Chapter 18 #2
After parking Mom’s SUV in the lot for the Maricopa County Intake and Release Facility, I strolled to Wes, holding a bag containing the clothing Mom had requested and her purse.
The building itself was imposing with its squarish structure in white but was much nicer looking than I expected.
I glanced at Wes. He hadn’t spoken on the ride here. “You okay?”
“Yeah, I’m great. Mom’s coming home.” He gave me a thin-lipped grin.
“You’re not still worried about losing me, are you?” Should I have even brought it up? I stepped under a long metal portico and opened a glass door for Wes.
He stepped inside the building. “No, I’m just…” He huffed. “It doesn’t seem real yet.”
“Yeah, I know.” I followed him to a desk behind what I assumed to be bulletproof glass.
A woman in a uniform sat behind the desk, eyeing me.
Into a metal-covered hole, I said, “I’m here for Linda Hart.”
“Oh, yes.” The woman stood. “Do you have anything for her?”
“I do. I have some clothing here.” Grabbing the bag from Wes, I held it up. I was sure they would check it before giving it to her.
With a nod, the woman opened a drawer toward me, like one you’d see at a drive-through pharmacy. “Place only the clothing in here.”
I obeyed her directions, and then she escorted us to a small waiting room with a round table and yellow chairs.
I took a seat along with Wes, set Mom’s purse on the table, and the woman left.
As I watched the door, my pulse shot through the roof.
The next time that door opened, Mom would walk through it. “You nervous?”
Wes stared at me and swallowed hard. “Yes. How could I not be?”
The knob clicked and turned in slow motion.
Wetting my dry lips, I stood from the table. This was it.
The door swung open, and Mom stood in her flowered dress and white cardigan, her dark hair with a little more gray than the last time I saw her and in a ponytail, her wrists handcuffed. As her brows creased, she said, “Boys, I’m so happy to see you.”
I glanced at Wes, watching her with his lower lip trembling and his eyes glittering.
A female guard entered behind Mom with keys in her hand. “Sorry, this is just a formality.” As Mom held her hands up, the guard unlocked the handcuffs and removed them. “She’s free to go whenever you all are ready.” With a peek at us, the guard left, locking the door behind her.
“Mom?” Wes threw his arms around her, his large frame engulfing her, and sniffled.
She appeared smaller than before, or maybe Wes had grown more than I knew over the last year.
“Oh, honey, don’t cry. I’m coming home.” She wrapped her arms around him and patted his back. “Things will be so much better for us now.”
As Wes released her, he wiped his eyes and hung his head. “I’m sorry, I don’t know why I’m so emotional.”
“Happy tears?” I squeezed his shoulder and turned my attention to her. “Mom.” I held my arms out, and she stepped into them, giving me a tight hug. “I have an SUV waiting for you in the parking lot. A Honda.”
“You do?” She squeezed me and stepped back, grabbing my hand. “How many miles are on it?” Her lip quirked.
“A lot, but we basically refurbished the entire engine, so the thing will run forever.” I handed Mom her purse. “I have more news. Michelle will make a house call to do your hair today. We just have to inform her when we get home.” I gave her a warm smile. “And she’s doing it for free.”
“Oh my gosh, that’s so nice of her.” Mom pressed her palms together in front of her nose. “I’ve got news for both of you, too.” She glanced at each of us. “I have a job interview through the reentry program at a dentist’s office in Mesa. They liked my prior work history at the medical office.”
“You do? That’s great.” Maybe I’d be moving in with Casey faster than I thought. I glanced at the exit door. “Come on, let’s go home.” I placed my hand on Mom’s lower back and guided her through the lobby and into the sunshine.
Once outside, Mom stopped and breathed in deeply. “What a beautiful day, boys.” She grabbed my hand and Wes’s, and we strolled to her red Honda CR-V.
“Mom, here’s your new vehicle.” I held my hand out to it. Despite the sun damage, the vehicle ran like a champ.
“Oh, I love it.” With a smirk at me, she said, “I haven’t driven in over a year. You better take us home, Ryker.”
“Sure.” I opened the passenger door for her. “Anything you want, Mom. It’s your day.”
After getting Mom settled and me moving the rest of my things into Wes’s bedroom, Michelle came over and gave Mom a makeover. When she’d finished, Mom looked like her old self.
“So, how are you feeling?” I stood in the kitchen, watching Mom inspect the contents of the cabinets and refrigerator as if she were taking inventory. I needed to call Casey to let him know how the release went.
“I’m feeling great.” She closed a cabinet door and faced me, her eyes lighting up. “When will I get to meet this quarterback you’ve been telling me about?” She arched a brow.
“Whenever you want. He’s out of town at a game tonight.” I glanced at the television. The game was on a local channel. “Do you want to see him play?”
“I do.” Wes strolled into the kitchen, opened a cabinet and grabbed a bag of chips. “The game starts at four-thirty.” He leaned his ass on the counter and threw a few chips into his mouth.
Damn, he was already acting like Mom had never left. Kids are resilient, as they say. “We could all watch it together. I could get you a bottle of wine, Mom.” She hadn’t drunk since—
“Oh my God, yes. A bottle of the chardonnay I used to drink would be amazing.” With a quick nod, she said, “Football and pizza with my boys tonight.” She hugged Wes and then me.
“Okay, guess I’m going out for wine and a frozen pizza.” I already had beer. With a sigh, I grabbed my keys from the island counter.
“And Ryker, I’m ready to meet Casey anytime you want me to. Even tomorrow.” She wagged her brows at me. “I can’t wait to see the man my son fell so hard for.”
“All right.” I could call Casey on the way to the store. Goddamn, things were moving right along.
After getting into my truck, I called Casey. Hopefully, he was in a place he could talk.
The phone rang once and picked up. “Babe? How are you? How did it go with your mom? Is she home?”
“She is. Her hairdresser gave her a makeover, and she’s been inspecting all the shit I have in the house.” I chuckled. “I’m sure she’ll re-arrange some things while I’m out at the store.”
“Why are you going to the store?”
“Because I’m getting her some wine and a frozen pizza for us to eat while we watch your game tonight.” I glanced toward the apartment. This was surreal. “I should have known to have her favorite bottle of wine ready.”
“She’s not a heavy drinker, is she?”
“No.” I picked at my steering wheel. “Some of her boyfriends were. Okay, most of them. But she never was.” I drew a deep inhale. How long would it be before she met another one? Had she learned her lesson about loser guys? “Casey, would you be up for meeting her tomorrow?”
“Tomorrow?” He choked on a laugh. “Hell yes, I’ll meet her tomorrow. We'll arrive late tonight, but just tell me when and where and I’ll be there.”
“What about studying?” It seemed like he always had papers to write. I raked my gaze over the landscaping rock and the desert plants, the afternoon shadows growing long around them.
“I’ll get it done before or after,” he said. “What if we made her a nice dinner?”
“We?” I chuckled. I’d never observed Casey cook anything but broiled chicken breasts and rice.
“Okay, how about I bring some food over? Does your mom like Chinese, Thai or sushi?”
“She loves Chinese.” And knowing Casey, he’d buy enough food for three families. “If we eat takeout, then no one has to cook.”
“Yep, that’s what I was thinking.” He snickered. “See? I’m not just a dumb jock.”
“No, you are not.” I smiled as I started the truck, warmth sweeping across my chest. “You’re my golden boy.”
“I love you, babe. I’m so happy your mom is home.”
“Yeah, me too.” I put the truck in reverse. “I have to go to the store now. Love you too, babe.”
“Okay, drive safely and see you tomorrow. Bye now.” He ended the call.
We all sat in the living room with me and Mom on the couch and Wes on the chair, watching ASU play West Virginia. I peeked at Mom, sipping her second glass of wine. The scent of a pizza loaded with everything floated through the air.
“Look, Casey’s going to hand it off to his running back on this play.” Wes bit his thumbnail, fixated on the game.
“How do you know?” I drank some beer. Wes knew more about Casey’s playing style than Casey did some days. “And by the way, the running back is Casey’s roommate, Malik.”
“Yeah?” Wes shrugged a shoulder. “The Mountaineers defense hasn’t covered him very well. Casey knows that, and he hasn’t used him yet because he doesn’t want to point it out.”
“Okay.” My gaze panned to Mom, giving Wes a warm grin.
“Baby, you’ve learned so much about football this year.” She sipped her wine.
“It’s all Casey, Mom. He’s the reason I made varsity this year.” He dipped his gaze. “Will you come to my last game?”
“Of course. I wouldn’t miss it.” She beamed at him.
I studied her. She seemed so different from the mother we’d had before her prison time. She seemed…more focused on us? Maybe her time in prison had taught her what was important, and it wasn’t having a man in her life.
“Watch.” Wes pointed at the television.
The players lined up for the snap with Casey crouching behind his center.
I drank some beer. “You know, he might run the ball himself—”
“Ssh.” Wes threw me a glare.
“Damn, dude.” With a soft laugh, I focused on the television.
Casey grabbed the ball, sauntered backward and faked a pass as Malik ran behind him.
With a short toss to Malik, Casey twisted around.
Malik sped down the field, sidestepping and bulldozing through defensive players, then was tackled following a first down.
“See?” Wes clapped with a broad smile on his face. “I told you he’d use his running back this time.”
“I know little about football, but I can see he’s going places.” Mom gave me a pointed look.
“He’s headed into the draft this spring.
” I toyed with the pull tab on my beer can.
I hadn’t told her about NFL contracts and what the future held for us.
I didn’t want to overwhelm her on her first day home.
But what would her reaction be if she knew I was thinking of leaving with him?
I shook my head. I had to change this train of thought.
“By the way, Casey’s bringing us Chinese food for dinner tomorrow, and you can meet him then. ”
“He is?” She raised her brows. “That’s so nice of him. I love Chinese food. Make sure he brings some honey walnut prawns.” She drank her wine.
“I’ll be sure of it.” I threw a glance at Wes. He was bound to pipe in any minute.
“Orange chicken for me.” Wes drank from a soda can.
“Of course.” It was what Wes always got. The timer on my phone went off. “Speaking of dinner, pizza is ready.” I hopped off the couch to serve it.