Chapter 49

One minute I was in utter confusion, the next sunlight was warming my reclining frame while the chariot rumbled along the pool deck. As I squinted at Haley’s shadowy figure moving alongside, a moment of clarity struck me. Months of weirdness, even before the desert. A slew of puzzle pieces tumbled into place in my mind.

Not just Haley. But about my mother. Shards of glimmering crystal interlocked, forming an image. One that encompassed them both.

After Shayna tugged the door closed, she dashed for a shady tree and collapsed, but held her gaze on me. For my part, I moved towards the pool to stare into the rippling water. While facing away from her, I exhaled.

“Tell me the truth, Haley. You really enjoy performing for your daddy and his friends, don’t you?”

“Yes.” As she appeared beside me, her hand squeaked on the chair’s backrest. “Yes, I do, Kyle.”

“And the sex?”

Rather than answer, she kicked off her heeled sandals before lowering herself to sit on the edge of the steps. With her feet swishing in the water, she stared across the shimmering pool. As a gentle breeze sent her ponytail sliding along her back, the silence stretched.

“Yes,” slipped from her at last. “You’re not gonna judge me, are you?”

At the sudden tinge of sadness in her voice, my breath hitched. I wished she could’ve seen the grin flash onto my lips. After my mother? Who the heck was I to judge anyone?

“No.”

At her lengthy sigh and the relaxing of her frame, I let my grin widen. With a soft whir, I moved the chariot so I could lay my hand on her shoulder.

“This place is gorgeous, Kyle.” After scanning the trees, she closed her eyes and raised her face to the sun. “Never had a pool. There was one at the old trailer park. But it was always drained.”

Just as I was thinking up a response, the door slid open, and dad peeked out. With his brows furled, he spent a long second on Haley before finding me.

“Hey, uh, kiddo. Sorry, I forgot. Everything at work. And with your mother. It’s got my mind spinning. You still want that swim time?”

As he stepped out, I held in a laugh. His mind was spinning? He should see the whirlwinds that roamed mine. Wait a minute? With my heartbeat thumping, I glanced at Haley. Though I’d told her we were gonna be at the pool, she had no swimsuit. Left it in the truck?

“Uh, don’t worry about me,” she said after catching my glance. “I can sit and chat, Kyle.”

Despite a flicker in her eye sending a weird ripple through me, I returned to him. While aiming the chariot for the lift, I nodded.

“Yes, dad. Thanks.”

As he worked to move me, Haley lifted from the pool edge to help. Soon, she was following his directions. That ignited the strange tremor. Dad and her. My mother, but younger. And as beautiful. When she caught my gaze, she flashed a grin and shifted. It was enough to give me a peek at one swaying full breast. Yeah, a lot like my mother.

“Thanks, uh, Haley,” dad said while trying not to stare at her.

He must’ve noticed the resemblance. He’d been there. In the desert. And, duh, married her. My mother, not Haley. After flashing me a smile, he motioned her clear and lowered me into the balmy water.

While watching us, Haley moved to the side and sat, dangling her legs in the pool. Once I’d paddled free of the mesh, dad straightened before stretching his back. With hands on hips, he looked from Haley to me.

“Hey, um, you know what, kiddo.” He flashed me a grin. “Why don’t I, uh, head down to the coffee shop? Get a change of scenery. If you need me, call me. And, uh, make sure Haley has my number. Um, just in case.”

“Okay, dad.”

Behind his narrowed eyes and forced grin, a million unspoken words lived. Beginning with, “my son has little time left and he should enjoy as much of it with a pretty girl as he can.”

Once he’d disappeared inside, I meandered around the pool, while Haley faced the sun. In the trees, the soft breeze rustled leaves. Motionless and tense, Shayna—observed. It was as if there was a clock somewhere ticking down.

No sooner had the front door thumped behind dad, than the clockworks halted. At Haley’s swift motions, I halted in mid-stroke to gasp. After a quick flick of her ponytail, she hopped up. With a laugh, she stripped away her tiny top. At my sharper inhale, almost choking on the water, she shot me a fake glare.

“What? You said you’re dying. You’ve got little time, Kyle. So, I’m skipping a few steps.”

As the world wobbled, her voice arrived in pulses. The smile returned. With her arms in the air and eyelids closed, she twirled topless on her toes, facing skyward. When she slowed to peer at me, her grin widened. After halting, her hands went to her waist. At the sudden glimmer in her eyes, my heartbeat thundered. It was the same gleam as was often in my mother’s.

Haley had put on a show. Just for me.

At the snap of a button, my gaze dropped to the denim strip across her pelvis. Except she wasn’t my mother and I should’ve stopped her. But I didn’t. Instead, I kept paddling in the middle while scanning her. When she bent at the waist, driving the shorts and her undies to her bare ankles, the air ceased moving through my lips.

After one swift kick, she laughed while again spinning on her tiptoes. As her lean, supple form twirled, the sun glimmered off the fine hairs of a heart-shaped patch atop her perfect peach.

Another show. Only for me.

At last, she settled back to her feet before fixing her ponytail and sashaying for the steps. Yes, sashaying. Just like my mother. My not-normal life was becoming downright creepy.

Only as she stood there with one hand on the chrome railing did I detect the twinkle of a jewel at the top of her seam. Oh, and no surprise, between those wondrous sinewy legs, was a perfect three finger gap, also like my mother’s.

No drums. No insane voice. Only the hammering of my heartbeat kept me company as I scanned her lean figure.

“I love that look, Kyle.”

“Huh? What look?” I said, after meeting her glimmering blue pools.

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