8. Alanis
CHAPTER 8
Alanis
I can’t believe that I’m driving the person who writes the stories I love home. And then there’s the fact that she’s a he. I mean, I’m not mad anymore, really. But I’m still not sure how I feel about it.
It’s a strange thing trying to rethink the person that you thought you knew.
“Did you grow up here, Alanis?”
Shaking my head, I dart a look over at him. “No, not really. I came here during the summer to stay with my grandmother. She was my safe space.”
He glances over at me. “What does that mean, exactly?”
I sigh. “My parents were not the best couple in the world. They were usually too busy fighting to even remember me, let alone take care of me. So during the school year I stayed at the school as long as I could, talking to teachers and hiding out in the library pretending to study. Anything to keep from going home.”
“Was it because you were scared?”
Shaking my head, I sigh. “No. I just wanted to feel like I was somebody. Like I mattered. My parents barely knew that I existed.”
“I’m so sorry, Alanis. That’s terrible. A parent should always think of their kids first.”
I glance over at him, the faint light from the dashboard on his face. “What about you?”
“What about me?”
“What were your parents like?”
“Well, my dad left to go have a beer with a buddy and just never came home. And when my mom talked to the friend, he never had that beer with my dad. It was all a lie for him to just take off in the middle of the night and ditch us.”
“I’m so sorry,” I gasp, stunned. “What happened with your mom?”
There’s a slight smile on his face. “She was amazing. She took care of me by herself for years. Worked as a nurse for the longest time and our next door neighbor watched me when she wasn’t home and I was off school.”
I smile at him, happy that he had that support. “What happened to her? Did she move into your big house when you got famous? Does she like your books?”
“She actually never got to read them. She got sick when I was in high school and basically wasted away from cancer for years. She fought it but it kept coming back. Until a couple of days after I left for college and they called to tell me she passed away in her sleep.”
Tears sting my eyes. “I’m so sorry,” I whisper. “That must have been awful. Did you drop out of college?”
“No. It was her wish for me to go. I had a scholarship and she was so proud of me for getting that. It’s the only thing that kept me going sometimes. And then I started writing romances. Do you know why?”
Shaking my head, I glance over, stunned at the smile on his face when talking about such a terrible time in his life.
“My mother. When she was at her sickest, the chemo just dragging at her, she could barely lift her head and she loved to read. So I started reading her romances to her. I skipped the naughty parts.”
I laughed out loud at the sheepish look on his face.
“But she loved it and I loved having that time with her. I couldn’t believe how much happier she was when she was listening to me read one of those books. So I sat down and wrote one, thinking about how much she would have loved it the whole time.”
I never knew that your heart could feel so full that it made it hard to breathe, hard to swallow.
I gulp a swallow and try not to burst into tears and drive off the dang road. I’ve never heard something so sweet in my life. It’s obvious how much he loved his mother. How much she meant to him. He’s living the life he is because he wanted to feel closer to her after she passed away.
And it’s the best tribute to her love that I can think of. His whole life is built on something she loved. Something that gave her joy.
And it gives him the same joy because of his memories of her.
“Drake Masters. You’re just a big softie.”
He grins and chuckles. “Don’t pass that around. I have a rep to maintain, you know.”
“You are so bad.”
“I’ve never been called that.”
We reach the bed and breakfast and I turn to him, watching his eyes gleam darkly. “Can I come by and talk to you about the book signing tomorrow?”
I nod. “Absolutely. I’ll be there!”
“Good. I’ll see you in the morning. I hope you have sweet dreams tonight, Alanis. You deserve them.”
He turns and opens the door and I watch his big, burly body walk to the door and turn to smile at me. Then he walks inside and disappears and I shake my head, like I’m waking from a dream.
A sweet dream that I’m not really sure that I deserve. But boy, do I want more of it.