Epilogue #2
ONCE INSIDE OUR CHILDHOOD home, Maverick was glued to my side, his eyes as round as saucers.
He gripped my hand so tight I was afraid he might break something, but I couldn’t bring myself to let go of him.
Our parents had been horrible to me, but growing up here had been a nightmare to him.
I noticed that there was no more religious paraphernalia on the wall.
Gone were the crosses, bibles, and biblical scriptures that used to cover every inch of this home.
“It’s okay, Mama. Just rest. I’ll get you something to eat. Do you want some water or maybe some juice?” Tate murmured softly from the living room.
The only answer was that death rattle of a cough again.
Maverick stared at me as he chewed on his bottom lip. “I need to call Jackson,” he mouthed.
“Of course,” I whispered back.
He was scared, his pupils blown wide and his body trembling next to me. I was surprised he had gotten this far inside the house without screaming in terror.
“Do you want to go back to the car?”
Maverick shook his head as he took the phone from his pocket. Jackson answered on the first ring.
“Sweetheart, are you having fun with Dean?” His voice boomed loudly through the speaker. When his husband didn’t answer, Jax spoke again. “Mavs, what’s wrong?” My brother looked at me, and I grabbed the phone from him.
“We’re at our parents’ house,” I answered.
“What!” Jackson exclaimed, and I swear he nearly blew out my eardrum. “Jesus fucking Christ, Dean. You know what? Don’t say another word. Stay right there.” And then he hung up.
Maverick’s eyes swam with tears as he stared at me, his chin trembling.
I wrapped him in a hug. He was stronger than he had been in years, but he hated to upset Jackson.
The therapy helped, as well as the medication, but deep down, he was still that scared little boy who just wanted to be loved by his best friend.
“It’s okay. It’s okay, and everything is going to be fine. Jax will be here, and he’ll take you home, and everything will be perfect. Think of your sweet boys. How much they love you.” I assured my brother, who only sobbed into my chest.
Damn, this was the worst idea I’d ever had. I hated myself for bringing him here. Jackson had every right to scream at me when he got here.
Tate gasped, and then he was hugging us, too. “You know what would make you feel better? Grilled cheese. I always like grilled cheese when I’m sad. I could make one to go with the soup I was going to make Mama.”
Maverick let out a snort, combined with a soft giggle. “I do love a good grilled cheese. Do you make it with Swiss cheese?”
“Of course!” Tate told him. “And bacon. Do you want one?”
Maverick nodded when he pulled back, brushing the wetness from his cheeks. “I could help. If you wanted.” He glanced over at me for a second and gave me a nervous smile.
“Yes, please. I would love that.” Tate clapped his hands with happiness. He held out his hand, and I watched in awe when Maverick took it. Then they disappeared into the kitchen.
I knew I should probably keep an eye on Mav, considering he was already struggling today, but instead, I took a couple of steps toward the living room where our mother was.
I found her there, sitting on the couch, wrapped in a blanket with her eyes closed.
I watched her for a minute, taking in the oxygen equipment next to her, the wheelchair, and the electric bed.
And I wondered just how sick she really was.
“I’m going to die soon,” she whispered, like she could read my mind. Her eyes were still closed, but she knew I was here with her.
I leaned against the doorframe. “Does Tate know?” I folded my arms over my chest. “And why did he get—”
“Dean.” Mom’s eyes suddenly met mine. “I wanted to raise the three of you together. My three boys. I know you don’t think that I loved you, but I did. And I wish that I had done everything differently.”
My nose burned as tears blinded my eyes.
“Why didn’t you? You put Maverick through hell, and that man.
.. That man beat him as often as possible.
Maverick didn’t deserve any of that!” Suddenly, I was angry.
Angrier than I had ever been. “Maverick is such an amazing person, and the way you and Dad treated him was wrong. He deserved so much better.”
“He wasn’t your father. He wasn’t Maverick or Tate’s either. He was someone who promised to take care of me and my children, but he lied.”
“That doesn’t make it right!”
Mom pressed her lips together, and she nodded. “I know, Dean, and I’m so sorry that I let the three of you down. I should have left. I was scared. I didn’t want to be a single mother of three boys, and I had nowhere to go.”
I glanced out the window as Jackson pulled up in his parents’ car.
He looked mad as hell as he climbed from the vehicle, but it was seeing Beau get out from the passenger side that had me gasp in surprise.
I reached down to touch the engagement ring on my left hand.
Both men looked worried, but it was the fear on Jackson’s face that caused my vision to blur. He would move mountains for Maverick.
“Your Beau loves you,” Mom commented. “I saw it the day he came here. I hope he makes you happy, Dean.”
I nodded. “He does.”
“Good, baby. That’s all I ever wanted for my children.” She reached out her hand, and when I took it, she gave me a small smile. “I’m sorry that I ruined everything.”
The sound of the screen door slapping against the house caused me to jump.
“Maverick!” Jackson hollered. “Sweetheart, where are you?”
Beau found me in the living room, his eyes zooming in on where I held my mother’s hand.
His brows shot up, and he tilted his head, but he didn’t say anything.
I heard Maverick murmuring softly to his husband, then Tate asked Jackson if he was hungry.
I couldn’t help but smile at the question.
None of this was funny, but it was so awkward and strange that I couldn’t help myself.
“Are you all right?” Beau asked. He took a step toward me.
I wasn’t, but my therapist was going to have a field day with this. “We have another brother,” I heard myself tell him.
“You... What?” Beau stared at me.
I nodded. “Yeah, his name is Tate.”
“Pink...” And then Beau wrapped his arms around me.
I felt safe engulfed in his strong arms, my face pressed against his chest, the warmth of him surrounding me.
I closed my eyes as he held me. It didn’t matter that I was in the house that had nearly broken me.
Beau was here, and he would fix everything.
“I want them to come home with us.” Maverick’s voice echoed throughout the house.
“Sweetheart, I don’t think—”
“I don’t care! She’s sick, Jax!” Maverick shouted. “She needs to be somewhere we can take care of her. And what about Tate, huh? The brother I didn’t even know existed until like ten seconds ago. You can’t deny me this.”
I pulled back and stared at Beau. “Well...” I smiled at him before he shook his head. I knew how that argument was going to go. Maverick was going to win. Jackson couldn’t tell him no.
“Mavs, just try to see it from my point of view. Why don’t we talk about this later? You look exhausted.” Jackson sighed.
Maverick stomped into the living room. “Mom, how do you feel about coming to live with me in North Carolina?”
“Jesus Christ,” Jackson grunted. “This was not what I meant when we said we could talk about this later. You can’t just...” He stopped when he saw our mother. I wasn’t sure if it was how frail she looked or what, but he swallowed nervously.
Mom reached out her hand. “Maverick, you don’t have to do that. Tate takes good care of me, and Adele comes by. We also have nurses. You and Jackson have your own family to worry about.”
“You’re my mother. And I have money. Why shouldn’t I be able to take care of you? We never had a relationship, but now we could. Before it’s too late. And Dean, too. Don’t you want that?” Maverick’s chin wobbled as he took her hand.
Mom nodded. “I would love that, honey, but not if it’s going to upset your husband.”
“It won’t,” Jackson assured her. “We have plenty of room for you and Tate. We’d love to have you.”
Tate peeked around the doorway. “We’re moving? Oh, I’d love North Carolina. They race NASCAR there. And what about the rest of the band? And hockey, too. This is so exciting. We could live with you! That is so fun. Mama, please? I want to be with my brothers.”
“You’re going to get the best care, Mom. You’ll see. And we’re going to be a family. The one we should have been,” Maverick whispered.
Beau pressed a kiss into my hair, then I moved closer to my mother to hug her. Then Tate was there, and the three of us, the three Frost brothers, hugged her together.