That Day - Karen Deen (large ebook reader .TXT) 📗

princess, and just be there tonight around seven.” The last part was the father in all this, laying down the law.

“Damn, those two are the biggest gossips. Do they know we aren’t in high school anymore?” I say, shaking my head.

Dad just rolls his eyes at me.

“Newsflash, Kurt. You haven’t had a girlfriend since you came back home to us, so it’s big news around here.”

“And you wonder why I haven’t brought Asha over yet. You’ll all scare her away. It was bad enough the other night with Seth, thinking he was hilarious with his stories from growing up. Imagine once Jodie and Mom get hold of her. That’s just lunacy.”

“Better than if they just turn up one night at your place and it’s a very inconvenient moment, if you know what I mean.”

I stop what I’m doing and just look straight at him. “Fair point.” I stand with my back against the side of the house next to where he’s sitting. “I’ll be there for dinner at seven, but I’ll be on my own. Asha is working tonight, so they will just have to wait to meet her. I’ll bring my ear plugs for the thousand-and-one questions I’m going to get about Asha. Although at least it might make it easier the first time she meets them. They will have already found out the gossip from me.”

Dad stands, putting his hand on my shoulder. “If you think that will work, you’re stupider than I thought. But sure, whatever you think, Kurt. And in the meantime, talk to the woman in question and book a date for meeting your mother, if you know what’s good for you. Before you get there tonight, preferably, if you want to soothe the two nosy ones. Where does she work, by the way?”

I wonder if I should tell him in front of Ricky. I know she needs to keep her identity anonymous, which my family will understand, but I’m not sure a twenty-year-old guy will.

“She works from home, but I’ll explain more tonight. Tell Mom if she is going to punish me, there should be dessert to help me survive the night.”

Tapping me on the shoulder as he starts walking away, Dad says, “As if she will forget her little boy loves dessert. Mothers and their sons. Doesn’t matter how old they get, they always have a soft spot in their mother’s heart.”

“You’re just jealous she likes me more than you!” I call out to him as he heads to his truck.

“Mhmm, whatever you say, Son. See you tonight. Bye, Ricky.”

“See you, Jeff, and let Mrs. D know that I like her desserts too. A doggy bag for tomorrow would be appreciated,” Ricky yells especially loud to make sure Dad heard him.

“You never miss a trick, do you,” I jokingly scold him. “Get back to work, and if you’re lucky, I won’t eat the doggy bag she packs for you.”

“You wouldn’t dare. I’ll tell her that you stole my goodies.” He gives me a look, trying to show me how tough he is, and I try not to laugh to disillusion him.

“Did you not hear the man? I’m Mommy’s favorite. Like she would care what you said about me.” Throwing a small offcut of timber at him, I hit the bullseye, right on his ass.

“Asshole!” He pegs the wood back at me.

“Yep, that’s what I hit. Your asshole,” I taunt, walking to the truck to grab some more nails and laughing to myself. I love that my workdays consist of hard work and laughter. Keeping stress levels to a minimum. This job, I can see myself doing it for the rest of my working life.

I tried not to look too longingly up at Asha’s house while I hit the surf. She needs to work and that means I need to respect that and stay away.

Sitting now on the back deck drinking a beer, I can’t help but watch her house while I relax before heading to my interrogation dinner.

The thing is, I would have taken Asha over as soon as I could if things were normal. But they’re not. Far from it. Not that I can share that with anyone. My family can’t know about Asha because it’s too dangerous, and she doesn’t know about my past, either. My family know that they are never to discuss my past with anyone unless they get the okay from me. They will stick to the normal story we tell people. I was off working on an oil rig offshore and that’s why I never made it home often, and the communication was hard because there wasn’t much of a signal. That way, when I went offline, no one ever questioned it. I know it was extremely hard on them, but they knew no news was good news. I kept reminding them it was no different than if I was in the armed forces, like soldiers who are away on deployment and can’t communicate easily.

The doorbell startles me from my house-gazing. I never worried about a super sophisticated security system when I bought this house. It’s only me, and I can defend myself. But now that Asha will be here, I need to get cameras for the front and rear entrance so she can see who it is before she opens the door. Especially if she is here on her own, which I hope we get to a point that she will be comfortable in my space without me. A warm feeling runs through my body at the thought of her lying on the couch, Coco at her feet, waiting for me to come home from work. I shake my head, knowing I’m getting ahead of myself.

Pulling the door back leaves me lost for words.

“Holy fucking shit. What are you doing here?” I reach out and pull Oscar into a man hug before leaning back to take another look at him. “I can’t believe it’s you. How did you find me?”

“Hello to you too, Bull—or