Page 52 of Cougar

“How are things coming along with the foundation?” Mom asks.

“Surprisingly well, thanks to you.” I sigh. “I wish I’d gotten more involved in your charities back when I was a teenager. I had no idea how much work goes into it.”

“You can always volunteer to help me.”

“You know I’d love nothing more than to help you, but I don’t think I can stand to breathe the same air as Elizabeth.”

She rolls her eyes. “Emerson, it’s been over twenty years. You’re not teenagers anymore. You’re grown women. Squash whatever this is between you two before your children get dragged into it.”

I shrug as I bring my cup to my lips and avert my eyes.

She huffs. “Fine. Maybe you should find yourself a little hookup to take the edge off.” She wiggles her eyebrows.

I suck in a breath, shocked, and choke on my coffee.

Oh my God! She did not just say that.

“Mother!” I cough. “How do you even know what a hookup is?”

“Oh, please.” She flicks her wrist. “Between Liam, Dylan, and Cole, I know everything. I’m just saying it’s okay to lose yourself for a few hours. How long has it been?”

Two years, but I’m not about to tell her that. “Mother.” I shake my head. “I’m fine. I don’t need a hookup or to lose myself.”

“Oh?” She leans forward with her elbow on the table and her chin propped in the palm of her hand. “Do you have one of those vibrating penises?”

I drag my hands over my face and snort a laugh. “They’re called vibrators.” I laugh harder. “I thought you knew everything.”

She shrugs. “Boys don’t talk about vibrators. They talk about pussy and hooking up.”

Hanging out with rock stars for nearly twenty-two years, I thought I’d heard it all. Yet my mother still has the ability to shock me with the stuff that comes out of her mouth. “Jesus, lady. Where is your filter?”

She scoffs. “Since when have I ever had a filter, Emerson?”

True. But still… “It’s never too late, Mother.”

She waves me off. “You know Chris divorced his wife. She was having an affair with her boss.”

I roll my eyes again. Ella Mackenzie is the damn queen of gossip. I don’t know how she’s managed to keep our family’s personal business to herself all these years. “Chris told me,” I admit. “I bumped into him the other day when I was meeting Daddy for lunch.”

Her face screws up in disgust. “I never cared for her. Not even when you were teenagers. Something about her never sat right with me.”

“That’s because she was a backstabbing whore pretending to be my friend so she could screw my boyfriend.” I drop my gaze to my coffee cup. “And she did.”

My mother nods. “I know. He came to the house. He told your father he’d made a huge mistake and begged him to bring you back home. Your father told him to fuck off.” She barks out a laugh. “And Max kicked his ass.”

“I heard.”

She reaches across the table and squeezes my hand. “I’m sorry he hurt you. I wish you’d told us.”

“It was a long time ago.” I wave her off. “He apologized and we’ve moved on.”

“I’m glad you’re finally opening up and talking about it. I hate that you’re so closed off. You never used to be this way until….”

My head jerks up. “Until what?”

“You were always such an outgoing, vibrant young girl with big dreams and—”

“And what… then Marcus came along?” I hedge.

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