13. Reese #2
I let go of my dad, and he stepped back so I could wrap my arms around her.
“Oh, Reese,” she said through her tears.
“I’m so sorry, Mom.” I held her tight. “I’m so, so sorry.”
She gently rubbed my back. “It’s okay. You’re home now.”
After a long moment, I let go, and she stepped back.
Although she’d aged since I’d been gone, she didn’t look old. Her brown hair was streaked with gray, and she had smile lines around her eyes. She took off her blue-rimmed glasses to wipe away her tears, but she didn’t stop smiling.
She replaced her glasses and looked me up and down. “You’re so different. If I saw you on the street, I don’t know if I would have recognized you.”
“He grew.” Dad held his hands out horizontally, indicating I’d gotten wider.
I’d always been the tallest of my brothers, but when I’d left, I’d been soft and out of shape. For most of my childhood, I’d been picked on for being chubby. My brothers had gotten into more than one playground scuffle defending me.
That chubby Reese Haven was no more. I’d spent years training—and eating—like a bodybuilder, and I had the physique to show for it. I looked a hell of a lot different.
“Yeah, a lot of hours in the gym,” I said with a shrug.
“Let’s not stand out here in the driveway,” Mom said. “Come inside.”
I followed my parents inside, and as soon as I crossed the threshold, the scents of my childhood washed over me.
It smelled warm and clean, like wood and citrus.
I stopped in the hallway to gaze at the photos.
The last time I’d been there, it had been filled with pictures of me and my siblings.
Many of those were still on display, but they’d been rearranged to make room for new ones.
Graduation pictures. Wedding photos. Pictures of my nieces and nephews.
Suddenly, it felt like I’d missed a lifetime.
Missed everything.
“Aren’t they beautiful?” Mom asked. “They’re going to be so excited to meet you.”
“I don’t know about that.”
“What do you mean?”
“I don’t know if everyone is going to have the same reaction as you.”
“Let Zachary take a swing at you,” Dad said. “That’ll be the end of it.”
“Paul,” Mom scolded.
“He’s gonna do it anyway. Might as well take the hit and get it over with.”
Mom started to argue, but I put a hand on her shoulder. “It’s okay. Dad’s right.”
She shook her head and led me deeper into the house.
The living room looked the same as I remembered. Blue furniture draped with hand-knit throw blankets. More family photos on the mantel. A woodstove that provided most of their heat in the winter.
Dad veered for the kitchen. “Can I get you a beer?”
“Don’t you think it’s a little early?” Mom asked.
He glanced at her with a hint of mischief in his expression. “No.”
She grinned. “Suit yourself.”
“Can I get my bride anything?” he asked.
“No, I’m fine. Thank you.”
I agreed with Dad. Given the circumstances, it was not too early for a beer. I accepted the bottle and took a sip as we all sat in the cozy living room.
“Listen, there’s something else I need to talk to you about,” I said.
Mom sat forward, her eyes intent on me.
How was I going to explain this? “The work I do is kind of…unique.”
“Illegal?” Dad asked.
Mom shot him a look.
I wasn’t offended. It was a fair question. “No. I’m legit, although I guess I do bend the rules sometimes.”
He shrugged, like that was just what a person did.
“So what is it you do?” Mom asked.
“Private security. Sometimes that means being a bodyguard. Other times it’s a little more tactical. I just got back from Peru, doing security for an archaeological site.”
“Wow,” Mom said. “Have you spent a lot of time overseas?”
“Off and on. My current client is different, though. She’s a single mom with a ten-year-old son. Her ex is a member of an outlaw motorcycle club. He showed up where she lives with the intention of taking the kid.”
Mom put a hand over her mouth. “Oh, no.”
“She’s tried to move before, but they always find her. So I thought it was time she got farther away.”
“They’re here with you?” Mom asked.
I nodded. “She’s back at the motel.”
“Reese Michael Haven,” Mom said, and I didn’t miss Dad’s smirk at the way she scolded me. “Why didn’t you bring them?”
“I will, I just figured I should see you first.”
She stood and swiped the beer from my hand. “Go. Get them. You can’t leave them in some motel room.”
I gaped at my empty hand for a second while Mom went to the kitchen.
“What is she doing?” I asked my dad.
“Making breakfast,” he said, his tone indicating that was a stupid question.
“If you were on the road yesterday, I’m sure they’re hungry,” Mom said as she started opening cupboards. “I’ll have a nice, hearty breakfast waiting for them.”
“Mom, there’s one more thing.”
“What’s that?”
“We need to keep them hidden. So we’re going to pose as a family. We’ll pretend she’s my wife and he’s my stepson.”
“Smart,” Dad said, taking a drink of his beer, as if what I was suggesting was a completely normal thing to do.
Mom looked a little more concerned. “How is that going to work?”
“We’ll get a place together with enough space to be roommates. And they’ll use my last name. I won’t keep it a secret from the family. That’s why I’m telling you. But I want the rest of the town to think she’s my wife. And only until we know she’s safe. Then I’ll…”
“Then you’ll what?” she asked.
“Go back to Arizona. Where I live.”
She raised an eyebrow, like there was something about that she didn’t quite believe. “Well, you know we’ll keep your secret. The rest of the family will, too. Do you have a place to live yet?”
“No.”
“Paul, do you and Josiah have anything available?”
“The house we’re working on isn’t finished. But if you want to pitch in, we could have it done in a week or so.”
“Does she need a job?” Mom asked before I could reply.
“Yeah, she does.”
“What does she do?”
“Her last job was at a diner.”
“Hmm.” She paused. “I’m not positive, but the Copper Kettle might be hiring. If not, we can check the Caboose. Oh! I’ll call Krista Andolini. She and her husband own Home Slice Pizza. I don’t know if your client wants to work at a pizza place, but Anton and Krista are such lovely people.”
“Summer,” I said. “Her name is Summer. And her son is Nate.”
Mom kept talking, with the occasional grunt from my dad, brainstorming potential job contacts for Summer.
I gazed at her in wonder. I’d told Summer that regardless of what my family thought about me, they’d help her.
And yet, it still amazed me how fast they sprang into action.
Dad really did have a potential place for us to live.
And Mom was ready to call everyone she knew to help her find work.
I did not deserve them.
Summer and Nate did, though.
“All right, enough chitchat,” Mom said, waving me toward the door. “Go. Get them.”
“Okay, I’m going.”
Dad glanced at Mom as she bustled in the kitchen, then turned to me with a subtle smile as I stood to leave. “Glad to have you back, Son.”
The sincerity in his voice was threatening to choke me up, so I just nodded. Then I left to go get my fake family.