“We’re not even talking about my mom. We’re talking about you.”
“No, I think wearetalking about your mom, but that’s fine; let’s talk about me. I’m a grown ass woman, I’m independent, I live on my own, and let’s not forgetIwas the mature adult brought in to watch your punk ass. You can have your tantrum, but then you need to get over it. You don’t get to dictate my life.”
“You don’t get to invite strangers into my home!”
“And you know damn well he isn’t a stranger. You know whose truck that is, and you know Oz trusts him. You have no damn clue what we did last night, but you’re taking your imagination and running with it because you enjoy being mad at the world. I don’t owe you an explanation, Ben. I don’t owe you shit. I know you’ve seen Oz come home from work sometimes with sad eyes. I know you worry for what he’s seen, or what he was forced to do on shift that day. Officer Cruz is my friend, he came to me with sad eyes, and that’s all you gotta know. Now step back, little boy, go for a damn run, because I don’t wanna see your face. When you get back, you can make your own damn breakfast, because you don’t get my pancakes.”
Mac bites his grin and grabs the slouched backpack from the floor. Slamming it against his friend’s chest, he pushes Ben away from me the way a referee might separate a pair of fighters in the ring. “I’m so fuckin’ glad my mom doesn’t date.”
“Shut up!” Ben snaps at his friend. “Shut the hell up!”
I watch Mac pull his heavy friend out of the kitchen. They snag his sneakers on the way out, and leave me with a half-cleaned oven and a pounding heart. I pick the bucket of dirty water up and tip it into the sink. I wipe up the last of the muck from inside the oven, throw the sponge away, then stop and turn to find Riley standing in the doorway with an expression I can’t quite decipher.
“You often go toe-to-toe with a teen?”
“Nah.” I grab the hand towel Benny used and wipe my pruning hands. “He usually saves his bullshit for his mom. Until now, I was the cool aunt, the one he’d share his shenanigans and giggles with behind Lindsi’s back. But now he’s in withdrawals, she’s been gone for too long – the longest he’s ever been without her, actually – and I became a good target. I probably should’ve seen that coming.”
“You okay?” He steps into the room and takes the stool Mac left. At least Benny’s drama seems to have wiped the sadness from Riley’s eyes. “That was kinda heated. I wasn’t sure if you wanted me to step in or not.”
“Nah. That would’ve just dragged it all out longer. Staying back was a good idea.”
He gives a contemplative nod. “That’s what Livi said; to stay back. Any other guy steps up to you that way, and I wouldn’t hesitate, but this was your nephew, and Livi told me to stand down, so…”
“She was right.” I grab another mug and pour it out for Riley. I drop a little milk in, then slide the steaming cup across the counter until the handle touches his wrist. “I’ve heard rumors of Ben and Oz fighting in the yard. Actual fighting, with fists and shit, so I would’ve been pissed if you stepped out and I had to explain to Lindsi why her kid busted up the china cabinet. Mac’s a cool kid. He’ll run Benny ragged while they work out, Oz’s ma will feed them till they wanna burst, then Ben will come back and give me a hug.” I allow a soft smile to form on my lips. “He gives really nice hugs.”
Leaning back on the stool, Riley glances down the hall, then brings his eyes back to me. “Thanks for not kicking me out last night. I know it was… not protocol.”
Laughing, I step around the counter and press a kiss to his lips. It’s fast enough to surprise him, friendly enough to make his brows pop, but then I’m gone again and sipping my coffee before he can get used to it. “It’s okay. It’s not like we’re together, so I’m not worried about you getting too comfortable. Last night was nice, and if you needed a friend…” I shrug. “I can be that for you. What are you doing today?”
His eyes take on that sadness from last night. “I’ve gotta work today, then I’ll just go home and fry my brain on trashy TV.”
“You don’t seem like the ‘fry your brain’ kinda guy.”
He shrugs. “Sometimes it sucks being smart, and it sucks even more when you have a good memory. So now I gotta adapt, or I gotta replace some shit with trashy TV. I’m choosing the latter and hoping for the best.”
Frowning, I walk around the counter and stop between his legs when he turns. I set my coffee down and press a thumb against the V between his brows. “What happened last night? You didn’t wanna talk about it, but it’s a new day now. The sun’s up, so maybe you’re ready.”
Shaking his head, he rests one hand on my hip and lifts his coffee with the other. “Not really. I try to leave my shit at the door, because bringing it into my home – or Oz’s, or anyone else’s – isn’t healthy. Last night was sucky, because a girl died. She had short black hair, and beautiful silky skin. You and I aren’t together, Dee, but she still made me wanna hug you, and since you’re here and not a few thousand miles away, I figured why the fuck not? I didn’t come for more, and I didn’t come for sympathy. Just a hug to make sure your heart was still beating.”
I step into him and pull his face to my chest. He turns so his ear rests against my heart, andfinally, I figure out why he does that. It’s his way of keeping a woman safe while he’s unconscious. It’s the only way he can guard the castle, even when off duty. “You don’t have to worry about me. I’m not on anyone’s radar. I’m living in a cop’s house, with a cop’s kids, and you bet I saw the chief’s car cruise past every night this week to make sure we’re okay. You don’t have to worry about me.
* * *
Two hoursafter Ben was pushed out the front door by his best friend, and an hour after Riley drove away to help the girl that kinda looks like me, Benny jogs back in with sweaty hair, a wet shirt, and a heaving chest. Without a word, he pulls me against his chest so my ear rests against his heart and his hands squeeze me close. “I’m sorry I got mad at you.”
“It’s okay, baby.” I wind my arms around his hips and absorb his love. I’m going home soon, and when I do, who knows when I’ll be back. “You miss your momma?”
He nods. Pressing a kiss to the top of my head, his breath catches in a way that almost brings me undone. “A week is a long time in my world, Aunt Andi. I let her go away with a man, and it scares the fuck out of me that I might never see her again.”
“He’s not your dad, baby. He’s Oz, she’s strong and smart, and he worships her. He’ll never hurt her.”
“I know this.”
“Yeah, you do.” I reach up and pat his hair. “You had a freak out, and that’s okay. You’re nearly over the finish line. I’m tough, and you hit like a little bitch anyway.”