Kat was in the kitchen when I came in the front door. She smiled and set her water on the counter then came straight for me. “Hey.” She grabbed my hands and squeezed them. “You look great. How’s school? And Hank? Has he been managing the horses okay? And Tear? Where is Tear?”
Tear was Logan and Emily’s German Sheppard that lived on their farm, but when they traveled, he came and stayed with Hank. “I saw Hank drive out with him in his truck this morning so I assume he was taking him home.” He’d been laughing and shaking his head at Crisis and I on the lawnmower as he drove by.
“Yeah, she’s crazy about that dog. Do you know she had Hank send her pics every day?” Kat and I chatted. Well, it was more like she chatted and I answered when necessary. When I managed to escape to my room, I changed into my work out clothes then snuck out the side door to go running until any emotion I had was exhausted and buried.
I DROVE UP to my parents’ place an hour before everyone else was due to arrive. I’d searched around the house for Haven to ask her to ride with me, but she took off somewhere.
The house sat on a cul-de-sac backing onto the golf course. It was a kick-ass house with a massive deck out back, five bedrooms and a state-of-the-art kitchen; one of my mom’s favorite things to do was cook. There was a pool table downstairs that Ream and I spent hours playing on, and yeah, I fucked a few chicks on it, too. I probably fucked a chick in every room in the house except my parents’—that was just gross.
“Mom.” I hugged her as soon as she opened the door. She was the best, and had always supported my music. My dad did too, although, he used to grumble and complain about the noise. Admittedly, it was fuckin’ noise when I first started learning the guitar. But my dad soundproofed the garage so I could play as often as I wanted.
She pulled back and clucked her tongue while smoothing back my hair like I was five years old. “Vincent! You need a haircut.”
“Fuck that, Mom, chicks love the blond curls.” And Haven just said this morning she liked my hair.
She rolled her eyes, but I think it was more due to my language than the chick referral.
My mom was tall, five-foot-seven, and had slim narrow hips and legs with big feet. Yeah, it was one of those things that she’d been teased about when she was in high school. “Looking good. You trying to impress some hot guy other than Dad?” Her auburn hair had been highlighted with gentle blonde streaks and hung in a stylish bob.
“Vincent Wesson.” She smacked me lightly on the chest. “I didn’t raise you to talk like that and I certainly didn’t raise you to be a prick to women.”
I threw my head back laughing. “Prick? Really, Mom?”
She huffed and strode into the kitchen, which opened into the living and dining area. “Yes. You’re a prick.” I followed after her, breathing in the heavenly smell of her homemade spaghetti sauce. “You think I don’t see Facebook?” Facebook, too? The posts on FB were not ones a mom should ever read. “Why don’t you take after your brother and find a nice girl and—”
“Mom,” I groaned. Same old shit, ever since Ream and Kat hooked up last year. Now, she was on my case about settling down. I dipped my finger into the thick red sauce on the stove then stuck it in my mouth.
“Vincent,” my mom shouted. “I don’t even want to think where those hands have been.”
I grinned. “Yeah, good idea. Don’t think.”
She attempted to slap my hand, but I ducked out of reach, laughing.
“Son.” My dad strolled into the kitchen and shook my hand while squeezing one shoulder. “Back from the salt mines. How was the tour?”
“Great.” Except for some Tammy chick, who was thinking she was going to marry me. I didn’t like having to cancel Seattle. Doing that to the fans sucked big time, but with the Tammy shit, my blow up at her and Luke’s phone call about Haven, it was enough. Kite was already talking to the manager about re-scheduling Seattle at least.
My dad and I were the same height, although that was where our similarities ended. He had a slight paunch, and dark thick eyebrows, which matched the stubble on his face. He spoke eloquently and had poise, fitting the status he worked hard to get to as one of the top condo developers in Toronto. Bottom-line, though, he was one hell of a good guy. Mom lived doing charity work and they had a yearly scholarship in their name at the University of Toronto’s business program.
“Where’s your brother?” And that made me love my parents even more. They insisted on calling Ream their son and it was fuckin’ cool of them.
I thought of Haven—when wasn’t I?—standoffish and keeping everyone at a distance. She was going to have a tough time doing that once my parents got their hooks into her.
“Come on, son, leave your mother to cook. I want to hear about the tour.” I thought I was going to get away with it, until he added, “And why you’re back early.”
Fuck.
“Hon,” Mom called. “A girl called here for you yesterday.”
“You didn’t give her my number did you?” I didn’t need any chicks getting my cell number.
She rolled her eyes, tsking. “I’ve been filtering your calls for years, no. Of course not. She said she’d catch up with you later.”
I kissed my mom on the cheek. “Cool, thanks, Mom.” Then I followed Dad out onto the large deck where the patio table was already set for dinner. Mom did the balloon thing like it was a kid’s birthday party and a welcome home banner strung above the sliding glass doors. Fuck, she rocked.
Dad and I chatted about what went down with this Tammy chick following me around and sending me gifts. Well, I chatted, and he listened, brows drawn low over his eyes as he nodded and took it all in. Only after I was done did he say anything and that was, “You must take after me in the looks department. Girls can’t resist us.”