Chapter 53

At soft warmth against my cheek, I grinned while opening my eyelids. In a swirl of tickling hair, my mother smiled down at me. Wearing bulky gray sweats, she sat on the side of the bed. When she swept a thick ponytail aside with one hand and leaned her neck close, I pushed my mouth against her.

“That’s it, baby. I’m your bitch,” she whispered in the dim morning light. “Your bitch.”

As I sank my teeth, she moaned, shoving against my ribs. When a louder moan escaped, Shayna glanced at the open doorway. With the sun not yet risen, there was no sign of dad.

“I’m going to the gym. And I need ... Thank you, Kyle.”

While nodding, I pulled from her and sucked on my lips. Unfocused, her eyes blinked several times as she pulled her hair back, tightening the high ponytail.

“It’ll be okay, mom.” Not mommy, simply mom.

“I know, baby. It’s only that...” When she fell silent and lay beside me, my heart thundered. “You’re my world, Kyle. You’ve been the reason for so much in my life. And...”

As her lips pressed into my cheek, I gulped. At the glittery tear breaking free to race along the side of her nose, I held in a sob. Yeah, what she’d left unsaid; when I was gone, then what?

With her against me, it was different that morning. The evening’s overheard conversation between her and dad? The visit of my suckling shadow? No idea, but I didn’t get aroused. Well, not as much as I usually did.

However, I was hyper-aware. Every breath pushing her chest into my shoulder sent my pulse roaring. And the warm trail as her mouth wandered along my cheek. It was beyond quiet. Only our breathing and her soft kisses mixed with the odd sniffle.

“I’ve gotta go, baby,” she whispered at last while beginning to lift.

With a growl, I lurched for her sinewy throat. She froze, quivering as I gripped her with my lips and pressed my teeth deeper. A winding mewl slid from her trembling lips.

“Yes. Yes, I’ll remember. Yours. Your bitch, Kyle. Baby.”

Once I’d released her, she stood and staggered from the room, with a gym bag over one shoulder. At the doorframe, she turned and smiled. God, how her brilliant blue irises gleamed with golden swirls in the morning sunlight. Although we said nothing more, behind her eyes so much whirled. And my brain was alight with—possibilities. Not probabilities. With little hope, I simply wanted to keep her in my life for as long as possible.

So, yeah, by the time dad appeared sometime later, I was wide awake, petting Shayna. With his face haggard, dad’s eyes were red and rimmed with dark circles.

“Hey there, kiddo.”

As he moved like a robot, readying me for the day, I caught each of his yawns. But he said nothing. Other than a raised eyebrow after a swift sniff of the air, he kept his gaze from me. No doubt my mother’s lingering perfume.

Once at the breakfast table, he at last looked at me. After two deep breaths, he forced a smile. When Shayna eased under his fingers so he could rake through her neck fur, my heartbeat thumped. His mouth opened. Game time.

“Kyle. You’re a smart kid. I figure you’ve noticed some, uh, changes.” When I kept silent, he swallowed before continuing. “So, Shayna here. I, uh, I’d found this guy. Read the reviews. Your mother and I talked about it. Over and over. He had a demand. The only demand. And well...”

At a stronger shudder, dad quieted. After lifting a trembling mug to his lips, he took a long slurp. With a soft exhale, he lowered it to the table before glancing at Shayna. His fingers sank deep into her fur. At last, he returned to me.

“Your mother finally agreed. And, uh, out there, you, um, saw that. But there are some ramifications. You witnessed those, too. Now, your mom, well, she’s...”

With his shoulders sinking, he fell silent again. His eyes were nothing but dull blankness. While he struggled for the right words, his thin lips opened and closed.

“It’s okay, dad. I’m sure whatever you and mom did, it’ll turn out for the best,” I said with a smile on my face.

The smile was fake. And I’d left off “after I’m gone.” But at that point, it was simply good enough that he’d tried to explain.

“I’m taking her out tonight, Kyle.” Bless him; a grin appeared on dad and the faintest twinkle emerged in his tired eyes. “I’ll get a caretaker to stay with you.”

Boom. As if zapped by lightning, my brain roared into gear. Words flew from somewhere to shoot from my lips.

“Not sure anyone’s gonna come on such short notice, dad. How about Ms. Richardson? I was fine with her and—”

“Yes, well, I doubt she’s available either.” He chuckled. “A pretty lady like her on a Saturday night? Besides, you don’t need the, uh, tutoring.”

Not anymore. He left that off, but it was in his eyes.

“She’s really, uh, kind.” As my heart flicked between racing and halting at every question behind his look, words continued to arrive. “And knows a whole lot about moving me around.” Understatement of the century. I glanced out the rear slider. “It’s, um, supposed to be nice. We could hang out at the pool in the evening, or something. I’ll be good, I promise.”

And engage puppy-dog eyes. I gave him a long blink. Shayna’s head tilted. Oh, yeah, I was trying my damndest.

“Fine. You’re correct, she’s a good woman. I’ll give her a call.”

And then I decided to double down. With time racing away from me, what choice did I have?

“You and mom doing errands later?”

“Yes. As soon as she gets home and showers. I’ve no idea where she finds the energy to hit the gym every day.”

“I know right.” I laughed. “She stopped by on the way out to say good morning.”

Boom, perfume lingering explained. As dad took another sip, he nodded. His demeanor relaxed. Which brought a wider grin to me. Game time, take two.

“Maybe, while you’re out, Mrs. Cameron could visit? We’d, uh, had some profound conversations. About Jesus and stuff. Prophets and ‘Sermon on the Mount’ things.”

Thank God, literally, for Sunday School but that was about the extent of my knowledge. While dad’s eyebrows lifted, he set the mug on the table to pet Shayna for a while before looking at me.

“Okay. I’ll ask her. It might be kinda—”

“—important? Yep, that’s what I figure, dad. You know...”

Rather than finish, I gestured at the chariot. While trying to look sad, my pulse was somewhere in the stratosphere. After the past few days, I needed Mrs. Cameron something awful.

Right after arriving home, my mother dashed to the shower. From the back deck where I was gaming, I caught dad’s eyes tracking her from his office. When he met mine, I’m pretty sure I had the same look. At least she was still in her sweats. Soon after, I looked up when the slider shifted. After clearing his throat, he smiled.

“Your lucky day, kiddo. Ms. Richardson would be delighted to watch you again. Heck, she sounded disappointed it was just for the evening.”

She wasn’t the only one.

“And Mrs. Cameron was out-and-out flustered. She’s got some faith in you, son. Anyway, I tried to dissuade her, but she’s doing a quick bake of something and will be here soon. Well, her word was ‘soon-ish.’”

As he laughed, I joined in, already imagining how in the heck the day would go. I mean, yes, I’d see both of them, but I had plenty to explain. And no idea how they’d react. And yet, as I calmed, I caught the lowest drumbeat. Not quite the strident rhythm of before. More like a simple, repetitive chord. A steady timer?

No sooner had my mother appeared in blue jeans and a loose V-necked emerald blouse than the doorbell rang. I’d not heard a car. After a quick glance at Shayna, she tugged on the slider. Just as dad opened the front door, I rolled inside.

And came to a halt.

Backlit in the doorframe, Mrs. Cameron glowed in the sunlight. Held by a golden barrette, her wavy red tresses blazed. Once again, she wore a flower print dress with a ruffled high collar, long sleeves, and small shiny buttons running down its front. Her church-lady costume. This one was pink with darker flowers. Also, it was thinner; the silhouette of her curves had my breath hitching.

“Hello, Dave. Wendy.” My God, she had the warmest smile I’d seen in ages. “I brought you some brownies.”

“Thanks, Julie.” Dad said while ushering her inside and easing the door closed. “You shouldn’t have.”

“I know, but I felt...” When Mrs. Cameron shifted to my mother, the smile dimmed. “How are you doing, Wendy? I’m sorry to hear about...”

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