“Hi honey. How are you?”
“I'm doing good, Ma. What’s up?” She didn’t answer right away, and that worried Brock. “Is everything all right?”
“Why would you ask that?”
Brock shoved his other hand into his pocket and looked around the parking lot. It was empty. Good. He didn't like having private conversations out in such a public place, even if it was an innocent chat with his mother.
“No reason. You don't usually call this late.”
“Oh. That's probably true, dear.”
He waited for her to say something, but the silence stretched on. Something was weighing on his mother’s mind and across the phone line, it felt especially heavy. The air was imbued with something foreign and ominous and scary. The hairs on Brock's arms stood up. That gut feeling persisted, ringing like a fire alarm, telling him things were not okay.
“I want to see you,” she finally said. “It's been a week.”
“Did something happen?”
“No. It's not too important.”
Her unwillingness to directly answer him was the clue he needed. Something was up.
“I want you and your friends to come by. The weather’s been really nice. Let’s have a backyard barbecue.” Her voice was more cheerful now, but Brock was sure she was hiding something.
“A barbecue?”
“Yes dear. Something small. Brianna’s coming home too.”
That was a surprise. His younger sister, Brianna was completing her Master’s degree in social work at University of Hawaii at Manoa. “Really? Sis would fly back here in the middle of a semester?”
“It’ll be spring break. She already said she was planning to come home… I’ll invite Mr. Wittfield too, plus his daughter, Abby and her new boyfriend. Toby can bring Lily. And Jax can bring his new girlfriend. Nash too. Your whole team at the fire house can come…and the Chief.”
“That sounds nice.”
“Is there anyone you'd like to bring?”
Brock caught the laugh before it escaped his throat. “Perhaps.”
“Can you invite Sky?”
Brock hesitated. “I'll ask her.”
“All right.” She paused. “I want you to be happy, Brock.”
The conversation was so weird, he was ready to cut it short and go by Mom’s house to find out what was really going on. “I know, Mom.”
“It's hard to be happy when you're all alone. I would know.”
Brock licked his lips. His throat burned and he didn't quite know what to say. It had been ten years since his father had died and there wasn't a day where the loss didn’t weigh heavily on his mind.
“We're all off this Saturday.”
“I know your schedule, son.”
He chuckled. Of course she did.
“Brock?”
“Yes?”
“I love you.”
Brock's breath caught in his throat. “I love you too, Mom. I'll see you soon.”
He hung up and stared at the phone in his hand. The next couple days would be interesting. Until he found out just exactly what was up with his mother, he was sure to be on edge. Mom had a tendency to downplay things. This could be serious.
Sighing, he slipped the phone back in his pocket and headed for the door.
It swung open just before he raised his hand to open it, and out stepped a lithe, curvy figure. Wavy tendrils of blonde hair cascaded down her neck. Round blue eyes curiously turned up to him.
Sky.
Brock froze, unable to move or think.
3
For a tiny little thing, Sky had a way of overpowering him with just her presence.
She looked up at him, not breaking her gaze for a second. “Is everything okay?”
Brock gave her a slight nod. “It was Mom. She wanted to invite me to a barbecue in a few days.”
“Nice. How is she?”
“Fine.” Brock paused, debating how much to share. “I think. There's something she didn't tell me.”
“What do think it’s about?”
“I don't know.” He locked eyes with hers again. They were only a few inches away from each other, standing just a bit off from the door. He noticed something he hadn't before. Around her neck, Sky wore one of Joleen's jewelry pieces. It was a silver pendant of a half-man and half-bear. Looped around a delicate silver chain, it rested just at the top of her shirt collar. Sky worked part-time for Joleen, taking orders online and packaging up jewelry to ship out. The business had taken off once Joleen started making the man bear pendants. Her signature piece had been inspired by Jax, and it was almost ironically funny Sky should be wearing it, not knowing the truth about how reflective of reality the jewelry was.
Sky blinked and to Brock, it was in slow motion, giving him an close-up view of her long lashes kissing the tops of her cheeks. Brock regretted having to be so guarded with her. He just couldn’t take any chances where his pack was concerned.
“Would you like to come? She asked me if you’re coming.”
She thought it over for a second then parted her lips to say, “I’d love to.”
“Great.”
“It's during the day, right? I don't think I'm working another early shift for a while.”