wasn’t going anywhere, but she needed to prove to herself just how strong she really was.
Stone was the first to walk in, pulling Brix behind him. I was next, still keeping Jazz close to my side. I refused to let her out of my reach. The guy led us into the back to an open living room. There were three skylights on the ceiling, a large fireplace, and the biggest wraparound couch I had ever seen in my life. The house didn’t look all that big from the street. I was surprised of the view from the inside.
“Have a seat. My dad should be home soon,” he said, ushering us to sit down. “Oh yeah, before I forget. Can I get your names? Mom asked who you guys were, but I have no idea other than Stone.”
Brix stood up and reached out his hand. “I’m Brix. This is Jazz and this is her husband, Brax.”
The guy moved around the couch and shook both mine and Jazz’s hands. As he turned to exit the room, Mrs. Lander walked in behind him.
“Who are our guests, Landon?”
Are they serious? Is his last name Lander, too? If so, who in their right mind would name their kid the same first name as their last name?
Ha! What a joke. I ain’t ever heard that shit before in my life.
“This is Stone,” Landon said, pointing to my best friend.
Stone stood up and walked over to Mrs. Lander, shaking her hand.
“It’s nice to meet you, Mrs. Lander. My name is Stone Walker. My friends and I were hoping you and your husband had a few minutes to sit down and speak with us.”
She moved her head around Stone, glancing at Brix. Once she looked Brix over, she focused her eyes on me. When she saw whatever she was looking for, her eyes traveled to Jazz. Then Mrs. Lander’s face turned pale. She looked like she was going to pass out.
“Mom,” Landon wrapped his arm around her shoulder. “Are you okay? What’s wrong? Your coloring’s off.”
At that moment, tears streamed down the woman’s cheeks, as she stared intently at my wife.
Jazz didn’t notice what was going on. She sat back on the couch with her eyes trained on the muted TV, engrossed in whatever was on.
“Landon, honey, call your father. Tell him to come right now.” Landen looked at all four of us confused. “What’s going on, Mom?”
Mrs. Lander swatted at her son’s arm. “Just do what I said, dear. He needs to hurry, please. Tell him to get here.”
Landon gave his mom a firm nod and walked out of the room. She leaned against the wall and looked back to Stone. “May I ask what you’re doing here?”
Stone relaxed his shoulders. “Yes, ma’am. Let me grab my briefcase.” He walked back to where we were seated and pulled out a manila envelope, taking it over to her.
“Are you sure you don’t want to wait for your husband?” Stone asked, trying to cover his tracks.
Smart man. I was proud of my best friend. He had come a long way and was doing one hell of a job. Once this was all said and done, we were going to give him a big bonus for all of his help. Jazz would be all for it as well. I had no doubt.
“No, honey. You’re good. Follow me.” Mrs. Lander took Stone into another room, leaving me, Brix, and Jazz in the living room by ourselves.
Jazz lifted her head noticing Mrs. Lander was gone and then looked at me.
“Do you think she knew who I was?”
Did I what?
“Wait. Were you hiding from her?” I asked jumbled.
“I couldn’t look at her, B. She looks too much like me it’s scary. Those pictures Stone had of her and Pat didn’t do justice to what they really look like in person.” She wiped at her eyes. “It’s taking everything in my power to keep my mouth shut when all I want to do is scream and yell and run home to my baby girl.”
I wrapped my arm around her shoulder, pulling her head onto my chest. “Try and relax, baby. Stone’s going to handle the hard part. All we have to do is wait for Pat to get home before you can introduce yourself,” I reminded her. “If it’s any consolation, I think she knows who you
Stone was the first to walk in, pulling Brix behind him. I was next, still keeping Jazz close to my side. I refused to let her out of my reach. The guy led us into the back to an open living room. There were three skylights on the ceiling, a large fireplace, and the biggest wraparound couch I had ever seen in my life. The house didn’t look all that big from the street. I was surprised of the view from the inside.
“Have a seat. My dad should be home soon,” he said, ushering us to sit down. “Oh yeah, before I forget. Can I get your names? Mom asked who you guys were, but I have no idea other than Stone.”
Brix stood up and reached out his hand. “I’m Brix. This is Jazz and this is her husband, Brax.”
The guy moved around the couch and shook both mine and Jazz’s hands. As he turned to exit the room, Mrs. Lander walked in behind him.
“Who are our guests, Landon?”
Are they serious? Is his last name Lander, too? If so, who in their right mind would name their kid the same first name as their last name?
Ha! What a joke. I ain’t ever heard that shit before in my life.
“This is Stone,” Landon said, pointing to my best friend.
Stone stood up and walked over to Mrs. Lander, shaking her hand.
“It’s nice to meet you, Mrs. Lander. My name is Stone Walker. My friends and I were hoping you and your husband had a few minutes to sit down and speak with us.”
She moved her head around Stone, glancing at Brix. Once she looked Brix over, she focused her eyes on me. When she saw whatever she was looking for, her eyes traveled to Jazz. Then Mrs. Lander’s face turned pale. She looked like she was going to pass out.
“Mom,” Landon wrapped his arm around her shoulder. “Are you okay? What’s wrong? Your coloring’s off.”
At that moment, tears streamed down the woman’s cheeks, as she stared intently at my wife.
Jazz didn’t notice what was going on. She sat back on the couch with her eyes trained on the muted TV, engrossed in whatever was on.
“Landon, honey, call your father. Tell him to come right now.” Landen looked at all four of us confused. “What’s going on, Mom?”
Mrs. Lander swatted at her son’s arm. “Just do what I said, dear. He needs to hurry, please. Tell him to get here.”
Landon gave his mom a firm nod and walked out of the room. She leaned against the wall and looked back to Stone. “May I ask what you’re doing here?”
Stone relaxed his shoulders. “Yes, ma’am. Let me grab my briefcase.” He walked back to where we were seated and pulled out a manila envelope, taking it over to her.
“Are you sure you don’t want to wait for your husband?” Stone asked, trying to cover his tracks.
Smart man. I was proud of my best friend. He had come a long way and was doing one hell of a job. Once this was all said and done, we were going to give him a big bonus for all of his help. Jazz would be all for it as well. I had no doubt.
“No, honey. You’re good. Follow me.” Mrs. Lander took Stone into another room, leaving me, Brix, and Jazz in the living room by ourselves.
Jazz lifted her head noticing Mrs. Lander was gone and then looked at me.
“Do you think she knew who I was?”
Did I what?
“Wait. Were you hiding from her?” I asked jumbled.
“I couldn’t look at her, B. She looks too much like me it’s scary. Those pictures Stone had of her and Pat didn’t do justice to what they really look like in person.” She wiped at her eyes. “It’s taking everything in my power to keep my mouth shut when all I want to do is scream and yell and run home to my baby girl.”
I wrapped my arm around her shoulder, pulling her head onto my chest. “Try and relax, baby. Stone’s going to handle the hard part. All we have to do is wait for Pat to get home before you can introduce yourself,” I reminded her. “If it’s any consolation, I think she knows who you
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