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“I’m assuming you know that isn’t going to be in a couple hours, right?”
I nodded and put my arm around her shoulders. “Years of being with the Knights taught me a lot, Mom, and one of those things they taught me when you get all the Knights together, it’s a party every time.”
Mom reached up and patted me on the cheek. “I’ve missed you, Marco.”
“I missed you, too, Mom.”
“Now get a glass of wine in my hand and give me a tour of this place.”
Now that, I could do.
*
Chapter Eleven
Royal
“You seem happy.”
I shrugged and grabbed the blanket from the back of the couch. “You’re here.”
Indiana laughed. “I don’t think your happiness has entirely to do with me being here.”
We were in the media room drinking non-alcoholic wine and watching one of the “Fast and the Furious” movies. One of the guys had turned it on but had abandoned it when Meg had called dinner time.
Bristol and Meg were like two peas in a pod and had come together to make an amazing meal.
“Maybe it’s because I have this giant house and its staff at my beck and call?” I suggested.
Indiana shook her head. “You’re talking like I don’t know you, Royal. I know none of this is important to you. I remember those couple of months when you and Grit had to live out of your car because you got evicted.”
I waved my hand at her and laid my head back on the couch. “I hated him back then. It was his fault we were out of money. I was only eighteen and was working at the local burger place for pennies. Grit was in and out jail and wasn’t making any money. Three days after he got out, he spent all the money I had saved on booze and pills.”
“And girls,” she drawled.
My brother was not the best guy by far.
He had many faults, and for a long time, I didn’t think he would ever change. A year ago, he had finally started acting like a responsible adult and had given up being a douchebag.
Now, he was dead.
How ironic it was that he finally started acting right, and that was when life caught up with him.
I sighed and felt a wave of grief wash over me. “I just wish he was still here, Indiana. I know for a long time he wasn’t a good person, but I really thought he was going to get on the right track.”
A sad smile landed on Indiana’s lips. “I’m so sorry about what happened, honey. At the end of the day, he was your family, and I know how hard it is for him to not be here.”
He was my family, but it felt like I had a huge houseful of family now. “You know, for years I always expected to get a phone call that he was dead or something happened to him. I was ready for it. I guess I just wasn’t ready for it now, Indiana.”
She reached out and patted my hand. “I know, Royal. Death has a way of catching you off guard and dragging you through the gutter.”
“None of this would have happened if it wasn’t for me thinking that dating Rider Meeks was a good idea.”
Indiana laughed. “Uh, yeah. I still can’t quite wrap my head around why you thought that was a good idea.”
“I don’t think I was thinking with my head, Indiana. I know it’s been awhile since you were in Destin, but Rider Meeks isn’t too hard to look at.” I had been blinded by Rider’s good looks, and then, I thought I could change him.
That had been a big lesson to learn. No one would change unless they wanted to change.
