“Rover, and before you ask, that was his name when I adopted him from the shelter.”
“It suits him.” She patted the large dog again. “Hi, Rover.”
“Look.” Jesse pointed east.
The sky blushed pink and orange. Clouds glowed with faded purples as the sun kissed the sky above the trees.
“Beautiful.” She sighed happily. “I needed this. I missed it in the city.”
His hand nudged hers. Without looking, she accepted her coffee back, sipping gratefully. It was a beautiful day to be alive.
“For what it’s worth,” she echoed his earlier words, “I don’t blame your mother. I blame the lawyer who encouraged her. Honestly, I feel sorry for her. She needs help.” It was the truth. Alcoholism was no joke; it was a serious issue that tore families apart. His mom needed assistance. Badly.
“I’ve tried, and I know your mom did too, before the lawsuit. Only an addict can help herself. I have to keep reminding myself; she has to want to dry out.”
She nodded. Her college roommate had been an alcoholic. She was three years dry now and often told Hailey how she struggled every day to remain that way.
“Big plans for today?” she asked. The morning was too beautiful to dwell on old mistakes.
“Rebuilding the cabinets in Mayor Chaudry’s kitchen. You?”
“That’s a big job,” she stated.
* * *
“You don’t thinkI’m up to it?” He laughed. There she went, judging him on his looks.
“Are you?” The questions in her eyes nagged at him.
He looked her in the eye. Time to confess. “I am a licensed carpenter.”
She blushed furiously. She looked adorable with pink cheeks.
“And you… you let me think you were a—” she sputtered to a halt.
“A bum?” he offered.
She ducked her head, hiding behind her long brown hair. “Yeah,” she whispered. “Why?”
“People ignore you if you aren’t on their social level. You become invisible. Which helps sometimes.” It wasn’t a good response and certainly not his entire reason for playing the down and out guy, but it was all she needed to know.
“Helps you hide from your mom’s issues. Do people really blame you?”
Wow. She’d hit the nail right on the head. “Not really, but in high school, I got tired of trying to prove I’m not like her.” He felt so petty, hiding from his mother’s sins. It was a habit he’d fallen into and couldn’t escape.
“But you love her anyway. I heard it in your voice at Beth’s. Even though she exasperates you, you love her.”
“True.” He realized Hailey saw right through him, now that she was looking. With luck, she wouldn’t discover all his secrets. “Sometimes, she makes me want to pull my hair out. I’m a horrible son.” It was the emotional alligator he wrestled with every day. He could keep trying to help. Or move on, leaving her to deal with her own problems. Force her into rehab, again. There were so many options, none of them were the right choice.
“I don’t think you’re a bad son.”
She shifted her coffee to her other hand and grasped his wrist. Her touch was warm and comforting.
“I think you’re doing your best in a horrible situation. You said it yourself, you gave up a full scholarship to stay with her. Not many people would have done that. It’s a huge sacrifice, one you didn’t have to make. You should be proud of yourself.”
He shifted on the table, uncomfortable with her praise. He wasn’t honorable, he just carried on, day by day, trying to curtail the endless stream of crises.
“What’s on your plan for today? Another day at the shop?” He actually wanted to know, Hailey was comfortable to be with, when she wasn’t singing his praises. In high school, she’d been pretty, she’d matured into a beautiful woman. One he’d like to get to know better. But with his mother’s issues, he wasn’t sure he dared. How could they build a relationship when their parents were enemies?
