CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR

When I pulled into the mansion’s driveway, I was surprised to see Mason’s Escalade. Then I went inside, saw my mother and felt gutted. She had on a soft pink dress. It was a simple dress, but it wrapped around her body and I could see that she’d lost weight. I wasn’t sure when it had started, but she was rail thin now. A part of me wanted to ask her if she had an eating disorder, but I held my tongue. Then I saw Mousteff emerge from the kitchen and place a steaming bowl of soup in front of her. She grimaced at him, but his lips pursed together and he dropped two packages of crackers beside the bowl. “Eat,” he barked before he disappeared back into the kitchen.

She sighed but picked up her spoon.

As I watched, she ate the bowl one sip at a time. I stood there for an hour. It took her that long before she pushed the empty bowl away and stood. Her face was twisted and she held a hand over her mouth. Then she rushed down the hallway. I knew where she was going and hurried to stop her. As she pushed through the bathroom door, I grabbed her arm and reeled her back into the hallway.

“Sam,” she gasped.

I slammed the door shut and planted myself in front.

Panic came over her and she tried to shove me aside. Her hands grappled for me, but I evaded each time. I twisted my arms free, dodged when she tried to hook around my waist, and her struggles became more frantic.

“Samantha, please. I’m going to be sick.”

I heard the whimper in her voice and shook my head. “Keep it down, mom. You need to.”

The fight left her. She reared back, but a different fight was in her eyes now. She lifted her lips in a snarl and she grew still. “What do you care? You’ve been absent from my life since we moved here. Get out of the way, Sam.”

“No.”

“If I die, you’ll be rid of me.”

I felt the blood drain from my face and I flinched. I couldn’t stop it. Then I caught movement from the corner of my eye and saw Mason there. He stood at the end of the hallway, but he shook his head in a small movement.

I took a deep breath. “When did this start?”

She snorted. “Like you care.” She leaned against the wall and raked her hands through her hair. Her body crumbled to the floor and I knew she’d lost another fight. Her shoulder shook and sobs sounded from her.

I slid to the floor across from her and gentled my voice. “Where is James?”

“With Helen.” Her voice was hoarse. “He’s going to get back together with her. I just know it.”

I rolled my eyes. Even I knew the fool was besotted with my mother, but I held back my disdain. “Analise—”

She lifted her head. Her makeup was smeared from the tears and black splotches ran down over her cheeks. Her eyes were rimmed from it as well and she let her head fall against the wall with a hard thump. Then she did it again as she moaned, “What am I going to do, Sam? I love him. I love him so much. I can’t lose him. I’ve already lost you. I can’t lose him too.”

I curled my arms around my knees and pulled them tight. My chin rested on top of one of my knees and I tried for a small smile. I knew it came out strained. I didn’t care. It was the best I could do. “I’m sure James isn’t getting back together with Helen—”

“He is.” Tears filled her eyes again and she buried her head in her own knees. “What am I going to do, Sam? I have no idea. She called today and said her and Garrett broke up. James left as soon as he got that call. I knew he was going to console her. She sounded hysterical on the phone.”

I frowned. “This happened today?”

“Yeah.” She hiccupped on a sob.

“But that doesn’t make sense.”

Her sobs stopped and she looked back up. A flicker of hope was in her eyes. “What do you mean?”

“They broke up a week ago.”

The hope doubled and she wiped away the tears now. “How do you know that?”

“Because I walked in on them fighting.” I closed my eyes. Here I went. “His wife is here, mom.”

“What?” Her voice was so soft, so small.

I jerked my head in a nod. Every muscle in me was rigid, they felt like cement. “She moved in on Sunday. It’s why I moved home.” I took a deep breath. “She’s the caterer at the Country Club. I—uh—I asked if she’d cater one of my friends’ birthday party tomorrow night too.”

“What?”

My eyes went wide.

All the sadness, loneliness, and tears were gone from hers. They were alert and focused. She repeated, “What did you say?”

I bit my lip. “I don’t want a family dinner. I’m going to that other birthday dinner.”

“It’s your birthday, Samantha. We are celebrating your birthday.”

Oh, dear. I took another deep breath. “I don’t want one, mom. Really.”

“I don’t care.” Her voice was rock hard now. “We’re having a family dinner and that’s that. Thanks to your charade, we’ll have it on Sunday.” Her head jerked in an adamant nod. “That’s better. Yes. Yes, it is. Sunday is the day for family and worship. We’ll all go to church too.”

I paled.

Then she stood and smoothed out her dress in two brisk hand motions. Her face was clear and her hair was patted back in place. “You need to go to church. You and Mason need to start confessing all that sex the two of you have. If you won’t stop for me, maybe you’ll stop for the Lord Himself.”

“Oh my god.”

She threw over her shoulder, “And don’t take His name in vain. He’s listening, you know.”

When she disappeared down another hallway, her high heels sounded like she was marching for world domination, and I groaned. What the hell had just happened?

I heard Mason’s chuckle as he came to stand beside me and I tilted my head up. “I think my mom is bipolar. I swear.”

“Nah.” He caught my hand and hauled me to my feet. “She’s just dramatic.” Then he patted my butt. “Come on; let’s get out of here before Analise decides we should go to church now.”

When we left in his Escalade, I glanced over. “What are you doing at the house today? I thought you had a game tonight.”

He grinned. “I do, but Coach still won’t let us play. He doesn’t even want us at the warm-ups until the doctors clear us from everything. I wanted to spend some time with you.” The corner of his lip curved up. “So it’s your birthday tomorrow, huh?”