Full Throttle

Chapter 15

Saturday, Roxanne was waiting outside when I pulled up to get Josh. I was excited, nervous, plus worried she would pull something to stop it. I got out of the car, approaching the front door.

“Roxanne,” I said mildly. “I’m here to get Josh.”

“You’re early.”

I glanced at my watch. “It’s three minutes to nine.”

“He isn’t ready.”

The front door opened, and Josh came out, carrying a backpack. He seemed pleased to see me. “Hey, Dom. Cherry with you?”

“She’s waiting in the car.”

“Great.” He leaned up and kissed his mom’s cheek. “I’ll see you later.”

She watched him go, a frown on her face. She turned to me with a glare. “Keep your girlfriend away from him. He has a mother.”

“Is that what’s bothering you so much? First off,” I said, “Cherry is my fiancée, and you have no say in her being around. Second, she isn’t trying to take your place. I’m not trying to usurp your position in his life. You’re his mother. I have always respected that. But I’m his father, and I want to know him. You’ve stolen enough years from me.”

“Maybe I’ll move again.”

I had to laugh. “Have you met my new lawyer? He’ll stop you so fast, your head will spin. I’m here, and I’m not going anywhere. For Josh’s sake, why don’t you try to let us get along? It’s better for him, and he is the only one I care about in this scenario. Not you. Not your relationship with him. Just him. He can have us both. Love us both.” I shook my head. “Grow up, Roxanne. You don’t have to work to be the center of his life. You already are. Let him have love from other people. No kid should be denied love.”

Then I walked away before I said anything else.

I maintained a fake smile all the way to Littleburn. Josh asked a lot of questions, and Cherry kept up her information-gathering. She turned to high-five him when he told her he got a B+ in a pop quiz in math that week.

“Way to go!”

We stopped for breakfast, and as we waited for the pancakes, I slipped to the restroom and called Halton. I told him what happened, and for a moment, he was quiet.

“You didn’t say anything wrong, Dom. You spoke your mind, and you were calm. I’m glad you told me, though. If she complains, I’ll be able to defend it.”

“I should have kept my mouth shut.”

“I get it—sometimes it’s hard. I think it’ll be fine. Now, go enjoy the day with your boy.”

I hung up and looked in the mirror. I splashed some cold water on my face and decided he was right. I had been looking forward to this all week. I wasn’t going to let Roxanne and her petty demands ruin the day.

“Dom, what is that?”

I chuckled. “It’s a computer we use to develop concepts for artwork on cars.” I turned on the machine, showing Josh the program. “Stefano likes to draw by hand, then input it. Maxx likes the machine. I do a bit of both, but it’s a hobby to me. Those two are the real artists.”

He’d been full of questions from the moment we arrived. The guys all made sure to be here, and he’d talked to every one of them. He was in awe of Maxx’s size. Stefano’s talent pulling apart a car, Brett’s sculpting of new parts, and Chase’s leather work. He was fascinated by the Indian motorcycle in the corner, listening to the crew talk shop, and was thrilled when I had him help me with an engine we were rebuilding. Charly and Cherry came and went, and Gabby and Kelly stopped by to say hello. He was looking forward to when Rosa and Mack were coming, already in love with Rosa’s food, even though he’d never tasted it.

“Mom’s not much of a cook,” he confided. “We eat the same stuff all the time.”

I recalled her kitchen failures, and I was thrilled I could give him such a treat.

“You have so many people around,” he said, sounding wistful. “It’s awesome. Do they visit you too?”

“On occasion. And we do suppers and barbecues.”

“That sounds like fun.”

“Maybe you can join us. If you want,” I added.

“For sure.”

I had to turn so he didn’t see my expression. I wanted to shout in excitement over his easy acceptance. His desire to be around.

“I need to tighten this,” I said, indicating a part. “What do I need?”

“A socket.”

“Size?”

He looked at the part, then my tools. “This one.”

“Right.” I handed him the tool. “You want to try?”

He took the wrench from my hand and did it perfectly.

“Great job, son. You’re a natural.”

“Mom says I have to be a businessman.”

I shrugged. “I think you can make up your own mind when you’re older.”

“Are blue-collar workers really less important?”

I laughed, knowing where he’d gotten that idea. “Blue-collar workers are honest, hardworking people. And these days, they make as much, if not more, as some CEOs do. Make up your own mind about your future. Love what you do. That’s the best advice I can give you.”

“Do you love it?”

“Yeah, I do.”

He looked around. “I think I already know, but I’ll wait to tell Mom.”

“Good plan.”

Cherry strolled into the garage. “Lunch is ready.”

Josh grinned. “I’m starving.”

She ruffled his hair. “Good. Because between Rosa, Mary, Charly, and me, there’s a feast at the house. And Hannah just got here.”

“Your daughter? The cop?”

“That’s her.”

“Awesome!” He looked between us. “She’s like the closest thing I would have to a sister, you know?”

And he was gone.

“Wash your hands before you eat!” Cherry called, then laughed. “I don’t think he was listening. Too excited.”

I stared at Cherry, who smiled. “I think he is settling in pretty fast.”

“He is. Roxanne is gonna hate it.”

Cherry shrugged. “Too bad. Let’s go watch our kids bond.”

I followed her eagerly, looking forward to seeing that.

Josh stuck close to Cherry, like a shadow. It made me laugh since he was taller than her, and hiding behind her did nothing. But I did love that he relied on her already. He sat next to her, staring at Hannah.

“You’re a cop?”

“I am,” she said. “So behave, or I’ll cuff you.”

His eyes grew big. “Really?”

Chase leaned over, grinning. “She will.”

“Awesome.”

Hannah chuckled. “You’ve got a lot of food on that plate. You gonna eat it all?”

“I’ve never seen so much food,” he acknowledged. “I had to try it all. Dom talks about it all the time.”

I ruffled his hair. “Not all the time.”

Josh rolled his eyes. “When you’re not mooning over Cherry or talking about one of the guys or how cool the girls are, you do.”

Everyone laughed, including me. I had just been ratted out by my kid.

Josh tried a mouthful of lasagna, shutting his eyes as he chewed. He looked at Rosa, who was standing close. “That is the most delicious thing I have ever eaten.”

She laughed, delighted, and patted his head. “You stick with me, little man. I make sure you get all the good food.”

“I love this place,” he muttered.

I chuckled and met Cherry’s gaze. She leaned close, her lips next to my ear. “Mooning over me, Mr. Salvatore?”

I turned, pressing a kiss to her mouth. “Always, Cherry G.”

She grinned, and I saw Josh watching us. I kissed her again. “Behave.” I threw a wink his way, and he shook his head as if to tell me I was the one who had to behave. Then he turned to Hannah and started peppering her with questions about being a cop. Asking Chase about the interior he was working on.

“He is so bright,” Cherry said. “Inquisitive about everything.”

“I know.”

“I think he and Hannah are going to get along just fine.”

“He is staring at her like she hung the moon. I think introducing them might have given him something he’s wanted for a long time.”

Cherry laughed. “They’re exchanging numbers. How cute.”

“She gives hers up far easier than her mother did.”

Cherry glanced sideways. “You are a lot more trouble than Josh will ever be. I was being cautious. And I was right. You’re a thief.”

“A thief?” I asked.

“Yes. You stole my heart.”

I grinned and kissed her harder than I should with my son watching. But I didn’t care. “I’m not giving it back either.”

“Good.”

The hours flew by, and all too soon, I was taking Josh back to Kingston. Cherry stayed behind to give us a chance to be alone.

“So, you okay to stay the night next week?” I asked.

“Yeah.”

“Great. We bought a new house, and we’re going to see it again. You can come with us.” I cleared my throat. “Choose which room you’d like. We can paint it, and you can pick out whatever furniture you want.”

“Cool.”

I glanced his way to see him staring at me.

“What?”

“Did you really walk away? When I was a baby?”

I drew in a deep breath. “That’s a complex question, Josh. But no, I didn’t walk away. I wanted to be part of your life.”

“But Mom wouldn’t let you.”

I lifted one shoulder.

“She doesn’t like other people much. She never lets me go to friends’ houses or do sleepovers.”

“That must suck.”

He nodded. “Sometimes. I can have friends over, but she sticks around, so it’s not much fun.”

“Sometimes, Josh, people…well, people like your mom have a hard time sharing.”

He laughed. “You’re a lot nicer when you talk about her than she is when she talks about you. But you know what?”

I pulled up in front of his house, putting the car in park and turning to face him. “What?”

“I’m gonna make up my own mind about you. And so far, I like you. You seem nice. And I really like Cherry.”

I smiled. “I know the feeling.”

“Can I come to your wedding? I’ve never been to a wedding.”

“Absolutely.”

The front door opened, and Roxanne stood on the steps. She looked pointedly at her watch, and I wanted to laugh. I was ten minutes early. But it had been a good day, and I didn’t want to ruin it fighting with her over a few moments.

“Your mom is waiting, Josh B’Gosh,” I said, the old nickname I used to call him slipping out.

He paused before opening the door. “You called me that when I was little.”

“Yeah, I did.”

“I remember that.”

He got out of the car, stopping before he shut the door.

“Dom?”

“Yeah?”

“Can I, um, call you in the week? Or text you? Like, just to say hi?”

“Anytime. Day or night.”

“Okay. Good. And I’ll see you Saturday, right? At nine?”

“I’ll be here.”

He looked behind him. “Okay. Bye.”

“Night, kiddo. See you soon.”

Josh sent me a couple of texts on Monday and Tuesday, then there was nothing the rest of the week. Cherry told me he had sent her one on Tuesday and she had wished him well for a test he had on Wednesday, but he never replied.

“He’s probably busy,” she assured me. “He’s a teenager.”

I knew she was no doubt right, but when I arrived on Saturday to pick him up, I sensed a change in him. Roxanne hadn’t bothered to come outside to goad me, for which I was grateful, but Josh’s demeanor was unexpected. He was quiet in the car, answering most of my questions with a grunt or a short yes or no.

“Cherry has breakfast,” I said. “Then we’ll head to the garage if you want.”

“Sure,” he replied, but not with the enthusiasm I expected.

“How was the test?”

He shrugged. “What I expected. I failed.”

I frowned. “Maybe we can go over it, see if I can?—”

He cut me off. “You’re not my teacher. I don’t need your help.”

I bit back my retort, not wanting him to see me angry.

At the house, he greeted Cherry coolly, picking at his breakfast. She and I exchanged worried looks, and she tried to engage him in conversation. But his replies were short and, at times, dismissive.

After we finished, we began to clear the table.

“Josh,” Cherry said. “Can you bring me some of the dishes, please?”

He frowned. “I’m not a servant.”

She stopped what she was doing. “I beg your pardon?”

“I’m not here to work.”

“I never said that. I asked you to bring me some of the dirty dishes.”

“This isn’t my home, and you’re not my mom. I don’t have to,” he snapped and stomped off to the small room we’d made into a temporary bedroom.

I gaped at her. “What was that?”

“Him being a teenager.”

“I don’t like it. He shouldn’t speak to you like that.”

“I think he’s a little tense today. Let it go.”

I helped her clean the kitchen and went to get Josh to head to the garage. Part of me wanted to tell him unless he lost the attitude, we weren’t going, but I hoped his mood would improve.

It didn’t.

In the garage, he sulked and barely spoke. Showed no interest in the cars or what the guys were doing. He sat in the corner, playing on his iPad and slowly eating away at my patience. He was rude to Charly when she sat talking to him, and she looked at me with her eyebrows raised.

“Something is eating him,” she observed, coming to stand beside me.

“He’s been like this all day.”

“Have you talked to him?”

“No.” I rubbed the back of my neck. “His mom’s boyfriend yells a lot. From what I gather, so does she. I don’t want to add to it.”

“You can speak firmly and not yell.”

I sighed. “Can I, though? I tend to get mad fast.”

She smiled. “It’s amazing how we can control our temper for our kids. And he needs boundaries.”

“Cherry said the same thing. She says he is pushing it today.”

Charly chuckled. “She’s right. Maybe things will go better once you show him the house.”

I hoped so.

Josh looked around, clearly not impressed. “This is my room?” he asked.

“It will be when you visit, yes,” I said. “You can pick a paint color and help paint it if you want. We’ll do a painting party with everyone.”

“When?”

“We get the house in two weeks. So, sometime after that.”

“You plan on playing daddy every weekend?” he asked, a bitter tone in his voice. “Making me come here so you feel better, instead of letting me be where my friends are?”

That pushed me over the edge. I kept my voice low and firm. Calm. “Listen, Josh. I have no idea what flew up your butt this morning or the middle of last week, but knock it off with the attitude.”

He narrowed his eyes at me. “What are you gonna do about it? Send me back to Mom?”

“What’s going on? Where is this coming from? You’re disrespecting Cherry, me, the guys in the garage. You were rude to Charly. That’s not you.”

“How do you know? You don’t know me.”

“I’m trying to. Which is more than you’re doing right now. You’re pushing me, all of us, away, and I want to know why.”

“I don’t want to talk about it.” He tried to brush past me, but I put out my arm, stopping him.

“No. You’re not leaving, and you’re not burying your head in your iPad and ignoring me either. Talk to me.”

“Why?” he shouted. “So I can get used to you being around, and then you’re not?”

“I’m not going anywhere.”

“For how long? Mom says as soon as you get tired of playing daddy, you’ll walk again.”

“I never walked!” I snapped. “Your mother took you away and refused to let me see you.” I stepped closer. “I followed you to Saskatchewan. I tried to see you. I fought her as much as I could until I had nothing left to fight with. Every time I got enough money together, I tried again and failed.”

“So, what changed?” he challenged, his voice no longer as hostile.

“Cherry did. She had a friend who listened to my story and helped. Halton found you and your mom and took on my case. He made my biggest dream come true.”

He blinked. “I’m your biggest dream?”

“Yes. You’re my son. I missed you so much, Josh. It felt as if part of me was gone.”

“And you won’t walk away?”

“Never.”

He hung his head. “Mom and John told me all week not to get used to seeing you. That you’d leave again. That I meant nothing to you but a way to get back at Mom.”

My anger was instant, as was my indignation. But I refused to let Josh be the punching bag for that anger.

I risked putting my hand on his shoulder and squeezing it. “They lied.”

He looked up. “Sorry,” he whispered.

“How about we start over? No attitude this time.”

He sniffled, wiping his nose on his shirt sleeve. I didn’t give him shit about it. “I really get a room?”

“Yep.”

“Is Cherry mad at me?”

“No, but you owe her an apology. She isn’t your mother, Josh, but she is my fiancée and will be my wife. She is part of my life, and you need to treat her with respect.”

“Okay.” He paused. “Thanks for not yelling.”

I shut my eyes. “I don’t want to yell at you, Josh. And you made me angry this morning, but I think talking is better than yelling. And it’s better than sulking.”

Cherry walked in, looking between us. “What’s going on?”

Josh hurried over, surprising us both when he threw his arms around her. “Sorry, Cherry. I was being a pain earlier.”

She met my eyes as she hugged him. “We all have bad days, Josh.”

“I’ll do better.”

She drew back and cupped his face. “You be Josh. We already think that is pretty awesome.”

He nodded, and I heard his sniffle. Cherry hugged him again, letting him calm down a little.

“What do you think of your room?”

“It’ll be great.”

“What color do you want?”

“Blue. Can it be like a bright blue?”

“Let’s go look at swatches,” she said with a grin.

He smiled back, his good humor restored. “Okay.”

I watched them leave, grateful we had gotten past the surliness, but wondering what other issues we would face.