THEO
After a quick shower and change,I headed to my mom’s house, lobster rolls in hand. Sara texted me, saying Alex and Sam were going to join her at her place for dinner, so I reluctantly agreed to meet her there later. She said it wouldn’t be necessary, but I wasn’t about to leave her alone again. Not after last night.
I pulled the truck up to the curb and got out, noticing the work Rod must have done to the porch. It had all new railings, painted a bright white, with red planters connected to them. I remembered how much Mom loved flowers and had to give it to Rod. He was really pulling out all the stops to make her happy, and it made me smile.
I also thought about Sara and her house. She loved her garden and had plants and flowers all around the property. My mind drifted to a daydream of a summer day, helping her in the garden, harvesting vegetables and tending to the weeds. Never in my life had I fantasized about something simple and domestic like that with a woman, but today, it felt natural. It felt right.
I knocked on the door and opened it, calling out.
“Hey Mom, I got your feast here.”
“Oh well then I suppose it’s okay if you come on in.” Her voice came from the back, so I made my way through the living room and found her sitting at the kitchen table, already set with plates, glasses, and cutlery.
“You waiting on me already?”
“Well we agreed to seven.”
I looked at my watch and rolled my eyes.
“It’s nine after.”
“I was close to getting worried. Who does one call if the sheriff goes missing? Is there a sheriff above you?”
“Ha, very funny,” I said, leaning down to kiss her cheek. I unpacked the food and set it out for us. “Where’s Rod?”
“Oh he had to run out to Sherwood to get some things for his truck. He’ll be back later, and if he’s lucky there will still be a lobster roll for him.” She winked at me and patted her belly.
“He did some real nice work outside on the porch.”
“Yeah, he’s been a real help to me. I’m considering keeping him.”
“You might have to, he takes care of you pretty well. You haven’t called me once for a ride anywhere since your surgery. I thought for sure I’d have to chauffeur your ass all over town.”
She barked out a laugh. “I know, we both lucked out, it seems.” Then her eyes softened. “He’s a good man.”
“Well I’m glad you found him.”
“So are you, you know.”
“I’m the best man.” I smiled around a bite of my food, and she slapped my arm.
“Your hubris aside, I was hearing something about you taking a liking to Miss Sara.”
“Where the hell did you hear that?”
She shrugged, looking around the room with a look of false innocence.
“Oh I just heard some things. And it made me laugh at first, because I know my son and I know he has never once dated a girl more than a single damn night. There are never rumors flying around about him because everyone knows the score. But Sara? She’s a local. And you run in the same circle. Why on earth would I hear about that if it didn’t have a ring of truth to it? Now, am I wrong or are you gonna lie to me?”
I laughed. My mom always had a way with words. When I was a teen, I couldn’t ever get shit by her. It’s probably why I became a cop, because she kept me honest and out of trouble—for the most part. So I wasn’t about to change that now.
“No, you’re not wrong.”
“Aha!”
“I’m just wondering how it got around. I’m not even sure she fully knows it yet.”
“Well can you blame her? You make your way through half the women in this town and most of the tourists. You can’t expect to be taken seriously at first.”
“Yeah, yeah. I’m aware.”
And I was, but I was getting a bit tired of the whole thing. The reputation, the lack of expectations. It made me feel as if no one thought I was good for anything else, anything real.
My mom gave me an understanding look, without me even needing to voice my thoughts.
“I’m just saying that I think it’s a wonderful thing. You’re a good man and you have a lot to offer. You deserve a good woman. You know I never judged you or pushed you to settle down, but if it’s something you’re considering now, I’m proud of you. And I think you could make each other happy.”
“Yeah?”
“Yes. Now let me eat.”
That brought another laugh out of me and I nodded, getting back to my own food. But it made me think about the future again. Having Sara in it. Fuck, having Sara be it. And if that was really what I wanted, then I needed to man up and go after it. Make her mine.
“So I also heard about the new fire marshal. He’s pretty handsome, maybe I should light a fire over here to get his attention.” She waggled her eyebrows.
“Christ, Mom. He’s about twenty-five years too young for you. Plus, you have Rod. You don’t need to resort to arson.”
“Speaking of arson! I heard about the lumber mill. What are you planning on doing about it?”
“What the hell, the report isn’t even finished yet. Where do you get your gossip?”