Page 6 of Striker's Foul
His fist connects, and as my eyes roll back, I let go.
Amelia
Ihave a business to run, so as soon as I’m able, I push away from Ridley and stand.
“Thank you. I need to check on Jude. Please tell Julian I need time and to stay away.”
“Okay. Are you still going to be open tonight?”
“The show must go on.” I chuckle, but it falls flat.
I head for the doorway that leads to the stairs up to our private area. As soon as I open the door to our home, Blaze, our two-year-old red labrador, is there. He bounces at my feet but knows better than to jump up on me. Finding us Blaze is another thing Julian did for us. How many times has Julian helped us?
Looking around the apartment, I realize it’s more times than I can count. I don’t know why he helped me so much. Why was he there?
“Mama, who were those men?” Jude stomps out of his room.
I can’t believe how much he looks like his father did when he was younger. His dark hair is long on top, not all over. He’s tall and lanky like Luke was when we met, already over six feet at fifteen.
“Just some men. They know Uncle Julian, though. He’s friends with them.” I move past my son toward my bathroom, needing to clean myself up before he realizes I’ve been crying.
“Why did Uncle Julian take him out, then?”
“What?” I stop and turn around, forgetting my eyes are swollen.
“What the hell, Mama? No wonder Julian flipped him over on his ass. What did he do to you? I’ll kill the jerk.”
“Jude Lucas, watch your mouth. I was just crying. Julian and I had a fight. What do you mean Julian flipped over Luke?”
“Right in the parking lot. Why are you and Julian arguing?”
“Don’t worry about it. I have to get ready. What time is practice tomorrow? Do your homework.”
“Mama, no homework. This prep school is easy. Can I just go to the regular high school? Practice is at one.”
He moves to the kitchen, opens up the fridge, and stares inside. I swear, that boy is not only always hungry, but he stands there like he’s trying to cool the whole apartment off with the fridge door wide open.
My papa’s words roll through my mind. “Jude boy, stop refrigerating the whole kitchen just to grab the same thing every time you open the fridge.”
Papa died about six months ago, and it hit me harder than when Mama or Grammy passed. Mama died right after I moved to Texas. She couldn’t handle what her disease was doing to her and took her own life. Grammy died ten years ago from a stroke. Losing Papa was the worst for me. He and I were so close. He and Julian were the male influences in my son’s life. I have other males in my life, but my father isn’t one of them. He hasn’t beena part of our lives since he washed his hands of me before Jude was born.
I push the memories back and walk into my bedroom, then through my closet to the bathroom. I look at myself in the mirror. After washing my face with cool water, I apply moisturizer, then eye cream, and finish with a bit of bronzer. I check my hair to make sure it looks good.
Before heading downstairs, I kiss Jude on the top of his head as he lounges on the sofa, watching a soccer game. “Love you, buddy.”
“Mama, can you have Cook make me a burger and fries? Love you too.”
“I can.”
I head downstairs, where the employees are already moving around, getting ready for tonight. My cowgirl boots click against the hardwood floor as I walk to the hostess station.
“Hello, Lia. We have full reservations. Chef Les said we’re good on supplies, and all we’re missing is you.” Leticia, my manager, chuckles, and I smile up at her.
Leticia used to be a nurse until she lost her job after causing drama. Julian didn’t want me to hire her, but I had a feeling she’d be a good fit, and I haven’t regretted it. She told me her side of the story. I didn’t disagree with her losing her job, but I applauded her for learning her lesson and moving on.
“Good. Let’s get this show on the road.”
My next stop is the kitchen, where I check in with Chef Les and give her Jude’s order. I was lucky to get her. She left Boston to get away from a bad situation and decided to come back home. She’s a bit younger than me, so we didn’t run in the same circles when we both lived here before. I’m just glad I snagged her before anyone else did.
