Read Online Wicked Flower by Carlene Love Flores - Free Book Online Page B

was delicious.
     
    Dish duty was pretty entertaining
with Will. When was the last time either of them had put on yellow rubber
gloves? He’d washed. Will had rinsed. A mess had been made which they’d cleaned
up. But Stefan was now irritated that the nurse still hadn’t returned. The
storm outside had cycled through a few times and rain and wind were now on the
rise again. Summer was so close, just like he remembered as a kid.
    He propped a pillow under his
mom’s feet and searched for a channel on her TV, settling on a legal drama. He
sat on the edge of her bed, her frailty and acceptance of him punching him in
the heart. Strangely, he found himself wanting to talk about Dad but that would
be selfish and he’d learned a thing or two from Will. Selfish was bad. But he
only had two weeks and there were things they had to talk about if he had any
shot of getting her to return with him.
      “Mom, can we talk?”
    She propped herself more upright,
even though it looked like some nerve somewhere was being pinched from the
effort. “Sure we can, son.”
    Where did he begin? “Thank you for
letting me stay here. And Will.”
    She nodded. “Of
course.”
    They talked about her most recent
doctors’ appointments and the harsher than usual winter. He told her about his
move to Tennessee and how he was still looking for a house.
    “I’ve always heard Tennessee was
lovely. Especially during the fall.”
    It would be cowardly not to use
that comment as his lead-in.
    “You know, Mom, I’ve been gone so
long. Haven’t been here for you. Regardless of
anything else, I’ve felt really bad about that. And,” he shook his lowered head,
knowing this wasn’t the heart of the matter and he was about to blow the
lead-in she’d given him. “I’ve let the one thing I can honestly say I love keep
me away.”  
    “Oh Stefan, don’t.” Her hand
rested on top of his. “Does your music make you happy?”
    He nodded, shocked she’d grasped
so quickly that his one love was his music. “Yes, most of the
time.”
    “Listen to me. Whatever else has
happened between us in the past, I have a son who has found success doing what
he loves for a living. As your mother, that makes me happy. I’m the one who
should apologize for not making sure you knew that. You’re here with me now,
son. And who knows? The day may still come that you find something you love more
than your music.”
    She shouldn’t count on that and wouldn’t
be proud if she knew everything he’d indulged in over the years. God, he hoped Mom
hadn’t followed his career that closely. If she’d ever stood in line at the
grocery store … The fear of her seeing his face splashed with a scandalous headline
or two gouged him again. But what nearly had him doubling over was the shine in
her eyes when she’d said the hopeful words. Fuck, he was a selfish bastard.
He’d honestly never thought of how his finding someone would impact her.  
    There just wasn’t anyway he could see marriage in his future. A girlfriend
would be hard enough to manage. The couple times he’d tried, they hadn’t been
happy when the music took him away.
    And especially not after that
shit that had printed when Will lost his wife. Leave it to the idiots in the
press not to have checked and made sure they had the right Sin Pointe member’s
face attached to the tasteless write up. Because it saved Will from more
heartbreak, Stefan never said anything.
    In any case, hearing his mom
speak of being proud was a shock, especially under the circumstances of when
he’d left home.
    How did he tell Mom he hadn’t
just been out making music this whole time? What about the nightly debauchery,
the countless women he’d slept with? The hearts he’d been careless with in
order to protect his own? Potential daughters-in-law? Not
likely.
    He handed her the remote and
gathered up his courage.
    “Mom, have you ever thought about
leaving Moonlight?”
    She took a second to grasp the
remote in her hand and