I’m worried out of my mind as I turn into Ma and Dad’s driveway. Her message to me has been playing on a loop in my mind since she sent it a few hours ago. Luck would have it that things were quiet today, and I had nothing to distract me from the worry of what she might have to say.
Jasper had given up on trying to get me to talk early on, and I was happy about that because I didn’t even know why I was so worried. Other than a general sense of something being wrong.
I push open the front door and step inside. Ma’s usually in the kitchen cooking. It’s her happy place, after all—she and Luca have that in common—but she’s sitting on the couch instead, staring at the door like she’s been counting the minutes until I would show up.
“Hey, Ma. Everything okay?”
She shakes her head and shrugs at the same time, confusing me further. “I don’t know, really. Come sit down.”
“Where’s Dad?”
She waves a hand in front of her. “Getting the chickens fresh water. That dang heater we got isn’t working like it should, and it keeps freezing up.”
I nod, trying to figure out why I’m here. “Does he need help with it?”
“What?” Ma glances over at me, then shakes her head. “No, it’s not that.”
I’m about to lose it when she sighs. “Have you guys heard anything about Luca’s ex?”
My stomach drops out. “Um, no? Should we have?”
Ma smooths her pant legs, a surefire sign she’s nervous. “Someone came into the diner last night.”
Nerves rattle in my stomach. “Okay…”
“He was asking about Luca,” Ma whispers, worry reflecting in her eyes.
“I told him I didn’t know who he was. Somethin’ just felt off about him, y’know?” she says, smoothing her pants again. “But… I don’t know.”
“What did he look like?” I hear myself asking over the blood rushing in my ears. What the fuck is going on? Is Damien in town asking around about Luca? This is going to devastate him. He’s been feeling so safe lately.
“He was older than you boys. Medium build. He looked sophisticated and put together. Out of place in my diner, that’s for sure. I’ve never seen anyone come in there with a suit. Not even the church crowd.”
Anxiety crawls up my throat. Everything she’s saying points to Damien; every single thing. I haven’t seen him in person since I was eighteen, and my memories of him are fuzzy, but I’ve seen photos. And I think Luca might still have some on his socials, so I yank myphone out of my pocket in a daze to look.
It doesn’t take me long to find one, since Luca hasn’t been using any social media since he got here. I turn the phone to show Ma. “Him?”
Ma grabs her reading glasses off the coffee table, then takes the phone from me, peering at the screen. She studies it for a second, then shakes her head, handing the phone back to me. “No. That’s not him.”
Relief floods me. “Fuck. That’s good.”
“Austin Lawson, you watch your mouth.”
Shit. “Sorry, Ma.”
“Besides,” she continues, ignoring my apology. “I’m not sure it’s good. He was asking weird questions. Have I seen him? Do I know where he lives? I kept telling him no, and he kept ignoring me, talking over me like he knew better. I don’t trust it, Austin.”
I don’t trust it, either. Not even a little bit. If he was in a suit, he could be one of Damien’s lawyer buddies. Or hell, even a private investigator. Anything is possible. “If he comes back in again, can you try to get a photo of him?”
Mom nods. “But I’m worried about it. Should I let Luca know? I don’t want him afraid to come to work. I want him to feel safe with me.”
It’s easy to hear the pain in her voice. She loves Luca like her own son and always has. “I know, Ma. He does. He does feel safe with you.” I have to talk to him. I have to let him know. “Okay, maybe you tell Arlo. Arlo can help keep an eye on things. And I’ll talk to Luc. He closes for you a lot, right?”
“Yeah. He’s always sending me home early. He and Arlo both. They don’t even let me clean my own kitchen anymore.”
I smile at that, despite the way my stomach is churning. God, Ihate everything about this. Luca’s been so happy. Even the thought of derailing that has my heart aching. He deserves so much better. So much better than a life where he’s looking over his shoulder and afraid. Damien shouldn’t get to have that power over him. Fuck.
I’ll do anything to protect him, though. Anything.
