Chapter Nine
Grant
I pulled into my assigned parking spot and left the engine running.
The little devil on my shoulder desperately tried to convince me to turn around and go back home to spend the day in bed with Kiyah.
On the opposite shoulder, the angel reminded me of all my responsibilities and that I couldn’t afford to play hooky with my wife.
An alert on the dashboard caught my attention, and I saw an incoming text message.
Do Not Answer: I didn’t have a chance to make your lunch. Should I drop it off?
Me: That’s not necessary. Someone will order in.
Do Not Answer: If I had to guess, it would be Casey. He lacks self-control.
Me: I think it’s a Baker trait.
Do Not Answer: No, it’s an Eliza trait.
Me: It can’t be because you’re the epitome of lacking self-control.
Do Not Answer: Says the man whose dick and balls are drenched in my pussy juices right now.
She got me there.
Me: I need to get to work. I left a credit card on the foyer table.
Do Not Answer: Definitely a Baker trait. Also, your crossword puzzle has been completed.
The corner of my mouth lifted, bringing me back to simpler times when we’d spend lazy Sundays eating breakfast in bed and filling out the daily puzzle.
“Jesus Christ!” I shouted, fumbling with my phone.
“What are you doing, Big Bro?” I controlled my breathing as the youngest pain in my ass giggled his butt off after beating on my window and scaring the shit out of me. “Are you texting that Corgi chick?”
“Fuck it. I’m kicking his ass,” I mumbled, loosening my tie. We were grappling in the parking lot a few seconds later, and I had him in a side-standing headlock.
“Kier, don’t let him go for the takedown!” Casey shouted, exiting his flashy Corvette.
“B-big Bro… is this necessary?” Kieran grunted as he attempted to swipe one of my feet from under me.
“Tap out,” I panted, trying to maintain my hold on him. Kieran was leaner than me, but he had a solid core, and it was hell trying to get him to break his stance. All the Baker children were black belts in karate and jujitsu, and Kieran was the only one of us who still regularly practiced.
“It sounds like you’re getting tired, Big Bro.
I can do this all day,” he teased. He grabbed my wrist, and I could anticipate his next move.
Unfortunately for me, he was lighter and faster.
He stepped between my legs, postured up, and broke my hold.
Fast as lightning, he grabbed my arm that was around his neck and wrenched it behind my back before driving me into the driver’s side mirror.
“Oh, shit!” Casey exclaimed when my head cracked against the side mirror.
“You guys are officially uninvited from my wedding,” Daisy drawled. I was too busy getting my ass kicked to notice her arrival.
“My bad, Big Bro. I didn’t mean to do it!” Kieran apologized frantically.
“It’s those steroids he does with Ronan,” Daisy claimed.
“I don’t do steroids!” Kieran protested.
Casey blew a raspberry. “Yeah, I’m not buying it.”
“No wonder you don’t get bitches. You should be embarrassed that you let that bean pole manhandle you like that,” Daisy huffed, handing me a handkerchief.
“What’s that for?” I asked, chuckling.
“You’re bleeding, dingbat.”
I dabbed at my forehead. Sure enough, I was bleeding.
“I’m sorry, Grant,” Kieran apologized again. I chuckled at the absurdity of the situation and thanked my lucky stars that Dad hadn’t decided to make an impromptu visit.
He’d probably come out of retirement and force me to step down.
“Stop apologizing. You won fair and square, but I want a rematch,” I said, bowing slightly.
Kieran grinned impishly. “Any time, any place, Big Bro.”
* * *
“Mhm… mhm… mhm,” I acknowledged as my fingers flew over the keyboard. “Oh… I’m truly sorry for your loss. I’m not a parent myself, but I can’t imagine how devastating this is for you and your family.”
My brows creased when my mother sauntered into my office. From the look on her face, I could tell she was judging me harshly.
For what? I don’t have a clue.
As I finished my call, I watched her raid the wicker snack basket on the bar.
“Thank you, Mrs. Jimenez, for thinking of Baker Personal Injury & Law to represent you and the other families during this time of tragedy. I’d be happy to meet you and the other parents for an official consultation.
” I paused to check my watch. “How about we shoot for 3:00 PM, give or take, depending on the traffic? Wonderful,” I said, standing to my feet.
“I’ll see you soon,” I said, hanging up the phone.
“Tough case?” Mom asked as I shoved the essentials into my satchel.
I sighed. “Honestly, it’s a fucking landslide, but—”
“Emotionally taxing. I get it,” she articulated with a nod. “You’re wearing the same expression your father would wear when children were involved. What happened?”
“A school bus driver with an expired license—three children are dead and ten are injured. The injured children range from moderate to critical. There’s a potential that the death toll may rise.”
“That’s awful.”
“It is. You wanted something?”
“I planned on taking you out to lunch, but it seems you have your hands full.”
She only wants to take me to lunch to chew me out about Dad, Corgirella, or both. Try again next time, lady.
“I do. I’m sorry. Casey’s in court, but maybe Kieran will accompany you. We all know how he loves a free meal.”
Mom clucked her tongue. “I wish that little boy would get out of my house already.”
“That bad, huh?” I laughed.
“Grant, I don’t know where your brother gets his cheapskate behavior from, but it’s alarming. He acts like he’s from the trenches.”
“What do you expect from a man who wears his father’s ‘vintage’ hand-me-down suits because he doesn’t want to spend money on a wardrobe?”
“He showed me an apartment listing and nearly had a meltdown over the $1,400.00 rent.”
“Where the hell did he find $1,400.00 rent in this economy?”
“On the side of town where you don’t want to wear the wrong colors.”
“Jesus.”
“Your father permitted him to move into the guest house, but he started squealing about ghosts, so we left it at that.”
“I don’t know why he doesn’t move in with Ronan,” I huffed, slinging my bag onto my shoulder.
“Kieran’s OCD wouldn’t allow it, and you know it,” she said, following me out of the office. I paused outside Kieran’s door and knocked before opening it.
“What’s up, Big Bro? Oh, hey, Mom.”
“Hi, sweetheart.”
“Kieran, I have to take off to Houston to meet with some grieving parents. I’m 90% certain we’ll represent them in a class action lawsuit against the school district.
I need you to hold down the fort while I’m gone.
Casey’s not here, and Daisy is already in Honeymoon Mode, so she won’t be worth a damn. ”
“She never is. Don’t tell her I said that.”
“Your secret is safe with me. I’ll bring you on to assist with this case, and Daisy will take over pro bono when she returns from her honeymoon.”
“Oh… she won’t like that,” he mumbled.
“Probably not, and I’ll pay for it. I’ll see you later.”
“Take it easy,” he said, returning to his computer monitor.
I nearly arrived at my car when I realized Mom hadn’t veered off to her vehicle.
“As I said, I’m sorry I couldn’t make lunch today. I’ll make it up to you.”
“Nonsense,” she replied, rounding the front of my Mercedes to the passenger side.
“Um…where are you going?”
“With you, son. Unlock the car.”
“I don’t think—”
“Unlock the car, Maxwell.”
Maxwell….
I hit the unlock button on my key fob, tossed my bag into the backseat, and removed my jacket while I tried to think happy thoughts and not how I’d be nagged for a six-hour round trip.
“Sweetheart, since we can’t get down for lunch, we should stop at Buc-ee’s. What do you think about that?” she asked when I climbed into the driver’s seat.
“Whatever you want, Mom.”
She grinned and tossed her salt and pepper curls over her shoulder, elated that she would get her way.
I looked away from her because if I looked too long, she started to resemble Kiyah.
Thankfully, Kiyah had enough of her father in her that I didn’t feel like I was fucking my stepmom.
However, the two women still shared subtle similarities, such as their smiles and eyes.
“I meant to ask—what happened to your forehead?”
“I was sparring with Kieran, and he’d gotten the better of me,” I said, absentmindedly touching the bandage on my forehead.
“I don’t know why you thought that was a good idea.”
“Me neither.”
We’d only made it two miles down the road when she launched into her tirade. “Maxwell, I wanted to talk to you about your behavior at dinner last—you’re getting an incoming text message from Do Not Answer. Who is that?”
“Don’t answer that.” It was too late. My mother let out the loudest, bloodcurdling scream I’d ever heard, forcing me to pull over to the shoulder and throw the car into park. I closed the text and waited for her to calm the hell down.
But how can she when she unknowingly saw her daughter’s pussy with my cum dripping out of it with the message, “Your cum looks so good leaking out of me.” Thank God it was just a pussy shot.
“Grant Maxwell Baker… I-I-I—what kind of women are you laying with?” she screeched. “We raised you better than that! This is disgusting behavior! And you’re not using protection? Grant! Oh, my God. Oh, my God. You need to stop messing with this girl. This is broken home behavior!”
I felt my cheeks redden as Mom laid into me.
Don’t laugh. Don’t laugh. Don’t laugh.
“No wonder you didn’t give that poor girl a chance last night because you’re too busy laid up with porn stars,” she chastised.
“She’s not a porn star, Mom.”
“Nobody gets their clit pierced for nothing. What the fuck.”
She’s really mad.
“Okay…I think you need to take a deep breath and calm down before you stroke out. Don’t bite my head off for saying this, but this is your fault for not respecting my privacy.
I know you’re my mother, but that doesn’t grant you access to every facet of my life—including but not limited to my personal correspondence in whatever form it may be. ”
“Grant, I was 3000% in the wrong, I’ll admit that, but I need you to be safe out here. Next thing you know, there’s a kid you have to pay a crap ton of child support for, or you have an STD you can’t get rid of. Why do I have to have the safe sex talk with you at your grown age?”
“You don’t have to.”
“Obviously, I do. Cut this… this… cut her off and get you someone you can bring home to meet your mother and father. You know what? I think I’ve had enough for the day. I’m feeling a little weary. Please drop me off at my car.”
“Sorry,” I said, throwing the car into drive. “I can’t afford to double back. I don’t want to be late for my meeting. It looks like you’re stuck with me.”