“She’s a sweet thing,” his mother said as she strode up the yard. “We talked about her wedding. All brides like to talk about their plans. Roxie’s parents are . . . well, they are different than I would have expected. Roxie’s such a down-to-earth young lady. They’re on the pretentious side. I thought a cop would be more blue collar. Not that there aren’t perfectly nice white-collar people out there. But her mother seemed a little on the snooty side.”
“I’m sure she thinks we’re odd, too.” Maybe he could get out of this without much deflection. It was late and his mother wasn’t a night owl. In the morning he could dodge her, and after a couple of days, she would simply think he was back to his old habits. “You ready for bed?”
She stopped in front of him. “Baby, what happened tonight?”
Damn it. It looked like he would have to talk a little after all. “All that happened was Roxanne is getting an opportunity she’s wanted all her life, that she’s worked for and earned. She needs to go to New York and explore the possibility, and that means we’re probably going to spend some time apart.”
They would spend all their time apart.
Even in the shadows cast from the porch light and the moon, he could see his mother thinking. She studied him like she didn’t believe a word that came out of his mouth. “Yes, I heard her ex-husband was some bigwig with her old department and he wanted to convince her to come back. Why did her father want to talk to you alone?”
“He just wanted to let me know that her ex-husband was strictly down here to talk to her about the job. Nothing more.” Though he’d seen how the man had watched Roxie when she wasn’t looking. Longing. It had been stamped on Joel’s face. He was certain the same look had been on his own.
The moon shone down, illuminating the worry on his mother’s face. “What did he say to you? Don’t smile and lie to me, baby boy. If everything was all right between you and Roxie, you would be spending the night at her place, not coming back here when you don’t even have your bag with you. You walked out without packing your things. You had a fight?”
“No. It wasn’t a fight.” Except it had been. She’d been willing to fight it out with him, but he’d always known he would have to lose for her to win. “She’s leaving, Mom. She’s leaving and I can’t go with her.”
“Why not? Zéphirin, you love her. Don’t try to tell me you don’t.”
“It doesn’t matter how I feel. Long distance won’t work.”
“Then go with her. Baby, if she’s the one, then you can’t let her go,” his mother implored. “You have to try with her.”
“She’s a cop and I . . .” His mother didn’t know where he’d been for those months he’d been gone when he was eighteen. Remy had been the one to find him and come get him. Remy had kept his secret all these years. His mother should have run a trace like everyone in Roxie’s family.
“You what?” she asked. “You don’t think you’re good enough for her? Because you are.”
“I think I would drag her down. She can’t do what she needs to do if I’m with her,” he said.
“Why? I know the idea of moving to New York might seem scary at first, but it’s just a city. It might even be exciting. And you can always come home and see us. I know you have that new job, but this is more important than any job. A job won’t hold your hand. A job won’t grow old with you.”
He wasn’t getting out of this, and maybe it was time for his mother to truly understand how badly he’d screwed up in the past. “Stop. I can’t go with her because when I was eighteen, I went to jail for writing a hot check. When you thought I was in LA, I was actually in a prison in Arizona.”
His mother’s jaw dropped, her shock easily apparent. “What? You were in jail?”
“He was in jail?” a soft whisper echoed.
He glanced over and realized they weren’t alone. Armie and Lila lived next door and they were sitting out on their porch. Lila had a mug of something steamy in her hand, and Armie was dressed in sweats and a tee.
Great. His humiliation had an audience, and now the sheriff would likely tell him he wasn’t interested in him working part time for the sheriff’s office. Of course, once Sylvie found out, she likely wouldn’t want him heading a department.
“Yes, Doc,” he replied with a sigh. “I was in jail, as my momma just found out. My first attempt at adulthood landed me in the pen.”