Page 49 of Liberating Love

“Good. I guess it was pretty obvious they liked you. I think Dwayne was serious. If we didn’t work out, I think they’d try to keep you instead of me.” Squeezing his hand, I continue, “I guess it’s a good thing for me that I plan on working my ass off to make sure you don’t want to go anywhere.”

Aiden doesn’t respond, but out of the corner of my eye, I watch him try to hide the shy smile I love so much.

We had promised Aiden’s mom before we left that we’d be home right after going to Jack’s. It still catches me by surprise when we walk in to the smell of homemade cookies and a puzzle with all of the pieces turned out on the table and the box top propped up. Aiden’s gaze flicks anxiously toward the kitchen, so I nonchalantly make my way toward it under the pretense of going to grab drinks for us when Everly says she’s fine with her tea. Thankfully, I find the oven turned off and fresh cookies sitting on a cooling rack on the counter.

“How was your afternoon, Mom?” he asks her as he bends to kiss her cheek where she’s waiting for us on the couch.

“It was wonderful, Aiden.”

When I walk into the living room, handing Aiden a bottle of water, his mom looks at me curiously, her eyes the clearest I’ve ever seen them. “Delaney, Delaney Fox. You were married to Francesca Caputo, right?”

“Uh, yeah. Did you know Francesca?” I sit on the couch next to her.

“Ah, I knew of her. She wasn’t really my crowd, you know?” She chortles. Aiden shoots me a concerned glance, but Everly isn’t done. “I followed that mess when you got arrested several years ago.”

“Mom, he didn—” Aiden starts, but a wave of Everly’s hand stops him.

“Of course he didn’t.” Piercing hazel eyes narrow at me. “Bet it was nice to go to prison though, huh? Instead of being home withher.”

Aiden gawks at his mother while I bite my lip to hold in a laugh. She waves me off before I can speak. She asks her son, “Why are you looking at me like that? And shut your mouth. We aren’t frogs.”

“Mom, that was so rude. Why did you say that?”

“I know you think I’m a crazy old lady, son, but”—she glares when he opens his mouth to interrupt—“I’m lucid enough right now. That family’s obnoxious. The whole lot of them think their shit don’t stink. But it does.” She whirls back toward me. “How’d you feel about your brother-in-law?” The smirk on her face is actually a little scary.

“Well, he’s not ever been my favorite person,” I respond as Aiden finally walks over and sits next to me.

She guffaws. “That’s a nice way to say it. He’s the meanest son-of-a-bitch I’ve ever known. But we got him, didn’t we, son?”

Confusion mars Aiden’s face. “We did?”

“Sure, we did. The day you graduated from the academy wasn’t only the proudest moment of my life to be your mama, but getting to walk up to ChiefCa-pu-toand remind him that I knew one of his big ol’ secrets, and telling him he’d be sorry if you had any troubles with having to miss work because of me…” She rubs her hands together. “That was so satisfying.”

“Mom, what are you talking about?” he asks suspiciously.

She shimmies her shoulders at us, amusement making her appear more youthful. “I’m talking about the fact that I knew you were starting a new job on the force and you were concerned about having to miss work for me, so I threatened him.” She smacks her thigh, beaming at us. “Imagine that, Everly McGuire with a Caputo at her mercy. It’s very satisfying.” She rocks back, a girlish giggle ringing through the room. “You know what the best part was? Telling him that I have a lockbox at the bank with important papers, so not to get cocky when I totally lose my mind and try taking it out on you. Little does he know, I made it all up. I couldn’t stand the man and what he did to my friend. The last thing I would’ve done is keep pictures of him hanging around.”

“Mom,” Aiden says slowly. “Chief Caputo wasn’t even my immediate supervisor when I got hired on. He wouldn’t have anything to do with me taking off to take care of you.”

Everly’s amusement fades immediately as she leans past me, holding out her hand to her son. As soon as he takes it, she says, “You’re such a kind boy, just like your father was.” Her gaze slips a little, the faraway look I’m used to creeping in. “Always so trusting, my Noah. But this world isn’t always kind. Sometimes it’s downright cruel. My poor friend, she trusted him, even when I told her not to.” Aiden and I exchange puzzled glances. “When they think they’re powerful, even before they’re out of high school just because of who their daddy is…” She shakes her head. “No. He has power he shouldn’t have, Aiden. Trust me.”

Her eyes fall on me. “I’m sorry you married into that family, but I’m not sorry you got put away. I like you, Delaney. You’re good for my boy, and you’ve seen things. You know things, so I know you’ll protect him and his heart like I did for his daddy.” Her eyes gleam brightly—mischievously. “I know I’m slipping again, but let me tell you this, the Caputo men never could keep it in their pants. Not a one of them. They aren’t good men.” She lets go of Aiden’s hand and places hers on my knee. “You were too good to be in that family. But if I forget to tell you, or if I…”—she whips her hand through the air—“don’t see you again when I’m… totally aware, know this; I’m thrilled that my boy has you. I don’t care if you were in prison. I always thought they set you up. I watched the whole thing and I know those people.” She bobs her head sagely. “And I’m not the only one around here who thought you’d been set up.”

With a sigh, she leans back against the couch cushions and her eyes close. Almost instantly, a small whistle-like snore passes through her barely-open lips. Aiden stands and beckons me toward the kitchen. “It’s like she wore herself out,” he says as soon as we’re in the other room.

“I think she probably did. She made cookies, set up the puzzle, and she was completely lucid when we got here, babbling on and on.”

Aiden rubs his arm, a frown twisting his lips downward. “She was and that’s what worries me. Every time she’s that lucid, the confusion gets a little worse.”

“Oh, Freckles,” I say, drawing him into my arms. “I’m so sorry.”

He dissolves in my arms, letting me take most of his weight, then his muffled voice comes up from where his face is pressed into my chest. “She hasn’t tried to cook or bake or anything in a long time, Delaney. That’s scary. She could have…”

“I’ll set locks on the knobs so she can’t turn anything on.”

“You can do that?” he asks.

“Yeah, we’ll be able to get them off easily, but we won’t tell her how, and even if she figures it out, I don’t think she’ll have the strength to get them off.”

---