left the kitchen with Dylan and plopped down on the couch next to him. “So what’s new with you? Mom said you’ve been quiet.”
“Oh? I didn’t realize she’d noticed.”
Derrick stared at him.
“What?”
“What’s up with you and Mom? She seemed kind of weird when she asked me about you, and you’re being obnoxious.”
“I am not.”
“Yeah, you are.” Derrick glared at him. “What’s up?”
“She obviously didn’t mention James.”
“James? What about him?”
“She and he are now a couple. I guess I should have let her tell you, but I would have thought you knew.” He wondered why she hadn’t said anything. A mean, petty part of him hoped they might already have broken up.
Derrick gaped. “Mom and James? But they’ve known each other forever. Like, since before Dad died.”
Dylan winced. He didn’t like mention of their father’s passing. All of them, but their mother especially, had grieved for Andrew Warren. A beloved husband and father, he’d been all that Dylan could have ever wanted in a parent. And then, out of the blue, his heart had failed and he was gone.
“Does Gage know?” Derrick asked.
Dylan shrugged. “ I didn’t want to know. I went to lunch on Friday and they told me. I guess I should be happy for them.”
Derrick didn’t seem to hear him. His shock turned him giddy, and he laughed. “Hell yeah. Mom and James. That’s perfect. Hey, remember how Mom looked at him when Sydney’s mom was at that dinner, hanging all over him? I remember thinking Mom looked jealous. She was!”
Dylan remembered that too. But he’d hoped his suspicions would prove false.
“I have to tell Gage.” Derrick giggled like a freakin’ girl.
Irritated with his brother, Dylan stood and walked to the door. “Yeah? Well tell him when you get home. I’m tired and have a long day ahead of me tomorrow.”
Derrick’s mirth faded. He stood and met Dylan at the door. “What’s up? Really?”
Dylan didn’t want to admit to being a mean-spirited snot of a son. “Nothing. I’m tired.”
“You don’t like Mom and James together. You can’t lie to me, Dylan,” Derrick said softly. “What’s wrong with them?”
“Nothing,” he blurted. “Nothing’s wrong, okay? I just need time to sort this out. Don’t tell Mom. I don’t want to hurt her. I just…let me work through it in my own way.”
“Dude, Dad’s been dead for over ten years. Don’t you think it’s time Mom lived a little?”
“She’s had plenty of dates since then.”
“But no one special, no one she really liked.”
“She’s liked plenty of guys. Mom’s attractive. I know she’s a woman besides being a mother.” So why can’t I be happy that’s she’s found someone she can really love?
Derrick goggled at him.
“What?” he snapped.
“I can’t believe Mr. Therapist is having issues with this. Dude, Mom and James. They’re perfect for each other. And I always said he had a thing for her.”
“Whatever.”
“I’m calling Gage.”
“Fine. Now get out.”
“You’re not being fair about this.”
“I said I’m handling it.” Dylan opened the door and shoved his brother into the hallway. “We’ll talk later.”
Derrick stared at him in shock. “What the fuck? Did you just throw me out?”
“Genius.” Dylan slammed the door in his face and locked it.
He heard his brother’s angry laugh, a few curses, and then nothing.
Feeling unworthy but knowing he had the right to deal with the issue as he saw fit, Dylan slunk to the couch and stretched out on it. “I need my own shrink,” he muttered, still hating the S -word.
Minutes later, a knock at the door interrupted his self-loathing.
“Go away,” he shouted to his brother.
The knocking continued.
“I said go the fuck away, Derrick,” he yelled again.
Another round of knocking.
Knowing his brother would keep pounding and no doubt involve the neighbors, he pushed himself to his feet and rushed to the door. He threw it
“Oh? I didn’t realize she’d noticed.”
Derrick stared at him.
“What?”
“What’s up with you and Mom? She seemed kind of weird when she asked me about you, and you’re being obnoxious.”
“I am not.”
“Yeah, you are.” Derrick glared at him. “What’s up?”
“She obviously didn’t mention James.”
“James? What about him?”
“She and he are now a couple. I guess I should have let her tell you, but I would have thought you knew.” He wondered why she hadn’t said anything. A mean, petty part of him hoped they might already have broken up.
Derrick gaped. “Mom and James? But they’ve known each other forever. Like, since before Dad died.”
Dylan winced. He didn’t like mention of their father’s passing. All of them, but their mother especially, had grieved for Andrew Warren. A beloved husband and father, he’d been all that Dylan could have ever wanted in a parent. And then, out of the blue, his heart had failed and he was gone.
“Does Gage know?” Derrick asked.
Dylan shrugged. “ I didn’t want to know. I went to lunch on Friday and they told me. I guess I should be happy for them.”
Derrick didn’t seem to hear him. His shock turned him giddy, and he laughed. “Hell yeah. Mom and James. That’s perfect. Hey, remember how Mom looked at him when Sydney’s mom was at that dinner, hanging all over him? I remember thinking Mom looked jealous. She was!”
Dylan remembered that too. But he’d hoped his suspicions would prove false.
“I have to tell Gage.” Derrick giggled like a freakin’ girl.
Irritated with his brother, Dylan stood and walked to the door. “Yeah? Well tell him when you get home. I’m tired and have a long day ahead of me tomorrow.”
Derrick’s mirth faded. He stood and met Dylan at the door. “What’s up? Really?”
Dylan didn’t want to admit to being a mean-spirited snot of a son. “Nothing. I’m tired.”
“You don’t like Mom and James together. You can’t lie to me, Dylan,” Derrick said softly. “What’s wrong with them?”
“Nothing,” he blurted. “Nothing’s wrong, okay? I just need time to sort this out. Don’t tell Mom. I don’t want to hurt her. I just…let me work through it in my own way.”
“Dude, Dad’s been dead for over ten years. Don’t you think it’s time Mom lived a little?”
“She’s had plenty of dates since then.”
“But no one special, no one she really liked.”
“She’s liked plenty of guys. Mom’s attractive. I know she’s a woman besides being a mother.” So why can’t I be happy that’s she’s found someone she can really love?
Derrick goggled at him.
“What?” he snapped.
“I can’t believe Mr. Therapist is having issues with this. Dude, Mom and James. They’re perfect for each other. And I always said he had a thing for her.”
“Whatever.”
“I’m calling Gage.”
“Fine. Now get out.”
“You’re not being fair about this.”
“I said I’m handling it.” Dylan opened the door and shoved his brother into the hallway. “We’ll talk later.”
Derrick stared at him in shock. “What the fuck? Did you just throw me out?”
“Genius.” Dylan slammed the door in his face and locked it.
He heard his brother’s angry laugh, a few curses, and then nothing.
Feeling unworthy but knowing he had the right to deal with the issue as he saw fit, Dylan slunk to the couch and stretched out on it. “I need my own shrink,” he muttered, still hating the S -word.
Minutes later, a knock at the door interrupted his self-loathing.
“Go away,” he shouted to his brother.
The knocking continued.
“I said go the fuck away, Derrick,” he yelled again.
Another round of knocking.
Knowing his brother would keep pounding and no doubt involve the neighbors, he pushed himself to his feet and rushed to the door. He threw it
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