Every Way (Brush of Love 4)

“You’re not going over to that house,” my mother said.

“I’m tired of listening to you talk,” my father said. “Deal with your anger and your guilt. Otherwise, you’ll lose the family you claim to be trying to save.”

I watched my mother as she crumbled down into the couch. Her head turned toward the wall as an eerie silence fell over the entire house. I could smell dinner beginning to permeate the house as my mouth began to water. I was ready to get home and eat. I was ready to get home and wrap my arm around Hailey.

I was ready to be done with this catastrophe once and for all.

“I’ve been horrible,” my mother said.

“What was that?” I asked.

She turned her eyes toward me and tears were glistening in her eyes. I was taken aback by the sight. I looked at my father whose eyes were trained on his wife, and I watched him soften instantly. And I couldn’t blame him. It killed me whenever Hailey cried. But this was rare, even for my mother. I had only ever seen her tear up once, and that was the night they got the phone call that John had died in a hospital in Los Angeles.

But for the first time, I was watching those glistening tears fall onto her cheeks.

Part of me thought this was a ploy, but the rest of me knew it couldn’t be. Her eyes were red, and her hands were shaking. Her cheeks were turning red and flushing with emotion. Her breathing was growing shallow, and her shoulders were starting to shake.

All involuntary signs of the fact that someone was genuinely crying.

“Dorothy,” my father said as he sat down beside her. “Talk to us.”

“Every time I look at her, I’m reminded of what I should’ve done,” my mother said. “Every time she turns toward me, it reminds me that John would still be here if I had done better.”

My father pulled her into his arms as I stood there, rooted to my spot. I listened as my mother sobbed into my father’s chest, her body quivering and her hands gripping his shirt. I’d never seen my mother so vulnerable before. So weak and open for the rest of us to see.

“Every time I’m around her, she reminds me of him, and I can’t handle it. I can’t take it. I’m sorry, but I can’t.”

“You need help, Mom, help none of us can give you,” I said.

“Please don’t take that grandbaby from me. It’s—”

“I know,” I said. “It’s another link to John that you want.”

“My baby,” my mother said breathlessly. “My baby died cold and alone.”

“No, he didn’t,” I said. “He died with his head in Hailey’s lap.”

I allowed my mother her moment as I tried to swallow down my anger. She was finally opening up, but I still had a family to protect. Just because she could finally admit what was going on didn’t mean she could keep her guilt at bay when it came to Hailey. If Hailey’s mere presence pulled this out of her, then they still couldn’t be around one another.

“Please forgive me, Bryan. Please. I’m struggling so badly, and I’m so sorry,” my mother said.

“I’m not the one you need to apologize to. I’ve been telling you that for two weeks now. The person you need to apologize to is Hailey.”

I dug my phone out of my pocket and scrolled through my contacts. I highlighted her name as my mother turned toward me, then I handed the phone to her. She looked at it warily before her eyes panned up to me, begging me not to make her do this.

“You want a relationship with your grandchild? Then, this is the first step down that road,” I said.

Then reluctantly, she took my phone.

Chapter 24

Hailey

I slept in late that morning and woke up to an empty bed. I wasn’t sure where Bryan had gone, but part of me was relieved he wasn’t here. I was still processing everything that had traversed between the two of us. Going to the police. Setting up the sting. Him divulging the fact that his mother sent Laura to the gallery. I still wasn't sure about that one, but Bryan was dead set on it. In fact, he seemed so sure of it that I figured he was probably going to confront her about it.

Maybe that was where he was.

But now that things were in order with the sting, I had to call Ramon. I had been putting it off in case the police couldn’t help us, but they were convinced they could. So, it was my turn to do the one thing I was ready to do. Even though I was scared about angering Ramon.