I’d had every intention of being gone from home before my mother was up and about, but thanks to the jamming session after our stint at Kix last night, I’d overslept.
I was still feeling exhausted, but wanted to try and plan a way to stabilize the rickety bridge that hung over the river running through our property. One of these days, the thing would collapse and someone could get hurt. The bridge was over the deepest and most dangerous section of river with the rapids running rampant so anyone falling from the bridge would be fucked big time.
After a shower to try and wake myself up, I dressed in worn jeans and t-shirt then quickly dragged my boots on before going in search of coffee and something to eat.
Opening the bedroom door I came face to face with Mom. Great.
“Well it’s about time you showed your face. What did I tell you yesterday about wearing boots in the house? Your brother will be home sometime today with his girl, I don’t want you showing me up by trampling mud everywhere.”
My jaw clenched, I stepped from my room. “It’s Liam mom. His girl can hardly expect working men not to wear boots.”
“Put your boots on at the door and make sure you take them off before you come in. It’s not brain surgery to remember all that,” she huffed out, walking to the room next to mine.
“I need coffee.” I slammed the door shut behind me and made a point to stomp downstairs to the kitchen. Yes, I was being childish, but she pissed me off. The thing was, more often than not, I would take my boots off at the backdoor and carry them up to my room, where I’d wash them in the sink in the bathroom and leave them on the boot stand, which I’d put in the bath to dry. No mess through the house – shit!
In the kitchen I rooted around for a bagel in the breadbasket, which seemed full of those French things my mom seemed to like, croissants. Grabbing the last bagel, I popped it into the toaster oven, before I poured myself a much needed, strong coffee. From the looks of the dark liquid, it had been brewing for a couple of hours.
By the time I’d drained one cup of coffee and poured another, the bagel had popped up, so trying not to burn my fingers I practically threw the slices onto my plate before I slathered them with butter. I was about to take a bite when my mom walked through the kitchen door. I’d thought I’d missed out on more of a tongue lashing, but I was wrong.
I watched her walk across the kitchen to place a couple of pots into the sink before she turned to look at me. “When she’s here I expect you to show some manners and not act like you were raised in a barn.”
That statement wouldn’t have pissed me off as much as it did, but for the fact I had perfectly good manners. Yeah, I could act like a first class jerk, but around women, I was polite and watched my mouth.
“I think I can manage that. I suppose saying ‘fuck’ every other word is out of the question, and why do you keep calling her ‘she’? Doesn’t ‘she’ have a name?” I stood with my back against the counter top, my ankles crossed as I watched her…blush.
“Of course she has a name. Liam didn’t see reason in supplying that when he told me he was bringing her home with him for the summer,” she replied, biting off each word in agitation.
If I knew Mom, she was pissed my dear brother hadn’t supplied a name. I couldn’t help myself; I roared with laughter, which she ignored.
“You need to remember to lock both doors in the bathroom while she’s here, because she's in the yellow room.”
I started to choke on my coffee. Hell no! “Why?” I coughed. “Why is she in the room next to me? Why not Liam? In fact why isn’t she sharing a room with him? Fuck, I can’t believe you’d put her next to me.”
She was standing in front of me, hands on her hips; looking furious. “You’re not too old for my hand across the back of your head. You will not curse in my kitchen.” Fire danced in her eyes and I had to stifle the chuckle or I would have received that slap. “She is next to you because the room next to Liam is being used for storage, as you well know. Liam asked that she have her own room so she is in the yellow room… Next to you.”
Why me? I hated that. My privacy was something I valued and to have it invaded by a total stranger was getting to me. I had secrets. Not many, but some, and the ones I was worried about were visible. Goddamn it.
Mom started dashing around the kitchen tidying up after me, which I tried to ignore. I’d used a knife, plate and cup, but the way she was acting you’d think I’d used every damn thing in the cupboards.
“Oh, and another thing,” I met her gaze, which was as serious as her tone, “just remember she’s your brothers girl. Hands off.”
Stunned, I opened my mouth to reply, but nothing came out. Never had I ever taken a girl from Liam. “I’m about to be married, or have you forgotten?” I gritted my teeth before anything else came out of my mouth.
“I most certainly have not forgotten. I just wanted to make sure you hadn’t.” The air filled with tension as she turned back to the dishes, “so keep your hands… and other body parts… off Liam’s girl.”
What the hell! I was stunned that she’d spell something like that out to me. “I’m not listening to this anymore, its total crap.”
With that said, I stormed out of the kitchen. I could imagine that she was busy cursing me for being born.
I quickly walked across the yard to the barn where I kept my dirt bike, under covers because, heaven forbid, Mia should see it. Yanking the covers off, I wheeled it out of the barn through the doors at the back before climbing on and speeding towards the river.
Chapter 9
Thalia
“Thalia, wake up… come on, we’re here.”
I could hear Liam, but I didn’t want to open my eyes because if I did the guy in my dreams would disappear.