Revealed (Book 4, the Redemption Series)

Chapter 3

Before Jake could read the note, there was a rapping at his door. He quickly shoved Tom's letter in his back pocket. His mother knocked again. "Jake?"

"Yeah. Come in."

Nancy cracked open the door and peeked inside. "Did she leave?"

"Who?" Jake asked dumbly.

"Mary. She snuck in your window, right?"

His jaw dropped. "You knew?"

Nancy came into the room and sat on the corner of the bed. "I'm not as dumb as you think. I knew about most of your boyhood shenanigans."

Jake raised an eyebrow. "Then why didn't you bust me?"

"Because I figured it was part of growing up, and you never got into serious trouble."

Plus it must've been exhausting raising an impulsive boy alone while working sixty hours a week since Ted's alimony payments were few and far between. And that was before he'd gone to prison for bribery and fraud. Yet somehow, she managed it all. Lord knew where Jake would be without her.

He laid a hand on her shoulder. "Thanks, Mom."

She looked at him quizzically. "For what?"

"For all that you've done for me. And still do for me."

"You're my baby. What else was I supposed to do?"

"You could've put yourself first and got a new man in your life who probably would've hated me."

Nancy shook her head. "I never would've done that."

"I know. You made me your top priority, and then I broke your heart by moving away."

"I'm not going to lie. It hurt, but I understood. You always wanted his approval."

"Who?"

"Your dad."

Jake rolled his eyes. Nothing could be farther from the truth. He'd only taken the job in Chicago because his father offered to pay him twice what he could make anywhere else.

Nancy said, "You know he's back in town."

"Who?"

"Your dad was released from prison?"

Jake sat down on the bed next to his mother. "Seriously?"

"Yes. He stopped by the diner a few weeks back."

"Why?" Jake almost shouted.

"To catch up." She reached for Jake's hand. "He asked about you."

"So he only stopped in the diner one time?"

"No. He's been in a few times. Jake— I think he's finally learned from his mistakes."

"I doubt it. He'll always be a jerk."

"He'd like to see you."

"No thanks." He inched away from her.

"You're a grown man now. He can't hurt you."

"I know."

"You should talk to him. You don't have to forget what he did, but you should forgive him. You're only hurting yourself by holding onto all that pain."

Was Jake hearing his mother correctly? Forgive him? Jake despised the alcoholic, but he shouldn't be surprised. Nancy saw the best in everyone. She did in Jake. Why not his dad too? Well Jake knew better; if they let them back in their lives, it was only a matter of time before Ted hurt them again.

He extracted his hand from hers and stood up. "I'll think about it."

Smartly changing the subject, Nancy said, "You know Mary doesn't need to sneak in the house if she wants to see you."

"Yeah. She was being silly."

"Still I'm happy that you two are together."

"Me too."

"I always hoped you two would wind up together."

"You did?" He cocked his head to the side.

"I know. It's strange with Mary being Tom's widow. But she's good for you. If you'd married her instead of that other one, you wouldn't have got in all that trouble."

"Mom!"

"Tell me I'm wrong."

Jake could only shake his head.

"You can't. Can you?" Smiling, Nancy said, "If you two want some alone time, just tell me. I could go somewhere for a while."

"No! That is just weird. I'm not doing that."

"It's not weird. You're adults. We all have needs."

There was no way Jake was having this conversation with his mother. If there had been a sharp object in the room, he would have impaled himself on it. Even a dull one would do. This was why he couldn't live here. Nancy would smother him with her love. That said, Nancy's comment about adults with needs made him suspicious.

"Fine, Mom. Where would you go?"

She looked away. "I'd rather not say."

Jake groaned. The answer was obvious. "Did you get back with him?"

"Not really."

"Not really?"

"I guess you could say we're friends with benefits at least until he proves himself. Trust me. I know what I'm doing."

Gross. Jake couldn't believe she'd just used that phrase. He brought a hand to his forehead and sighed.

Nancy said, "I don't expect you to understand, but I don't want to be judged by you. I've always had your back, and I hope you'll do the same for me."

She was right. Nancy deserved Jake's trust because no matter what, she'd always had his back. Whether it was moving away after high school, marrying the wrong girl, drinking too much, his infidelity, losing his job with the Chicago PD, or disappearing for two years after his daughter's accidental death by her maternal grandfather.

"You're right."

Nancy stood up to look him in the eye. "I know I'm right."

Jake hugged her. "Mom, thanks for everything."

"You know it's not too late."

"For what?"

Nancy took him by the shoulders. "It was that bitch's fault that Sam died. If Kate hadn't pushed her away, she'd still be here."

"No. I was there. It was my fault."

"Wrong. If Kate had been a better mother, none of that would've happened. But it will be different with Mary. She's a good mother."

"Are you saying Mary and I should have a baby?"

"I know you hurt, but a baby would fill the hole Sam left behind."

Jake broke their embrace, feeling utterly exhausted. This conversation had taken too many wrong turns for his liking. "Can we not do this tonight? It's late, and I'm tired."

"All right. I'm tired too." Nancy shuffled out of the room with a yawn. "Good night."

"Good night," Jake said, shuttingthe door behind her, completely forgetting Tom's letter in his back pocket.