“Um, Mom, I love you, but there was no way I would have told you what happened, how Creed was too scared of his own shadow, let alone what Rhett might say, or you and Daddy.” I shovel another piece of the pie in my mouth, wanting the ground to open up and swallow me whole.
“Well, never mind about that. Creed isn’t going anywhere, Laney. After what he told your dad and me, I guarantee you he won’t be leaving anytime soon.” I damn near choke on my last bite but somehow manage to swallow it down without dying in the process. Which at this point might be a better idea than responding to my mother about the fact that Creed and I had sex, he tore my heart out the next day, and moved on like it was just any other day.
“Yeah, I’m not so sure about that,” I tell her, standing up and scarfing the rest of my pie down my throat while making my way to the sink.
“Oh, we will. Let me just tell you now though. Your dad and I are team Creed. People make mistakes. It takes a strong man to admit when they screw up. If you stick around long enough, you’ll see that.” I put my plate in the sink, rinse it off, and load it in the dishwasher.
“Alright, we will. Does Daddy want Bubba in the room with him, or is he sleeping with me tonight?” I ask, pointing to our Golden Retriever that walked in with me. He’s been ours for the past six years and waits patiently on the back porch for me to get in.
“I’m pretty sure you know the answer to that already. Bubba always sleeps with you. He’ll probably never stop.” I kiss her cheek, slap my thigh for the dog, and then head upstairs, thankfully without having to dive too deeply into the whole Creed situation. Though, I’m sure Mom will bring it up time and time again. Along with the man himself.
“Love you,” I say out loud.
“Love you, Laney.” A shower is calling my name. Maybe this time, my thoughts won’t be on replay of Creed like they have been for months. One day of peace, it must be too much to ask for.
Five
Creed
I’m not even going to pretend that today wasn’t one of the hardest I’ve been through, and not when it came to helping Rhett and Laney. The real kicker is that it’s only going to get harder as time goes by. My fingers are crossed that my mom’s pie at least softened her up some. By the time I got home, heated up some food, courtesy of my parents once again, took care of my animals, and showered, it was too late to call the woman who I’ve always known was meant to be mine. If only I’d had the balls to buck up the last time I was around her.
I shut down the house, locking the back door, turning off the kitchen light, mulling over if I should at least attempt to text Laney when my phone ringing in the other room interrupts what I’m doing.
“Who could be calling at this time of night?” The time on the microwave lets me know it’s well past midnight. No one calls that late unless something’s wrong, and let’s face it, the older you get, the more shit goes wrong.
“Hello,” I grunt as soon as I press the answer button.
“I can’t freaking believe you. You told my parents what happened between us? Have you lost your damn mind? I’m going to murder you, Creed James Montgomery.” I should have known no amount of chocolate was going to cheer her up.
“Not sure what you’re talking about, sugar.” I walk towards my room knowing she’s about to ream my ass good and well, and I may as well get comfortable.
“If I have to climb out of my own window to sneak off to give you a piece of my mind, I will. How could you tell Momma and Daddy what we did that night? Do you know how freaking mortifying that is? No, clearly, you don’t because it wasn’t your mom questioning me!” Yep, it’s definitely time for me to diffuse the situation.
“Laney Marie, spitfire, you’ve got shit all kinds of backwards. I let them know we spent time together before I left. Nothing more and nothing less. What they assumed and how you played a part in it, that’s all on you.” She snorts through the phone, as if I’d lie to her.
“I’m not so sure about that, Creed. Maybe you got zapped one too many times when you were climbing poles all this time. Momma made it seem like you told them so much more, and what intentions do you think I want you to have with me?” What I wouldn’t give to be having this conversation face to face.