Page 97 of Seein’ Red

“Ew,” Noel mutters under his breath. I couldn't have said it better myself.

“Pops is right,” our dad adds, walking around the side of the house. Fuck, where did these two appear from? “You’d be amazed at the forgiveness and goodwill a little specialized attention will earn you.”

“I’m going to pretend I never heard you utter the words specialized attention. Especially when it comes to Mama,” I say.

Dad chuckles. “Just where do you think you two came from?”

“The stork brought us. End of.”

Noel hitches a thumb in my direction, seconding my comment.

“Deal,” Dad says, still laughing. “But in all seriousness, why are you groveling, and just who is the lady in question?”

“It’s complicated,” I deflect.

“Try us,” Pops counters.

I look between the two of them, not sure I’m ready to come clean. I knew I’d have to do this eventually, but haven’t I shared enough for one day? Turning to Noel, I catch his gaze, finding my answer. He doesn’t have to say anything or even nod. I can read the answer in his mind as if he were waving a poster board at a concert.

Alright…here goes…

“We thought Willa was pregnant.”

“Hayes?” Pops questions, right as Dad asks, “Thought, as in past tense?”

Now it’s my turn to nod. Because what else is there to do?

“Let’s go inside and you can tell us everything,” Dad says.

“Mama’s in there and⁠—”

“Wasn’t a suggestion, boy,” Pops adds, snapping his fingers and gesturing for me to move.

Yessir…

I’m on my feet, through the door, and back in the world’s most uncomfortable chair before I can blink. I swear, this chair must be penance for all the wrong I’ve done, because it gets worse and worse.

“’Splain,” Pops orders.

So I do.

I launch into the story, trying to carefully word things and leave out some of the details that family doesn’t need to know. It was one thing to tell the guys about cashing in my V-Card; it’s another thing telling my dad. And then continuing to let him know about how I’ve been sneaking around with his best friend’s daughter for more than a decade. But I do. Keeping it simple the whole time.

Everyone in this family is better off not knowing that I know more ways to make Willa scream my name while her eyes roll back in her head than I can count on my hand. Or that when she goes down on me, I feel like she’s sucking the life force right on out of me, but that it feels so fucking good, I won’t ever object.

Nope, we are all better if that is left between her and me.

As I finish my tale, complete with her final words to me, I look around, each one of the faces staring back at me full of love and understanding.

“There’s a lot to unpack here,” Dad comments after a long silence. “Good to know the sneaking around really wasn’t leaving a wake of angry husbands.”

I roll my eyes. The joke about me fulfilling the gardener fantasy for the housewives of Hickory Hills got old years ago. Maybe now that the truth is out there, it will finally stop.

“But,” he continues, “your mama will be excited to know she was right.”

“Huh?” Noel asks.

“She’s had a theory for a long time that there was something between Nash and Willa. She’s going to be thrilled to be proven correct.”