Page 11 of Cartel King

“It’s not like you wear a watch that tells you to get up and move around. You only track it on your phone. Nothing’s telling you to go for a walk.”

“I know that, Steve, but I know I haven’t gotten my steps in after the brunch you guys took me out to this morning. Plus, there are those steaks you’re about to grill. I need to get up and move around, or else you’ll be rolling me up the stairs to bed.”

“I highly doubt that, Mom. You’ve never looked better.

“Thank you, Hunt.”

I appreciate that. It’s not like I’ve worked out to get a revenge body because I couldn’t give two shits from Sunday what my ex-husband thinks about how I look. I’m not interested in having a relationship with anybody, though it has been nice flirting with Enrique. At least that’s what I’ve been trying to do. I don’t know about him. I’m not sure if that’s what he’s doing, too.

He’s been gone for nearly two weeks, so I’m hoping today will be the day he’s out again, but maybe he’s with family since it’s Mother’s Day. He’s said nothing about having children of his own. If he has kids, maybe they’re with their mother. Maybe they do something altogether. I don’t know if his mom is around. If he’s back in town, maybe he’s doing something with his sisters. I have no idea.

It’s wonderful having my boys here with me today. It’s only since they’ve been adults that they’ve paid attention to Mother’s Day and tried to make it nice for me. After they got too old to make things for me at school, it became pretty much nothing. Tim never pushed them to celebrate the day, even though I always made sure they had something for him on Father’s Day.

That was the sad song of my life for years. I, like so many other women, only had gifts I bought myself or that I picked out, then wrapped myself. For years, if I didn’t do that, I had nothing to open on Christmas if it didn’t come from a friend or was mailed to me by my parents. My former husband never took the boys to get me gifts. He barely knew how to order anything online because I always took care of it for him.

Today’s an extra special day, so it’s not that I’m trying to ditch my boys, but it would be perfect if I got to see Enrique. I really enjoy our walks and our brief moments together on the water. Any chance to see or talk to him makes my day.

“I’ll be back in like half an hour. I won’t do a full loop in the park. Just enough for Constantine and me to stretch our legs.”

I pick up the leash, and Constantine trots over to me, pushing between Steven’s and Hunter’s legs. He ignores my middle and youngest sons. He has no fucks to give if somebody’s standing between him and a walk. I’m barely off my driveway before I hear Enrique call out to me. I’m certain at least one of my boys can see him walking up.

The grill was already going, and Will was headed outside with a plate of meat. He’ll hold off putting the steaks on until I get back, but in the meantime, he’ll make some burgers for himself and his brothers. It’ll be their appetizers. They’re in their mid-twenties and still have appetites like they’re fifteen. They have the metabolisms to get away with it.

“Hi. Welcome back.”

“Thank you. I hoped I’d catch you this evening. Are you having a nice Mother’s Day?”

“I am. It’s been really enjoyable. My boys took me out to brunch. They’re at the house now. They’re going to grill tonight and hang out with me for a couple more hours before they each have to take off.

“Do they live near here? Do you get to see them often?”

“My middle son, Steve, lives in Connecticut just outside the city, but my other two sons are still in New England.”

I don’t want to get much more specific than that because as much as I enjoy talking to Enrique, we haven’t even exchanged last names yet. I’m kicking myself for telling him even one of my son’s names.

“How was your trip?”

“It went well.”

Is that all he’s going to say?

“I bet you must be glad to be home.”

“Yeah, it was nice to get back to my own bed.”

“Did you go anywhere interesting?” I feel like that’s the next natural question, but it’s like pulling teeth.

“I had to make a couple of stops, but it was all for work. So, just meetings. Nothing exciting.”

Clearly, he wants to talk about his trip about as much as I want to talk about my boys and about my past. I’d call him cagey if I weren’t evasive, too.

“Elodie, I missed our walks while I was gone.”

I look up at him, and his expression is so tentative. I suppose that’s the easiest way to describe it, as though he’s not sure whether he should have admitted that.

“I missed them too, Enrique. I’m glad you’re back. Constantine’s great company, but he’s not much of a talker.”

We grin as we approach the park. We have some companionable silence now that we’ve admitted we missed each other. The quiet isn’t bad, but it’s a little stilted compared to usual. He makes up for it when I turn to look at him.

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