Page 99 of Never You

“Don’t wait too long, boy.” She pats my arm in an encouraging way, like grandmas do. “She already has a wall as big as a skyscraper built around her cracked heart, protecting it with her life. If anyone tramples it anymore, she’ll put it in a vault and will never take it out again.”

I tilt my head, replaying her words in my head, then grind my teeth together when I realize what she means. “Kent hurt her that much?”

I know he hurt her ego, but after spending five days on the road with her, I didn’t feel like she was really heartbroken about Kent in general. She even admitted she wasn’t in love with him.

“Who?” Her eyebrows move to her hairline, a strand of her gray hair falling in front of her face because of the sudden movement.

“Kent. Sean Kent? Her ex?”

Nana pushes the strand back behind her ear, then raises her eyebrows in amusement. “That stupid jock? No offense,” she mutters, raising her hands in the air.

A chuckle leaves my lips as I throw the last of my whiskey down my throat.

“None taken.”

“No,” she huffs, indignant. “She didn’t give a shit about that boy, if you’re asking for my two cents. She just kept him around for thefunstuff, if you get what I mean.” She chats the last sentence with her hand in front of her mouth, and I smile politely. But really, the thought of Sean and Rae together has me grinding my teeth. “I don’t think she has ever been in love. Not really. Not like with you.”

I snap my head to the old woman with wide eyes, shocked at the bluntness of her words. “You think she’s in love with me, ma’am?”

Her eyes roll, as if I just asked the stupidest question.

“God, you children nowadays really like to beat around the bush, don’t you? What do you kids call that? Playing hard to forget?”

“Playing hard toget, mother.” June joins us with a beer in both hands. “Don’t listen to my mother. When you get older, you don’t really care about being polite anymore.” She offers me a coy smile, then hands me one of the beers.

I place my empty glass on the floor next to me, then take the beer from her perfectly manicured hand. “Thanks.”

“Mother, you are needed in the kitchen.”

“What for?” Nana screeches, clearly not in a hurry to leave.

“Something with the cake. I think Johnny busted the side.”

“I swear if that boy took a bite of that cake when I told him not to, he’ll be getting a shitload of chores tomorrow.”

“Mama, he’s forty. Besides, he’s leaving tomorrow, so he’s not going to do chores.”

“I don’t care if he’s eighty and senile; if he touches that cake, he’s going to mow the damn lawn before he goes back to his fancy LA life.”

I snicker as I listen to both women bickering, shaking my head at the love that’s still detectable. When my parents are bickering, it’s filled with venom, always a clear snarl to whoever is the recipient. Being around them is stressful, because you’re constantly on edge, fearful of what you might be doing wrong this time. But these two women clearly respect one other deeply.

“Sorry about that,” June says when Nana stomps off to the kitchen. “I hope she didn’t scare you away? We’re really a very friendly family. In general.”

“No, ma’am. I’m a governor’s son. I’ve been spending my holidays with senators and other intimidating people since I was little. We’ve been drilled to talk to scary people. Though I’m sure your mother can be really intimidating, I’d rather talk to her than Judge Jefferson of the Supreme Court.”

“Hmm, that makes sense,” she muses, taking a pull from her beer.

We stay quiet, standing beside each other, and my eyes move through the yard. Bodi is chatting with Rae and Kayla, all three of them laughing about something he says. Her smile works as a beacon, lighting my world every time she laughs. Her energy draws my eyes toward her, even when she’s not trying. It has always been like that, but I haven’t really understood what that meant until the last few days. She’s like my northern star in the dark of the night.

“She told me I’m in love with your daughter,” I admit, bringing my beer to my lips. I’m not sure where my sudden honesty comes from, but I guess part of me is dying to know her opinion on the matter. The bitter liquid falls on my tongue, right when Rae finds me with her eyes and gives me a small wave. My heart jumps, and I give her a wink.

“I highly doubt that. I’ve heard you are a bad boy, but I doubt you will fall in love with a ten-year-old.”

Confused, I turn my head. “I don’t follow.”

“Even though Rae is my daughter in every sense of the word, I’m not her mother.”

My eyebrows quirk up.

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