Page 76 of Tough Justice

She covered her face with her hands. Wil’s arms came around her, and she clung to him, sobbing silently.

“Shh,” he whispered, stroking her hair. “Whatever it is, it’ll be okay.”

As much as she wished his words were true, they weren’t. It would never be okay.

Chapter Twenty-Five

“Are you boys still lifting weights?” Deck’s mother stood in the doorway of the gym Deck had converted the basement of his house into. Despite it being a random Thursday afternoon, she was dressed in her favorite purple outfit and glittery jewelry, and her makeup and salt-and-pepper hair were done up really nicely. “I still don’t know how I ever gave birth to someone who grew to be your size.”

Brett and Evan chuckled, but his mother had a point. She was only five-foot-one, and he’d sprouted to six-three and weighed in at two-thirty.

From his bed in the corner, Thor whined. She went to Thor and gave him a quick pat on the head. “Do you want me to make you all some sandwiches before I leave?”

“No, thanks, Mom.” Deck sat up on the bench and grabbed a towel, wiping the sweat from his face. In the eight weeks since he’d been injured, his rib and lung had healed, but his shoulder was still achy and tight. He was probably working out more than he should, but he was going stir crazy. “But I appreciate the offer.”

The moment she’d been notified that he was in the hospital, she’d rushed over and taken charge, bullying the nurses until they were afraid to come into his room. When he’d been discharged, she’d set up shop in the vacant bedroom and plied him with so much food he felt as if his stomach was about to explode.

“Brett, Evan, sandwiches?”

“No thank you, Ms. Albright.” Evan grabbed a set of fifty-pound weights.

“No, thanks, Ms. A.” Brett sat up. “We’re taking Deck out for lunch as soon as we’re done.”

After Deck’s parents got divorced, his mother had wanted a clean break and had gone back to using her maiden name, Albright. Years later, it still sounded strange not hearing his mom referred to as Mrs. Decker.

She glanced at her watch. “Good, because I’m late.”

Deck had been in mid-reach for a bottle of water. “Late for what?”

“First, I’m going to my music class, then I have a date. Enjoy your lunch.” She turned to leave.

“A date?” Deck shot to his feet. “You didn’t tell me you met someone. When did this happen? Who is he, and where are you going for lunch?” Okay, so he was a little overprotective.

She walked to him and stood on her tiptoes to pat his cheek. “There, there, dear. No need to worry and no need to run a criminal history on every man I date. But it’s such a sweet thought.” She turned to leave.

“Wait! What do you mean every man you date? Exactly how many have there been?” Did he really want to know? Probably not.

She began counting on her fingers. “In the last few months, three. But this one, I really like.”

“Three?” Since the divorce, his mom hadn’t been with anyone. That had been almost twenty years ago.

Again, she patted his cheek, reminding him of when he’d been ten and lost his first baseball game. “Sweetie, I know your shoulder still hurts, but you have to stop being so cranky. You’ve been this way since you got out of the hospital. Maybe a nice lunch out with your friends will do you some good.”

“Mom, you’re missing the point.” He shook his head, uttering a huff of major disbelief. “Where are you meeting all these guys? You’re not—” The thought was mind boggling.

“Online dating?” She batted her eyelashes. “Yes, I am.”

His jaw dropped. My sixty-four-year-old mother is online dating? The world as he knew it had just spun totally out of control.

“You should, too, dear. You aren’t getting any younger, either. If it makes you feel better, the man I’m seeing today I met in music class, not online.” His mother turned and went out the door. A minute later, the front door opened then closed.

Deck sat back on the bench. For a moment, he felt lightheaded. Thor whined then stood and went to the rack, grabbed a ten-pound barbell in his jaws, and presented it to Deck. Absently, he took the weight and set it on the bench. “Talk about a bombshell,” he muttered.

Brett and Evan began laughing their asses off.

Evan positioned himself on a mat and began doing sit-ups. “You should have seen your face when she said ‘online dating.’”

Brett grabbed his water bottle. “Wish I’d taken a photo.”