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“Fine,” she quickly agreed. She sat down across from him at the table, and he slid her the container of cookies, an extra glass, and some milk. “Were you expecting company?” she asked.
He shrugged, “I was betting that you’d get hungry at some point and make your way down here.”
“You know, you should have asked me to help you get down the steps. You shouldn’t do them on your own.” When they got back to his place earlier, she insisted on him not sleeping in his recliner anymore. She worked with him on steps but there was no way that she’d want him doing them on his own.
“I didn’t want to bother you,” he insisted.
“That’s what I’m here for. You’re not bothering me, Stone, you’re asking me to do my job. I’m supposed to be here to help you get back on your feet.”
“Right,” he breathed, “sorry.”
“Next time, wake me,” she directed.
“Got it,” he agreed. “I just hate needing help.”
“I get that, but it won’t be forever,” she promised. “You’ll be back on your feet in no time, you’ll see.”
“How can you be so sure?” he asked.
“Because I’m very good at what I do,” she teased.
He chuckled, “Good to know,” he breathed, taking another bite of his cookie.
“Your mother is a good baker,” she said, changing the subject. “These are delicious.”
“I’ll tell her you said so,” Stone said, “She’ll love hearing that. My mom is a great baker and cook, but with my father and me both gone, she has no one left at home to feed.”
“What happened to your father?” she asked.
“Well, you met my sisters and heard part of the story from my mom. We found out recently that my father had other families which led to my sisters, Lulah and Bobbie. He’s been gone for a while now though. He took off on us when I was just a kid.”
“You didn’t know about your sisters then?” she asked. She had picked up on that earlier but wasn’t completely sure if she was understanding the situation correctly.
“No, which makes things worse for my mom. The signs were there, and she feels like a fool for not noticing before. She hates that he lied to us, but more than that, I think she hates that he hurt me, but I’m fine.” Anyone who had gone through everything Stone had gone through couldn’t be “Fine.”
“Are you sure that you’re fine?” she asked. “I mean, you seem to be, but I’m sure that what your father did had some repercussions on you and your mom.”
“At first, they did. My mother had a hard time controlling me. I was angry at everyone and eventually, I even joined a gang.”
“Oh,” Jo breathed, “how did you get out? I mean, you’re here and everything, so I’m assuming that you got out.”
“I did,” Stone said, “I chickened out of making my first kill and ended up in police custody. The DA on the case offered me immunity if I sold out the rest of my gang. They offered to put me in protective custody—my mom too. I couldn’t let my bad decisions mess up her life, so I took the deal and let them put us both in witness protection. I was a juvenile, so when I turned eighteen, I was able to decide if I wanted to remain in hiding or leave witness protection. I chose to leave and give my mom back her life. We settled in another town and after I made sure that she was safe, I joined the police academy. I wanted to do something with my life to help other kids like me. I wanted to make a difference in someone’s life and give back.”
“That’s quite a story, Stone,” she breathed. “You’re a good guy.”
“I wasn’t,” he admitted, “but, I’m trying to change my ways.” Stone still sounded haunted by his past and she wondered if he’d ever feel as though he had done enough to make up for being a part of the gang he joined. Jolene had made some craptastic mistakes in her past, but nothing like joining a gang and coming close to killing someone.
She covered her hand over his and he looked down at where they were joined, and back up at her. “What’s that for?” he asked.
“I think you need to cut yourself a break, Stone,” she said, “I read the file about your gunshot wound. I read how you saved your partner—he was just a kid. You probably saved the kid who shot you too. I mean, you haven’t pressed charges yet.”
“I can’t decide what to do about that. I was that kid one day, not so long ago, and I know what it’s like to get a second chance. He’s still in police custody, but without my testimony, he will only serve a short time—for possession of a deadly weapon and intent to use it. If he is convicted for shooting a cop, he’ll spend the rest of his life behind bars, and I’m not sure that’s what that kid needs.”
“You really are a good guy, Stone,” she insisted. He squeezed her hand into his own.
“That’s kind of you to say, Jolene, but I’m no saint. I can’t stop thinking about all of the bad things that I want to do to you, so how good of a person does that make me?” he asked.
“Bad things?” she croaked. “What kind of bad things do you want to do to me?”
