Page 5 of Wild For You
“Yes, I’m on my way back from Boise, headed toward D.C.”
“When will you be back in Tennessee?” I asked. I hadn’t actually seen my mother in weeks.
“I’m not sure. They’re changing around our schedules, since one of the other attendants got caught in the bathroom with a passenger, and they had to let her go.”
My palms grew sweaty at the thought of the airline’s no-fraternization policy. It was very similar to the Bears’. No involvement with coworkers or guests while on the job. Mom had broken the rule numerous times, and it seemed the apple didn’t fall too far from the tree.
“Oh, okay. Well, I’d love to see you soon. My schedule is pretty clear for the next few months.”
“Sure, sweetie.” It was said as if she couldn’t have cared less whether she saw me or not, but I knew she was trying. “I’ll let you know when I’m settled at home.”
Silence grew on the line, and I wondered momentarily if there was a reason she called, but I knew better than to ask. She had a temper and could flip it on in the blink of an eye. I’d once made the mistake of asking her why she called, and then I didn’t hear from her again for three months.
Dealing with my mom reminded me of whitewater rafting. It was smooth and steady in some parts and then treacherous in others. I’d only been on that journey once, and it was not one I wanted to repeat.
Finally, the turn for the bed-and-breakfast came into view, and I said, “Hey, Mom, I just pulled into the B&B. Can we talk later?”
“Well, I’m not sure I’ll be available.”
“Okay,” I replied, faking my despair.
“Before you go, do you think you could help me out with a hotel for tonight?”
I was shocked at the request, but maybe I shouldn’t have been. “Doesn’t the airline cover the hotel cost between flights?”
“Yes, but don’t you think I deserve something better than a three-star motel? Help your momma out, starlight.”
I wanted to say no, to put my foot down like I’d been telling myself to do over and over again, but I hesitated. She was my mom, and I didn’t want her sleeping in a seedy motel—though logically I knew the airline wouldn’t put her up in a place like that. Still, I found myself agreeing to send her two hundred dollars.
“Thank you. I knew I could count on you.”
Of course she could, because I was weak. There wasn’t a day that went by where I didn’t consider cutting my mom out of my life all together. But we’d made huge strides in ourrelationship over the years. And she was my mom, after all, and the only family I had left.
She ended the call quickly, and I found myself staring out the windshield into the adjacent field to the parking area of the B&B. Suddenly, there was a knock on my window, and I startled, honking the horn in the process. Birds flew aimlessly out of the field at the jarring noise.
I turned to find Rory staring down at me with a worried crease between her brows.
“Everything okay?”
Quickly, I stepped out of my car and assured her that I was all right. Together, we walked up the porch steps and into the large foyer of the B&B. I took a deep breath, inhaling the fresh scent of the space—something Autumn had custom created for the place.
“Oh good, you’re here,” Marisol, Rory’s mother, said as she walked into the room with a welcoming smile. “Your sisters should be here shortly,” she added about my friend’s siblings.
“You ready for some margaritas?” Rory asked as Marisol scooted back down the hall, where I assumed some of the guests were gathered.
After that call with my mom, I couldn’t help but grin as I replied, “Absolutely.”
Chapter Two — Andrew
Jarring pain radiated from my leg up to every hair follicle on my head. Moaning, I twist in bed, wondering how the hell I ended up back home. Except the creaking of the frame told me I was anywhere but my nice, warm bed in Knoxville. Prying my eyes open took the strength of a thousand men, and I stared up at a dull and lifeless drop ceiling.
I was far from home indeed.
“Oh, you’re finally awake,” an overly chipper voice said from across the room. She held a dry erase marker in her hand poised over a whiteboard.
“Wh—,” I began but only coughed, as my throat felt like I spent last night drinking sand. Agitated, I began moving around in the bed, noticing now all the wires and tubes dangling from my limbs.
“Calm down. Let me get you some water,” the nurse, whose name tag readBetty, said. After setting down her marker, she skipped over and held the large water container’s straw to my mouth. I was embarrassed that I couldn’t even lift my arm to hold the clear bottle.
