Haunted
HAUNTED
CAM
The next morning, I texted my mother and drove straight to her house.
Mom
I put some coffee on.
I’ll be right there.
I put some coffee on was her special way of saying we need to talk and it’s important .
It was 7 a.m. and already it was 97 degrees, but that didn’t stop Mom from cradling her steaming cup of coffee out on her deck. The sun was shining, but thick monsoon clouds were rolling in from the east. I poured myself a cup and joined her out on the deck.
She maintained her gaze on the valley below. Britt and Roman’s invitation lay on the outdoor table. I was hoping it would get scorched by the sun and the wind would carry the ashes away.
“It’s kind of hot out here for coffee,” I said.
She chuckled and nodded, finally turning to me. “I can’t feel anything.”
She set her coffee on a nearby table and opened her arms wide. I hugged her, resting my head on her shoulder. No matter what, whether I had come home from a grade school fight, been bullied, had a bad day at work, or Britt had chosen my brother over me, my mother’s hugs had always brought me comfort.
We released the hug, and she cupped my face in her hands. She then tilted her head, furrowing her brow. “What is it?”
“Other than what’s on that piece of paper?” I asked. “Britt said she was pregnant.”
Mom’s expression shifted from resignation to shock. “What?”
“Let’s go inside before we both spontaneously combust.”
We grabbed our coffees and settled in the living room. I smiled as I sat down, thinking about Rachel picking out such a perfect piece of furniture, one so comfortable that my mom loved curling up on.
“Britt told you this last night?” Mom asked.
I nodded. “She wants to rush the wedding so she’s quote, unquote ‘not all pregnant and fat in her wedding dress.’”
Mom slowly shook her head, her gaze floating past me unfocused. “The lengths that woman will go to ruin this family. What did you say when she told you?”
“I threw her out and tore up the invitation. You should tear yours up as well.”
Mom got quiet again and sipped her coffee before setting her mug down on the end table beside her. “I think we should go.”
I almost jumped out of my skin. “What? Why?”
“Your father will undoubtedly be there and I need you by my side.”
“And you want to see him because …?”
“I don’t want to see him, but I’m tired of hiding, like I’m the one who did something wrong. Roman and I have been talking more. I guess I feel like we should still support him.”
“Support him? After all he’s done to support me?”
Mom’s eyes flashed. “He’s still your brother.”
“He stopped being my brother the day he screwed my fiancée behind my back.”
Mom’s face dropped and I immediately regretted raising my voice to her. Silence passed between us while we contemplated the situation. I spoke first after what felt like an eternity.
“Rachel did say I should talk to Roman.”
Mom glanced at me. “She did?”
“She and Roman ran into each other on the beach on Grand Cayman and they talked. She said it seemed like Roman was feeling remorseful.”
“Then you need to speak to him. You need to talk him out of this,” Mom said, clenching one of her fists. “He cannot marry that woman.”
“I haven’t talked to him in a while, but I still know my brother. He’s not going to bail on her now, especially if she’s pregnant.”
Mom arched her auburn brows. “ If ?”
“What if she thinks Roman is pulling away and this is her attempt to keep him? Her attempt to get him to solidify things?”
“If that’s possibly true, then we really need to bring up this concern with Roman.”
“How?” I asked.
“Why don’t you ask Rachel since she spoke with him?”
“Haven’t told her yet.”
“Really?”
I released a heavy sigh. “She stopped by the bakery last night, helped me bake, and we were …”
Mom’s eyebrows rose once again.
“We were talking when Britt called and when I didn’t answer, she texted there’d been an emergency with Roman. Neither she nor Roman would answer the phone, so I had to leave Rachel, which made me look like a super jackass.”
“I hate Britt for doing that to you.”
My inhaled breath contained all my irritation. “I’m more frustrated with myself for falling for that same old trick. Now, I’m working up the nerve to talk to Rachel about all this, but I want to talk to her in person.”
Mom set her empty coffee cup down. “Invite her to be your plus one.”
“Except that I’m not going.”
“Even though you have a beautiful girl like Rachel who is infatuated with you?”
My heartbeat ticked up at the thought. “Infatuated?”
“I can tell,” Mom said, smiling for the first time since we started talking. “Maybe that’s why Britt’s doing this. She saw that you were happy with Rachel and wants to stir everything up again.”
“This is a lot for a stir. Besides, I’m not with Rachel. We put on a show in the Caymans to make Britt jealous.”
“Is that all it was?” Mom asked, her lips forming a sly smile.
I met my mother’s eyes and recalled all Rachel and I had shared, and all I had felt. “You know, I’m not even sure anymore.”
My thoughts wandered back to Rachel in the bakery last night, and me undoing each of her straps and wanting to do so much more. A crack of thunder sent a jolt through me. A quick look outside revealed the rain coming down in sheets.
Mom touched my hand. “Rachel cares about you, and she’s such a special woman.”
“That she is.” I scratched my head. “But I don’t want to drag her further into this.”
“Ask her and let her decide. She’s a grown woman. If I have to hire a man to accompany me to this wedding, I’m going to so I won’t have to do this alone, but it would mean so much to me if you and Rachel went too.”
I ran my hands down my face and then massaged my temples. “I appreciate that, Mom, I do, and I was proud of myself that I had the courage to get through Jill’s wedding with Britt and Roman there, but this is different. How can I stand there and watch Roman marry that woman? I don’t think I can. Not to mention the fact that I’d have to face Dad after a year of not speaking. Even with Rachel with me, I don’t think I can do it. Besides, Rachel deserves me at my best and attending that wedding would bring out my worst.”
A few beats of silence passed between us, and a pulse of anxiety whipped around in my body. I want to support my mother, but the emotions around Roman’s wedding would be so overwhelming. When my eyes met Mom’s again, there was a heaviness and yet hopefulness in her expression.
“Promise to at least think about it?” she asked.
“I promise.” I squeezed Mom’s hand. “Are you really going to hire a man to go with you?”
“Maybe.”
“Pretty sure that means you’re taking a male escort.”
“Cam …” Mom shot me a look that was both playful and a warning. “I was thinking about asking Ron Seavers.”
“You just sold his house. I like him.”
“We’re both newly divorced, bitter about our exes, and starting over in a new home. We have so much in common.”
“Sounds perfect.”
Mom made me breakfast before I headed out to make the Saturday rounds to all the restaurants to make sure they were stocked and prepared for the weekend. Then, I would go to the other place where I found the most comfort.