Truth be told, that wasn't what I wanted. We'd agreed years ago that our life would be the way it's been, and it wasn't fair of me to throw it in Jake's face like that. He felt guilty when I vented my frustration about our life, and then I felt guilty for making him feel that way. "No." I shook my head. "I don't want you to switch jobs. I'm sorry. But my mother's intuition tells me this is a bigger deal than you think. Emily's never been this intense about a boy before. And contrary to what our children think, I was a teenager once— real live teenage girl, so I'm pretty sure I'm the expert here." I took another gulp of wine and sank back in the plastic chair. "Oh, that tastes good."
He nodded. "Can't argue with that. And I know most of the parenting falls on you. When we talked about having kids, I had no idea it would be like this. I'm sorry, honey." He chugged the last of his beer and grabbed another one from the cooler, popped it open, and swallowed half of it down.
I got up, swayed a little more than I expected, and sat on his lap. I snuggled my face into his neck, smelled his familiar, comforting scent. It smelled like home to me and if I could have, I wanted to stay nuzzled into him forever. "I'm the one who should be sorry, not you."
He kissed me with a forgiving passion that felt good and my stomach fluttered. After practically an eternity together—some days seemed even longer—he could still give me butterflies. I wanted to take it upstairs.
"So what do you think we should do?" he asked.
"More stuff like this," I said, and nibbled his earlobe.
A low groan escaped his mouth. "Yes, this will definitely save Emily's punanni."
I bit his ear a little harder.
"Ouch," he said, pulling away. "That hurt."
I smirked. "Mood-killer." I got up and sulked back to my chair. I topped off my Riesling and took a swig then leaned back in the chair. I sank into the nylon material and seemed to wrap itself around my body. I was instantly sleepy. "Oh," I said and sat up, energized. "How about we lock her in her room until she's forty?"
He laughed. "That works. Except we'd have to put bars on the windows and that'll be pricy."
"Silly Jake." I let the chair envelop me again. "Love can't be stopped by metal bars."
"But it can be by a Smith and Wesson."
"Then you'll be the one staring out between metal bars and that would suck." I hiccupped. "Oh, 'scuse me. I think I'm a little tipsy."
He tilted his head and smiled. "Maybe just a little."
"Your window is closing," I said, batting my eyelashes. "Maybe we should go upstairs and bump nasties before it shuts?" I hiccupped again. "Oh wow. That one hurt."
"I thought you'd never ask," he said.
We stood and gathered the empty beer cans and then Emily walked outside. "Hey Dad," she said, sulking and ignoring me.
"Hey honey. I hear you've had some fun lately," Jake said.
Cocky and confident from the Riesling, I rolled my eyes and dove in for the attack. "Yup, she sure did." I pointed at my daughter. "Oh, since you're gonna be banging your boyfriend soon, you're definitely going on the pill." I held up my wine glass and guzzled the last of my Riesling. It wasn't one of my finer parenting moments.
"Mom," Emily said, embarrassed.
"What? We already talked about you going to the twat doc anyway, so what's the big deal?"
Jake spit his beer and it splashed onto the fire pit. "Can we talk about this later, honey?"
"Why? I think now's the perfect time. Oh and Emily, we'll pay for the doctor appointments but since you're the one who’s gonna be using it, you get to pay for the prescription." A loud burp roared out of me, and I laughed. "'Scuse me."
"Fine. Whatever. I'm going to bed," Emily said, and got up and went inside.
I shrugged my shoulders. "That went well."
"Yup," Jake said, and took a big swig of beer. "That window close yet?"
I winked. "Hell no. Let's go."
He beat me to the door.
CHAPTER EIGHT
THE NEXT MORNING I WOKE UP HUNG OVER. "Ugh," I said, and then I rolled over and snuggled up next to Jake. "How much wine did I drink?"
"The whole bottle."
"My head's throbbing."
"So's mine, but not the one on my neck."
"Lovely."
He flipped over and kissed me. "I missed you while I was gone."
"I missed you, too."
"I was hoping for two-fer last night but after round one you were flat on your back and snoring."
"I don't snore."
"Uh, yeah, you do," he said, laughing.
"Nuh uh."
He grabbed his phone, swiped his fingers a few times, and then the phone grunted like a pig.
I cringed. "That's not me. It doesn't even sound anything like me."
He flipped the phone in my direction, and laughed. "See your face? Oh, and here comes my favorite part."
Just as my mouth opened, the phone snorted. Busted. Jake laughed so hard no sound came out. His head just bobbed up and down. I would have been mad but I'd videoed him snoring in the past. "Touché, but it's 'cause of the wine. It messes with my sinuses. What's your excuse?"
He laughed harder.
I pressed my temples with the palms of my hands. "Stop laughing. It's hurting my brain."
"Hair of the dog, babe."
I shook my head. "Never. Drinking. Again."
"It'll make you feel better."
"Stop. The thought of that makes me want to yack. I need grease. Oh! I need hash browns from McDonald's." I fluttered my eyelashes at him.
He nodded. "An Egg McMuffin does sound kind of good, actually."
I turned on my side and pulled the covers over my head. "You go and I'll keep the bed warm. I'll love you forever if you'll feed Gracie before you go."
He got out of bed. "I feel like you're pregnant again, and I'm rushing out to get you ice cream."
I scooted further under the covers. "Good Lord, Jake. Don't jinx me like that."
"With our luck we'd have another girl."
"I'd be institutionalized."
He laughed and walked into the bathroom. A few minutes later he'd fed the dog and left to get breakfast.
I scooted out from under my blankets, grabbed my phone off of the nightstand, and texted Mel. "Wine is evil."
"Wine is my friend."
"It's not mine."
"Have a little too much last night?"
"The whole bottle," I texted.
"Ouch."
"Yup."
"Nick came home pissed off last night."
"I know, you love my mom," I wrote.
"I do."
"What're you doing today?"
"Purging," she replied back.
"Please explain."
"Decluttering. Was up half of the night doing the kitchen and kids’ bathrooms. Doing their bedrooms now."
"Your house isn't cluttered."
"It feels like it. It's making me claustrophobic."
"That's not physical clutter doing that."
"I know, but it's the only clutter I can get rid of right now, so I gotta work with what I've got," she wrote.
I got that. "Need help?"
"No, thanks. The kids are helping whether they want to or not."
"Good idea."
"Are you still in bed?"
"Yup. Jake went to McDonald’s."
"The grease craving. I know that well."
"Jake said I should drink more wine but a Diet Coke sounds better."
"Hair of the dog. Best hangover cure ever," she replied back.
"Good grief. I'm not twenty. I can't even think about wine without wanting to throw up."
"I can. Probably it's because I'm still young."
"You're only a year younger than me," I wrote.
"The key word in that sentence being younger."
"Beyotch."
"Take a shower. You'll feel better. Gotta declutter."
"Later."
I considered the shower but nixed the idea because my bed w
as too comfy to leave. I heard Josh get up and called him into my room. "Hey Little Man. Sleep good?"
"Yup," he said, and lay down next to me. He grimaced. "Ew, your breath stinks." He fanned the air and pushed away from me.
I mimicked him. "Yours doesn't smell like roses either, dude."
"I haven't brushed my teeth yet."
"Neither have I."
"Well, you should because your breath is horrible," he said.
I rolled over and pushed myself out of bed. "Fine. If I have to, you have to, too."
"I will after I eat."
"Josh."
"Then I gotta brush them again and that's a waste of toothpaste."
"Okay," I said, and got back into bed. "Then I won't either. Dad's getting me McDonald’s and will be home soon anyway.” I breathed in his face again and he cringed.
"He's getting us McDonald’s?" he asked, backing away from me.
"No, he's getting me McDonald’s. You were sleeping."
"But I want something, too."
I handed him my cell phone. "Call him."
He called and asked for a sausage McMuffin and two hash browns and an orange juice.
Emily came into the room. I caught myself tense, and then quickly chastised myself for it. She was smiling. "You're in a good mood today," I said, knowing I was treading on thin ice.
She shrugged. "I guess I slept good."
I nodded. If she was in a good mood, I certainly didn't want to push it.
"Dad's getting breakfast," Josh said, handing her the phone.
She gave Jake her order. We all snuggled under the covers and chatted while waiting for Jake to return. It was one of those rare moments when everything seemed like a Norman Rockwell painting. Gracie, propped on her chair by the window, expelled a big breath.
"You wanna come up here, Gracie girl?" Josh asked.
"All she hears is blah, blah, blah, Gracie, you know," Emily said.
"So," he replied. "She's still smarter than you."
They sliced up my Norman Rockwell painting with a butcher knife. "How about we all pretend to get along for a change?" I asked. "It'll be something new and different."
They grunted.
"Should I make you hug?"
"Please don't, Mama. I don't wanna shower yet," Josh said.
"You're funny, loser," Emily said.
"Come on guys. Five minutes. Can I have five minutes of no bickering, please? Pretend it's Mother's Day or my birthday or something."
"We bicker then too, Mama," Josh said.
He had a point. I sighed and hid my head under the covers.
I heard the garage door open and peeked out of the top of the covers. Jake yelled, "Breakfast is served," and the kids took off running.
Gracie raised her head and her ears stood at attention.
"Crap," I said to her, "I wanted breakfast in bed."
She got up and went downstairs too.
"Traitor."
"Boo." Ma said.
I didn't budge.
"I gotta tell you something. Wow, you look like crap."
"Thanks, Ma. I'm hung over. Too much wine last night. Jake's got breakfast downstairs. Can we chat later?"
"Okay, but I gotta talk to you soon," Ma said. "It's important."
If I was smart, I would have stayed and listened to what she had to say.
***
Breakfast made me partially human, so I went upstairs and showered, hoping that would seal the deal. While I dressed, Mel sent a text, and Ma showed up as I read it.
"I didn't do it," she said. "Okay, I did it, but I didn't mean to do it."
I finished reading the text. "Nick was in an accident last night. Please tell me you're not talking about that."
"That's what I said. I did it, but I didn't mean to do it."
"Why didn't you tell me last night?"
"You were busy, you know...playin' hide the salami. I didn't think it was the right time."
I shook my head, and closed and locked my bedroom door. "Tell me what happened."
"All's I did was change his radio station. How was I to know he got distracted so easily?"
I sat on my bed, and put on my socks. "Tell me everything, Ma."
"Like I said, I was playing with his radio, you know—"
I cut her off. "I thought you said all you did was change the station?"
"Yah, well, that and I might a turned it up a little."
"Uh huh." I nodded. "Go on."
"So I found a Randy Travis song—you know how much I like Randy Travis—and maybe I turned it up a little more 'cause I was dancing a little. Line dancing, like I used to at that country music bar I used to go to back in the day. You remember? The one with the peanut shells on the floor? Ah Madone, I loved that place."
"I remember, Ma. You used to make me go with you. I hated that place."
"That's where I met Buddy, ya know."
After my parents divorced, my mother met Buddy. They fell in love and were engaged, but in a tragic turn of events and before they'd had a chance to marry, he died from a heart attack. Ma never dated anyone seriously after that. "Buddy was a great man, Ma."
"He still is," she said. "As a matter of fact we just went—"
I waved my hands. "Can we talk about Buddy later? I wanna know about the accident."
"Oh yah, I got distracted. Like I was saying, I was dancing to Randy Travis—Diggin' Up Bones—so he goes to turn it down, and I guess maybe the knob wouldn't move. He's trying to force it and all, and he went off the road, and hit the gas station sign over across from that Starbucks you always go to. You know, the BP?"
Good Lord. "Why didn't the knob move, Ma?" I knew what she was going to say, but wanted to make her say it.
"It was Randy Travis. You gotta play Randy Travis loud. And Nick? He's fine. Just a bump on his head 'cause he wasn't wearing his seatbelt. And it's the law, ya know, so that's not my fault. If he'd had it on, his head wouldn't have hit the steering wheel. Can't blame that one on me."
"Ma, you can't go around causing accidents. Nick could have been seriously hurt, and regardless of how angry Mel is right now, I know she doesn't want anything to happen to him."
"I wouldn't bet on that."
"He's the father of her children, Ma."
"I'm just sayin'."
"You have to be more careful, Ma. Please."
I texted Mel. "Talking to my mother about it. Get back to you soon."
"Have to drop the cheating rat bastard at the car rental place near Starbucks. Meet me there in an hour?" she asked.
"Okay," I wrote back.
I walked to the bathroom to throw on some make up, shaking my head the entire way.
"Ah Madone. It was an accident," Ma said, and then laughed. "You know what I mean. It was an accident yah, but it was an accident that the accident happened. I'll be more careful next time."
"Promise?" I asked.
"I promise," she said.
***
Jake and the kids were hanging out watching some tree house show when I came downstairs. I was happy to see them all together and not arguing. The kids definitely needed that bonding time with their dad, so I just said a quick goodbye and left. I wasn't even sure they heard me.
At Starbucks I ordered two mocha frappes and sat outside, waiting for Mel.
"Boo," Ma said.
"So not workin' anymore."
"Drats."
"You here to apologize to Mel?"
"Apologize for what? I didn't do nothing."
I rolled my eyes. Obviously my daughter got that annoying little habit from me.
"Ah Madone. He's fine. Just a little bump on his head is all."
"You could have seriously injured the father of her children, Ma. You need to at least acknowledge that."
"Uh, Ang?"
"I'm serious."
"Uh, Ang, there's another ghost here, and he's uh...he's naked, and juggling. And he's staring at you."
"Oh yay." I clapped my hands and squealed. "That
's the British guy. I love him."
"Well hello my lady." The naked, juggling man said in his British accent.
"How are you?" I asked.
"Gobsmacked, I am. I've been talking to you for months, but it would seem you didn't notice my presence."
"Gobsmacked?" I asked. I didn't understand.
"Ah yes, my apologies. I'm surprised you can hear me. I've been here many times and sat with you and that lovely Asian woman, but have been ignored."
I took a sip of my frappe. "Yeah, sorry about that, but I didn't see or hear you. In fact, I can't see you now but—"
Ma interrupted. "And that's too bad, too. He's a looker, I tell ya."
I shook my head. "I've had a little trouble with my gift lately, but it's working again, sort of."
A woman walked out of Starbucks, and looked at me funny, so I grabbed my phone off the table and pretended to talk. "Just took you off speaker because people think I'm talking to myself."
Embarrassed, the woman walked to her car.
"Geesh," I whined. "Totally forgot how stupid I look. I need to remember to use my ear buds."
"I like this man, he's my kind a spirit," Ma said.
"And you're quite dishy, yourself," the ghost said.
"Dishy?" Ma asked. "What's that?"
"It means lovely, my lady. You're quite lovely. I certainly admire a woman of your beauty."
I sensed a potential love connection, and pictured my mother running naked through the Starbucks parking lot, her big boobs bouncing as the man juggled his balls—not his balls but his balls. I shuddered at the thought. "Let's not go there."
Ma busted out laughing.
"Might you like to attend my next performance?" the ghost asked.
I pressed my palm to my forehead and pushed, hoping to make the pain stop.
"Ah, thanks for asking, but I can't. My daughter needs me right now, so I gotta stay."
"Right. Very well. I hope to see you again soon. And I'm glad you are able to talk to me again, young lady."
"Me, too," I said.
"Very well," he said. "Until we meet again."
"Now that's an attractive man," Ma said. "All of him."
I cringed. "Is he gone?"
"Yup. Left like a bat outta hell, bouncing all the way, too."
"Good Lord."
"Hey, he ain't wearing any clothes so he must be okay with showing his stuff. What's the harm in looking?"
"I just threw up a little in my mouth."
Unbreakable Bonds (An Angela Panther Mystery Book 2) Page 13
