Beneath the Scars (Masters of the Shadowlands #13)(98)

“That’s why.” He was still studying her. “Where was Stella when all this was going on?”

“Oh, her husband died before Pa threw me out, and since everything reminded her of him—they’d lived in New York—she took an overseas job. Pa didn’t get along with her, and she didn’t learn I’d been kicked out for years.”

“How’d she find you?”

“When she retired and returned to the States, she visited the ranch. Apparently, after quite a shouting match, he handed over the letters I’d written to him.” She breathed past the stab of pain. “He never opened even one.”

“What a fucking bastard.”

“Forgiveness wasn’t in his vocabulary.” How different her life might have been otherwise. “Anyway, Oma found me and was appalled—although I thought I was doing pretty well by then. She fell in love with Carson and decided to settle in Tampa.”

“I’m surprised she didn’t buy a house and move you in.”

“She wanted to,” Josie admitted, smiling at the memory. “But she was getting on in years, was used to living with only her quiet husband, and then by herself. Carson was a young, very energetic boy. Instead, we visited several times a week, and she insisted on babysitting him during my evening jobs.” Josie took a sip of her wine. “Honestly, I was afraid if we overwhelmed her, she’d run back to Europe.”

Holt grinned. “She’s tougher than that.”

“Yes, she really is. I’m so glad we’re close enough to help when she needs a hand.” She gave him a rueful smile. “This is the first time I won’t see the New Year in with her and Carson.”

Holt squeezed her fingers and glanced at his watch. “How about we join them for the countdown?”

“Really?”

“Sure. I can’t think of anything I’d like better. Let’s order up a dessert to treat everyone at home, and I’ll ask Georgina for a bottle of champagne and something Carson would like.”

Her eyes filled with unexpected tears as he turned to signal the waiter. Oh, she really did love him, so very much.





Chapter Twenty-One





On Saturday, Carson walked out of his house in a filthy mood. Mom was cleaning and singing along with Huey Lewis and was all happy and everything.

Scowling, he pushed the garbage can down the driveway. Last night, he had sneaked into the kitchen for some cookies and on the way back, heard Holt talking. In Mom’s room. In the effing middle of the night.

Were they doing, like…sex? Was Holt Mom’s boyfriend?

Carson left the garbage can at the curb and wished he could dump it all over Holt’s yard. Would Holt marry Mom? Be around all the time?

Jeez. Was everything going to change…again? He’d already dealt with a new house and neighbors and friends. And a new school.

His shoulders slumped. Break was over. He’d be back in school on Monday and have to see Jorgeson. Would the science teacher be able to figure out who’d burned his classroom?

“Morning, Carson. How’s it going?” Holt came out of his duplex.

Carson smiled before remembering the guy’d been in Mom’s room. “Hey.”

“This is my day off, and I want to talk your mom into going out for pizza later. You in?”

Pizza, all right.

No.

Holt had the hots for his mom, and Mom was eating it up.

A sick feeling rolled over him until he wanted to run into his bedroom and slam the door so hard that his mom—and this neighbor—would know how he felt. “I…I’m hanging with friends today.”

“Ah. Too bad.” Holt stuck his hands in his shorts pockets. “You’ve probably noticed I like your mom, Carson. And you. I hope—”

“So, you go to work Monday, right? As a firefighter?”

The man blinked, then a corner of his mouth lifted.

Carson’s face was hot; his hands, too cold.

“That’s right. I actually do more of—”

“A big, hot firefighter.” After a fire engine demo at school, Carson’d heard the girls talking weird about hot guys and muscles. Holt was a firefighter; no wonder Mom was stupid about him.

Carson curled his lip. “Girls like firefighters. Is that why you went for it? Instead of doing something normal like running a store?”


Holt tried to think what he’d done to piss Carson off. Nothing…except date his mother. It seemed he had a jealous boy on his hands. He should have anticipated this. The boy had shown flashes of possessive behavior previously. Since Josie’s only dates had been when Carson was a toddler, the child hadn’t been forced to deal with a man in his mother’s life. Not until Holt.

Besides, Josie might not be the only one with trust issues. Everett had rejected Carson as well. “Actually, I was around your age when I decided to be a firefighter. Girls weren’t even a blip on my horizon.”

Probably braced for Holt’s anger, the boy looked as if the mild answer had messed up his balance. “My age?”

That day…wasn’t Holt’s favorite. But Carson needed to see him as a person, not a rival for Josie’s affection. “Yeah. My dad and I were on a mountain road. A drunk in a pickup took a curve too fast and smashed head-on into our car. Pinned my dad in the seat.”