Read Online Single (Stockton Beavers #1) by Collette West - Free Book Online
Authors: Collette West
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"She said no cops."
Mrs. Jenkins looks at me, shaking, when I stare at her in confusion. "Luke, I didn't think you'd want anyone to know about…"
"About what…?" the guard prompts, glancing between the two of us. "If there's something you're keeping from me, then one of you needs to tell me what it is right now ."
Mom's out there alone somewhere, probably cold, wet, and terrified. I have to tell him about her Alzheimer's—even if they end up taking her away from me. I have no other choice. And here I'd thought I'd just dodged a bullet with Landry …
I wipe the rain from my face and draw in a shaky breath. I just want her back, no matter what. That's all that matters now.
"She has—"
I'm interrupted by the sharp blasts of a car horn.
Mrs. Jenkins holds her hand to her eyes. "Oh my goodness gracious, who's that?"
I blink as a car comes careening toward us, barreling through the rain.
"After I told them to cordon this area off…" the guard grumbles, reaching for his radio. "Please, folks. Step back."
But then the car suddenly comes to a screeching halt in front of us, and my heart almost stops beating right along with it. I know this car . It was parked outside my house last night.
The window lowers and Roberta cries out, "Luke, there you are! What the heck took you so long? Can we please go home now?"
Okay, what in the world is she talking about ?
But when she motions with her head, it's clear she's not alone inside the car. There's someone with her—someone I never expected to see. Utterly stunned, all I can do is obey. I don't even feel my legs as I jog toward the car, my heart thudding in my chest with every smack of my feet against the pavement.
From a distance, Roberta appears annoyed, irate even, but as I get closer, her eyes start telling me a different story. She's anxious as her gaze keeps flicking back to the guard. Only when I come to rest my elbows on top of the open window, essentially blocking him from view, does she sit back and allow me to peer inside. And there's Mom, disoriented and wetter than wet.
She's shivering, which means she hasn't been safe and dry and warm in Roberta's car this whole time.
"Ma, it's me… It's Luke!" But she just gazes out at the rain, not even acknowledging me.
Roberta turns to her in concern, and her curls hit me square in the face. For a moment, my eyes, my nose, my lips are all buried in her hair. And I stand stock-still. She's wet, too. They both are.
I lean back and she rubs Mom's hand between the both of hers, holding it up to the heater. "If you want to keep this quiet, then get in your car and follow me to your house."
"Why? Where were you? How did you find her?"
She shakes her head at me. "Not here. We have to go."
"Okay, okay, but tell me one thing…" I stare down into her eyes. "Is she gonna be okay?"
Roberta looks up at me. "She will be, but time is of the essence."
I start walking backward, digging my keys out of my pocket. "I just have to take Mrs. Jenkins home. She lives right next door. She won't say anything."
"What about him?" she inquires, jutting her chin at the guard.
"He doesn't know about her condition." I shrug deeper into my hoodie as I start getting pummeled by a cold, driving rain. "I'll just tell him she was with you and we got our signals crossed or something."
"All right, see you there." She rolls up the window, and I wave as she drives by me toward the stadium exit.
"Oh, Luke! What happened?" Mrs. Jenkins asks, struggling to keep the umbrella aloft in all the wind.
"She got caught up talking to some of her old friends at Beaver Field and lost track of time." I chuckle for the guard's benefit. "You know how it is being Mr. Beaver's wife. She knows everybody in Stockton, and everybody knows her. Sorry to have troubled you."
I cross my fingers inside the front pouch of my hoodie. I've kept Mom mostly out of sight over the past year, ever since her mind began to deteriorate rapidly. I didn't want anyone to see what she
Mrs. Jenkins looks at me, shaking, when I stare at her in confusion. "Luke, I didn't think you'd want anyone to know about…"
"About what…?" the guard prompts, glancing between the two of us. "If there's something you're keeping from me, then one of you needs to tell me what it is right now ."
Mom's out there alone somewhere, probably cold, wet, and terrified. I have to tell him about her Alzheimer's—even if they end up taking her away from me. I have no other choice. And here I'd thought I'd just dodged a bullet with Landry …
I wipe the rain from my face and draw in a shaky breath. I just want her back, no matter what. That's all that matters now.
"She has—"
I'm interrupted by the sharp blasts of a car horn.
Mrs. Jenkins holds her hand to her eyes. "Oh my goodness gracious, who's that?"
I blink as a car comes careening toward us, barreling through the rain.
"After I told them to cordon this area off…" the guard grumbles, reaching for his radio. "Please, folks. Step back."
But then the car suddenly comes to a screeching halt in front of us, and my heart almost stops beating right along with it. I know this car . It was parked outside my house last night.
The window lowers and Roberta cries out, "Luke, there you are! What the heck took you so long? Can we please go home now?"
Okay, what in the world is she talking about ?
But when she motions with her head, it's clear she's not alone inside the car. There's someone with her—someone I never expected to see. Utterly stunned, all I can do is obey. I don't even feel my legs as I jog toward the car, my heart thudding in my chest with every smack of my feet against the pavement.
From a distance, Roberta appears annoyed, irate even, but as I get closer, her eyes start telling me a different story. She's anxious as her gaze keeps flicking back to the guard. Only when I come to rest my elbows on top of the open window, essentially blocking him from view, does she sit back and allow me to peer inside. And there's Mom, disoriented and wetter than wet.
She's shivering, which means she hasn't been safe and dry and warm in Roberta's car this whole time.
"Ma, it's me… It's Luke!" But she just gazes out at the rain, not even acknowledging me.
Roberta turns to her in concern, and her curls hit me square in the face. For a moment, my eyes, my nose, my lips are all buried in her hair. And I stand stock-still. She's wet, too. They both are.
I lean back and she rubs Mom's hand between the both of hers, holding it up to the heater. "If you want to keep this quiet, then get in your car and follow me to your house."
"Why? Where were you? How did you find her?"
She shakes her head at me. "Not here. We have to go."
"Okay, okay, but tell me one thing…" I stare down into her eyes. "Is she gonna be okay?"
Roberta looks up at me. "She will be, but time is of the essence."
I start walking backward, digging my keys out of my pocket. "I just have to take Mrs. Jenkins home. She lives right next door. She won't say anything."
"What about him?" she inquires, jutting her chin at the guard.
"He doesn't know about her condition." I shrug deeper into my hoodie as I start getting pummeled by a cold, driving rain. "I'll just tell him she was with you and we got our signals crossed or something."
"All right, see you there." She rolls up the window, and I wave as she drives by me toward the stadium exit.
"Oh, Luke! What happened?" Mrs. Jenkins asks, struggling to keep the umbrella aloft in all the wind.
"She got caught up talking to some of her old friends at Beaver Field and lost track of time." I chuckle for the guard's benefit. "You know how it is being Mr. Beaver's wife. She knows everybody in Stockton, and everybody knows her. Sorry to have troubled you."
I cross my fingers inside the front pouch of my hoodie. I've kept Mom mostly out of sight over the past year, ever since her mind began to deteriorate rapidly. I didn't want anyone to see what she
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