Page 111 of Smooth Moves
“Huh?”
Reid nodded. “It’s dark and blends with the dark wood of the back, but it looks like a journal.”
“Oh hell. It’s probably her diary.”
“You know what? You keep the tapes. I’ll take that.”
“Nope. I’m going through this.”
“Well?” Reid waited.
Cash sat with him on the bed and opened it up. Their mother’s perfect handwriting, in a cursive that looked like scripted font, detailed events dated back to when Cash and Reid had been in elementary school.
“God, that’s old.” Reid leaned closer, and Cash shoved his head out of the way. “Hey.”
“Hold on.” Cash read through his mother’s thoughts, hearing her as a real person. A young woman with thoughts and dreams. “Damn. She sounds half normal. She’s bitching about Dad ignoring her. He worked too hard. She was lonely. And apparently he didn’t hold a candle—her words—to her soap operas and books. He was no romance novel hero.”
“Huh. Never would have thought.” Reid gestured for Cash to hand him the book.
Cash did and stood to look through the rest of her hidey-hole. “I never did understand why she thought Charles would be more than he was. He was a simple guy who loved his wife and his son.”
“Sons,” Reid murmured.
“Sons, until something went wrong.” Cash sighed and pulled out the rest of Angela’s prized possessions, sad to see what they amounted to. Some old photos of him and Reid as babies. A few photos of her parents he recognized from seeing them a long time ago. A few trinkets and figurines he couldn’t care less about. He counted out the stack of money, surprised to find a fifty buried in every few one dollar bills. All said, he counted out five hundred bucks. “Not bad. We’ll split this, okay?”
“Oh my God.”
Cash glanced up.
Reid looked pale. “Cash, uh, this I think explains things.”
“What? What does it say?”
Reid started to hand him the book, but Cash shook his head. “You read it.”
Reid blew out a breath. “Okay, fine. But remember, you and I are brothers, family, no matter what. Say it.”
Shit.Cash could feel what was coming, had known it for years but never wanted to acknowledge that truth.
“We’re brothers,” Cash agreed. “You and me. The only family we got.”
“Remember that.” Reid clenched the journal tight. “Okay, this is from Mom over twenty years ago.‘I just dropped Reid and Cash off at school. Cash started third grade today, and Reid started first. So cute, my little boys. Charles left early, too busy building a new home to give today the importance it deserved. But why am I surprised? The man works, comes home expecting his dinner and his wife at his beck and call.
“‘We made love last night, but it was over too fast.’”
He paused.
Cash wiped a hand over his face. “Can you skip that part?”
“No. I read it, you have to hear it.” Reid cleared his throat. “Ahem.‘He never takes time for me. Just a few grunts and it’s over. But it’s hard to blame him. He is his father’s son. I hated Jonas so much. He treated Barbara terribly. At least Charles loves me, in his own way. I just wish it was enough. But it’s not so hard anymore, not when he’s coming for me.’”
“He?” Cash’s heart raced. “He who?”
Reid continued,“‘Our meeting was fated. Destiny. My one and only. It doesn’t matter that he’s married, that I have Charles. Allen has always been the great love of my life.’”
“Jesus Christ. Allen?”
Reid nodded, his gaze somber. “Sounds a lot likeall-in, doesn’t it?”
