I stare at her, willing my frustration with my husband to maintain the level it’s currently at rather than increasing a few levels. “It’s so nice of King to call Nitro but not return any of his wife’s calls.”
“Your sarcasm is noted,” she says, “but let’s just get this meat inside before I die in this heat out here.”
“Oh, you’re gonna die in here too,” Zara says, joining us. “But don’t get Mum started on why the air con isn’t fixed yet.”
We carry all the meat into the kitchen and load it into the fridge, which is now almost full, when Fury enters the kitchen. He reaches for Zara and kisses her before turning his attention to me. “I’ll check out the air con, but I’m no expert so I can’t guarantee anything.”
I silently thank the universe for my son-in-law-to-be and say, “Thank you. You’re getting an extra present tomorrow for this.”
Amusement crosses his face, but he doesn’t respond to what I’ve said. He simply nods and exits the kitchen, meeting Cade on the way out.
My son has been giving me hell for weeks. Between arguing with me over every little thing, arguing with his brother and sister, and developing some bad behaviour that we’ve never seen from him before, I’m at my wits' end trying to figure out how to deal with him. I suspect it’s because he’s missing his father, but regardless of the why, I need to get a handle on this situation and I need to do that faster than I have been.
“Have you cleaned up that mess in your bedroom?” I ask. The mess I asked him to clean up last night. The mess he freaking added to instead of doing what I asked.
The defiance he stares back at me with does not make me want to give him the presents King and I bought him for Christmas. It’s this defiance that his father is going to have to spend some time working on because I sure don’t seem to be making any headway on it. “I’m nearly finished.”
Cade’s idea of nearly finished is vastly different to mine. “Right, you go back to your room and you stay there until it’s done, and just so you know, Cade, Santa isn’t fussed on visiting kids with messy rooms, so if you want him to visit you, I’d suggest getting your room as tidy as you can.”
“That’s not true! My room wasn’t tidy last year.”
I lift my brows, challenging him to continue down this path of arguing with me. “He also doesn’t love it when children argue with their parents.”
His mouth pinches together. “You’re making this up! You don’t know Santa! I don’t have to clean my room!”
One.
Two.
Three.
I take a deep breath.
I love my son.
I love my son.
I love my son.
“You’re right. I don’t. Maybe you should try it your way and see if any of this is true. You’ll know tomorrow morning when you either have presents from him or you don’t.”
Cade has the same eyes as his father. The brown in them darkens when he’s experiencing a storm of emotions, and my words have triggered that storm inside him. Without another word, he turns and stalks out of the kitchen.
I take another deep breath and look at Zara. “Tell me you’re staying here all day. I’m not sure I should be in charge of keeping Cade alive today.”
“I’m here all day, and if I have to go out to get anything, I’ll take him with me.”
“You are the best daughter in the world.”
She grins. “I’m telling Holly you said that.”
My phone sounds with a text and my attention shifts completely to that, hoping it’s from my husband. Praying it says something like “home in an hour.”
* * *
King: Got bike problems. Should be home by dinner.
Me: Should as in will?