Chapter 12 #3
“Yes, please.” I started the call, pressing the phone to my ear. If I didn’t answer within so many rings, she’d lose her spot. After accepting the charges, the phone clicked. “Mom?” I followed Casey to his room and ducked inside.
“Hi Ryker. I hope I’m not interrupting anything.” She sighed.
“No, you’re not.” I watched Casey shut the door and lean his back against it. Should I tell her about us? We’d been together for well over a month. It might be time. “I’m uh…I’m seeing a guy and I’m at his house for the Fourth.”
“Oh, you are? Tell me about him.”
Fuck, with him standing right there? Why not? With my gaze meeting Casey’s, I said, “He’s the quarterback for ASU’s football team and the guy who’s coaching Wes. His name is Casey, and he’s…”
Casey’s gaze softened, and he stepped toward me. “Tell her I’m your boyfriend.”
“He’s my boyfriend.” My heart stuttered. It felt right, like everything did with him. “He treats me so well, Mom.”
“Oh, the boy who broke down by the shop a while back? That’s fantastic to hear.” She tutted. “So, he treats you better than Carl treated me.”
Fucking Carl again. Why couldn’t he go away? I sat on the edge of Casey’s bed, covered in a navy-blue bedspread. “No, he’s genuine.”
“Where is he from?” she asked.
“Northern California. His father’s a lawyer and…” I stared at Casey. I hadn’t told her about him getting help for her, but I hadn’t wanted to get her hopes up.
“He found someone.” Casey sat next to me and placed a hand on my thigh. “I wanted to tell you when the time was right.”
“He did?” I pulled the phone from my ear. “Who?”
“A guy from The Phoenix Law Group. His name’s Gabe Johnson. He passed the bar last year and…” He pointed to the phone. “Talk to your mom now, and I’ll tell you more about it after.”
“Mom? I guess Casey’s father found a lawyer in Arizona to review your case for free and see if we can get you out of there sooner.” I held my breath. How would she take this?
“Really? That’s great news. Can you tell him thank you from me?” she asked.
“Tell him yourself. I’ll put you on speaker.” I tapped the speaker button on my phone and held it between us. “Okay.” She was meeting my boyfriend. Holy fuck.
“Hello, Casey. Please thank your father for helping me,” she said. “It means so much. And thank you for helping Wes. I hope he’s not giving you any backtalk.” She chuckled. “He can be a handful.”
“Oh, no, Ms. Hart. He’s a good kid and listens to everything I say.” Casey smiled into the phone.
“You can call me Linda.” She chuckled. “He must think highly of you then.”
“He does, Mom.” I inched closer to Casey’s side. “Casey has some of the best stats in college football, so Wes is in awe of him.” My insides warmed.
“That’s great.” She inhaled. “Um, Ryker, do you think you could come for a visit tomorrow? I know it’s hot outside, but it’s been so long since I’ve seen you.”
“I could go with you.” Casey squeezed my thigh. “Wes would go too, right?”
“Yes, but prior approval for visitation is required, and we can’t get it by tomorrow. Maybe next time.” I had to agree to this. She was right. We hadn’t gone since before I met Casey. Peering into the phone, I said, “Okay, I’ll come and see you with Wes tomorrow.”
“Great. And next time, I’d love to meet Casey in person,” she said.
“I’ll be there.” Casey gave the phone a warm grin. “And I’ll forward the lawyer’s information to Ryker, so he can start on it.”
“Thank you, both. I have to go now.” She huffed. “The girls are getting restless.”
“Okay, bye Mom. I love you.” A knot formed in my gut. How would Wes handle tomorrow’s visit?
“Love you too, bye now.” The call ended.
I rounded my shoulders, staring at the dark screen on my phone while it rested in my lap. These calls drained me.
“You okay?” Casey draped his arm around my shoulders and kissed my cheek. “She sounds like a pleasant woman.”
“Not like a felon?” I sighed. Fuck, she shouldn’t be in there. The letter…“To top it off, that fucker Carl sent another letter. I found it in my mailbox before I got here.”
“What?” Casey grabbed my beer and set it along with his on his dark wooden dresser. “Come here.” Pulling me up, he hugged me to his chest. “What did it say?”
With my arms around his waist and my cheek on his shoulder, I said, “He wants to contact her. He says he still loves her, but it’s like he blames her for what he did.
” Turning my head, I buried my face in his neck as a rush of emotion swept through me.
“Why can’t he leave us alone?” My voice cracked.
“Ryker, I’m here, and we have people who can help us.” He tightened his hold on me. “I sort of know Gabe. It’s a small world, but Gabe is in a queer band, and the guitar player for this band has a brother, who’s married to a Coyotes D-man.”
“What?” I lifted my head, my gaze finding his. What the hell was he talking about?
“So, the Coyotes player, Archer, is friends with Myles, another hockey player who is marrying my buddy Cooper. Cooper was our first-string tight end last year and signed with Seattle.” He arched a brow.
“Okay.” I struggled to follow the lines of acquaintance. “So, you know Gabe, sort of, indirectly.”
“I do. Gabe finished his law degree last year, and his father owns Phoenix Law Group. He loves taking on cases like your mom’s. He hates injustice, and he’ll have the resources of his father’s firm as well.” His gaze darted across my face. “He’s a good guy, and he’s queer. He’s family.”
I stared at him, my mouth falling open. “This sounds too good to be true. I can’t wait to speak with him.” The tightness in my chest released. Who knew Casey would have connections like this? “Thank you, Casey, and please, thank your dad for me.”
“You can do it when you meet him.” He bopped my nose. “How are you feeling?”
“Better.” I rose, plucked my beer can from the dresser and gulped it. “I might even have one of those mixed drinks later.” I wagged my brows at him.