Page 56 of Muscle Cub

“My pleasure.”

Austin’s smile softened, his gaze shifting to something—or someone—behind me, and I turned to see who it was.

It was my mother and her friend Honey.

20

“Mom.”

“Paul.” Her eyes slid to Austin.

“I’d like you to meet Austin Fox.” Since I was still holding his hand when I introduced him, it felt like I was presenting him. “Austin, this is my mother, Catherine Carter.”

Austin tilted his head. “Miss Catherine.” He pronounced it Miz. “It’s so awesome to meet Paul’s mama.”

I cringed—I didn’t call her my mama—and sweet Mother of God, he’s going in for a side hug.

My mother was not a hugger, especially with someone she was meeting for the first time. Last month, at Mother’s Day brunch, I’d received a rare awkward pat, and prior to that, I couldn’t remember the last time we’d physically touched.

Austin had draped his heavy arm over my mom’s shoulders and was pulling her against his side like a stiff doll. The size of his biceps next to her head might’ve been comical under other circumstances and with an entirely different person. But at least with his head pressed against hers, denting her immaculate blonde bob, he couldn’t see her grimace. No one could have mistaken it for a real smile.

I grinned for Austin’s benefit and tried to send Mom a telepathic message: Be nice. He means well. He was coming from a good place, but he was coming on Austin, which meant coming on awfully strong in Catherine Carter’s book.

I would never have entertained him meeting her like this. Not only were we nowhere close to that stage, but I would’ve prepared him beforehand, given him some pointers. Unfortunately, most of them would have been to not do the things he was doing right now.

He probably wouldn’t care about making a bad first impression, but she would. And I did.

I rushed to introduce her companion, who was watching the interaction with amusement. “And this is Honey Dean.”

“Oh my God!” Austin released Mom and shifted his attention to Honey. “You’re the prom lady!”

Honey’s personality was the polar opposite of Mom’s—she was ogling Austin like she hoped he’d grab her too—but I didn’t want him to diminish her work. “Honey’s the founder of Youth Alliance, the organization that hosts the inclusive prom events every year.”

Honey shrugged and smiled. “I’m the prom lady.”

Austin grabbed Honey in a full-frontal embrace, lifting her onto her tiptoes. She giggled and squeezed him back, sticking her tongue out over his shoulder at me and Mom.

Austin set her down and took hold of her hands. “I’ve heard so much about you. I work at Bear Mountain Lodge. We do a fundraiser for you in the summer.”

“I know, sugar. I’ve been trying to convince y’all to let me come to the Bear Run for two decades.”

I imagined Honey gliding through the pool complex in a floaty caftan and parking herself at the Bloody Marys’ table. If there were any woman they’d make an exception for, it would be her. Those men would worship her if they didn’t already.

I doubted my mother even knew the campground existed. If she did, she’d never picture me there.

Austin said, “I was Best Cub last summer.”

Honey put her hands on her hips, bracelets jangling. “You’re the one who didn’t show up to the party,” she scolded. To my mother, she explained, “We have a little cocktail hour at Peter’s. They let us use their private room in the back.” If Mom only knew what other kinds of private events they held in the back room at Peter’s… “The boys from Bear Mountain Lodge come and present us with the money they’ve raised. And this one right here was a no-show, and everybody kept wondering where he was.”

“I’m so sorry I missed it,” Austin said. “I had to go out of town last minute.”

Honey playfully slapped Austin’s shoulder. “Well, you better come this year.”

“I will. If I keep my title.”

“Come anyway. Tell Jim I said so.” I pictured Jim Savage and Honey Dean in the back room at Peter’s, volleying honeys and sugars back and forth.

“Can I tell y’all something funny?” Austin looked back and forth between Honey and Mom. I appreciated him making an effort to include Mom in the conversation, but I doubted she’d be amused by whatever he was about to confess. “Now keep in mind, I only moved here about a year and a half ago, but for the longest time, when I saw your event posters and your ads on social media and stuff, I thought you were a drag queen.”