"Mom, let me-"
She opened the door, and Sam walked in, giving her a big hug.
My stomach was tied in knots as I let out a long sigh and dropped back down into my chair. I was scared as hell that we hadn't seen the last of Daniel, my mom's ex with a temper that would scare Lucifer himself.
"It smells like your famous beef stew in here, Ms. Phillips. You saved me some, right?" He walked in and patted my back. "Hey, buddy."
"Hey. There's still some in that pot on the stove. Get you a bowl and join me." I took another big bite and tried to calm myself. Daniel was in jail the last time I checked and everything was fine. It had to be. I couldn't handle another uproar where my mother's life was put in danger. We would need to move, regardless of funding or opportunity. She meant too much to me to let anything happen to her.
"There's plenty. You boys eat it until it's all gone. You know I hate leftovers. It means the meal wasn't nearly as good as it should have been." She stopped by the door to the kitchen and coughed again. "I'm going to turn in early and try to knock this cold out before it knocks me off my feet."
"Alright." I got up and gave her a hug. "No opening the door tonight. I'm serious."
"Tate. It's fine. Daniel is in jail, and I got my shotgun by the front door. No one's going to hurt me. I promise." She touched my face and moved around me to focus on Sam. "Don't let him bring home another slut puppy. Alright, Sammy?"
"Yes, ma'am." He glanced over his shoulder to give her a serious look and curt nod. "Only church girls that sing in the choir for Tate, Ms. Phillips."
"There we go. That's why you're his your best friend." She laughed and turned to give me another hard stare. "Be careful on the bike. I'm serious."
"Alright, Mom. I'll be home late tonight. Get some rest." I moved to sit back down at the table and dove back into my dinner, loving how well my mother could cook. That had to be one of the two things I wanted out of a wife. Someone that could cook and a woman that would love me past my poverty and faults. I wasn't highly likely to get either, much less both, but I could dream.
"Dude, that cough doesn't sound good. Has she had that checked out?" Sam sat down across from me and gave me a hard stare. "I'm pretty sure that's bronchitis."
Sam was in his final year of pre-med and would be on to medical school in Boston in a year or so. I was going to miss him like hell, but the world needed more doctors like him. He was kind and caring, giving and incredibly patient.
"I doubt it. She works at the hospital, and you know she still won't tell anyone that she's not feeling good." I let out a sigh and worked to get another piece of cornbread from the pan. "Don't eat this. It tastes like shit."
"Liar. Give me that." He pulled the pan toward him and smirked at me. "This party tonight is going to be of
f the chain. I heard Darrin say that they invited the girls from the prep school the next county over to join us."
"Prep school? That's high school, Sam." I shook my head at him. "Those girls aren't legal, and I'm not touching any of them."
"Most of them are seniors, Tate. Eighteen, dude." Sam rolled his eyes. "Whatever. You need to get laid, like, yesterday. You're moody and have dark circles under your eyes."
"My balls are too full? Is that what you're telling me?" I took another bite of my stew before realizing that it was too cold to enjoy. I got up and popped it into the microwave as we continued our recurring conversation about my sex life.
"Something like that." He turned and looked over his shoulder. "Have you slept with anyone since Andrea and you split up last week?"
"Nope, but I'm going to tonight. It's just not going to some virgin high school chick. That's gross." I pulled the bowl from the microwave and walked over to take my seat again. "I want a woman that knows what she's doing and isn't afraid to explore her pleasure with me."
"Explore her pleasure." Sam tapped his spoon against his mouth as he got a faraway look. "I like that. Does that pick up line work? You're the one that gets the girls all the time."
"Shut up." I shook my head and rolled my eyes at him.
"No, I'm serious. Like I'm going to try that shit tonight. I'll just walk up to a fine girl and say, 'Hi, I'm Sam. You wanna maybe go explore your pleasure with me?'"
"Yes. Please do that. Make sure I'm right beside you with a hand towel to help clean you up when you get a drink in your face." I laughed. "It's cold outside, too, so it's likely to scald your girly face, seeing that it'll be hot chocolate."
"Or cider. Could be apple cider." He stirred his soup and let out a grunt. "You remember that party we went to at the beginning of December? Amber May's party? She had cider."
"It wasn't the cider you were interested in." I tried not to think about that night. It hadn't been my finest moment. Where I wanted to be the type of guy who respected women, when it came to a horny girl and a few too many beers, I was nothing less than carnal.
"This is true, but the tits on that pretty Asian girl were incredible. You have to admit, she was sexy." He took a big bite of his stew and yelled, spitting it back out. "Fuck, that was hot."
"You deserved that. She's someone's daughter." I laughed at his scathing look.
"You had her give you head later that night. Don't talk to me about being a good guy." He got up and poured himself a glass of tea from the fridge.