“Kash doesn’t see it as drama or commitment, and neither does Oz.Surely, you see that.”
I cut my eyes at Kash, who was trying not to laugh.He looked smug.
“Kash lost his mind years ago, first time he got a look at Cressida.Like he’d been waiting to fall in love.And Oz is just batshit.I know he’s your son, but, Mom, he’s a stalker.Obsessive psycho.”
Mom laughed again.“He is not,” she said.“He was just protecting Winslet until he could admit he was in love with her.”
I turned my head to look at her.“Mom, seriously?What he did was not sane.”
She pressed her lips together, and her eyes twinkled with amusement.“Perhaps it was a little off-balance, but Winslet forgave him.She loves him just as fiercely.”
“I think she needs counseling myself,” I quipped.
“Oh, Forge,” Mom said with a chuckle.“Always my rule follower.”
Kash let out a bark of laughter.“Rule follower?Like hell.He’s just good at covering his tracks.”
The chime went off, signaling that someone had come inside the back door that led out to the five-car garage.
“Your father must be back,” Mom said, glancing down the hallway that led back there.“I told him to take his time.He rarely goes anywhere anymore.”
“He would rather be here with you,” I told her.
A soft expression touched her face.“And I love having him with me.”
The sound of the front door opening drew our attention toward it, and both Kash and I stood up.No one just walked in other than Oz.But why would he and Dad be arriving at the same time?Neither Kash nor I got very far before Oz appeared in the doorway, followed by Winslet, who was holding a gift in her hands.
“Warm enough?”Dad asked, coming up to Mom and placing his hands on her shoulders as he stood behind her.
She tilted her head back and gazed up at him.“Yes.The boys are keeping the fire nice and hot.”
He nodded, then glanced at the two of us before looking at Oz and giving him a nod.
“Well, isn’t this a pleasant surprise?I didn’t know I was going to have you all here at the same time,” Mom said.“How much longer does Cressida have in her class?”
Kash glanced at the time on his phone.“She’ll be done in about ten minutes.I think it wraps up at eleven.”
I hadn’t realized Cressida was here.
“I’m done,” her voice called out as she walked into the room.
Kash held out a hand to her and winked.God, they were mushy.
“How’d the test go?”he asked her.
“Eh, I think I did good,” she said with a small shrug.
“All right, now that we’re all here,” Dad said in a more jovial voice than he usually had.He waved a hand at Oz as if he was supposed to say something.
Oz was holding Winslet’s hand while she held the bright yellow package with a fancy-ass bow in her other.They looked at each other, and she held the present out to him.He didn’t take it right away, but whatever was silently being said between them had him reaching for it.
When he turned back to Mom, he let go of Winslet’s hand and went over to hand it to her.
“What is this?I’m getting presents, and it’s not even a holiday?”she asked.
“Yeah, it’s a special kind,” Oz told her.
She beamed at him, then looked over at Winslet.“It’s too pretty to unwrap.”
