Page 59 of Between the Lines

“Meof all people?” Surely Don wasn’t alluding to their personal relationship.

Don colored, neck turning red, and shuffled his feet. “Look, I can’t pretend to understand...it...but—”

“‘It’ being my sexuality?”

“—but,”Don plowed on, “I don’t have to understand it to know that Theo acted in good faith. He did what your mother asked him to do and he didn’t deserve your public condemnation. Not when you consider him a...afriend.” Another awkward blush. “Frankly, it would do you good to have a decent man like Theo Wishart in your life.”

Luca stared, rendered almost speechless with surprise. “Heliedto me,” he managed eventually. “He told me Lux was going to back off and then he snuck over here to make Mom—”

“Make her?” Don gave an incredulous snort. “Oh, boy, Luca. I doubt Jude’s done a single thing in her life she didn’t want to do.” He narrowed his eyes, squinting against the reflections lancing up from the wet ground. “Surely you know that about her? No one could have made her sell up if she didn’t want to.” He gave a rueful sigh. “Lord knows, I’ve been trying these last few months.”

Luca wanted to argue, but couldn’t. Jude certainly had a stubborn streak. Not even Luca’s threat of leaving had stopped her from marrying Don, after all. But if Don was right, if this sick-bed sale had really been his mom’s doing, then that meant...

Fuck.

He stared in unseeing horror at the ground, his fight with Theo replaying before his eyes in a new and terrible light. The things he’d said, the things he’d fuckingsaid.

Don grunted, backing away as if sensing Luca’s incipient meltdown. “I’m heading back to the hotel,” he said gruffly. “You should go see your mom. No upsetting her, mind. The sale’s done now, Luca, and there’s no going back on it. You understand?”

He sucked in a breath, forced it into his constricting lungs. “Yeah.” And he did understand. In truth, he’d understood for a long time that this was where it would end, he just hadn’t wanted to believe it. “I don’t want to argue with her.”

“Good.” Don jingled his car keys in his pocket, rocking back onto his heels as he puffed out a breath. “Well, then, I’ll see you later.” He stepped off the curb, heading toward his car.

“Don?” Luca stood, lifting a hand to shade his eyes from the glare. Don turned, squinting back at him. “I’m sorry I yelled at you before. I was out of line.”

Don blinked at him. This was probably the first time Luca had apologized to Don for anything—or felt the need to. After a pause, Don said, “I love your mom, Luca. And yesterday, I thought I’d lost her. That kind of thing brings a man’s life into focus.” He shifted his feet uneasily, then squared his shoulders and looked up straight into Luca’s eyes. “I’m sorry things have been difficult between us. I’m sorry if I’ve made you feel unwelcome or...or judged. It was never my intention.”

“Youdidjudge me,” Luca said, the words tumbling out in a breathless rush. Like he’d been waiting to say them for years. “You called me a sinner. In my own home.”

Don winced but didn’t look away. “I made mistakes, I know that, and I’m sorry. I was wrong. But I want to do better. I want us to understand each other, Luca. I want us to be friends. If—if that’s something you want, too?”

Luca wasn’t certain he did, but he could see the sincerity in Don’s face and knew he had to try. “For Mom’s sake?”

“Yes.” Don cleared his throat, looking embarrassed. “But not just for your mom’s sake, Luca. For yours, too. And for mine. If the last couple days have taught me anything, it’s that life’s too short to hold grudges.” The cliché reminded Luca sharply of Theo’s fondness for inspirational quotes, and the memory choked him too hard to reply. Perhaps Don saw the emotion in his face because his expression softened. “Go on in and visit your mom, Luca. She misses you.”

He nodded, but didn’t move, watching as Don climbed into his car and drove away. Much like he’d watched Theo drive away with Luca’s vicious parting words ringing in his ears.

* * *

It was maybe half an hour later that Luca found his way to Jude’s ward. She was sitting up in bed when he arrived, and he saw immediately that she had more color. A magazine lay open in her lap, which she flicked through without much interest, the fluorescent overhead light catching the silver in her hair and making it gleam.

Luca painted on a smile, despite the gristly lump of pain in his chest. “Hey, Mom,” he said as he approached. “You’re looking better.”

“I’m feeling better.” She frowned, tilting her head. “Which is more than I can say for you, honey.”

“I’m okay.” He crossed to the visitor’s chair and sat down heavily. “I saw Theo...” His voice caught scratchily in his throat and he couldn’t look at Jude, fixed his eyes on her bony fingers resting on the blanket. “He told me about the sale.”

She touched his arm. “I’m so sorry, honey. I know it’s not what you wanted.”

“It’s fine.” That was a lie. It felt like the end of the world, but he didn’t want Jude to know that. He meant what he’d said to Don: he didn’t want to argue with her. Looking up, he met her eyes. “As long as it’s whatyouwanted, Mom.”

“What I wanted was to pass the Majestic on to you,” she said sadly. “But I think we both know that wasn’t going to happen, not after I married Don.” He didn’t know what to say to that, couldn’t find any response, and let his head drop into his hands.

Jude sniffed, and when he looked up he could see tears on her cheeks, her unseeing gaze resting on the magazine in her lap. “I never wanted to drive you away, honey.” She held up a hand to stop him from interrupting. “Let me just say it. I know Don hurt you with that ‘hate the sin, love the sinner’ boloney, but you know how he was raised. It’s not easy to unpick the prejudices you take in with your mother’s milk—God knows, I understand that—but he tried. He tried so hard, honey. And I know it wasn’t enough, I know it felt like betrayal when I married him, but I loved him, Luca. Ineededhim. And I still do.”

Throat thick, Luca reached out and took her hand. “I know,” he said, roughly. “I understand.” And perhaps he did, now he’d fallen so hard himself. “As long as Theo—” He had to swallow around his name. “As long as he didn’t pressure you into signing this morning.” He glanced up, unsure what he wanted to see in her face: vindication of his anger, or proof that he’d been wrong?

“Of course he didn’t pressure me.” Luca hung his head; the truth hurt like hell. “He was actually quite reluctant in the end.” Jude gave a sheepish smile and tapped her head. “Afraid I wasn’t all there, I think. But I soon set him straight on that front.”

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