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“Thank you, Mona,” Brenda said. “That is very sweet of you. We were going to have lunch there today anyway.”
“Go in and get a table,” his mother said. “I’ll be right in and let them know it’s on the house.”
He watched his father and stepmother walk away. “What do you think this is about?” he asked.
“Please,” his mother said, waving her hand. “You know as well as I do what it is. He could have called to check in on you and didn’t. He shows up out of the blue and Brenda is more friendly than normal. I bet if I bent over she’d get on her knees and literally kiss my butt.”
He burst out laughing. “It’s overkill, her trying to keep Dad civil.”
“Your father only ever wants one thing from me and now from you.”
He sighed. “Yep. Money. He asked if we could have dinner tonight and they are leaving tomorrow. I didn’t answer.”
“If you tell him no he won’t leave just yet. You should do that just to see. Make him fork up money for another room.” His mother laughed. “Just think of how much it cost him to come here. Brenda probably made him stop every other state or so for the night. He gives her everything she wants.”
“If it works for them, who are we to judge?” he said. His phone went off and he pulled it out to see a text from Jasmine. “Shit.”
“What?” his mother asked.
“I forgot I do have plans tonight. Jasmine wanted to try this Italian restaurant this week. She’s getting out early because she has to work Saturday morning. She just texted that she got reservations for six thirty.”
“Tell your father you have plans,” his mother said.
“And have him stay here even longer? No. It’s not worth it. Which means I have to cancel on Jasmine and I’d have to tell her why. I’m not lying to her.”
“As you shouldn’t. It’s not good for a relationship.”
“Or see if she wants to meet him, which I don’t really want to do, but then she might ask why.”
“She knows you don’t have a good relationship with him?” his mother said.
“She does. Who knows? Maybe if she witnesses it, she’ll feel bad for me and my night will get better.”
He was grinning when he said that and his mother slapped his arm. “Wesley. That is horrible.”
“Is it though?” he asked, still smiling.
“You’re finally in a good place. You’re cracking jokes like you used to do. You’ve got true happiness in your eyes. I’ve been waiting to see this again for the last two years.”
He hadn’t realized that until she said it. “I’ve been waiting to feel it.”
“Then deal with your father and get it over with and don’t let it drag you down. If Jasmine is there, he’s liable to not ask you for money. It will probably put a wrinkle in his plans that she is there. That might be even more entertaining for you.”
“You might be right. Time to take this bull by the horns and steer it in my direction.”
“Good for you. Guess I’ll go put my happy face on for my ex and watch him and his wife order a few courses on the house.”
He laughed. “It’s worth it to know it’s your place and that is all he got out of you.”
“You’re damn right, Wesley. Don’t you forget it either.”
26
Were All Damaged
The last thing Jasmine thought when she texted Wesley earlier about going to dinner tonight was that she’d be making the reservation for four and meeting his father and stepmother.
She almost canceled and told him to go with his family and they could do it another night, but then decided that wouldn’t be right.
