“Hey, Mama.”Ross, nervous as he was, still felt glad to see her.“Can you give me one second?My car just died in the parking lot.I want to call a tow truck for it.”
Her mobile face creased in concern.“Oh, honey, I was worried about that car.I know it’s a Honda, but that thing has so many miles on it.”
“Yeah, I think it might have just given up the ghost.At least it got me safely here first.”Ross took a seat at the small table, pulling off hat and gloves as he did so, stashing them in his coat pocket before pulling out his phone.He knew precisely who to call for this.
“Hallo, Ross.What’s broke?”
“Rocco, I do love how you answer the phone.”Ross grinned, shaking his head.The kobold managed their machine shop, and was the clan’s mechanic.There was nothing he couldn’t fix.Ross rather hoped his car didn’t prove to be the exception.“My car just died in the parking lot.Can I shoot you the address, have you come tow it?”
The German accent went a bit more pronounced in worry.“Ja, of course.We’ll come get it.What’s it doing?”
“It gave this lurching, shuddering stop.I tried turning it on again, but the engine won’t turn over; I just hear a click and some kind of metal grinding noise.”
“That does not sound promising.But we’ll come get it, take a look.”
“Thanks, Rocco.Sorry for the trouble.”
“No trouble, no trouble.You tell Glenn?”
“No need.”Ross tried to make his tone repressive.The clan had gotten into a very bad habit of thinking that if anything happened to Ross, they had to tell Glenn.But Ross didn’t need his boyfriend for this.
And he’d rather not have the man show up and meet his mother just yet.
“Ja, okay.Your funeral.”
Ross just rolled his eyes.Like Glenn would be upset about this.“Thanks, Rocco.See you later.”He hung up.
Imani eyed him with concern.“Can you afford a new one?”
“Oh, sure.The job I’ve got pays damn well.I’d just rather nurse that one through the rest of college, as tuition’s no joke.”
“The job’s a good one, then?You haven’t said much about it.”
For damn good reason.Ross pinned on a smile.“It’s been a bit hectic, trying to get used to it all.My boss has his fingers in a lot of pies, so I help him oversee everything from a construction business to investments.It was a steep learning curve, let me tell you.”
Her dark eyes weighed him, studying every ounce of his expression.“Is that why I haven’t seen much of you lately?”
“That’s part of the reason.”Ross sucked in a deep breath for courage.Please, please, let this go well.Levonn hadn’t arrived yet, so he was on his own for this.“Other part of the reason is that I’ve gotten a boyfriend recently.”
Imani sat there for a solid five seconds, a woman waiting on the punchline.Her eyes were round in her face, jaw hanging a bit.Then she rallied with an almost audible snap, leaning towards him.“You gay, son?”
“Yes, Mama.”Ross held his breath, hands clenching nervously in his lap.
His mother reached over and smacked him on the upper arm.“You couldn’t tell me this before?You idjut son, here I’ve been talking you up to the girls, wasting my breath!I feel foolish trying to set you up on dates!”
This sounded potentially good?“You’re not upset I’m gay, though?”
Now she did look pissed off.“Are you doubting your mother’s love for you right now?I’mma tear a strip off your hide if that’s what you’re doing.”
The relief just about bowled him over.Ross felt giddy under a wash of strong emotion, and his grin was irrepressible.God, he did love this woman.Ross wisely went with, “No, ma’am.I know you love me.Just wasn’t sure how you’d take me being gay.”
Imani’s lips pursed.“I have no issue with it, just a warning.Our family don’t have much luck with attracting good men to us.You be careful who you date, honey.I don’t want you walking the same path I did, compromising your standards just so you have a man.Ain’t nothing worth that.”
It was so like his mother, to take him as he was and roll ahead with it.Ross got out of the chair to hug her, and she hugged him back, hard enough to leave bruises.He hadn’t a single complaint about it.
“If you’re hugging each other, did you just get here?”Levonn’s voice washed over them.
Ross stepped back and smiled at his older brother.“No, I just told her.She’s fine with it.”
