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He nods grimly. “Precisely.”
I’m quiet for a moment, unsure he’ll appreciate my two cents, but I decide it can’t hurt to give it. “I think Landon has a lot of hurt buried underneath all that anger. I think maybe he doesn’t feel… supported by you, or included. Maybe it’s more… he doesn’t feel like you want him here. And I get it, because the person he has become is very difficult, and sometimes even dangerous. You’re obviously right to try to protect me from harm, and it’shis faulthe became the harm. He didn’t have to give in to all his worst impulses, he could have put effort into rising above it, but assigning blame isn’t going to fix anything here. It doesn’t matter who is at fault for what. I can say with absolute certainty that he does not see me or my mom as ‘part of the family’ and for any of this to work, it seems crucial we fix that. I assure you, I am exhibiting the patience of an absolute saint in my efforts to push things that way, but I can’t do this alone. I can’t fix him. There’s too much damage, and I didn’t cause any of it.”
“I did make him go to therapy when his mother first passed, but it didn’t do any good. He wouldn’t say a word to her.”
That doesn’t surprise me.
“Now, with the drinking.” He shakes his head. “I don’t know. I don’t know if he needs rehab. I don’t know what he needs.”
“I don’t either, but as long as we care, that’s a step in the right direction, isn’t it?”
Hayden’s gaze shifts back to me.
“Why don’t we start with something easy? I thought family dinner might be that, but it wasn’t. We should stay in this time. Mom and I have always enjoyed having movie nights at home. We eat junk food and watch movies, and the best part is, nobody has to do much talking, but we’re all together. Seems like it could be a good first step, and something Landon might actually be able to get through without exploding or… running off and committing various lowkey crimes.”
Hayden cracks a smile. “Sounds inexpensive. I like it.”
I nod, initially caught up in the approval of my plan, but that quickly wears off when I realize I’ll have to watch a movie with Landon in front of both of our parents, and there are probably a lot of ways that can go wrong.
But Hayden is already set on a course, so he sits forward. “We’ll do it tomorrow.” He opens his desk drawer, very businesslike, and extracts a set of keys. He holds them out for me.
Wide-eyed, I put my hand out, and he gives them to me. “What is this?” I ask cautiously.
“The keys to your new car. I bought you the Prius you looked at with your mother. Very highly rated. Excellent choice.”
“Um… Hayden, you didn’t have to buy me a car.”
He waves me off, as if he bought me a new purse or something. “You needed one. Now you have one. I won’t be able to get you a reserved spot at the school as those have already been claimed for the year, unfortunately. If it’s important to you, I can make some calls, but it may take a little time to free one up.”
I shake my head. “It’s not. Thank you, but… I can park in the lot like everyone else.”
“If your mother asks…”
“I will tell her you offered.”
A perfunctory nod. I try to bite back a faint smile, but I fail.
“I think you could both use a reset and a little break from the house. I’ve booked you a room at a spa resort on the beach for the night. Gemma wants to leave, and the best thing is to let her so she doesn’t dig in, but not a move, just a break. You’ll have a nice dinner on a beautiful beachfront terrace, enjoy spa treatments to relax your bodies; have a little girl time, maybe hit the beach. Just relax and unwind, that way tomorrow you’re both fresh and ready for our movie night. Maybe once your mom has had more one-on-one time with you like she did before you guys moved in, she will feel better about things.”
“I think that sounds lovely, Hayden. Thank you.”
“I believe the dealership closes early today, but I had the keys delivered so we could pick it up, anyway. As soon as your mom gets off work, I’ll give you girls a ride to pick up the car, and you can drive that to the spa. I’d prefer giving both of you a full day off from Landon, so if you wouldn’t mind packing an overnight bag for her while she’s gone…”
“Sure, I can do that.”
“Perfect. Pack one for yourself as well, and we’ll meet her at the door and whisk her off as soon as she pulls in.”
“Okay. Sounds good.”
“I appreciate your help with all this, Parker. And your discretion. I know we both want to protect your mother, but please make sure you’re taking care of yourself as well. If you ever needanything, all you have to do is ask. I don’t ever want you to feel that you’re alone in this. Like you said, we’re on the same team, and we both seem to have a pretty realistic idea of what we’re up against.”
You can say that again.
“And thank you for the movie night suggestion. If you ever have any more ideas about how to make this merger go any easier, feel free to share. I’m always happy to have your input.”
I meet his gaze, amused. “It may help not to refer to this as a merger when you’re talking to my mom.”
“Of course.” He smiles faintly. “But right now, I’m talking to you.”
