knew he was worried about me but it still rankled because I wasn’t a child or the little sister he left in Arizona and moved across the country from.
“I didn’t know how to tell you. You and Rucker have been through a lot in the last year, you lost your wife and he lost his mother. I moved here to help you and him, not have you take care of me.” He looked so distraught as he stood there and ran his hand over his head, settling it on his neck and rubbing. I knew Ranger was tired, he worked long hard hours and now he had to spend his one day off in two weeks at the hospital with me instead of home with his son.
“Sis, come on, I love having you here with me and it is my job as your older brother to take care of you whether you think you need it or not. We are all going to be fine, you, me, and Rucker. We’re the only family each other have.” He moved to the side of my bed and leaned down and hugged me. The gesture had tears pooling in my eyes.
“Is Mrs. Honeychil watching Rucker?”
“Yes, and don’t try to deflect what we were talking about.” Well, it would seem the cop had surfaced and took over my brother’s body by the raised eyebrows and facial expression that said “Spill.”
“Fine, what do you want to know that you hadn’t already browbeaten out of me downstairs in the ER?” Ranger had entered shortly after the ambulance had arrived at the hospital. I’d been in a room in the back but it hadn’t stopped me from hearing him demanding answers out front. That went on throughout my exam with the doctor, whom was giving me the pity look, the one that said I feel your pain. Doubtful. Then no sooner than the exam was done, Ranger came barreling into the room with a nurse on his heels. Her yelling for him to stop that he couldn’t come back here. And him yelling back that yes, when it concerned his family he could most certainly. Then he told her if that wasn’t enough, this should be, shoving his badge in her face.
“Yeah, who’s the asshole that knocked you up?” Just as he finished his question the lady stepped fully into the room.
“Oh my.” And sue me for wanting to laugh at my brother’s embarrassment when he turned and saw the older woman standing there. Priceless, and it gave me the extra time on not having to answer that particular question.
“Sorry, ma’am. Can we help you?” I watched as Ranger pulled himself together.
“I’m Madeline Macaroy, Velma asked me to check on y’all, she was worried.” The woman moved to the other side of my bed and sat down. “Hope you don’t mind, a little tired.
“No, not at all. Mrs. Honeychil sent you?” I wasn’t used to people actually being concerned about me, and from the look on Ranger’s face, he wasn’t either.
“Yes, I’d been at my therapy appointment and my therapist had just finished saying “My words, woman, I swear you are a miracle” when my phone rang and I answered, it was Mrs. Honeychil. Which I have to say caught me off guard, so of course I had to ask her what was wrong. I had met the woman years ago when I moved here, heck, she had been living here as long as most of us.
“Anyways she told me, her words, “My Zoey was taken there to the emergency room tonight. I was wondering if you were by chance there? Someone told me you may be doing your therapy, that you had taken to the late evening since it was less crowded?” This is why I love this place, you young folks think everyone is nosy and all up in your business but that isn’t the case. Everyone around here looks after one another and helps when they can.
“So I told Velma I was finished with my therapy and would check in before my ride came. Got me out of that room, the youngster handling my therapy is a sadist. I only get a smidgeon winded, which I think is great since I was shot twice by some hooligans who think they are all gansta.” The woman rolled her eyes to the ceiling but she wasn’t done yet. I looked up at Ranger and he shrugged his shoulders and was wearing a smirk. I know I had a smile on my face listening to her. The woman was something.
“And I have to say, I am so sorry about your folks and Ranger, right?” She looked at my brother and he nodded his head. “Well, bless your heart, losing your wife and having to raise a young son. Just breaks my heart. So don’t be mad at Velma for calling me. That is what we do here. Lost my own husband and raised two young ones on my own too. They’re all grown up now. And they turned out pretty good I think, ‘cause Brooklyn just got with her childhood crushes. She loved those boys all her life and she is finally getting her happy ever after.”
“Umm, excuse me, did you say two?” That would be the only part of what the woman said that Ranger would pick up on. Another reason I didn’t want to have the talk with him about my current condition.
“Oh yeah, she is living the dream of most women. She is in one of those ménages, and it works for her. I couldn’t be happier. Those men treat her like she is a queen.”
“Madeline Macaroy? You are Ms. Maddie who runs the Southside Haven?” It finally hit me, she was well known around the office. They were always talking about all the good she did in the area.
“Why yes, you’ve heard of me?”
“Yes, ma’am, I work for DSS. Your name is always being brought up around the office.”
“Well, I hope it’s all good.” She grinned at us.
“It is.” I smiled back.
“Ms. Maddie, I don’t think anyone around here hasn’t heard about you. I’m Detective Ranger Marshall from NYPD’s anti-gang unit, I’ve heard a lot about what you do at Southside Haven. It’s an honor to meet you in person, ma’am.” Ranger walked around my bed and shook Ms. Maddie’s hand. Goes to show what a small world it could be.
“Well isn’t that nice. I do my best for the community here. Though the doctor tells me I can’t go back for a couple months. We’ll see about that. I’m not one to sit around all day doing nothing.” Oh this woman was a handful as she looked at me and winked. Her cellphone rang and she reached for the bag she’d sat on the floor.
“Excuse me while I answer this,” she said, holding up her phone.
“Please, go right ahead.” I looked at Ranger and he was smiling. We were quiet while she spoke to whoever called.
“Yes, I am ready. I will meet you out front,” she paused as she listened to the other person, “No, I wasn’t out there. I was visiting with a nice girl and her brother for Mrs. Honeychil
,” she paused again and rolled her eyes at Ranger and me. We both chuckled. “I’m fine, see you in a few.” She disconnected the call and dropped the phone back in her purse and stood.
“Got to get going, my son is picking me up. I tell ya, having him close again is lovely but the boy is a worrier. Took the man of the house seriously when his dad died. I wish my son would find a nice girl like you, Zoey, and settle down. But the woman who takes him on better be a strong one,” she chuckled, “‘cause when that boy finally makes up his mind and finds the right woman, well, let’s just say, she better hold on for dear life, because Reese won’t take no as an answer.” I felt the blood drain out of my face at the name. No way, it couldn’t be the same man she was talking about?
“Oh, hon, you feeling okay? You look a little pale.”
“Yeah, I will be fine.” What else could I say. Well, there was a lot but no way was I voicing it.
“Take care of yourself and that baby. Nothing more precious than when you bring a child into this world. And I know it is none of my business but I overheard the question Ranger asked you. Figure if you aren’t telling the baby daddy’s name, then he isn’t interested in you being pregnant. So, the hell with him. He can’t be all that great of a man. One of those just looking to get his stick wet. Not an ounce of responsibility in his veins. Man needs his butt whooped.”
“I agree,” Ranger chuckled and looked at me. Super, back on his radar.
“Take care, kids. I’m sure I will run into you again.”
“Nice to meet you, Ms. Maddie,” Ranger said as she walked toward the door and out of my room.
I held my hand up to Ranger just as his mouth opened to speak, “I’m tired, can we go over this later? I promise to tell you everything,” I said and closed my eyes, every ounce of energy I had suddenly drained out of my system.
“Yeah, you will, so rest up, sis,” Ranger’s voice the last thing I heard as I drifted off.
Reese
“Mike, can I borrow your truck?” I yelled as I walked in the living room while I stuffed my phone in my pocket.
“Anytime,” he tossed the keys to me, “what’s up?”
“Brook was supposed to pick Mom up after her therapy but she got sidetracked and didn’t realize what time it had gotten to be. Don’t say whatever you are thinking. I can see it in your eyes. I told her I would. Called Mom, she’s ready. The woman was visiting with some girl and her brother.” Mom was still healing from her own injuries but she somehow always found those who needed help. God only knew what she was getting into now.
“I’ll go too.” Mike stood and followed me out to the truck.
The drive only took about fifteen minutes and when we pulled to the front of the hospital, Mom walked out the front doors. I stopped the truck and Mike jumped out to hold the door open for the back and help her in.
“Thank you boys for picking me up. I will be glad when I can drive myself around.” It was hard on her to depend on others, especially when it was she who always did for them. When I looked in the rearview mirror she had laid her head back on the rest and all I could think was I could have lost her not too long ago. Another reason to be making this move back, more time to spend not only with my best friend but her.
“How did therapy go?” I knew she went in the late evening so it wasn’t busy. And since everyone knew the woman, they would accommodate her.
Never opening her eyes, she responded, “That youngster is going to do to me what that little thug couldn’t do—kill me. Treadmill, stretches, and all sort of motions to keep my heart going so I don’t stiffen up while my chest is still on the mend. To answer your question, it is torture with a capital ‘T’. If I wanted to exercise, I would join Fin’s gym.” She huffed and Mike chuckled.
“Ms. Maddie, you know Fin would love for you go to his gym.” Fin would kill Mike if he knew he was encouraging my mom to go to his gym. It may be more inclined to MMA but they did have a huge room with the standard gym equipment in it. I’d seen Mia and Brook both in there working out.
“That might not be such a bad idea, maybe Olivia and Sonia would want to come with me?” I looked over at Mike and as he turned toward me, I realized he hadn’t thought the earlier comment through. If my mom started coming around the gym, which did connect to his tattoo shop, his mother would probably be there too, along with Tony’s mom, Sonia. So I smirked at him and he glared back. I could be a good friend when I wanted to be, changing the subject and putting my mother on another path.
“So, you said you were visiting with a girl and her brother at the hospital?” I saw her eyes open as I watched her through the rearview mirror. Yeah, gym crisis avoided and new subject rant on the way.
“Don’t get me started. I went to check on the girl for Mrs. Honeychil, she called me. My heart broke for those kids. They’ve lost a lot over the last year. The brother is a widower raising a child on his own and the girl is pregnant and evidently what I can surmise, the sperm donor doesn’t have the balls to step up.” Christ, will I never learn, it didn’t matter what you asked, my mom could find more information on a person in five minutes of talking than Tony could find out with a background check.
“Really, Mom? Sperm donor.” Mike sat in the passenger seat chuckling away. Bastard.
“Yes, when I walked in the brother was asking the poor girl for the name of who knocked her up. I told her to hell with him, a man might get a woman pregnant, but it takes a real man to stand by you and be a father to his child.” Mom sat up when we pulled up to her house. She’d just moved back into it a couple days ago after spending time with Mike’s parents while she’d needed a little extra help moving around on her own.
Mike and I both got out of the truck. I went around and held the door open, helping Mom out while Mike had taken the keys she’d handed to him to unlock the front door. We got her settled and were heading back out the door when I stopped, turned, and asked her a question that had been on my mind for years.
“Mom, how come you stayed single after Dad died? You were so young and sacrificed so much to raise Brooklyn and I.” She waved Mike and I back in and we sat down in her living room.
“I’ll go in the kitchen while you and your mom talk about this privately.” Mike stood to leave the room.
“No, Michael, sit. You can hear, you have always been like a second son to me.” Mike sat back down and he and I waited while she seemed to gather her thoughts.
“Ronald was a wonderful husband and a great father to you and Brooklyn. We met in college and married right after we graduated. Young and in love and we never lost that love in the short amount of years we were together. Our love grew every day and after you and then Brooklyn came along, the bond between us was so strong that some days I wondered how we’d survive it,” she paused looking to his picture that sat on the table beside her, picking it up and running her fingertips over the glass, “The day he died, well, a part of me died.” She placed the picture back on the table and looked at me.
“You and Brooklyn are what kept me going. I see parts of him in each of you. Reese, you look the most like him. Anyway, to answer your question, once you find the other part of you and the love you share with them is all consuming, there is no other that can match that or even come close. That is what I shared with your dad, an intense love and, boys, after you’ve experienced that type of love, you can’t settle for anything less once it’s gone. And that’s why I have never remarried.” I loved my mother more in that moment than I thought possible. She wiped at her eyes when I sat down beside her and hugged her.
“You could have still found someone else to love, it may have not been as strong of a love like you shared with Dad but a different love for someone else.” Not that I wanted my mother to run out and marry some man.
“Reese, now why would I marry someone else and never be able to give them my whole heart? That wouldn’t be fair to them, would it?” Yeah, she had a point, not that I was going to comment on it.
“Don’t you get lonely, M
s. Maddie?” Mike asked and she smiled at him.
“Not one bit. How could I be lonely? Besides my kids, I have an entire community of people to share my time with. And if my kids would get busy, I might have some grandbabies.” She chuckled at mine and Mike’s groan. Our moms were relentless about the grandbabies. When they finally got one, whoever the parents were I felt sorry for them already.
“You know you are the best, Mom. I hope one day to find a love like you and Dad shared.” I stood and so did Mike. Mom looked tired and she needed to get rest. “We’re going to head out and let you get some rest.” I kissed her cheek and Mike did too.
When we reached the door she was behind us to lock up. As we stepped out on the porch, she began to close the door but paused, “You’ll find it, Reese, so will you, Michael. And when you do, she will fit both of you like no other. Goodnight, boys.” The door shut and we heard the locks click. It took us a second to move before we started toward the truck. Neither one of us said a word until we were inside the vehicle.
“Seriously, man, I don’t think we give our moms enough credit.” Mike looked at me, smiled and shook his head.
“She placed us in a ménage and never blinked her eyes when she said it. I know Brooklyn’s was accepted without fuss, but I never expected her to think you and I would share a wife when the time came.” I was blown away by what she picked up on without being told. No wonder the woman was so damn good at her job.
Pierced and Inked (KO Ink Book 2) Page 4
