Page 99 of Hot for the Jerk

“I don’t understand though, Mom.If they’re my uncles, your brothers, why are you so afraid of them?”

I kissed the top of his head, then held his shoulders as I stepped away, staring down into his eyes that were nearly identical to mine.And honestly, thank fuck for that.If I had to look into the eyes of his father every day … I’d still love the kid, of course.It’d just be a constant reminder of that hell.But Josiah’s soulless black eyes died right along with his miserable corpse.

“Family isn’t always just about blood.It’s about surrounding yourself with people who you love and who love you back.Regardless of if you’re related or not.Family is made up of people who want to see you happy and succeed.Not people who just want to hurt you.Your uncles, your grandfather, your father; they all had wanted and still want to hurt me.They don’t think women should have the same rights as men.They want to control what I read, what I wear, who I talk to, who I marry.”

“Who you marry?”The kid looked utterly gobsmacked.

I was not planning to have this conversation with him for several more years, but apparently, the universe had other plans.“My father arranged for me to marry your dad.I didn’t know your dad very well.He was much older than me, and I didn’t love him.I didn’t choose to marry him.And unfortunately, honey, he wasn’t a very nice man.”

“Why didn’t you leave then?”

“I wanted to.So many times.There were just a lot of factors against me.I had no money, no education, and pretty soon, I had you.Then, when your father passed away, my father and Soloman tried to make me marry Soloman’s son, but I couldn’t imagine being with someone I didn’t love again.So I ran, with you, and that’s how we ended up here.”

So many questions and even more confusion shifted behind his eyes as he stared at me, trying to sort through everything I had just told him.He swallowed.“If my dad was bad, does that mean I’m half bad?”

Oh, fuck.

I pulled him into my arms again, tightening my hold on him.“Absolutely not.Your dadchoseto be bad.He chose to be mean and hurtful.We could have had a nice life.He could have been kinder to me.So much of our lives comes down to the choices we make.Not who made us.”I held him away again, and was about to drop down to a crouch like I used to in order to be at eye-level with him, but my kid was getting taller each and every day, so I didn’t have to anymore.A pang of melancholy shot through me, and I shoved it down for later.“What kind of a person do you want to be, Marco Aaronson?”

“I want to be a good person.I want to be a nice person.I don’t want to be mean or hurt people.”

I nodded.“Then choose to be that man.Choose to be the opposite of your father.You are already nothing like him.Just because you’re half him, doesn’t mean even a pinky toe of you needs to belikehim.Okay?”

He nodded, uncertainty still in his eyes.His gaze shifted to the front door where Jagger loomed, waiting for us.“All right,” Marco said.“Let’s go to Jagger’s for a bit.I get it now, Mom.”

That vice around my ribcage loosened just a smidge, and I wrapped my arm around him and led him outside.My cousins and their kids all stood in the driveway.Clint and Wyatt were already busy installing some extra security cameras they found kicking around their place that they apparently “didn’t need.”They’d already measured for our new security gate, which we would have to order, but they knew a guy who would give them the same good price that they received.

Normally, my cousins and I didn’t like handouts, or having to rely on anybody else—particularly men—for help.We were self-sufficient on this vineyard and able to get things done on our own.Naomi could fix almost anything.Danica was a whiz with numbers.Gabrielle had a mind for business, and I was in charge of customer service, public relations, and managing the staff.

However, it was nice having a wider circle of people we could trust, and who our kids could trust.

“I’m still coming here to work,” I said to my pouty nieces and nephews.“And you’ll see Marco at school.We won’t be gone for long.Just until we get a handle on what’s going on and figure out how to keep Marco—and all of you—safe.”Marco leaned into me, and I wrapped an arm around him.“Jagger already said you’re all welcome to come visit.I glanced back at my bearded snack.“All at the same time too, right?”

Much to my chagrin, his feathers didn’t ruffle at all.“I’m used to having six hooligans in my house.Bring it on.”

“Super Uncle right here,” Wyatt said, joining us.“He even wakes up at five every morning and sleeps on Bennett’s couch so Bennett and Justine can go for a morning run together.”

My brows went skyward, and I glanced at Jagger.

“Not right now,” he added.“It’s too frosty in the morning, so they’ve switched to evening runs until the roads aren’t so icy.”

“We’re just about done here,” Clint said.“Then we’ll teach you guys how to use it all.”

“I’m gonna get these two settled in at my place,” Jagger said, squeezing my shoulder before swinging open the driver’s side door.

Marco piled into the backseat, and I climbed into the front passenger.

Jagger started the engine and rolled down all of our windows.“I’ll have them back before you know it.Something tells me these two are like bad fish anyway.They start to stink after three days.”

Marco chuckled, and I swatted Jagger’s chest.

Everyone waved, and we waved back as my jerk, that wasn’t actually a jerk, pulled out of the driveway.“So, I’m serious when I say this to both of you,” he started, glancing into the rearview mirror at Marco.

Wait, what the hell was he getting at?Were we about to get a lecture?Don’t touch my shit.Use a coaster.Quiet hour is between ten and seven.

“My home is your home.Go into the fridge, eat whatever you’d like.Don’t feel like you have to ask for a glass of water.Just grab what you want.What you need.There’s lots of food—go crazy.I don’t care.Have a shower when you want to.I mean, be mindful if you’re the first to shower and two more people need to, but other than that, please make yourselves at home, okay?”

Oh, this man just kept surprising me.

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