Landon's Obsession: An Endless Series: Book 3 (Series 3) (39 page)

     I was led into the dinning room where the six person
table was already laden with food. Maya had made lasagna, salad, green beans,
and garlic bread.

     Nola directed me to a seat next to hers, and on the
other side of her sat Maya. The seat next to me was empty while ReKesha and Brian
sat across the table. With an inquisitive look at Maya, who gave me a nod, I
assisted Nola into her booster seat.

     “Everything looks great, Maya. I haven’t had a meal
like this in a long time.” I praised as I sat down.

      She gave me a smile while grabbing Nola’s plate to
fill up. “It’s mama’s recipe so I know you like it.”

     My smile almost cracked my face. RaKesha’s lasagna had
been one of my favorites when she’d worked for us. Maya must have asked her
mother what foods I’d liked. That she’d gone to that effort touched me deeply.

     I turned the smile RaKesha’s way. “While I love
everything you cooked your lasagna was definitely one of my top five.”

     She nodded looking like she was trying to hold back a
pleased expression.
Come on ReKesha, give it to me.
Regrettably, she
held out.

     “Mommy, can I have two pieces of garlic bread?” Nola
pleaded.

     “After you eat your green beans. You know the drill.”
Maya replied.

     Nola grimaced. Green beans, it seemed, weren’t her
favorite. The food was passed around silently, everyone slipping brief glances
at one another. Someone needed to get the conversation ball rolling.

     “Nola, was church fun this morning?” I asked, taking
the easy way. Maya had told me yesterday that they went every Sunday morning.

    Her bottom lip stuck out a little. “You wasn’t there. I
wanted to show you to my friends, but you wasn’t there.”

     Shit! Talk about gut-wrenching. The girl knew were to aim
the punches.

     “Baby girl, I told you he was busy.” Maya reached over
and rubbed her shoulder.

     Actually, I hadn’t been. I just wasn’t certain if I
would be well-received. But if it was upsetting Nola that I wasn’t there then
screw it. “I’ll be there next Sunday, Nola. I promise. I want to meet all your
friends.”

     Her lip retracted, replaced with a smile. “I told
everyone about you. Johnny said I was making it up, but Miss Potter told him
that I wasn’t and he needed to not be mean.”

     “Well, Johnny will see me next Sunday and will have to
eat his shoe.” I retorted. How dare some kid make her feel bad.

     Nola frowned. “Why would he eat his shoe?”

      Okay, that metaphor was probably way over her head.

      Maya was shaking her head with a twinkle in her eye
and a grin. “That’s just something someone says about people who talk without
thinking first, Nola. Johnny said something without thinking of your feelings
and we should always be careful of other people’s feelings, right?”

     Nola nodded fervently. “Yes. I don’t want to hurt
people’s feelings.”

     She was a good mother, and she’d done a great job so
far—without me—but I was here now and I wanted to be the other person in this
family team.

     I found myself staring at her with a tender smile, and
she stared back the same way. It felt like something profound was passing
between us.

     “Landon…” ReKesha interrupted our moment, calling for
my attention. I turned to see her staring at me with a frown. “You shouldn’t
let the word ‘promise’ fall from your mouth so easily. That word can lose its
meaning if it’s not kept.”

     I wasn’t going to let myself be goaded by her. She was
worried about her granddaughter, and her daughter, and she definitely had her
reasons. “I will always keep my promises to Nola. If I don’t it’s because I’ve
been incapacitated some how. I’m here to stay, ReKesha.”

     Her brows rose at my adamant declaration. “I’m sure you
have lots of things going on in your life. You’re still in college now, right?”

     Inquisition time? “Yes, ma’am.”

     “You have a full course load?”

     “Yes, ma’am. This is my last year.” I repeated.

     “As an undergraduate. Are you planning to go to
graduate school?”

     “That’s the plan.” I stated a little more tersely than
I wanted. School and the future were a sore point for me. I got sick of hearing
about it from my mother, I didn’t want to hear it from Maya’s as well.

     “Are you doing your lacrosse thing still?” She
continued.

     “Mama.” Maya tone had a warning to it.

     “I am.” I answered anyway.  

     “All of that must take up a lot of your time. Can you
really make promises willy-nilly?” Her voice was almost snappy. I watched Brian
lay a hand over hers…support…comfort…warning?

      I swallowed down the antagonism she was trying to raise
in me. “My promises will never be willy-nilly. I’ve made one to go to church
next Sunday and I will be there. I know you are concerned for Nola’s feelings
and I want to tell you that I will be extremely careful with them.”

     “Yeah, Nana, daddy said he would go.” Nola spoke out
next to me. I wondered if she was catching onto the tension in the room, or
even if she understood our conversation.

     ReKesha smiled for her. “And that’s great, baby girl.”
And then she came back to me. “Where are you living right now, Landon?”

     Not done yet it seemed. “I live five minutes from
campus.”

     “Do you live with other people?”

     I’d had Maya in my sights this entire time, and she
looked resigned to her mother’s cross-examination, but at this question I swore
she perked up in extra interest. “I live with four other guys; guys from the
lacrosse team.”

     Did she slouch in relief?
Huh
? Why would she be
interested in who I was living with?

     ReKesha smirked with a look of antipathy. “Five college
males in one big house. You must have done a lot of partying in the last years.
Probably still do?”

     Auh, that’s where she was going with this. Maya was
looking interested again, while eating her lasagna. I hadn’t been able to take
a bite as yet. “We did. It’s slowed down in the last several months though.
Most of the guys have girlfriends now…and I’ve been busy…with other things in
the last few months.” I switched my gaze to Maya so she got my meaning. I
didn’t want her to think I’d been partying after finding out what happened to
her.

     Maya blushed and bent to her food, taking another bite.
I slipped a big bite in myself as ReKesha seemed to process my words. The food
was as good as I remembered.

     “I was never able to watch you play lacrosse.” Maya
announced suddenly, a somewhat regretful tone to her voice.

     My heart sped up at the thought of her in the stands
watching me, with Nola beside her. “We have a scrimmage in a few weeks…I would
love if you and Nola could make it. Do you think she would like it, or would it
be too boring for her?”

     Maya’s brown eyes warmed. Those eyes of hers still had
that ‘draw me in’ quality. “I guess we could find out…to you know, see if she
likes it.” She replied softly.

     “Maya never got to experience the college experience
like you have, Landon.” ReKesha announced in a louder voice.

     Maya blew out a sigh and turned to her mother. “Mama.”
She seemed to warn her again.

     “Kesha.” Brian added. It was the first time he’d spoken
since the introductions.

     I met RaKesha’s hard glare. Both warnings seemed to go
right over her head because she barreled ahead. “In fact, she never finished
high school.” She snapped angrily. “She lost her scholarship because of that.”

     My gaze shot back to Maya, my gut bottoming out. She
was looking uncomfortable. “Mama, that’s not Landon’s fault. And I did get my
GED.” She retorted with a mulish look at both her mother and me.

     “You had to drop out of high school?” I stared at her
intently.

     Maya’s uncomfortable look increased and she glanced at
Nola who was watching us all with curiosity. I’m surprised she’d been quiet
this entire time. I wouldn’t think this serious adult conversation would be
interesting to her. I wish I hadn’t been here for most of it. 

     “This is not a conversation that needs to be had at
this moment.” Maya bit out with a tight smile for her mother.

     ReKesha instantly looked shamed and apologetic. “You’re
right. I’m sorry.” She said, and even seemed to include me in on that, surprising
me. A minute ago she looked like she wanted to tear my head off. 

     “Nola, have you thought about what you are going to do
with the picture Landon drew you?” Maya asked, redirecting the topic of
conversation. And that was where the conversation stayed, on things concerning
Nola.

     While I loved hearing about what I’d missed in Nola’s
life; like her first word, first time walking, how she liked to dig in the
dirt…I had a weird daughter…My mind couldn’t shake that Maya hadn’t been able
to finish school, had lost her scholarship.

     The guilt I had concerning her just kept piling up.

     Maya had said it wasn’t my fault, and while I could see
her point, it was difficult not to accept some responsibility. She was so smart;
her aptitude with languages impressive, it was a shame and waste that she
hadn’t been able to pursue it. And now she was a real-estate agent? Was that
even what she wanted to be, or was it something she had to fall into because of
circumstances?

     My mind flashed back to three months ago, when I’d
first ran into her. I’d scathingly asked her why she wasn’t traveling the world
utilizing her degree in languages. She’d said that ‘
things changed’
. What
an understatement that had been.

     Someone kicked me in the shins and I jumped at the
contact. I thought Nola had done it accidently, but Maya was the one looking at
me with a pointed stare, and a small shake of her head.

     Was my inner conflict obvious? I smiled to show her I
was fine; I wasn’t going to let my depressing thoughts affect her. Shoving them
to the back of my mind I focused on the here and now, because this was just as
important.

     The second half of the dinner went better than the
first, and it went quickly. Before long everyone was done eating and Maya began
gathering plates. I stood up to help, but was waved away by Brian of all
people.

     “I’m going to help Maya. Why don’t you and Kesha take
Nola out to the living room?” It didn’t seem like a suggestion; more of a ‘do
it and work things out’ demand. It wasn’t a bad idea, I just wasn’t looking
forward to more coal raking.  

     ReKesha gave him a ‘what the hell’ look, but all he did
was look pointedly at Nola. She sighed dramatically in surrender.

     “Nola, you want to put a movie in, or play with your
blocks more?” ReKesha asked.

     “Both.” She stated emphatically.

     I grinned at her refusal to be boxed in by choices
released her from her booster. She ran for the living room and ReKesha and I
followed. Maya stared after us with a deeply puckered brow, and I gave her a
reassuring smile and whispered on my way out. “Don’t worry. I’ll be bending
over and taking it.”

     She rolled her eyes. “There’s an image I didn’t need in
my head.”

     I snorted and grimaced. Yeah, I spoke before thinking on
that one. “Shoe in mouth.” I muttered.

     She chuckled and it was good to hear that from her. The
more time we spent together the more our past connection seemed to return. It
was a nice, as well as stimulating, feeling.

     Nola was delving through a stack of DVD’s while ReKesha
sat on the couch. She watched me guardedly as I strode in and took a seat on
the floor near the blocks. If Nola wanted me to play with her I was going to
make myself available.

     “This one, Nana. I want to watch this one.” Nola held
up a movie. ReKesha rose and inserted the movie for her and then returned to
her seat.

     Nola joined me on the floor and we played with her
blocks for several minutes, but when the movie got going she became more
interested in that, and eventually lay on her back to stare up at the screen.
She was so fucking sweet, laying there, her hair fanned out around her angelic
face, eyes glued to the screen with enthusiasm.

     “Maya said you appeared to have connected to her
instantly…” I tore my gaze from Nola to look at ReKesha who was staring at me
with confusion and frustration. “And it does seem that way. You look at her
with fascination and affection.”

     It was heartening to know that Maya had seen that, and
that she was still trying to work her mother for my side. My gaze returned to Nola.
She continued to watch the television absorbedly. “She’s amazing.” I replied
with a little bit of awe.

     I heard her sigh and switched my attention back to her.
“You are very good with her.” That admission seemed as if it was pulled from
her.     

     “After one day with her I knew I would do anything for
her. You might all have to keep me in check so I don’t spoil her, because it’s
going to be difficult not to.”

     I got a small smile. “Yeah, well, you’re preaching to
choir on that. Maya will have to be the one to keep an eye on you there.”

     We shared a smile, but then she seemed to realize who she
was smiling with and it fell away.

     “It’s going to take me some time to forget what you put
my daughter through, Landon.” She confessed with sad eyes.

     I met her gaze full on. “I completely understand and
don’t blame you. I don’t think I will ever forget, or forgive myself.”

     “It might be hard to forget, but I can forgive you.”
She declared, shocking me. “Don’t look so stunned. It’s not like I can’t see
your side of things. You were young and stupid…hot-headed and impulsive…and if
this was anyone but my daughter I probably wouldn’t be holding the grudge I do.
Both Brian and Maya have been working on me so my feelings of bitterness have
been getting filed down regularly. But what I watched my daughter go through…”
She inhaled deeply and blinked rapidly, trying to hold back tears. “What your
brother did, I hold him responsible for, but both his and your actions are linked
so it’s difficult to separate the two. At times I blame your whole dam…darn
family.”