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“Not really.” I slumped down in the cushions.
“She isn’t coming around,” she concluded.
I placed a hand on my forehead. “What would you do if Dad was cheating on you?”
“Is Mulaney seeing someone else?” Mama asked, alarmed.
“I don’t know.”
I shouldn’t have spoken the question. What kind of son planted a seed like that in his own mother’s head? Yet her first response was how it related to me.
She squeezed my knee. “We can figure it out. She can’t say no to me.”
I couldn’t help but return my mother’s sassy smile. Seeing her in such great spirits made me feel better too.
“I don’t think I’m going to be able to give you the grandkids you want,” I blurted. It was wholly on my shoulders, something my brother couldn’t do.
“Easton, I know I talk a lot, and I do want grandchildren, but I don’t want you to spend all your life trying to make Harris and me happy.”
“That’s not what I’m doing.” She gave me an unimpressed look. “Not completely.”
“Have I pushed you toward Mulaney too?”
I shook my head. “She’s not who I thought she was.”
Mama angled toward me. “If there is one person on this earth who what you see is what you get, it’s that girl. She’s a pistol.”
“Who are y’all talking about?” Drew sauntered over and kissed Mama’s cheek.
Dad followed behind him. “Mulaney,” he answered.
I bristled, searching for any kind of reaction from him just speaking her name. Drew waggled his eyebrows behind our father’s back. I pretended not to see, focusing on Mama.
“Should’ve known,” Drew said. “Hey, why are you two sharing an office?”
Dad flashed me a curious look, but Mama’s was knowing. “He’s doing what’s best for both of them,” she said.
“Son, I need a word with you.” Drew took a step toward the bedroom when Dad placed a hand on his shoulder. “I meant Easton.” Something unspoken passed between them I couldn’t read.
“Move so I can hang out with my best girl.” Drew took my seat as soon as I was out of the way. Mama swatted at him, but she was happy.
“Everything okay?She looks almost normal today,” I said as soon as we were in their bedroom.
“She’s had a fantastic couple of days. Gives me hope.” His shoulders sagged, a contradiction to the words he’d just spoken.
In front of me wasn’t a man with the promise of a bright future, but one who looked like life was getting the better of him.
“Do you need money?”
I nearly choked at the question. “Why would you think that?”
Dad paced toward the windows. He pushed back the curtains, revealing even more of the busy skyline. He stared out in the distance, hands in his pockets, for a long time before he turned around.
“I found a substantial number of withdrawals you made from the company accounts, but nothing matches up to the expenses.”
My heart rate kicked up. “That seems to be standard fare lately.” Accounting at its fundamental level was simple. The numbers always worked themselves out. They couldn’t be added or subtracted from one side without going to the other.
Yet the Carter Energy coffers seemed to be magical, figures disappearing all over the place.
