Chapter Eight
Jake
The Next Morning
I straighten my collar and step back from the full-length mirror. It’s good to be home. I’ve missed my family and friends.
When someone knocks on my door, I frown. It’s not even six o’clock in the morning. Who in their right mind is up knocking on someone’s door at this hour?
If I were still in the city, I’d have my hand on the butt of my revolver as I approached the door, but in Brookhaven, it’s more likely someone is missing a dog than a robber being on the other side of the door.
The soles of my tactical boots tap on the hardwood floors. When I turn on the porchlight, I smile at my mom and my youngest sister, Ivy. Yep, my mom is not in her right mind.
I snatch open the door. “What’re you doing here?”
“I came to see my son on his first day of work.” She brushes past me with her hand in the middle of Ivy’s back, pushing her inside.
“Mom, it’s not the first day of school, and I went to work yesterday.” I shake my head but can’t deny that having her here doesn’t make me happy.
“You went to work yesterday?” Her eyes are round as she stands in the middle of the room.
“Yes.” I chuckle at her expression.
“Told you his first day was yesterday.” Ivy gives our mom an exasperated look. “But no one listens to me.” She waves her hand dismissively toward her.
“Damn it.” My mom crosses her arms. “I missed your first days in college, the police academy, and on the police force in Columbia. And now, I missed your first day here. At least, I made it to your college graduation.” Her blue eyes meet mine with a hint of both chagrin and humor.
“A thankful son would’ve let his mom camp out on his sofa for all those occasions.
Especially this one. This is our hometown. It’s a big deal.”
Just the thought of college makes my stomach turn. I should’ve never said what I did to Emily about not getting a degree. That’s a low blow I wish I could take back. But it’s too late now. Even if I wanted to apologize, she wouldn’t want to hear it.
“Mom, you’re being ridiculous.” Ivy strides past me.
“Tiny Tot, it’s good to see you.” I reach out to ruffle Ivy’s hair.
“Don’t you dare.” Ivy dodges me with a glare that could kill a 7-foot-tall giant. She flops down on the sofa, smacks her head against the cushion, and closes her eyes.
“I’m a mother. It’s my prerogative to be ridiculous about my kids. So…. We’re going to pretend that this is your first day.” She spins in a circle, taking in the furniture I’ve moved in, and frowns. “You could use a feminine touch.”
“I’ll hire a designer.” It’s a bit of a fixer-upper, but I’ve loved the design of the house since I was a kid. It’s a two-story home on a corner lot with a wraparound front porch, a huge backyard, and a two-car garage.
I shift my attention to Ivy, who’s yawning and blinking her enormous green eyes. “How did Mom convince you to come out at this ungodly hour?”
“I needed a ride to school for band.” She drops her head back against the black leather couch, kicks her Crocs off, slings her feet onto the coffee table, and recloses her eyes. “And it was either ride with her and stop here or take the bus and miss practice.”
“Feet on the floor, young lady.”
“Yes, Ma’am.” Ivy’s feet drop to the floor as she opens one eye and smirks. “It might’ve been years since you rode the bus, big brother, but I’m sure you remember how boys are. All the farting and boob jokes are too much to take at this time of the day.”
“Ivy Lyn, do not say boob and fart.” My mother glares at her. Ivy is the youngest at fifteen, and my sister, Hannah, who’s closest to me, is twenty.
Ivy’s dark hair is brushed to her shoulders and shines in the light. The thin coating of makeup on her face makes her skin glow. And her clothes…. I frown. My mom is right. Let’s not talk about boobs.
I rake a hand through my hair, leaving my once-perfectly positioned strands tossed in different directions. I’m not prepared for Ivy to start dating.
“So….” My mom positions her hands on her hips. “Are you ready for your first day?”
Ivy rolls her eyes at our mom’s insistence on calling it my first day, but there’s no point in arguing with her. She’s drawn a line in the sand, and it’s easier to go along with her than to fight it.
“Yes, I’m ready. I went out with Chief Carter on Sunday for a ride-along.” Not that anything has changed since I’ve been gone. There’s still only one flashing red light in the center of town, and the only business that’s traded hands is the hardware store.
Well, there’s also a For Sale sign in the window of Jolie’s Café, so that’ll likely change to something else soon. And I, for one, will be ecstatic when that happens. I’d love for the place where Emily chose someone else to be completely renovated. Or better yet, demolished.
Although I do miss their desserts.
“I’m so proud of you.” My mom’s eyes well with unshed tears.
“You’ve turned into such a fine young man.
A college graduate with a degree in psychology and criminal justice, a police officer, a homeowner,” she sighs, “I’m just so happy you finally decided to move back home, so that all my kids are within ten minutes of me. ”
After graduating from college, I stayed in Columbia. My intention was to return to Brookhaven and become a police officer, but after the debacle at Jolie’s, I avoided my hometown like a germaphobe with a new virus on the loose.
I eventually joined the police academy to better prepare for a position in the city and never left. Until now.
That weekend, everything changed. It put a rift between Spencer and me, leading to my moving out and strained my relationship with Kaleb. He was pissed that I brought Spencer to their house and had the entire town talking about our fight. And the kiss.
The muscles in my shoulders are so tense a pain shoots up my neck and down the center of my back. Damn it. I belong here. I’m not letting her push me out of my own town.
“Okay.” My mom blinks as she inhales and plasters a smile on her face. “You need to get to work, so go stand by the fireplace. You and Ivy.”
“I’m not going to my first day at work,” Ivy groans from the sofa with her feet propped back onto the coffee table.
Her white socks are neatly folded to her ankles with the black swoosh prominently displayed.
Her skin still holds a faint tan from baking in the sun at the pool this summer.
“I don’t see why I have to be punished. Why didn’t you go get Hannah? ”
“Get in the picture with your brother.” My mother’s tone leaves nothing in question. We’ll both do what she says. “Hannah worked late last night.”
After Ivy shoves her shoes back on, I sling my arm over her shoulders. “You poor thing. Still living with Mom and Dad.”
“Shut up.” She glares at me and shoves her elbow into my ribcage. “You’re the one who made her like this. A rough-and-tumble boy who got into everything. And then, you ran off and left Hannah and me behind. She’s been a helicopter mom ever since.”
“Sorry, Tiny Tot.” I haul her close to me and kiss the top of her head.
As the oldest, I did set the tone for how our parents turned out. I was six years old when Hannah was born and then ten when Ivy came along. With Hannah, I thought she was a nuisance. But Ivy? I wink at my sister as we pose in front of the fireplace. She was the doll.
I took her to all the sports and school events because all the girls flocked to me, wanting to see the perfect angel.
“Smile for the camera.” Our mom stands six feet away with her phone in front of her face.
“Remember to get our heads.” I straighten as Ivy giggles.
“One time. One time I took pictures of the flower beds and only captured the tops of the tulips.” The light flashes as she takes a photo. “And now you question all my skills.”
“Mom, you did get one of those business cards with, ‘A kindergartener can stay in the lines better than you can,’ when you parked in the city last week.” My sister lays her head on my chest, making my heart squeeze with love.
She no longer smells like baby shampoo. Now, she smells like a mixture of perfume and beauty products. But it’s so good to be home.
“Can you believe that?” My mom’s face is red as she lowers the phone. “Of all the nerve.”
“Were you inside the lines?” I ask.
“Well, no, but that’s not the point. The point is that it’s rude.”
“And everyone here knows that she parks three feet back from the curb in front of the gas station and no one says anything.” Ivy winks at me.
“As they should.” My mom’s stern expression morphs into a smile as she laughs. “I’ve missed this.”
So, have I.
Fifteen Minutes Later
As I’m climbing into my lifted pickup, my mom steps up to the door and waits. So much for avoiding this conversation. I settle into the seat and arch an eyebrow. “What?” There’s still some hope that she’s not waiting to ambush me about Emily.
My mom glances over her shoulder, making sure Ivy isn’t within earshot. The passenger door to her car slams shut as my sister slumps into the seat. She’s instantly shrouded in darkness as the sun has yet to peek over the horizon. “I didn’t want to say anything in front of Ivy.”
“So, don’t say anything.”
“Jake.” Her eyes narrow into slits. “I’m going to say something.”
“Fine.” Now, my posture mirrors my sisters. “Go for it.”
“Have you talked to her?”
“Her, who?” And now, I’m sulking and being obstinate.
“You know who I’m referring to.” Her eyes glow with unrestrained irritation as she crosses her arms over her chest to ward off the crispness of the early morning.
“The girl who ran my son out of town by choosing his friend when you were finally ready to admit you cared about her and then kept you away from your mother’s house for four years. ”
“I didn’t–”
“Save it for someone who wants to listen to your bullshit.” The look she gives me causes my stomach to cramp. I hate disappointing my mother, or my father, for that matter.
“I saw her yesterday.”
“And?”