"Friend of yours?" His father could read people like a book. He'd picked up the animosity between them.
"He's an asshole, but a very useful asshole." Drew looked for the black truck or silver sports car that belonged to his … to Nathan and Quinn. He expected to find Nathan nearby. "Maybe I shouldn't have come."
His mother turned in the seat to face him. She pushed her sunglasses to the top of her head to hold her blonde hair back. She looked perfect. But she always looked perfect. She pinned him with a look that made him squirm. She looked like some beauty queen bimbo and she used that to her advantage. He sometimes forgot she had a sharp brain behind the false eyelashes. "If you care for them, then this is where you belong." She reached for his hand and patted it. "We'll be here for you. No matter what."
He had to stare at her for a long time before he got it. "Wait … what are you saying?"
"I'd blame the drugs, Arnie, he's not usually this slow," his father said with a long drawn out sigh. "Your gentlemen friends, Rico. Or are we here for the barbecue?"
Just the word made his stomach churn. Didn't help any that he could smell wood smoke and cooking meats. He'd avoided the Fourth for this very reason for the past three years. He could hear music coming from the distance. Nothing that he could identify as an actual song. Sounded like they were warming up or winding down. He could hear Quinn's voice amplified over the crowd. He couldn't make out his words. The stage faced away from them.
"That is one gorgeous man, that is." His mother's voice went all soft and breathy. "He looks like he came straight off a romance cover. All that pretty black flowing hair."
"Down, Arnie," his dad laughed. Drew didn't. He couldn't stop staring. His heart caught in his throat as if it had jumped up there all by itself.
"He's coming this way, dear. I need my smelling salts. I might faint." She was laughing. His dad was too.
Nathan walked around to the passenger door and opened it. "Senator Walker, I am so happy that you could join us."
"He doesn't seem surprised to see you," his father said what Drew was thinking.
"I might have made a phone call from the hospital this morning," his mother replied, holding out her hand for Nathan. "Officer Truman, I am thrilled to be here. Thank you for meeting me."
A couple of plain-clothed officers followed Nathan out to the car. Security formed around her and she fluffed her hair and let Nathan hand her off to his team. His mother stepped out of the car, her red sheath dress and white pearls made so much more sense now. His dad climbed out and went around to the back. A couple of minutes later, he opened Drew's door. The wheelchair Drew hated immensely sat waiting for him. Nathan was at his father's side. Drew hated that Nathan had to see him this way. In pain. His leg busted to hell and back. "She puts on a great diversion if nothing else," his father said in Spanish. "Love that woman."
Drew stumbled on his one good leg. He reached out to balance himself and found Nathan under his arm. He wanted to lean on him. He wanted to lean into him. He did neither. He allowed them to lower him into the chair. His father fixed the footrest to hold his leg up. He was winded and exhausted just from getting out of the car.
His dad looked over his head to Nathan. "I'm going to catch up with my wife if it's okay with you."
"Yes, sir," Nathan replied. His voice so much deeper than Drew remembered. "I'll take good care of him, Mr. Dominguez. Like he's family."
His dad looked from Nathan to Drew then back. He held out his hand for Nathan to shake. "Don't get him shot again. That's all I ask."
Nathan promised something and his dad followed the sound of the crowd parting like the Red Sea. "Senator Arnette Walker and Quinn Anders in the same place. I don't think this little town is big enough for their combined egos."
Nathan laughed. The chair rolled over the bumpy pavement slowly. Drew held on tight. There weren't enough pain meds in the world right now. "Probably not. She's a republican and he's a democrat. This could be interesting."
"Oh, God, you're right. It's going to be a bloodbath." He regretted the words as soon as they left his mouth. "Stop, okay."
Nathan stopped pushing and Drew tilted his head back to look up. Nathan looked down. "I heard about everything. I'm sorry it ended like that."
Nathan shrugged and looked away. "It's over. We survived it. Mostly unscathed. And … life goes on."