Reaching Hearts - Faleena Hopkins Page 0,55
to help her make it a huge success as soon as the window gets repaired.”
“What happened to the window?”
I wave my hand. “You don’t want to hear all the details.” Brighter, to change the subject, I say on a smile, “I’m thinking of putting in a patio. What do you think about that?”
Brendan pictures it, mulling it around. “That’s a great idea. It’d be a huge draw. Make it covered, or with a retractable awning for weather.”
“Oh, I love that! The awning has to be black. God, won't that look great?”
His mother is watching us, but neither of us is aware of it.
“With just the sign in silver, yeah. Perfect. Mark said you used Atlas for the font.”
“I did!"
“He’s such a geek.”
“How did he know that?"
“He works for a software company.”
“Really? You're kidding." I chuckle to myself. "That's the last place I would have pictured Mark."
Brendan pauses. His expression shifts. “What do you mean?”
My heart leaps into my throat as I search to cover my slip. “Normally guys into computers aren’t as…”
“Gorgeous?” Mrs. Clark fills in, leaning toward me with a saucy look.
“Mom.” Brendan closes his eyes for a second and grins.
She straightens up and pretends to smooth her hair. “What? I’m a woman, aren’t I? Mark’s not exactly hard to look at.” I smile, trying to act relaxed, but I’m so freaked out about my fuck-up, I don’t venture speaking.
“I’m going to tell him you want him,” Brendan smirks.
Mrs. Clark playfully smacks his leg and stands up, smoothing down invisible creases in her camel-colored slacks. “Oh come now. Give your mother a little fun. Jeez!” Looking to me, she asks, “You two are like two peas in a pod. How long have you known each other?”
A football-sized lump forms in my stomach and I just stare at her, wondering how I can lie to her. She's so nice! I can’t. I don’t want her to hate me. I want her to like me!
Brendan comes to my rescue, mistaking my obvious discomfort for guilt at being caught having sex with her son so soon. “We met the night of the robbery, Mom. But we’re two adults, so don’t start judging…”
She waves away the rest of his sentence. “Now, now. I know. Please. I was in the free sex revolution.”
My heart is pounding, so the laugh that explodes from me is a bit larger than it should be. They both look over at me, eyebrows raised. “Sorry. I just… It’s a relief to hear that. It’s a little nerve-racking to have someone’s mom walk in on you when you’re… making out?”
Brendan cuts a sideways look to his mother. “You’re freaking Annie out, Mom.”
Mrs. Clark walks over to me with her arms out. “Come here.” I stand up and she wraps her arms around me. As she pats my back, she says, “You’re a good girl. I know.” Then she holds me at arm’s length and says, before she walks away, “You’re not a tramp. That’s obvious.”
Brendan and I exchange looks as she goes to her purse, and I thank my luck for having dressed conservatively to go to the police station today.
“Well, you two, I’m going to let you have more time to get to know each other. I have a movie date.”
Brendan's eyebrows come together in that tortured way they do. “A date, Ma?”
Pulling her purse strap onto her shoulder, she sighs and faces him, their energy shifting for the first time clearly to mother and son. “I think it’s time, don’t you?” Her tone is kind and soft. But it doesn't matter. His jaw is clenched firm and his eyes betray loyalty for the father he’s lost, the father who’s always been there… the only man who was ever supposed to love his mother.
“Brendan.” She walks to him and touches his face with tenderness. “I loved your father. And if he were here I would be with him and only him. You know that. But he isn’t. And I'm lonely. I don’t want to spend the rest of my life alone. No one wants that.”
She kisses his forehead and melts his frown away. My hand drifts to my mouth as I watch, realizing I have to tell my parents what happened to me. I miss my mom. I miss my dad. Why don’t I call them more often?
Brendan’s chest relaxes and he says quietly, “Okay.”
"I'm going to talk to the doctor before I go, and hear all about this." She points at his rib cage area and steps back