Blinking to the carpet, I wring my hands. “Mrs. Cocker, umm, The Ciphers help people. That’s really all I can say. It’s their private business.”
“I’m his mother!”
“I know.” We stare at each other. “What do you want me to say, Mrs. Cocker?”
“The truth.”
Sighing, I finally concede. “They kick people’s ass and take bad people out of the picture.”
Her eyes register this and with a somber steadiness she asks me, “Do they kill people?”
“No, they’d never do that.”
Her shoulders slump with relief. “Oh, good. I was so worried.” She glances away and I stare at her, thinking, sometimes being a good liar isn’t a bad thing.
“Are you tired, Luna?”
“More nervous than anything.”
“Anything I can do for you?”
There is one thing, but I don’t feel right asking. “You’ve got a lot going on.”
Her hands go up. “Are you kidding? Everything is ready! I can’t put the linens on the table until tomorrow or the birds will dirty them. The flowers don’t get here until the morning. The caterers are taking care of the food, also doesn’t come ’til morning. My husband and the boys are all at the shooting range, for Pete’s sake. Drew’s mother is in town and isn’t letting me help with her dress or anything. So infuriating. I’m just sitting here wishing I had something to do because I’m crawling out of my skin!”
Smiling at her exasperation, I offer, “Well, Melodi loaned me a dress, but now that I’m here, I realize it’s a little too skimpy.”
Mrs. Cocker blinks at me, then explodes…
“Oh THANK GOD! Let’s go shopping!!”
Jett
From where I’m lying on Jaxson’s couch, napping under the waning sunlight drifting in through the windows, I hear his phone ring, and him rise from where he was reading.
“Hey Mom, what’s up?” He pauses a while then says under his breath, “No shit.” There’s a long silence that feels like it’s something serious. Opening my eyes, I twist around to be able to see his expression. He’s staring at me. “I think I have to tell him.” Another silence.
“Tell me what?” Throwing bare feet onto his rug I rise up and go for the phone with my hand out. “Give me that.”
He steps back and holds his hand out as a shield. “He’ll want to know, Ma. Sorry.” He hangs up.
“What the fuck! Who’s hurt?”
“There’s some girl named Luna at the house, Jett. Mom thinks you guys are together or something.”
“Holy shit,” I rasp, my eyes widening to dinner plates. “Fuck! No way!”
Spinning around, I start to pace, totally forgetting in my stupor that I told Jax her name was Sunshine, and he wouldn’t know this is the same girl.
“Jesus, Jett, is this some chick you knocked up or something? She tracked you down?”
Frowning over my shoulder, I growl, “What? No! It’s the girl! It’s her!”
His head shakes like he’s been punched. “You said her name was Sunshine!”
“I call her Sunshine. Because she’s…fuck it. IT’S HER.” Back to pacing, I snarl under my breath, “What the fuck is she doing at our parent’s house? What’d Mom say?”
“Uh…I’m just wrapping my head around this. Let me think. She said the girl is here to be with you. They went shopping.”
We stare at each other until I explode, “I’m napping on your fuckin’ couch and Luna is shopping with my mom?!! WHAT THE FUCK?!”
Angry strides take me to the coat rack where I swipe my jacket down and struggle to get my arms in, missing the first time. “I can’t believe it.”
“Jett, put some shoes on.”
“FUCK! Where’d I put ‘em?”
He points to the end of the couch where they wait with the socks tucked inside.
Yanking them on has never been so hard. My hands are shaking. I have to try a couple times to shove my foot in. Off to my side I hear Jaxson grab his keys.
“I’m going with you. I have to meet her.”
“Jax...” I growl.
He looks over from where he’s putting on his brown, farming work-boots. We lock eyes. His eyebrows are raised, face somber. “I know. It’ll be dinnertime when we get there.”
“Yup.” I head for the door. “How ya doin’ Dad? Time to face your favorite boy.”
With Jaxson’s Jeep Wrangler following my Harley, we ride the hour back to Atlanta. He’d asked me before he climbed in if I wanted to call and warn them.