Total pages in book: 146
Estimated words: 143842 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 719(@200wpm)___ 575(@250wpm)___ 479(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 143842 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 719(@200wpm)___ 575(@250wpm)___ 479(@300wpm)
Silence held fast, though there was a disorder to it, the kind he always felt like a kick to the gut whenever he came in and his mother was distraught.
He had a sixth sense about it.
In tune.
He just knew when she was struggling since it’d been his job to look out for her. To take care of her. To help her the best that he could.
For so long of it, he’d been a kid, not really able to contribute all that much.
But that was about to change.
“Ma,” he called again, and his chest clutched when he heard the telltale sounds of her crying.
The muffled sobs that she always tried to keep buried.
He followed them down the hall and to the bedroom at the end. His heart that felt like it was being crushed got obliterated when he pushed open the door to find her on the floor, hugging her knees to her chest.
“Ma.” He was on the floor in front of her in a second flat, scooping her up and into his arms.
He sat down with her on the side of the bed. “What’s wrong?”
She tried to hide the evidence. To swat away the blotchy mess that scuffed her cheeks raw, like she’d been at this for hours.
“It’s okay, Cody. Just give me a minute.” Her voice was hoarse from the sorrow.
“Not leaving you.”
“Cody.” She whispered it, slowly shaking her head. “You’re always trying to take care of your mom.”
She said it gentle, her eyes lighting in that affected way she’d always watched him with.
He squeezed her tighter. “That’s right. That’s what I’m supposed to do.”
Saddened surrender filled her voice. “No, sweetheart, you’re not, and I’ve been far too much of a burden for you. I hate that for even a minute of your life you thought you had to sacrifice. That you lost a day of your childhood.”
His head shook in ferocity, his arms bands around her thin body. “Nothing is lost if it’s given to you and my sisters.”
A sob tore out of her at his words, his mother succumbing to something that Cody couldn’t see. Something different than had been there before.
He pulled back so he could study her tear-stained face. “What’s going on?”
Her mouth tweaked down on the side. “I tried so hard, Cody. Tried so hard to make everything work. To balance it. I’m so sorry.”
Fear bottled in his chest, and the question ground off his tongue. “What does that mean?”
Hesitation brimmed around her before her shoulder drifted up to her cheek. “I have to let go of the house. I know this is the last place we had with your father, but—”
Anger surged, not really at her, but at himself that he hadn’t recognized it or realized how much trouble she was in.
“You told me you were set.”
“I was…for a while. But with Dakota in college and now Kayla going in the fall…” She paused then said, “Something’s got to give.”
Cody gave a harsh shake of his head.
She’d been hiding it, trying to play it that she was fine without his help.
Little did she know he’d been saving.
“I can help, Ma. I have an extra five thousand dollars that I’ve stocked away.”
Her bleary gaze traced over his face. “I can’t accept any more money from you, Cody.”
“Please.”
She set her hand on his cheek. “Honey, you are amazing and wonderful and I’m so grateful, but that isn’t going to be nearly enough. I need to let it go.”
“How much do you need?” he demanded it.
“Way too—”
“How much?” It boomed through her room. When she cringed, he softened his voice. “How much, Ma? I’m not a little kid you need to protect any longer. I need to know.”
Her attention dropped to her lap. “I took out a big loan on the house a couple years ago. It fell behind and the house has gone into foreclosure. The only way I can recoup anything is to sell it.”
“How much to get it back in standing?”
Her gaze dipped. “Sixty thousand.”
“I’ll get it.”
“No—”
“I’ll get it. I don’t know how, but I’ll get it.” He pushed to standing and tipped up his mother’s face.
Horrified embarrassment lingered there, like she was to blame when she’d given everything for them. “I’ll get it. I promise.”
Then he walked out, having no idea what that really meant.
THIRTY-FOUR
CODY
I was drenched in sweat, and my tee clung to my skin as the sun blazed down from the bluest sky. No clouds or coolness were to be found. I drove the shovel deep into the earth, grunting as I shifted to use my boot to ram down on the sides to dig it in deeper.
Wry laughter rolled from behind me. “You look like you’re taking out whatever happened to you last night on that dirt.”
I tossed a glare over my shoulder. Matthew stood with his hands on his hips, smirking down at me where I was in a hole that was about three feet deep. We’d used the Bobcat to dig most of it out, but we’d gotten down close to some pipes, and we needed to do the rest by hand to make sure we didn’t hit one.