Chapter 11 #2
The last word felt freaking weird in my mouth. I was having a lot of trouble keeping the horror flooding me in check. This woman was barely family, and she showed up here with a kid. One who evidently wasn’t hers but was also clearly related to me in some way.
Her face became even more pinched. “Your language is unnecessary and insulting.” For one stupid second, I thought she was talking about me calling her Grandma.
“Sorry.” I apologized out of habit, then cursed myself because it was a habit I’d worked for years to break. No one would force apologies out of me against my will again.
To my right, I heard quiet conversation from Taryn’s door, followed by an excited bark. At this point, I wouldn’t be surprised if Mrs. Lipnicki was gawking from her window too. As a matter of fact, I was fucking shocked Reece wasn’t out here causing problems.
Hudson ran toward me, stopped halfway across the yard at Taryn’s call, and looked back and forth sadly before turning around to return to his space. The kid perked up at the sight of the weird little dog.
Grandma did not. She gripped her purse tighter with a gasp and backed away from the harmless animal.
“He won’t hurt you. Now, can you please give me the short version of what is happening here?”
She shuffled toward her car, keeping her eyes firmly locked on Hudson frolicking with a shredded braid of rope.
“Allison tasked me with taking care of her son temporarily should anything happen to her, but the will clearly designates you as guardian. I have no interest in raising a child, so with the lawyer’s permission, I’ve passed him along to you. ”
My mind stuttered and stopped on her son then went into overdrive at the idea something had happened to her. “Andrew is my brother?” I shifted my attention to him. “You’re my brother?”
The kid rolled his eyes and nodded.
I zeroed in on Grandma again. “What happened to Mom?”
The question was so loaded I almost couldn’t get it past the clog in my throat. Grandma didn’t seem to notice—or care—about the significance.
“She died about two weeks ago. Aggressive cancer or some such. Your dad tried to say he should have custody, but her wishes were clear. The lawyer doesn’t seem so sure. In any case, I have no plans to give that man anything he wants.”
I needed to sit down. My head was spinning with all the information and the questions I should ask. No one had contacted me. They clearly had my information if Grandma could find me.
Had Mom known all along? And now she was gone?
A warm hand slipped into mine and squeezed. I glanced down to find Taryn standing next to me with Hudson cradled in her arm. Her gaze was focused on the kid.
“Hey, I’m Taryn. I’m a friend of Mase’s. Do you want to come over and hang out for a little bit with Hudson here?” She lifted the dog a tiny amount. “He loves new people, and it seems like Mase and your grandma need some time to talk.”
Grandma sniffed and opened her car door. “I don’t need any time. My duty is done, and I have a long drive back to Portland. You’ll find a large suitcase and a duffel bag in the trunk along with his file.”
Taryn’s eyes widened. “You drove here from Portland? Oregon? Isn’t that more than a day of driving?”
“Yes. Now if you’ll excuse me.”
Taryn raised her brows at me in a silent message of what the fuck then motioned for Andrew to join her. “C’mon, kid.”
Andrew sent a questioning glance at Grandma, but she ignored him. After a long moment, he met my eyes instead. I cringed internally at my new position of authority. Nothing had prepared me for this. In fact, I was uniquely qualified to not be in charge of children.
I marveled at the speed with which the old woman dismissed us, along with her own grandson. Technically, two grandsons, but I’d accepted I wasn’t important to her long ago. The kid deserved better.
“Go ahead,” I told him. “Hudson loves to play. Stay in the yard though, okay?”
Grandma climbed into her car, and I quickly emptied the trunk of Andrew’s stuff. As she’d said, a large hardshell suitcase and a duffel bag took up most of the space. A fat manilla folder sat on the carpet.
Who even used old school paper folders anymore? Why hadn’t I gotten any kind of message about any of this?
More importantly, how was I supposed to take care of a fucking kid when I couldn’t even take care of myself?
I hauled the stuff to the porch, and when I turned to see if I could get any more information out of Grandma, she was already halfway out the driveway. When I got closer, I noticed Reece peeking out from the front window next to Kenzie and Cole.
All of them were grinning like I hadn’t just had my life rearranged against my will. I flipped them off and checked on Andrew. He was smiling too. Taryn sat on her stoop yelling instructions as Andrew tugged on one side of the old rope.
Surprisingly, the dog was holding his own, but I expected one of them to go flying any second. I needed to call the lawyer. I needed to read the file, which was way thicker than I’d expected. I needed to talk to my roommates.
Fuck, I needed to find someone to watch him for our game tonight.
The cold air finally penetrated my shock, and I scowled as I realized Andrew didn’t even have a coat. Maybe it was packed in one of his bags, but he certainly wasn’t wearing it. I scrubbed a hand down my face. I didn’t know the first thing about kids. I’d barely been one.
It didn’t matter, did it? Andrew was here. Mom was dead. And if Dad was trying to get involved, there was no way I’d let him anywhere near my little brother.