Page 10 of Shielded

Technically, she does own the place. It was a family lake house that she won in the divorce. I’m only staying here while I’m home from college on break.

I glance toward Perry with fear in my eyes. This must be where his hostage negotiation comes into play because his entire demeanor shifts on a dime. His hand lands on my lower back and his gaze is calm and soothing as he looks down at me. “We’ll figure this out. It’s okay.”

I always thought I could reassure myself, and that would be enough. Turns out, I was wrong. Hearing those words from a big, strong, monster of a man is a lot more soothing than that. Maybe it’s just external validation. Yeah, that’s probably what it is.

I don’t want to get too attached to him. The spanking thing was a lapse in judgment on both our parts. A moment in time. A tiny, little, minuscule fraction of my life. It didn’t mean anything.

Still though, I can’t get it off my mind.

Inside, my mother has kicked off her shoes and helped herself to a cup of tea that she’s poured into our nicest cups. The ones with the porcelain tea plates and the pretty floral design that Grandma left for us. They’ve been sitting there for eons because I was always told not to use them. I wonder for a second if drinking from them makes her feel closer to her mom, but then I realize my mother has never been that deep about anything. It was probably the first cup she saw.

“So,” Mom lowers herself into the dining room chair, “he’s a lot older than you.” She glances toward Perry. “You’re a lot older than her. I’d wager to say that you are nearly the same age as me.”

“Jesus, Mom!” I gasp, blowing out a heavy breath of stress. “What’s wrong with you?”

She leans in. “Honey, I’ve never met this man before. I’m trying to figure out what he’d want with a twenty something. Then again, maybe that’s all men want. A young tart that they can play around with.”

Now I’m a tart… whatever that means.

Perry’s hand grazes mine in comfort as he looks toward my mother. “You are correct, ma’am, there’s a considerable gap in our age.” He glances toward me, sending another shock to my uterus. One that screams for all his babies like a simpleton. “However, I’ve noticed that our age difference has been beneficial to both our growth.”

“How?” My mother’s tone is dark as she sips her tea.

“Well, Siren needs reigning in, and I need to learn how to let loose. We compliment each other like that.”

“That’s a personality thing, not an age thing,” my mother retorts. She’s always been brutally honest. She claims it’s an asset to her personality. So far, one husband and an ex-fiancé say differently.

That’s mean. I shouldn’t think things like that… but it’s true.

Perry laughs. His tone is deep, and I swear, every time the man talks, I get hard. I’m so glad I don’t have a dick. How do men do it? I’d have had a boner half the night. “As you know, with age comes internal peace.” He glances toward me. “I believe Siren finds it grounding.” His gaze turns back to Mom. “You seem like you’re looking for that right now yourself.”

Nice. Good hostage negotiating. Turn it back on her. I’m impressed.

My mother sighs. “I don’t need to burden you with my problems.”

“We want to know. I mean, you’ve just called off your wedding. Whatever is going on must be big.” He sounds so genuine when he talks. I remind myself that this is part of the act.

It’s not real. It’s good that this isn’t real. I didn’t want this in my life. I don’t need a man. I don’t need someone telling me when to change my clothes. I don’t need hard spankings.

My mother raises her cup to her lips and sips the steaming tea before setting the cup down again. “Enrique is cheating on me with a younger woman.”

My stomach turns and my brows narrow inward. “Mom, that doesn’t make sense. He’s obsessed with you. He makes you coffee every morning and takes your dogs for walks just for fun.”

“Well,” she sighs, “I came home early and saw him in the driveway talking to a woman half his age. More than talking… they were flirting.” She glances toward Perry. “Why do you men all regress? I mean, what is it with twenty-year-old girls? Why don’t men want a grown woman?”

“Mom! I’m a grown woman.”

“Right, to a twenty-year-old man, but to a forty-year-old, you should be a girl.” My mom’s tone is so aggressive that I’m reminded why I steer clear of her.

“Didn’t you cheat on Dad?” I blurt out the words in defense of myself more than anything, but I regret them as soon as they’re in the air. “People do what they feel is right. Sometimes that means an age gap, sometimes that means falling in love with someone you technically shouldn’t be falling in love with. I’m sorry Enrique disappointed you.”

Mom drags in a deep breath. “You’re right. I know you are. I messed around on your dad and now I’m getting payback. Deep down, I know I deserve it.”

She stands from the table and turns toward the pantry, filing through the boxes and bags to look for something to eat. I feel bad now. I didn’t want to hurt her feelings. I just wanted to get the spotlight off me.

“Honey, what’s with all this junk? You shouldn’t be eating processed foods like this. You’ve already gained too much weight this year.”

Okay, guilt over. This is the mom I know and loathe.

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