I closed my eyes and soaked in the comfort my mother’s arms gave me. Things were good between my mom and me, but we had never talked about the time that things weren’t good. It always hung between us like a black balloon, and neither of us was brave enough to pop it.
“Your car was on the news,” Rocky called. “There was a weight bench on the hood and a dumbbell right through the windshield. He pulled back and tipped his head to the side. “Who’s that?” he asked.
“Is this the man who had the decency to call and tell me what was going on?” Mom scolded. “God forbid my daughter would have done that.” And there was that disapproving I was used to.
“Sorry, mom,” I grumbled. “I was a little preoccupied.”
“In her defense, that was the first thing she had me do,” Cue Ball called.
Mom stepped back from me and looked Cue Ball up and down as he walked around the front of the van. “Well, I guess that is something then, right?” She looked at the van. “Are you in a van club? A VC?”
Cue Ball smiled and shook his head. “No, ma’am. I didn’t really think Olive should be on the back of my bike after her accident. I managed to get this before she was released.”
“Sweet,” Rocky called. “You have a motorcycle?” he asked.
“Yeah, bud.” Cue Ball nodded to Rocky and held out his hand. “I’m Cue Ball.”
“Cool,” Rocky drawled. “I wish I had a name like that.”
“Rocky is a pretty good name to me. Way better than what my mom called me.” Cue Ball turned to my mom and nodded. “Hello, Mrs. Benson.”
“It’s Miss,” mom preened.
“What did your mom call you?” Rocky interrupted.
Cue Ball smirked underneath his bushy beard.
“Rocky,” I scolded. “You don’t ask someone what their real name is. For all you know, his mom could have named him Cue Ball.”
“Did your mom like pool?” Rocky asked. “My mom has a thing for Rocky Balboa.”
Shoot me now. I did not need Rocky telling Cue Ball who I have a thing for.
“Why don’t we get going?” I called.
Cue Ball and Rocky ignored me. “My mom did not call me Cue Ball, but she was a pretty good hustler when it came to pool and darts.”
“Is your name Dart?” Rocky asked.
Cue Ball shook his head. “Not that cool. It’s Jovi.”
I tipped my head to the side. Jovi?
“What is a Jovi?” Rocky asked.
“Like Jon Bon Jovi?” Mom asked.
Cue Ball nodded. “The one and the same. Your mom had a thing for Rocky Balboa, and mine had a thing for Bon Jovi. I guess Jovi is cooler than Jon, and I’m thankful she didn’t go with Bon.”
“Do all moms have a thing for weird famous people and then name their kids after them?” Rocky asked. “Because if my mom has another kid, I’m pretty sure she is going to call him Thor.”
I needed the earth to open up and swallow me whole right then and there. Why was my child telling all of my secrets to a man he had met two minutes ago? God help me.
Mom scoffed and covered her mouth to smother her laugh.
“Thor is a pretty badass dude,” Cue Ball pointed out. “I did know a guy from a different MC once whose road name was Thor.”
“Did he look like Thor, or did he have a thing for him?” Rocky asked.
“Uh, well, he did not have a thing for Thor like your mom does.”
“Then why did they call him Thor?” Rocky asked.
“I think that is a story I need to tell you when you’re a little older.” Cue Ball hitched his thumb toward the van. “Maybe we should get you two home?”
Oh, now Cue Ball was wanting to leave when things got uncomfortable for him. Oh, how the tables had turned.
“Am I old enough to hear that story?” Mom asked.
“Mother,” I hissed.
“What?” she asked. “He’s piqued my interest.”
“We’re going.” I herded Rocky toward the van and slid open the side door. “You need to get some sleep before work,” I told Mom.
She shooed her hand at me. “That ship has sailed. I’ll be making cakes and pies with one eye open today.”
“Or you could just call in for the day,” I called. I waited until Rocky buckled his seat belt and then slid the door shut.
“I’m not calling in. I couldn’t do that to your aunt.” Mom held out Rocky’s bag to me. “Though you might think about letting Rocky call off for school today. As soon as I got off the phone with you, he was awake, wondering why he was still at my house and where you were.”
Mom had worked for my aunt Ginger since before I was born. She owned a large bakery in Texarkana, and my Mom was her head baker. Ginger could survive one day without my mom.
“I’ll see how he feels when it’s time for school.”
She handed me his bookbag, but Cue Ball grabbed it. “I’ll put that in the back.” He nodded to Mom. “It was nice meeting you, Miss Benson.”
Mom nodded and pasted a friendly smile on her lips.
Cue Ball moved to the back of the van, and Mom grabbed my arm.
“Mom?” I whispered.
“Do not mess this up,” she hissed.
I reared back. “Mess what up?” I asked.
“You and that man. Do not bumble it up. He’s exactly what you and Rocky need.”
“I wasn’t aware that Rocky and I needed something,” I grumbled.
“You both need a man, Olive. Don’t act foolish.”
I tipped my head to the side. “Does that mean you like him more than Tag?”
Mom wrinkled her nose. “Why are you even saying that man’s name in my presence?”
“I guess that is better than seeing him like I did tonight?”
Mom’s jaw dropped. “You saw that poor excuse for a man tonight? Was he the one who blew up the gym?”
“What? No.” I rolled my eyes. “Tag is not a good man, but I don’t think he goes around blowing up buildings.”
“Then why did you see him tonight?” Mom demanded.
“Because the hospital still had him as my emergency contact.”
Mom cringed. “I’m surprised his phone number is still the same and that he actually came to the hospital.”
I had been more than surprised. “Yes, well, he did. Thankfully, he only stayed for a couple of minutes.”
“What did he think of Cue Ball?” Mom asked.
I squinted. “Uh, I didn’t ask him, Mom. Don’t really care what he thinks, either.”
“He was probably intimidated by a real man. No wonder he didn’t stick around for long.”
I shrugged. “I have no idea, but I hope I don’t see him again, though he said he had moved back to town a few months ago.”
“What?” Mom gasped.
I didn’t have time to go over all of this with her. I was exhausted, and if I was going to try to get Rocky to school in the morning, I needed to get him home. “Call me on the way home from work tomorrow, and I’ll fill you in on everything, okay?”
Mom pressed a kiss to my cheek and stepped back. “You can bet your butt I will.”