Into the Fire by Adrienne Giordano & Mary Jo Briscione

Author:Adrienne Giordano & Mary Jo Briscione [Giordano, Adrienne]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: ALG Publishing

30

Rose

* * *

After picking us up at the airport, Jeremy pulls into my driveway, scans the app on his phone over the security pad, and the gate swings open, welcoming me home.

It's late and despite the darkness, the property is lit up like the Las Vegas strip. Spotlights from the front shoot upward, illuminating the front of the house. I have to admit, I love the grandeur those lights create. An unexpected surprise that resulted from the boys insisting on the spotlights after their father died. At first, I found them intrusive, but now I have them on timers from dusk until dawn. If someone were to hop the gate, they'd have to be a ninja to avoid getting caught.

I make a mental note to thank Phillip for his insistence on the security upgrade. My son is a pain in the rear, but usually correct.

"Home, sweet home," Jeremy says. "Mother, you've got to be exhausted."

I have no desire to argue the point. The last few days have worn me out emotionally as well as physically. I’m…upset…with Jeremy. And Simon. It’ll take me some time to move on, and try as I did to make conversation on the ride home, it all felt forced. As if the elephant in the room wore a pink tutu all of us found impossible to ignore.

“A good night’s sleep will help." I glance over my shoulder at Rae, sitting behind Jeremy in the backseat. "Are you tired, dear?"

"I napped on the plane. I'm okay."

Of course she is. She’s young. I sigh and silently curse the lost energy of my youth.

Jeremy pulls to the front of the house and parks behind his car. Heaven knows, the spiffy Porsche wouldn’t hold all three of us plus luggage, so he’d switched to my car—the Cadillac Simon bought me thirty-six days before he died—on the way to the airport.

“Mother, I’ll get your bags. Go on in and deal with the alarm."

"Thank you." Hoping for a bit of privacy, I wait for Jeremy to exit the car and turn to Rae. "It's getting late. You'll stay here tonight."

"I appreciate that, Rose. But I’ll find a hotel. I can Uber."

The people in my life all seem to want to be contrary these past few days. “Why on earth would you do that when I have five empty bedrooms including a guest cottage? The cottage isn't made up, but I'll give you fresh linens for tonight. I absolutely insist. I can't have you wandering around Los Angeles at this hour."

That being said, I slide from the car and nearly run up the stairs to the front door before my guest decides to argue.

I unlock the door while Rae waits on the steps for Jeremy and then follows him inside. He carries my bags upstairs, leaving Rae's near the door. He hadn't heard my invitation for Rae to stay. Or, perhaps he did and ignoring her luggage is an act of defiance. A not-so-subtle hint of disapproval.

At this point, given the secrets he chose to keep for the last thirty years, I can’t be bothered with my approval ratings.

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