Page 6 of Hot Chicken

“Are you kidding? Do you not remember what life was like back then? I juggled sports, homework, and odd jobs around the neighborhood, so Mom had a little breathing room. Hell, you did the same. Those phony rich pricks living in their waterfront beach homes were like sharks preying on whomever they could take a bite out of.” I scratch my head, the feelings of guilt returning as if it was yesterday. “I should’ve stood up for her… the way they talked to her. But I was struggling with worries about Mom’s breast cancer, the bills, and fucking graduating so I could get the hell out of there. If I’d said more than I had already, it wouldn’t have helped her beyond sharing their wrath when they came at me too.” Once they learned my dad had walked out, and our family was on the verge of bankruptcy, I was sure I’d be their next target.

Better to keep your enemies close. Isn’t that the saying?

Truthfully, it’s a lousy excuse. I should’ve done the right thing. Took a stand against their awful behavior. But I was struggling with my own demons at the time.

It wasn’t until after my parents’ divorce that I learned I was born in Russia, not the States as I’d initially believed. Mom said a couple they’d known had brought their son home, only to give him up several days later once the birth mother changed her mind. Mom and Dad wanted to avoid this possibility and immediately began to look overseas. They took several trips coordinated by an international adoption agency before arriving at the orphanage, where they were introduced to me.

You’d think anyone who jumped through that many hoops to bring a child into their family would want to have a relationship with them. Yet, my mother again speculated marriage and kids were merely about appearances for Henry Hightower, Jr.

She should’ve gotten her first clue when Dad refused to name my brother Henry Hightower, III, “because he’s not a true Hightower.”Yet I’ll cut her some slack, given her world had been turned upside down after discovering my dad was messaging an old high school girlfriend right after the adoption was finalized. The asshole had the nerve to blame her, saying he was simply getting the attention he wasn’t receiving at home.

Harry looks at me without speaking. He felt it too, in his own way. The rejection served with a heavy dose of fear. Our father didn’t want us. And our mother was fighting for her life and still trying to provide for her boys. I hate that I didn’t do the right thing and stand up to those fake asshats. If only I could’ve dated a nice girl like Ellie instead of hooking up with a hollow homecoming queen.

But dating Ellie would’ve never worked. As much as I felt drawn to her, she was a year behind me. I was shaking the sand off of this measly beach town and getting out. I couldn’t afford to have anything more than Harry and my mother pulling me back to Candy Cane Key.

I’d been a shallow Hal. I dated Jennifer Jones because she was a hot piece of ass, and she put out. She wanted me during a time I questioned why others hadn’t. Why had my birth parents placed me in that orphanage? Why had no one in my own country wanted me? It took a couple from America to save me. Only to have my father bring me to the States merely to walk away without a second glance.

I know the teen years are hard, but it was all too much. So I allowed myself to escape with a willing partner. I didn’t consider that leaving after graduation would cause Jennifer any strife. Nothing about us was deep and meaningful. We were using each other, and we both knew it.

It took me a while to realize just how vile a human being Jennifer was. When I could no longer bear her atrocious behavior, I was clear why I didn’t want to be with her anymore. Not that it did anything but spur her on. Using her treatment of Ellie as an example of why I wanted nothing more to do with her only caused her to go after that sweet girl with added venom.

No wonder Ellie looked at me like that today. She’s probably disgusted. As she should be. I left Candy Cane Key to work in the fire department, saving strangers. When I couldn’t be bothered to help a girl, I dreamed of each night.

“I don’t know if there’s a way to make it right after all of these years. Hell, I’m leaving in a few months. There’s probably no sense opening a can of old worms.”

“It’s never too late to make things right. Even if it’s just an apology.” Harrison stands from his folding chair and gives me a brotherly smile. “Maybe you can think about it while you get your ass back to work.”

“Ha ha.” Standing, I pick up the remnants of lunch and throw the containers into the dumpster. Wiping my hands on my pants, I return to my assigned tasks. All the while wondering how I can approach Ellie without making things worse.

Chapter 8

Matt

“Hey, Matt. Can you watch Mom tonight? I have an early morning meeting, and really need a good night’s sleep.”

“Of course. That’s why I’m here.” Since arriving in Candy Cane Key, I’ve been staying in my old room at the house with my mom each night. I admit, it’s brought back some unwelcome memories, but they’re quickly forgotten when I realize how bad things have gotten with her dementia. Harrison has been staying there also, which I found odd. I thought he would’ve enjoyed a break and stayed at his own place once I arrived.

“Thanks. I wanted you to get acclimated before we started alternating nights with her. You’re welcome to crash at my place if you need a break. I’ve got several guest rooms. Or you can always stay at the Sugar Plum Inn.” He chuckles.

“Uh, no. I think I’ll avoid Christmas comforters and doilies on every surface if I can help it.”

“Don’t knock it. It might be your only option if you find a hot little number you want to spend the night under the mistletoe with. Just picture it. You and her getting it on while a bunch of snowmen watch in a room that smells like peppermint.” He snickers.

“Ugh. That’s the unsexiest thing I can think of.”

“You could always bring her back to the house with Mom-”

“Point taken.” There are days Mom doesn’t even recognize me anymore. The whole situation is heartbreaking. How can someone so strong and articulate spend their final days lost in their own mind?

“Well, I’m crashing early. I’m meeting someone at the site of a big office renovation at seven tomorrow morning. If you need me, don’t hesitate to call. Just hopefully not after seven.”

“I’ve got this. I’ll pick up dinner and head straight there.”

Having tucked Mom in early, I clean up the kitchen and place the leftovers from Rudolpho’s, her favorite Italian restaurant, in the fridge. I’d planned to relax with a book and a beer, but these long, hot days doing construction with Harry have gotten the best of me. I usually start feeling the pull toward sleep immediately after I come home and shower.

I’m grateful for the opportunity to earn some extra money while I’m down here, but I’ll be happy to return to the fire department. I’ve been fortunate to find a great crew to work with, and I love the community I live in. Add to it the cool evenings under a blanket of stars that grace Sycamore Mountain at the end of each day, and it’s heaven on earth.

I crack Mom’s door, careful not to push wide enough to cause the hinge to squeak. Once I verify she’s asleep, I head to my room. Stripping my T-shirt, I fold my arms behind my head as I settle into bed. It’s not long before my thoughts return to Ellie. In a million years, I would’ve never believed that sweet, shy freckle-faced girl could’ve grown into the hot little number she is now. But it’s more than her looks. She’s always slayed me with her hypnotic stare. Those mesmerizing green eyes silently daring me to acknowledge her.

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