Page 33 of Redemption Ridge Vol II

“Is it? Seems to me like this has been coming for a long time. Oh honey, I’m so happy for you. And, yes, yes, yes! I want to meet him. Pictures aren’t enough.”

“I haven’t said anything to Ty yet.” But Owen knew Tyler would love to meet her. “And I haven’t asked for time off. Someone would have to cover for us while we were gone.” Owen didn’t think that would be a problem, even though they would be gone a few days in December too. So, whose expectations was he trying to lower?

“Well, I have a spare bedroom here, so anytime works for me. Just give me a heads-up so I can stock the refrigerator.”

“You don’t have to go to any trouble, Mom,” he said. “And I don’t want to intrude. We could always—”

“You better just hush your mouth,” Maggie said. “I want you here.”

So that just left the timing. “I’ll figure something out and get back to you as soon as I know.”

“I’m so excited, Owen.”

The more he thought about it, the happier he got. “Me too.”

He pivoted the conversation to the other things going on in her life, which mostly included her job at a real estate agency. She’d worked her way up from receptionist to office manager and loved the environment and the people at the firm.

“Susan is encouraging me to go to school to get a real estate license.” Her voice was soft and hesitant, like she was tossing it out there to get his reaction.

“Susan is the lady who owns the company, right?”

“Yes,” she replied. “I’m just not sure about it, though.”

“I bet Susan recognizes talent when she sees it,” Owen said. “Are you concerned about the cost of classes? I can help, Mom.” He had very few personal expenses on the ranch and put the bulk of each paycheck in a savings account.

“No way.” Their survival had once depended on a string of unreliable men, but his mother had found her footing after he’d gone to jail. She’d referred to it as her sink-or-swim time, and she’d swam beautifully with help from a women’s shelter, therapy, and organizations that assisted with housing and employment placement. “Susan offered to pay for the classes and licensing fees,” she said. Her hard-won independence sometimes made her more than a little stubborn, and Owen could tell by her tone that she viewed the offer as a handout.

“And you don’t want to feel obligated to her.” It wasn’t a question because he knew the answer. “What about a repayment schedule? She could withhold an agreed percentage out of your commissions when you make sales.”

She sighed, and Owen could feel her frustration through the connection. “I suggested that to Susan already, and I think I offended her. She made a very generous offer, and I wanted to attach a bunch of conditions to it.” His mother cleared her throat and added, “Susan said I’m letting fear sabotage my opportunities.”

Sounded eerily familiar, but Owen didn’t dwell on it. “Are you?”

“I’ve heard so many people say that the classes and the licensing exam are really hard. If the young people can’t do it, then what kind of hope is there for me?”

“Mom, you’re only forty-seven,” Owen said.

She groaned. “Don’t remind me.”

“And you’re really just now coming into your own,” he said. “Why not shoot for the stars?”

She was quiet for a long time before she said, “I could say the same about you, honey.”

“I already took aim, and now Tyler and I are building something special.” They both knew she hadn’t meant his romantic goals. She knew his learning difficulties and lack of a high school diploma were sources of shame for him. But like Tyler, she let it go without pushing him.

“And that is definitely a reason to celebrate when you guys get here. I love you so much.”

“I love you too, Mom.”

After they disconnected, Owen stared out the windshield so long his vision blurred. When he blinked the world back into focus, his gaze landed on the Adult Learning Center that shared a building with the therapy office. He could practice what he preached to his mother and go inside the center to see about getting a GED. Owen even reached for the door handle until ugly memories taunted him, and fear of failure kept him riveted to the seat. What a hypocrite. He didn’t have long to stew in his misery because he noticed Keegan striding toward the truck with his head down and shoulders hunched. A quick time check revealed there was another twenty minutes left in his therapy session. Keegan was clearly in distress, and his needs came before Owen’s pity party.

“Done so soon?” Owen asked when the passenger door opened.

Keegan kept his head down when he climbed into the truck and pulled his hoodie up after he buckled his seat belt. That was his sign that he didn’t want to talk, and Owen respected his wishes. Keegan had never left an appointment quite this early, so they must’ve covered extremely traumatic territory. Owen’s first instinct was to go inside the building and pound the hell out of Bryant for hurting his friend. But deep down, Owen knew Keegan had to navigate the hurt before he could heal. There was no avoiding the pain. The irony of his avoidance was not lost on him. “I’m here if you want to talk about anything.”

Keegan looked over at him, and his red, swollen eyes squeezed Owen’s heart like a vise. Tears streamed down his face, and his lips trembled. “Thank you,” he mouthed.

“Want me to run through a drive-thru for something to eat or drink?”