Prodigal Son (Jensen Family #1) (27 page)

“I have to get some money
together to get Carmen out of Helen’s
house,
she can’t
move until her house sells, Grandpa is lending me some money to buy her house
so that she can move.” He explained.

“You are buying her house?”

“Well, technically, John is,
I’m too young. We’re going to do a little more work on it then sell it on.”

“Unbelievable. Am I the only
one who can see how wrong this whole situation is? Is there anything else I
should know?”

“I can’t tell you everything”
Paul replied, he couldn’t look at her now, knowing the last piece of the puzzle
would hurt her beyond belief, “I want too but
now’s
not the right time.”

“You can tell me anything.”
Monica spoke gently.

“Judging from your reaction
to my relationship, I honestly don’t think I can. You need to get the police to
back off and drop the case then maybe I will tell you everything.”

“How dare you give me an
ultimatum.
” She flared.

“You aren’t exactly giving me
a lot of choice.”

“You are behaving like a child.”

“Give it a rest Mum. I’m
doing what I think is right. Whether you like it or not is a mute point right
now. I love her, I would move heaven and earth for her if I could, you
attempting to make things difficult
isn’t
going to
change anything, it’s just going to make me move away sooner than I had
planned.”

“You aren’t going anywhere,”
she fumed “Until you are eighteen you are still my responsibility, you’ve had a
free rein up until now Paul but I expect you to start towing the line. You can
start by apologising to those Police officers on their next visit.”

“Huh,” Paul smiled ruefully
“Not going to happen. I only did what I did to prove a point, without my help
they have nothing, that officer was a very nice piece of ass though.” He
chuckled.

Thwack – Monica’s hand
connected with his face with surprising force, making his head snap back as he
took a step away from her, “I expected more from you. I raised you to respect
women.”

“And yet you married someone
who treats you like a slave,” he shot back, rubbing his cheek and keeping his
distance “I think you should leave before we both say something we’ll regret.”
He frowned, the blow from her hand wounding him deeper than any words ever
could.

“He’s right Mon. You need to
go home and take stock of things.” John finally spoke again “Come back when
you’ve both had a chance to calm down.” He stepped aside as his sister left the
room and followed her down the stairs, wrapping an arm around her shoulder
before she stepped out into the street “Monica, you need to handle this more
carefully, keep going the way you are and you’ll lose him.”

“It feels like I already
have,” she leant on him “He’s my baby John; we’ve always been so close.”

“You have to let him grow up,
he’s already very much his own man, he still needs you but he’s having trouble
admitting it, he’ll come around. Whatever it is he isn’t telling you right now
is obviously something he’s struggling with himself and he will need to get it
straight in his own head before he can let you in on it. You know he’ll come to
you eventually.”

“I hope he does,” she kissed
his cheek “Look out for him, I’ll leave it a few days then I’ll have another
chat with him.”

Paul was unpacking his bag
when John returned to his room;

“Ok, spill.” The older man
spoke.

Pushing a drawer closed, Paul
put shorts, a t-shirt, trainers and a towel into the bag “I didn’t tell her,
what makes you think I will tell you?” he asked.

“Well, it’s just me and you
here, you know I won’t tell anyone anything you don’t want me too.”

“Thanks John but I do need to
keep some things to myself. Eventually I guess I’ll have to say something but
right now, I’m happy keeping it to myself.” He hefted the bag onto his
shoulder.

“Where are you going?”

“To the gym, want to join
me?”

“You mean you want to be seen
with this old codger?”

“Yeah, besides, you keep
yourself in good
shape,
let’s see which one of us has
more stamina.” Paul grinned. A swift phone call to Matt while waiting for his
Uncle assured Paul that his brother would also be at the gym to prevent any
further pertinent questions.

After a friendly warm up
session on the treadmills and a more aggressive speed competition on the rowing
machines, the boys left their uncle to the static weights while they hit the
free weights, Paul spotting for Matt, amazed at the size of his twin’s massive
shoulders as he hefted the bowing bar above him repeatedly.

“If this bar drops, I don’t
think I’ll be able to hold it.” Paul admitted as Matt lowered the bar to his
chest. Although he worked out regularly, he was nowhere near as large as Matt;
his lengthy, naturally athletic build prevented him from becoming too bulky
resulting in his body being sleek and toned with perfect muscle definition.
Matt’s short, stocky form took well to weights and his already large chest and
shoulder muscles took no time at all in filling out, along with his rock solid
thighs and halo of blond curls, Matt truly was a sight to behold.

“You should up the weight and
lower the reps.” Matt grunted with effort as with one final heave, he allowed
Paul to guide the bar back into its stand.

“I swear this thing has just
heaved a sigh of relief,” he muttered as he began to remove weights for his
standard twenty four reps. “I like the way I look,” he said to Matt “Besides,
I’d look odd if I got any bigger.”

“I wouldn’t look as big if I
had some of your height.” Matt grumbled.

“Bullshit.” Paul laughed
“You’re lifting over twice as much as I can, maybe you should lower the weight
and increase the reps.” He jibed as he lay back on the bench and waited for
Matt to lower the bar to him.

“Yeah, maybe,” he mused,
watching his brother “Watch your breathing.” He warned
,
Paul was prone to going at the weights hell for leather and not concentrating
on his breathing.
which
often left him out of breath.
“How’re things at Grans?” he asked.

“Ok, Mum called the Police
in, she got a bit narked when I came on to the female officer and then wouldn’t
give them any information.”

“She’s told Tessa and
I
not to make any plans for tomorrow as they are coming to
talk to us.”

“Tessa doesn’t know
anything.” Paul replied pushing the bar above him and counting “Seven,” he was
already beginning to feel breathless and concentrated harder on his brother as
he dictated the pace of his breathing.

“I do though.”

“You can’t say anything
Matt.” Paul warned “Mum’s already had Carmen arrested once and all Helen does
is scream at me down the phone, I haven’t been able to talk to her for nearly
two weeks all because people have interfered.”

“Don’t worry about it; I have
your back on this. If it wasn’t for me opening my big mouth, Mum wouldn’t have
twigged in the first place, they won’t get anything out of me.”

“Thanks Matt, I owe you.”
Paul finished his reps and replaced the bar in its stand.

“We’re cool and even.” Matt
slapped his sweating brother on the back then wiped his damp hand down Paul’s
t-shirt “Gross,” bending to get a drink from the water fountain, Matt
straightened up when Paul tapped his shoulder.

“Take a look at John,” he
grinned, gesturing to the other side of the gym where their uncle was in full
Casanova mode, assisting a pretty young thing on the weights “At least I know
where I get it from.” he laughed.

“Yeah,” Matt agreed “Jesus,
look at him go,” he sniggered “There’s life in the old dog yet, come on,” he
nudged Paul “Let’s go and ruin his style.”

They sauntered over to their
relative, wiping sweat from their arms and faces “Hey, Uncle John, we’re going to
hit the sauna, are you coming?” Paul smiled at his Uncle and the young girl
next to him.

John looked up from the most
welcome sight of the nubile young woman and pulled a face at his sniggering
nephews “Hello boys,” he said in the most derogatory tone possible “I’m just
helping out Mandy here, I’ll be with you shortly.”
“Hi Mandy,” Matt smiled “I’m Matt, this is Paul, we’re twins.”

Mandy stood, she barely
reached Matt’s chest and with him being the
shorter
of
the three men, this made the girl positively tiny. “You don’t look like twins,”
the standard reply.

“We’re paternal twins, not
identical.” Paul replied casting a glance at his uncle “If you look close
enough, you can see the similarities,” also a standard reply but one that had
worked on many occasions.

Mandy stepped closer as they
knew she would “You are both lovely looking boys,” she said as she scrutinized
them “But I’m afraid I prefer something a little more mature.” She stepped back
beside John who was now smiling broadly.

“Fail,” he laughed “I honestly
will be with you in a moment boys,” he turned his back on them and continued
his previously interrupted conversation with Mandy.

“Wow, we just got turned
down.” Matt said as they walked away.

“I know, it
kinda hurts.”
Paul answered.

“Maybe John really is that
good.” Matt pondered.

“Yeah or maybe the twins’
thing is getting old.”

Over the following two days,
the two police officers paid several visits to Paul coming away empty handed
each and every time. With the winter fast approaching, gardening work was at a
minimum and Paul had his men working on house maintenance but with the weather
now dictating his work schedule, he was becoming increasingly frustrated at
being held back by the rain and while he had plenty of indoor work to occupy
his work force, his own job close to his Grandparents house was going painfully
slowly as it was all outside work.

Although Friday morning
dawned
grey and cold, the weather forecast didn’t predict
any rain making it possible for him to work. He left the house early, telling
his Grandmother he would work until the light faded and not to bother with
lunch. Working quickly and carefully, he was interrupted once by the offices
again trying their luck; he gave them a cursory glance before returning to work,
not even bothering to throw his now customary sarcastic greeting at them. He
packed up his work tools early and caught the bus into town where he purchased
two mobile phones, one for Carmen, the other for himself, on the way out of
town he passed a jewellers, glancing in the window, a silver Celtic knot ring
caught his eye, he stepped off the street and into the old fashioned shop, not
hesitating or wanting to look at anything else, he purchased the ring knowing
without a doubt that Carmen would love it.

Returning home to his
Grandparents house, he showered and changed before joining both Grandparents
and John for their evening meal of
Paella,
the discussion around the table conducted in Spanish and only covering that
days current events had Paul relaxed and feeling very much at home it was only
when Paula dropped into the conversation that as it was his parents wedding
anniversary at the weekend, a small get together consisting of his family and
Michael’s parents was planned for Saturday evening. He enquired if it was
strictly necessary for him to attend, the stern look he received from Jackson
told him that yes,
his
attendance would most
definitely be required. After dinner was over, he disappeared into his room,
making a number of phone calls, one in particular to a mini cab in order to get
his gifts to Carmen even though it would cost him hundreds.

Monica was shocked by
Matt’s refusal to give the police any information on Paul’s relationship with
Carmen.
Apologising profusely to them for her son’s lack of
co-operation as she guided them to the front door.
The officers informed
her that they hadn’t had any luck with Paul either and with her permission they
would like to take him to the police station and question him further as they
often encountered a change of attitude when teenagers were confronted with a
station environment. Monica readily agreed.

Matt was waiting for
her in the kitchen when she had finished with the police officers and launched
into a well practised speech of how out of order he felt she was in pursuing
this situation and for trying to put words in his mouth during his interview.
The realisation dawned that Paul and Matt had spoken before the police arrived
hit her like a freight train, it was more than obvious to her that Paul had asked
his brother to stay silent and that Matthew was doing as his brother asked, the
pair of them as thick as thieves. She turned her anger at her youngest child
onto the one standing in front of her and a full scale argument ensued complete
with slamming doors and stomping up the staircase.

Carmen opened the package
given to her by the taxi driver shortly before eleven o’clock that evening
under the sceptical gaze of her friend. She knew the reason for the phone, Paul
had explained to Helen that his mother had stopped his contract and his
original phone was as good as useless, the reason behind the ring was less
clear but she loved it and prised it from its decorative box, sliding it onto
the middle finger of her right hand. The letter Paul had enclosed with the
gifts had her in tears, for all the trouble his mother had caused, he
apologised, the rest of the letter was filled with his feelings for her and his
plans for their future and all of the things he had so far kept locked inside.