Redneck Romeo (Rough Riders #15)(124)

When he saw Dalton, he motioned him over. “You okay? You’ve been out here a while.”


“Yeah, well wasn’t like I was hiding out here so no one would see me cry.”


“Don’t think anyone’s shedding a tear that he’s gone.” Carson scrubbed his hand over his jaw. “Sweet Jesus. And ain’t that a fine thing for me to say about my brother on the day we planted him in the ground.”


Dalton kept his eyes on his uncle. “Him bein’ dead don’t change who he was when he was alive. And I’m more than ready to put this day behind me.” I’m more than ready to put him behind me.


“Me too. Anything you need?”


His gaze moved to the front door. “Is Rory still inside?”


“I believe so. Want me to get her for you?”


“Nah. But would you tell her I went home and I’ll see her tomorrow?”


Carson frowned. “Son, you sure you don’t wanna come in and tell her yourself?”


“I’m sure. Tell Aunt Caro, Aunt Kimi and Aunt Vi I said thanks for everything.”


“You got it. Night, Dalton. Take care.”


“See ya.”


Dalton didn’t remember much from the drive home. He could barely keep his eyes open. Once inside his house he plugged in his nearly dead cell, stripped and crawled between the sheets.


His mother showed up at his door two hours later.


Dalton wished he would’ve stayed in bed. But then they’d be having a conversation in his bedroom instead of the living room since she’d just barged in.


“By all means, Ma, come in.”


“You left Carson and Carolyn’s without saying goodbye.”


“I don’t think anyone noticed.”


“I noticed.”


“Is that why you’re here? To chew my ass about some post-funeral breach of etiquette? Don’t care.”


His mother waltzed into his kitchen and opened cupboards until she found what she was looking for.


Booze.


She snagged two plastic cups and pointed to the couch. “Sit.


“Why are you—”


“Son, you had to be expecting this.”


And don’t you want to know the truth?


No. He’d already come to terms with this.


Dalton sat in the recliner.


His mother perched on the end of the couch closest to him.


And he noticed her hand shook when she dumped scotch in the cups.


Fuck. Why was she nervous?


Yeah, you’ve really come to terms with this.


He didn’t look at her when he picked up his cup. “Who told you?”


“Tell. Don’t be mad at him.”


“I’m not. We called him Tattle-Tell for a reason growing up.”


She barked out a laugh. “I’d forgotten about that.”


Dalton sipped his drink. “Was it hard for you today?”


“Harder than I thought it’d be, if you want to know the truth.” She lifted her glass. “Some * at the senior center asked me if the only reason I was going to the funeral was to make sure my ex was really dead.”


“Jesus.”


“Yeah, well, like my mother always said, consider the source. Which leads to why I’m here.”


“Ma. Don’t. Okay? It doesn’t matter.”


“I’ll have my say, Dalton, whether you like it or not. So could you look at me please?”


He counted to ten before he raised his head and met her eyes. Kind eyes. Eyes spilling over with tears.


“After everything I went through with that man over the years. Some of it pretty awful stuff…I didn’t think I could hate him any more than I did. I was wrong. After what he told you…”


Don’t say it. Please don’t say it.


“I almost didn’t come here tonight to tell you this. But I want all this shit done and buried now that your father is gone.”


Dalton didn’t move. He didn’t breathe.


“Casper McKay was your father, Dalton. Period. I never cheated on him when we were married. The time in question, when I left him? Unlike your father’s claim he didn’t know where I’d run off to and I’d shacked up with some guy, I stayed with my aunt and uncle—my elderly aunt and uncle. And you can imagine how miserable that must’ve been if I returned to my husband after a week.”


“Why didn’t you want to tell me?”


“Because I think you secretly hoped he wasn’t your father. And that hope…changed you.” She poured another splash of scotch in their cups. “I’m not excusing what he said to you. But not knowing if he was or wasn’t your father allowed you to cut ties with everything that’d always defined you, which you needed. Probably more than you knew. And I understand why you believed him without question. I suspect he’d been laying the groundwork for something like that for years.”


Dalton swirled the scotch in his cup. “Did he believe I wasn’t his kid? That’d explain the beatings and the ridicule he leveled on me.”