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“No. There is an entire planet full of people and I don’t have time to waste.” She snapped her fingers and it was probably at Dad to tell him to sit. I hated when she did that.
“Tavish Greer.”
Her sharp inhalation was all I needed to know she remembered that name. “How lovely,” she murmured.
“Do you have anything to say for yourself?” I snapped.
“I can’t imagine what you mean,” she said, composed as ever.
“You’re going to bring me that contract,” I snarled, losing my cool entirely. “You will do it or you’re going to find out exactly how much like you I can be, and you’re not going to fucking like it.”
“Damn it, no I don’t want a drink,” she said to someone on her end, probably Dad. “Tell me you’re not speaking with him. He wanted one thing. Money. If you know about that contract, you know?—”
“I know his mom was sick. I can’t fucking believe you!”
There was the sound of a chair scraping, then the music faded.
“Don’t want Dad to hear you be awful?” I asked.
She snorted. “Your father knows exactly how I am and always has. He depends on it. He sweet talks people into buying things, and I make sure there is a product to sell and everyone gets paid. He’s the dreamer, but I’m the feet firmly on the ground making everything happen. I worked hard to get you where you are today.”
There was no way for me to interrupt, and I gripped the steering wheel until my knuckles were white.
“Listen to me, Judah. There are plenty of men from good families. I’ll send you anywhere you want to go. If you like those fancy United Kingdom accents, I’ll send you to the London offices and you can work there for us. There are gay men everywhere. Please, just pick one who isn’t trying to social climb.”
I was gobsmacked and couldn’t think of anything to say for a few seconds. It was a lot to take in. “Mom, I have my own company now. You’re not sending me to do anything. And you never knew him at all if you thought Tav was like that. He was thirteen when you first met him. How could you even think that?” I was yelling, and maybe I’d gotten too loud because the trailer door opened.
Tav walked out with a frown as he stared at the car, bag slung over his shoulder.
“Please, listen to reason,” she said.
“You would rather have your way than your son,” I muttered, but I was furious and wanted to keep yelling.
“What does that mean?” Finally, there was some emotion in her tone, but it seemed like she had the audacity to be pissed off.
“It means exactly what I said. I already picked my man, Mom. Twenty years ago I chose Tav. You fucked it all up for me. I’ve got a second chance and I won’t waste it. Stay away from Tav and don’t talk to me unless you’re bringing me that contract.”
“Damn it, Judah Dailey, you will not?—”
I ended the call just as Tav opened the passenger door. He leaned down and frowned at me, then slid onto the seat. “You okay?”
“I am now.” I stole a kiss.
10
TAV
Judah’s phone rang three times and vibrated obnoxiously about ten more on the way to his house, but every time I asked if he wanted me to answer it, he simply shook his head and said, “It isn’t important.”
I wasn’t a complete idiot, and despite me telling him not to call his mum, I knew that was exactly what he’d done while I was in the trailer packing. If Judah was anything, it was predictable, and once he got something in his brain, nothing would stop him.
He clearly didn’t want to talk about it, though, and I wasn’t going to push. Knowing Elizabeth, she’d storm back into my life like an angry bull, ready to gut me with her horns. Judah was more like his mum than he cared to admit.
“Where do you live?” Ellis asked from the back seat, huffing. “Not the Cider Mill private community?”
He’d hated the idea of going to stay at Judah’s for the night, but I’d brought him around when I’d described how large and gorgeous it was. In the end, Ellis was still a teenager. Influencing him with the idea of a large telly or a huge-assed room after he’d spent time sleeping in a double bed with me was an easy task. While Ellis never complained about the trailer, it wasn’t the best place to live. Mine was one of the shittier ones and was only big enough for one person.
“No, not there, but it isn’t far from here,” Judah answered, his voice tight as he peeked at Ellis in the rearview mirror.
