Page 27 of His Fresh Start Cowboy
“No sense in getting rid of things that work just fine. Are you thirsty? I’ve got lemonade and fruit punch.”
Hugo suppressed a shudder at the idea of fruit punch. Buck had once made him drink an entire pitcher of it until he threw up, and he hadn’t been able to stomach it since. “Lemonade would be great, thanks.” It was odd being served, rather than pouring the lemonade himself, but he loved seeing his mother smiling so widely.
“So you’re working at the Woods Ranch now,” she said, plunking herself on the couch next to him with two frosty glasses of lemonade. “How’d that happen? I thought you were in California.”
“I was.” He explained the surprise of working with Colt Woods and the Woods family’s problem finding qualified help. “It felt like the right time to come back. Try something new, see my family, and maybe put some things in my past to rest.”
Her smile drooped briefly before returning full-force. “I’d heard the Woodses had been having some trouble recently. Sounds like things might be picking up for them.”
“I think so. Brand has some great ideas for changing things up, keeping with the times. The wind farm is doing really good for them. And they’ll be showing off their organic beef at the county fair in April. I’m guessing the CSA will have a showing with their produce?”
“Oh, definitely. Frank and his boss hope to pick up quite a few blue ribbons for their farmers this year.”
The sweet, almost lovesick way she spoke about Frank made Hugo’s stomach hurt in a not-surprising way. Yes, she loved the man, but Hugo had never forgiven Frank for having such a blind eye toward Buck’s cruelty. “That’ll be good for the CSA and the farmers,” Hugo said, choosing his words carefully. The last thing he wanted was to pick a fight with his mother. Not on their first day seeing each other in person in nine years.
“I think so.” She sipped her lemonade. “I’ve missed you so much, but it seems like you’ve done good for yourself. Had some adventures, seen part of the country. You think you’re maybe ready to settle down soon? Put down some roots?”
“Maybe.” True enough. Even though the object of his affection was less distant than before, Hugo still wasn’t sure what he wanted, or if he had a chance of a future with Brand. All he knew for sure was that he had to take this slow or he’d scare Brand off for good. “I had a lot of experiences that I’ll always be grateful for, and I’ve made some amazing friends over the years. I’m not entirely sure what I do want other than to see my mother on a more regular basis. Rem’s scooter ain’t the best transportation, but it gets me places.”
“Well, I’m glad it got you to see me today. I wish Frank was home to say hello.”
That makes one of us, Mom.“Maybe the three of us can have dinner some night soon. Catch up.”
“Before long, it’ll be the four of us again.”
Hugo’s entire body went rigid, his stomach turning into a boiling cauldron of acid. “Four?”
Mom fiddled with her glass, caught between joyful and tentative, and Hugo didn’t like that one bit. “Yes. Buck got parole yesterday. He’s coming home soon.”
“Oh.” Only a lot of years of ignoring his feelings and demurring to others kept Hugo in his seat and not fleeing for the front door. His nightmare was on the loose again soon, and this was not what he’d expected to learn today.
Mom was oblivious to his distress, as usual. “Yes, there’ve been some overcrowding issues. It’s earlier than anyone expected, but he’ll be home by the end of the week. A free man.”
“That’s, um...” He swallowed hard but not even a sip of lemonade soothed his dry mouth. “A surprise.”
“He’s worked so hard to make up for his mistakes, honey.”
“Beating up your girlfriend isn’t a mistake, it’s a deliberate action. So is attacking a sheriff’s deputy.”
Mom flinched. “We weren’t there and have no place to judge what Buck did or didn’t do.”
Anger rippled through Hugo’s chest. “Sure, just like no one else was there whenever Buck shoved me, kicked me, sat on me, threw something at me, or called me all kinds of horrible things. You didn’t hear it so it didn’t happen, right? Even though I showed you the bruises?”
“I thought you’d let all those things go, honey. It was a lifetime ago, if it happened at all.”
If it happened at all.More than anything else, her inability to believe him after all these years broke something deep inside of Hugo. A part of himself he’d hoped to try and fix with his mother. But now he was pretty sure that was impossible. Just like creating something real with Brand was impossible. He should have stayed in California.
“It happened, Mom,” Hugo said, his voice hoarse with a mix of anger and grief. “I never lied. All I wanted was for you to believe me. But you believed your husband instead, and I was left out in the cold. I stayed away for almost a decade. Now I’m back and nothing has changed. If you let Buck into this house once he’s paroled, I won’t be back. I will not allow that bastard back into my life.”
“Hugo—”
“No, Mom. No. I respect your marriage, but I am your son. Your blood. Buck is neither. He isn’t a victim. He’s a product of his own choices. His own bad, violent choices. If you choose them over me... Mom, I don’t see us coming back from this.”
“Frank’s my husband.”
“And I’m your son.”
“I made vows to him.”
