Page 13 of Peaks and Promises

“All right, fair enough. I bet Decker can take it.”

“Yeah, give him a call. But listen, if he can’t, give me a few days. I might have things wrapped up by then.”

“Sounds good. Talk later.”

I ended the call. What the hell? Had I seriously just turned down a job so I could keep tabs on a woman who was not my client?

Yes. Yes, I had.

I rolled my eyes.

Stupid. So stupid.

At that point, there was no use denying what I was going to do next. I left the hardware store and turned onto the main road through town, heading for the diner.

Maybe I’d just drive by. I could check the parking lot for bikes, then head home. If I didn’t go in, I wouldn’t see her. And if I didn’t see her, I wouldn’t have to grapple with those damn eyes of hers.

Or those curves.

When I got to the diner, the parking lot was only about half full. No bikes.

That was good. But instead of driving by as planned, I pulled into the lot and parked on the far side next to a beat-up white sedan. Filled with sudden indecision, I glared at the train car turned diner. What was I worried about? That proximity to a woman I found attractive was going to cause something terrible to happen?

An alarm went off on my phone, and a mild sense of dread swept through me. I didn’t have to look to see what the alarm was for. It was time to call my mother.

I set alerts to check in with her a few times a year. It was May, and I hadn’t talked to her since the previous Thanksgiving. It wasn’t much, but she deserved to know I was okay.

I opened the glove box and grabbed one of the burner phones I kept on hand. I never used my actual phone to call my mom. But would it be so bad if she had my number? I knew she wouldn’t come looking for me or worse, send my brothers after me. She could have a thousand times over the years, and she never had. Just waited for me to reach out.

It was starting to get to me. I knew what it cost her to leave me alone—to not ask where I was or what I was doing. And I hated myself for doing that to her.

Self-loathing was a heavy burden for a man. And I was buried under a mountain of it.

“Fuck,” I muttered, and called her number.

Her voice was soft and familiar. “Hello?”

“Hi, Mom.”

“Reese. How are you?”

I closed my eyes, my heart clenching in my chest. “I’m fine. Nothing really going on. Just figured I should check in.”

“Thank you. I appreciate that.”

“How is everyone?”

“Everyone is great. Let’s see, there’s been a lot going on. Luke and Melanie got married. Do you remember Melanie Andolini?”

“Yeah, I remember.”

“It was a beautiful wedding. And we have another one coming. Theo, this time. Her name is Penelope, and she’s just lovely.”

“Wow. Good for him.” I started to ask another question—“How’s Dad?”—but I couldn’t make myself say it.

“It’s wonderful to see my kids so happy,” she said.

“I bet.”