Oh shit. I really stepped in it this time.“Just think of it as a possibility.”
Even though her face is red and her hands balled in fists, a tear escapes down one cheek. “My God, you are an insufferable ass. You do realize that?”
She turns on her heel, finds the front door, and leaves me sitting there with my mouth open. I stand with a heavy sigh, wondering what words I can find to undo the damage.
“Sorry about her language, Mom.”
“Don’t even think of apologizing. I can’t imagine what she’s gone through. I recognize her, now. She’s that wife of that rich sonofabitch who didn’t leave her a dime, isn’t she? I just read his brother was found murdered. I assume she’s involved?”
“Yeah.” Miserable, I walk to the dishwasher and put in my glass. How long I should give Sienna before I go chasing after her?
My mother stares while innocently sipping on her iced tea. Did she guess me and Sienna are sleeping together? “Does the sheriff know you broughta clientinto town?”
“Uh-huh. I called Clint before I left New York.”
Out the front window, Sienna pauses at the foot of the driveway, no doubt deciding which way to go. She turns north.
“That’s my son, always taking care of things.”
“Always had to.”Shit. I hadn’t meant to let that slip. What the fuck is wrong with me today?
Mom’s face drops. “I am so sorry, baby. You know I had no idea how bad things got with your father.”
“No. I’m sorry, Mom, I didn’t mean anything by it.” I inch toward the door. I need to run after Sienna.
“You did and it’s okay, Andrew. I had no idea how bad your Dad’s Alzheimer’s had become. Right after the accident, I put him in a home. I never left you alone with him again.”
Accident? He nearly killed me.However, there’s no point in dredging up the past.
“I know. You did good. You got one NFL star and a millionaire lawyer.” I lean over and hug her sadness away. “You worked two jobs to make sure we wanted for nothing. I had no business complaining. I’m just tired.”
And worried about Sienna.Not to mention how coming home brings the past to life. Upstairs is the bathroom where my brother hid. In front of me is the living room where my Dad busted my spleen and broke my arm. And out the front window, Sienna is gone.
There’s plenty of space for her to walk off some steam which I assume she is doing. Damn, I wish she hadn’t overheard me. The DA insisted I fill out the paperwork, especially when I mentioned the hard drive.
“I’ll be right back.”
I grab Mom’s keys and circle the block a few times until I find Sienna almost a half mile away. When I pull into the parking lot, she’s sitting on a picnic table outside Tom’s Diner with a large plastic cup and a pile of wings. She pointedly ignores me, chewing slowly, staring at her plate.
Damned if her anger don’t tear at my insides. The southern redneck rears his ugly head.
Maybe I’ll just pull her into my arms and make love to her until she sees how foolish she is. Hell, I can argue to a judge and jury for hours on end but can’t find the right words to say to the woman I’m falling for. I’m in so deep, the hole ends at the opposite side of the world.
“Hey, babe. You okay?”
My God. That’s the best I got?
Her eyes flick up for a second then focus on her meal so I try again. “I thought you said you weren’t hungry.”
She slowly wipes the fiery sauce from her lips with a paper napkin. After swallowing, she chugs some iced tea all the while glaring bullets at me. “I want to go home, Andrew.”
“Not happening.” Her tone pisses me off. Hadn’t I put my mom in danger just to keep her safe? This is the thanks I get?
“I’m your client. You work for me. Take me home or I swear I’ll figure it out on my own.” She hasn’t got the funds but I’m too smart to say so.
“What is up with you?”
“With me?” She stands, slides out from under the picnic table and places ten red fingers on my pristine white shirt. “Just leave me alone. Call Jack if you must. Go.”
