Page 93 of Timid (Lark Cove 2)

“Twelve,” I repeated, shaking my head. After I’d spent my entire childhood needing a mother, she’d found it in herself to become one to someone else.

“So is he why you came to find me?”

She nodded. “Need you to take him for a while.”

The disgust tasted worse in my mouth than my hangover breath. My mother was disgusting. Simply disgusting.

She’d tracked me down after all these years to pawn off another one of her kids.

“You want me to take him?” I asked. “Are you serious?”

“You’re his only family and he’s a good kid. He won’t give you any trouble.”

A memory came rushing back of the day she’d left me at Aunt Marie’s. Mom had said those exact same words about me.

“So you came to pawn him off on me. Does he know?” Was that why he’d looked at me like I was his salvation?

Mom shook her head. “Thought it would be best to tell him together.”

“Of course, you did,” Willa said dryly. “You always put the needs of your children first.”

“This ain’t your business,” Mom snapped at her.

“Why?” I asked before Willa could respond. “I want a reason why you’re leaving him here.”

“That ain’t your business either. But you either take him or he’s on his own.”

What choice did I have? She’d backed me into a corner, piling all of this on my conscience so that if Ryder went into the system, I’d feel guilty.

“You’re a fucking bitch.” The words were cathartic.

Mom rolled her eyes. “Now you sound like your granddaddy.”

“Too bad I didn’t get to meet him. I think we would have had a lot in common.”

“You gonna take Ryder or not?” She was getting flustered, the color in her cheeks rising.

“How did you even find me?”

She shrugged. “Wasn’t that hard. Hired a guy to track you down online with your social security number.”

Because she’d needed a place for my brother. I bet she had a backpack all loaded up for Ryder, just like she’d done with me.

“Get the kid. Get his shit. And get the fuck out of Montana.”

She grinned, knowing she’d won. Without a word, Mom went back inside the motel room, closing the door at her back.

“Oh, Jackson.” Willa came to my side. “I cannot believe this is happening.”

My arm went around her shoulders, holding on to her. “Me neither.”

I’d come down to the motel for closure and hadn’t gotten any. Instead, I’d gotten a twelve-year-old kid brother who would be living with me indefinitely.

“I don’t know what else to do,” I whispered. “If I don’t take him, then—”

“You have to take him.” Willa’s entire frame shook with fury. “You need to get him away from her. She’s toxic.”

“What am I going to do?”