A Wild Ride (Jessica Brodie Diaries #3)(70)

He wanted to see the house I grew up in, which didn't belong to the family anymore, and wanted to meet my maker, so to speak. It wasn't a reunion I wanted to have, especially after the halted conversation when I told my mother I was engaged and bringing my fiancé to meet her. It was plain she was obliging out of some long forgotten sense of motherly duties.

My family life was depressing.

We arrived on a Thursday afternoon and had a quiet, late lunch. Then Lump and Adam went their own way so William could meet the old hen. I begged Lump to come with, but she liked my mother about as much as I did.

The house was as I remembered it. Good sized with four bedrooms, two car garage, adequate yard and quiet neighborhood. I felt like I had lead shoes as I trudged up the sidewalk to the front door.

I rang the doorbell hesitantly, feeling William rub my back for support. The door opened and there she was, scowl and all. Nothing had changed.

She was older than I remembered, with wisps of gray intermixed with her light brown. She quickly glanced at me, then lingered her gaze on William.

"Hi mother," I said with a flat tone.

Her eyes drifted back to my face.

"Mother, this is William. William, my mother, Judy."

"Hello, Mrs. Rogers," William said politely.

My mother had changed her name when she remarried. I hadn’t, of course.

"Hi William," she answered in a voice tinged with boredom. She was trying to act important; bored with our presence. It was so very Hollywood of her.

"Judy, is that them?" I heard from inside the house.

A graying man I recognized as my stepfather came to stand beside my mother. He had glasses and looked like the Mr. Rogers of my childhood, fuzzy sweater and all. I’d always thought it funny that he matched his name.

He saw me and stepped onto the front porch to give me a hug hello.

Had he always been this friendly?

"Hi ya, Jess! How goes it?" Turning to William, he stuck out his hand jubilantly. "This is the Texan prize, I take it? Tall order to be good enough for our Jessica!"

I didn't remember him being this happy to see me. And where did he get that charm?

William smiled and shook hands.

"Oh, good firm grip, young man! Good firm grip! A man that knows what he is about. I like it. I'm Dick, by the way." He smiled.

"Hello sir. I'm William. Willie for short."

"Dick and Willie, huh? Yikes. What a pair we make in namesake!"

Everyone laughed. Well, except my mother, who looked uncomfortable by Dick's friendly nature.

We were quickly ushered inside. The house looked and smelled the same. Memories of a lonely teenager came floating back. I suddenly wanted to be out of that house as fast as I could go.

William must have sensed my need for flight because he put his arm around my waist and kissed me on the head.

The house opened into a sitting room that had clean, flowered sofas, a coffee table, a piano, and no sort of distractions. It was where "company" sat.

Apparently I was "company" these days. Figured.

After everyone was seated comfortably, I spoke, "Um, Dick, I'm not sure if my mother mentioned it, but I have some news..."

"I didn't," my mother said, clasping her hands in her lap.

"Oh. Well, William and I are getting married."

Dick's eyes widened in surprise, his smile lighting up his already bright eyes. "Oh really? Oh fantastic! I have been so hoping for a wedding! Ted isn't having a great time with the ladies, so to speak. He is young yet, of course, but I hope he finds his way. Oh that is great. Let's see the ring!"

I lifted my hand, beaming. I saw my mother's eyes bulge, but she said nothing.

"Oh my goodness that is great. Wow, what a rock, huh?" Dick said, getting up to give William a congratulatory hand shake.

"So...what have you two been up to?" I asked awkwardly. I thought some catch-up conversation might be needed.

"Well…" Dick looked at my mother, hoping she would pick up the slack. When she didn’t, he continued with, "We are thinking of remodeling the house. It is still in a dream-state, but it's out there. Right honey?"

My mother nodded, lips a tight line.

Dick continued with a small frown. "Other than that life is the same. We are still a few years away from retirement, so we are just hanging in there."

The conversation paused awkwardly, Dick waiting for my mom to take the reins. She didn’t.

"What are you two up to?" Dick recovered gracefully.

Pushing back the desire to ask her what her damn problem was, now as well as growing up, I answered, "Well, I work in Finance and have a couple promotions under my belt, so that is good. I work for William's company, actually."

"My family owns the majority of the shares of the company,” William explained. “It is privately held. I head up the expansion unit."

William was trying to sound modest, but it was a hard thing to do with his rap sheet. I didn’t bother to hide my surge of pride.

"Wow! Great!" Dick said, ever enthusiastic.

"Lump has her own company. You remember Lump?" I asked both adults.

Dick looked at my mother, trying to remember the person mentioned. "Hmmmm, honey?"

"No, I don't remember that name."