“Alright, we’ll be right back,” he told his stepfather, who then began chatting with Parker about the best way to get out without straining his ribs.
“Want me to wait here?” Tanner asked, hanging back as Lance turned towards the house.
“Come meet my mom,” he answered.
For a moment it looked as if Lance might reach for Tanner’s hand and pull him along. Tanner hesitated, thinking it wasn’t exactly the best time to be introduced to her, but Lance gestured for him to follow. Any handholding would have to wait for later.
“Mom?” Lance called out as soon as he walked in the door. The house was just as beautiful on the inside as it was on the outside. Perfectly decorated and pristine throughout. The mouth-watering smell of vanilla and sugar hit them immediately.
“Damn,” Tanner said. “I don’t know what she’s baking, but I want a dozen, right now!”
“Mom?” Lance called out again, heading for the kitchen where he found his mother wearing a blue polka-dot apron, greying blond hair in a bun as she stirred something in a bowl.
“Lance!” she exclaimed, rushing towards him and throwing her arms around him. “Oh, I’m so happy to see you!” She stepped back and cupped his face with her hands. “When I got your call this morning—” she waved her hands as if to dispel that memory. “I’m so glad you were there for him.”
“Of course,” he replied, because really, he’d always be there for his family. It was a given. Tanner limped into the room, reminding him of his presence.
He turned and urged him forward.
“Mom, this is my good friend Tanner. Tanner, this is my mother, Harriette.”
“Pleased to meet you,” Tanner said with a warm smile.
She extended her hand wearing a cool, reserved smile.
“Tanner drove me to the hospital yesterday and is helping to move Parker back in.”
“Oh—” she said, a strange expression crossing her face. “That is mighty nice of you.”
Tanner merely smiled and then asked, “Is there a bathroom I could use?”
Lance showed him the way to the hall bathroom and watched Tanner head down the hallway, his limp far more pronounced than it had been earlier that day.
“Well, he certainly is a handsome enough fellow,” his mother observed, as soon as Tanner was out of earshot.
It was a perfectly normal thing for her to say. She’d always noticed goodlooking men. But there was an edge to her voice that Lance didn’t care for. He leaned against the counter, facing her directly, one eyebrow raised indignantly.
“He’s a really nice guy. I met him a couple of weeks ago,” he said, as his opening salvo.
“And he’s the first person you thought to call?” his mother asked in an arch tone indicating both surprise and disapproval.
Lance was rendered temporarily speechless. She took advantage of his silence to continue in that vein.
“While he looks perfectly nice—I’m just saying, maybe acrippleisn’t the best choice to help with moving furniture.” She whispered the wordcripplelike one might talk about a disease with no cure, or being a serial killer.He didn’t think his mother was trying to be hurtful, but he saw red, nonetheless. His mouth tasted of metal as he swallowed against the urge to cuss her out. It was such wretched thing to say. And about a friend of his no less. She’d taken one look at Tanner—and had dismissed him just like that. Lance knew his mother well. He knew how she operated. There was nothing quite as important to her as appearances, and clearly, something about Tanner had ticked her off. Taking a deep breath, he spoke through clenched teeth, his hands curling tightly into fists.
“Right, well, tell you what, Mom. Next time,youdrive down to pick up Parker, considering you’re his mother and all, and thenyoucan choose who you want to help you with the furniture,” he hissed angrily. “And while we’re at it—Tanner gotcrippled, as you so eloquently put it, during one of his deployments overseas, so maybe you can show him some measure of the respect he deserves,” he added, not quite believing the full bite of his words. He didn’t remember ever speaking so candidly to his own mother, and yet—here he was.
He glared at her, waiting for her to retaliate. All she managed to do was to stare back at him in shock. Completely stupefied. Before she could recover, Tanner limped back into the kitchen, complimenting his mom on the loveliness of her home. With a strained smile, she straightened her shoulders, thankedthem, and shooed them out of the kitchen to go help with the moving of Parker’s things. Lance was only too happy to give Tanner’s shoulder a quick nudge towards the hallway as they made their great escape.
An hour later, everything was set up in Parker’s room. By then, Parker was worn out and collapsed on the bed after taking some Tylenol and whining that he never wanted to move again.
Jeff, Lance, and Tanner headed back downstairs.
“Why don’t you guys stay for dinner?” Jeff asked. “You must be famished after the full day you’ve had!”
“Thanks, Jeff, but we should really be getting back. Tanner’s dog needs to be fed,” Lance replied, surprising himself at how easily he could lie when he needed to.
“Awe, what kind of pup you got?” Jeff asked with sincere interest.
