Page 68 of Embers of You
“What do you think you’re doing?” she asks, her voice groggy with exhaustion, and her eyes match. Seeing her like this hurts my heart.
“Are you okay?”
She smiles softly. “Yes, I’m okay. But I’m not going to be if I find out you’re doing things around here for me when you shouldn’t be.”
“Ma, can you just accept that I want to help you?”
She sighs, looking around the kitchen and clearly noticing everything I did to clean up and narrows her eyes at me. She doesn’t say anything about it and I’m not sure if I should call that a win or be worried that she’s not putting any energy into her playful fights with me.
“I saw Sutton leave yesterday.”
“Did you?”
“I like her.”
I chuckle. “I know you do.”
“Did she have a good time? Was Sandy good to her?”
I fight the blush that wants to cover my cheeks when I think about the good time we had that had nothing to do with the horses.
“Of course she was. That horse is an angel, you know that.”
“She is,” she agrees with a smile. “They all are. we have a good herd.”
“We do. You trained them really well.”
She waves me off as she always does and I catch how unsteady she is. I don’t like how weak she seems, and I step toward her. “Come on, Ma, I want to help with dinner tonight and I don’t want to fight about it.”
“Fine,” she sighs and that also has me a little worried. “Have you seen your father?”
“No.” I know what’s going to come next, and because it’s her I’m going to do it.
“I’ll let you help with dinner if you ask him to join us.”
I nod. “Anything for you, Ma.” Turning to go find him, she calls out my name again and I face her.
“Then, you go have a nice time with Sutton.”
I shake my head. “She’s going out with a friend of hers tonight.”
“Hm.” She smiles.
“What is that?”
“Hm, oh nothing.”
I think about letting it go, but the way she’s reacting has me wondering what she’s thinking. This is how she sounds when she knows something. I should let it go, but there’s a chance that she may actually be thinking something I want to hear.
“What is it?” I finally question before opening the door to leave.
“Did she tell you she didn’t want you to join her?”
“No, but she didn’t invite me either.”
“Maybe she wants you to surprise her.”
“Ma, I think you’re wanting to cause trouble.”
