“Oh hell. That isn’t good.”
“Why do you say that?” Luka asked.
“Because the only time those two go to the pond is when one of them is upset about something and that is the end result. One of them ends up puking or crying.”
He snorted. “Well we all know why Skylar is upset. I came home.”
“Don’t take it personally Luka.”
He turned towards his mother. “She doesn’t love Tag Richardson,” he declared.
Luna’s eyes widened at Luka’s impassioned statement. “I never said she did.”
“Does she?” This time he didn’t sound so arrogant. Not so confident in his words.
Luna smiled at her son. “I don’t think so Luka but that doesn’t give you an open door.”
“The hell it doesn’t.” He ran his fingers through his hair. “I came home for her,” he told his mother. “I have a daughter with her and I’m damn well staking my claim on them both Mom.”
“She’s not a piece of property Luka,” Luna admonished him.
“She is mine.” With a raised eyebrow at her son’s audacity she started to head to the front door.
“Are you coming? Skylar will be embarrassed when she comes out. I’d like to give her some dignity. Tomorrow I’m having a discussion with Brett about letting her drink so much then driving home even if it was just across the field.”
“I’ll stay with them tonight. Just in case she or Ava needs something,” he clarified when he saw the look on his mother’s face.
Luna shot him a skeptical look. She licked her lips. Then she took a step closer to her son. “Sleep on the sofa not with Skylar.”
She grabbed her purse hanging off the bannister at the foot of the staircase and walked to the door. He was watching his mother. “I wouldn’t do that Mom. She’s drunk off her ass.”
“Good. I don’t need any more grandchildren until you are married or one of your brothers is married. This has been hard Luka. I know you’re hurt we didn’t tell you but it was damn hard when Ava wanted nothing more than to know who her father is. Now you both have to think about Ava and what is best for her not yourselves and what you want.”
“I get it Mom.”
She put her hand on the screen door to shove it open. She saw the truck smashed into the fountain. Luna just shook her head. “Brett could have at least made sure she got home okay,” Luna told her older son.
Then she stepped outside onto the porch. “I’ll see you tomorrow. Invite Skylar and Ava over for dinner. If Ramona doesn’t have to work, ask her too.”
“Does Brett still have a thing for her?”
His mother chuckled. “Oh he does and if I’m not mistaken no matter how much she pretends to dislike him Ramona has a thing for him too.”
“Playing matchmaker Mom?”
She had just stepped down to the first step of the porch. Luna glanced over her shoulder at Luka. “I just want my boys to be happy.”
“I love you Mom. I know I didn’t show you that I did when I never came home but I felt like I needed to find myself first and it would have been too painful seeing Skylar.”
She nodded. “Luka, we all make choices in life that are difficult. I know that you’ve spent the last ten years accumulating a fortune fighting in cage matches which makes not one damn bit of sense to me but you did what you set out to do. You have money.
“You wanted to be different than your Daddy but you need to understand and respect Skylar’s wishes. She was destroyed when you left her. You made promises to that girl then you left her without even a goodbye. She is not going to let you back in so easily. So tread lightly son. Give her time and space.”
“I’m not patient,” he informed his mother.
She snorted. “You aren’t telling me anything that I didn’t already know but I am telling you right now that Skylar is still fragile where you are concerned. Don’t go shoving your way into her life and hurt her again.”
He dropped his head. “I didn’t want to hurt her,” he said softly.