Tobias was still in bed watching TV when Maddox got home. “What’s going on?” he asked. His brother hadn’t even bothered to shower.
“Not a lot.”
“Have you heard from Mom?”
“Yeah. She keeps texting me, won’t leave me alone,” he grumbled.
“Why not?”
“She’s still pissed.”
“About what?”
“I don’t want to talk about it.”
Maddox’s irritation with their mother shot up like a high striker carnival attraction. Tobias was obviously struggling emotionally, and she was only making it worse. “Do you mind if I take a look at what she’s saying?” He indicated Tobias’s phone.
“Be my guest. After thirteen years of having someone there every time I so much as took a piss, I’m not used to having any privacy. But why you’d want to read that craziness, I have no idea.”
Maddox found the texts from their mother and began to scroll up so he could make sense of the conversation.
Jill: You’re a fucking ex-con! How dare you judge me!
Tobias: That’s fraud. You want me to go back to prison?
Jill: You won’t go back to prison!
Tobias: You don’t know that. You don’t give a damn if I do or don’t, that’s the problem. Just leave me alone.
Jill: What have I done? I’ve never done anything to you!
Tobias: You’ve never done anything FOR me, either.
Jill: Because you won’t let me. I was just trying to help. Why are you turning it into something so negative?
Tobias: Because it’s illegal!
“What started this?” Maddox put the phone back on the nightstand. Obviously, the texting had picked up after some kind of conversation or interaction that came before, because it wasn’t clear.
“She called me up yesterday, wanted me to hurry and get my driver’s license so that Tonya would let me borrow her car.”
“Why? Her own car is a bucket of bolts, I admit, but last I heard it was still running.”
He didn’t answer right away, just kept staring at the TV, but Maddox could tell he was upset, that he wasn’t really watching it. Taking the remote, he shut off the distraction. “Tobias?”
He punched the pillow under his head. “You’re not going to like it. She already warned me not to ‘turn you against her.’”
“Tell me.”
“She wanted me to let her rear-end me. Said I could file a claim on the insurance for whiplash and make something like fifteen thousand dollars. Apparently, her roommate does that sort of thing all the time.”
“Insurance fraud. You’ve got to be kidding me.”
“Wish I was. Mom said it was a way for me to come up with the money I need to get a start.”
“So the settlement would go to you.”
“Not all of it, of course. She’d expect half for setting it all up. Says it’ll get her out of debt. She owes someone.”
“The guy who robbed her, by any chance?”
“I wouldn’t be surprised. She didn’t say. But she didn’t like it when I told her I wouldn’t do it.”
“I can’t believe she’d ever even suggest it. You’re on parole!”
“She claims I couldn’t get in trouble, that no one would ever find out it wasn’t a legitimate accident. But I don’t want to be involved in that shit even if we don’t get caught. I want to feel good about myself for a change, you know?”
Maddox felt his muscles bunch. “This started yesterday? That’s why you had her bring you here, and why she didn’t stay to say hi to me?”
He nodded.
Maddox raked his fingers through his hair. How was he ever going to get his brother on stable ground with a mother like Jill working against them? “Will you get out of bed and get showered?”
“Why? I can’t go out. If someone were to see me, word would spread like wildfire that I’m in town, and it would upset the Brooks family.” He pinched the bridge of his nose. “Maybe I should try to go back to Tonya...”
“That won’t work and you know it—not for more than a night or two.”
He dropped his hand. “So what do I do?”
“First of all, I’m telling Mom to quit texting you. I’ll change your number if I have to, and make sure she doesn’t have it. If she has something to say to you, or something she needs from us, she can come to me.”
Tobias sat up. “Wait. I don’t want to put you in that position.”
“It’s fine. Maybe in a few months things can change, become more normal, but not right now. Anyway, get showered. We’ll go to Santa Barbara for dinner so you can relax a little and feel better. It’s obviously been a rough day.”
“I’m not sure dinner out will fix anything. That’ll just cost a lot of money.”
“The fixing will come, one day at a time. Tomorrow, you’ll start the process of getting your driver’s license. Once you have that, we’ll look for openings at the various auto repair places in LA.”
“Meaning what? I’ll commute? How will I get a car?”
“I’ll move to LA with you and we’ll share mine, if we have to.”
Obviously frustrated by his situation, Tobias cursed. Maddox guessed he’d expected getting out to be more fun. Instead, he had to face the shambles of life after being locked up for so long. “I’m ruining everything you got set up here, aren’t I.”
“You’re not ruining anything,” Maddox said. “We’ll get through this together.”
“I shouldn’t even be here. I’m not doing you any favors.”
“Don’t worry about it. It’s you and me against the world, remember?”
“Just like old times,” he muttered with a nostalgic smile and got up but turned back when he reached the doorway to the bathroom. “By the way, your landlord came to the door, but I didn’t answer.”
“Why not? I’m sure he could hear the TV.” Maddox had heard it from the stoop earlier.
“I was hoping he’d think you left it on. I didn’t want him to know I was here, didn’t want to get you in any trouble.”
Maddox remembered what Uriah had said when he’d told him his brother was the one who’d shot Atticus Brooks.
Did you have anything to do with it?
I was there that night, at the same party. But no.
Then I don’t regret renting to you.
Uriah might regret it now. Most people wouldn’t want an ex-con who’d been convicted for attempted murder living in such close proximity. That would be even more important to someone like Uriah, who’d experienced what he had with his son. “I’ll go talk to him while you shower.”
Maybe they’d be moving to LA even sooner than Maddox planned...
Maddox found Uriah sitting at his kitchen table, eating a TV dinner. When he knocked on the door he’d started using—the back door that went straight into the kitchen—the old man yelled out for him to come in.
“Would you like a piece of pie?” He motioned toward the oven. “That slice of apple pie you gave me was so good, I decided to get a blackberry one when I was in town this morning.”
“No, I’m fine. Thanks.” Uriah’s TV dinner didn’t look very appetizing. Maddox knew his wife was probably rolling over in her grave, but Maddox had been so preoccupied with his own problems today he hadn’t thought to bring Uriah anything better. “Sorry I haven’t checked in today.”
“Why would you need to check in?”
Maddox hid a smile at the old man’s grit. Uriah hated to admit that he was diminished in any way. “No reason. You look like you’re doing pretty good.”
“I am. How was work? You come over for a game of chess?”
“Not tonight. You probably know this already, but I’ve got company.”
“I wasn’t positive but I thought so.” He cut off another bite of chicken fried steak. “Heard the TV as I was getting a few items out of the garage, and yet your car was gone. So I stopped by to make sure everything was okay.”
“It’s my brother.”
“The one who was just released from prison?”
“Yes. He would’ve answered, but he was afraid to. He didn’t want to upset you or make things difficult for me.”
He made a harrumphing sound. “I was hoping it was Jada.”
“Because...”
“I knew you’d like that.”
Maddox didn’t want to think about Jada. With this new development, he’d probably never see her again—not in the way he’d seen her the other night. “You couldn’t tell Tobias from Jada on the security cameras?” he joked.
“There wasn’t anything on the cameras.”
“That’s right. He cut across the property out of range of any of the cameras.”
Uriah swallowed his food and took a drink from the glass of milk he had sitting next to his meal. “He could’ve walked right down the drive. The camera on this side isn’t working. It’s on my list of things to fix. Maybe I’ll get to it in the next week or so.”
Uriah didn’t sound upset, but Maddox felt bad all the same. “Sounds like you’re getting back to work. Does that mean you’re feeling better?”
He waved a gnarled hand. “That little spill wasn’t anything to worry about.”
“It could’ve been worse. You need to be more careful. But as far as Tobias is concerned, he surprised me, too. I want you to know I had no idea he was coming.”
“What are you going to do now that he’s here?”
“I’m hoping to find him a room to rent in LA. I’d be grateful if you’d let him stay with me for a couple of weeks until I can do that, though.” That was the only way Maddox could salvage his own situation, but even if he came up with a room for Tobias to rent, he wasn’t sure he could leave his brother on his own, not so soon. He just didn’t want to go into all of that, wasn’t quite ready to accept the cold hard truth.
“He can’t stay with your mother?”
“No. That would be about the worst place for him.”
“I see.” He finished his milk. “Okay.”
“Okay...what?” Maddox asked.
“He can stay until you figure out a better plan.”
“I appreciate it. Despite what happened when my brother was sixteen, he’s not a bad person. And now that he’s got a second chance, he really wants to get his life on track.”
Uriah scraped his tray clean. “Then you’re lucky.”
“Lucky?” Maddox echoed. “In what way?”
“The only way to change is to want to, right? He can do it if he wants it bad enough. I’d give anything if my son would turn his life around.”
Maddox leaned against the doorframe. “What are the chances of that happening?”
“Not very good. There’s something missing up here.” He knocked lightly on his own head. “But I can always hope. A father never gives up hope.”
“Neither does a brother, I guess,” Maddox said. “Anyway, I’m sorry to take advantage of your kindness. I didn’t expect this, but I probably should have. I wondered if his relationship with his cell mate’s sister would last—should’ve known it wouldn’t and planned accordingly.”
“This isn’t your fault.”
“But it does put us both in an awkward position with the Brookses. I hate to do that to you.”
“I don’t mind giving him a hand. Maybe, if and when my son comes to that point, someone will do the same for him.”
Uriah was one of the best men Maddox had ever known. It didn’t make sense that he would have such a difficult son, but that was the unpredictability of life. “I can’t tell you how much I appreciate it,” he said and meant it. If someone didn’t help Tobias at this particular crossroad, Tobias would never reach his full potential. He might not even reach a small part of it.
When Jada was finally able to close the shop and go home, she walked into her bedroom to find a handful of fresh-picked flowers in a mason jar on her dresser, along with a handmade card that was propped open without an envelope. “What’s this?” she asked Maya, who was lying on the bed, reading a book.
Maya lowered her book enough to reveal a sweet smile. “It’s for you.”
Jada set her purse down so she could read the card, which had a picture of a woman drawn and colored on the front with pencils. Inside, Maya had written, “Thank you for letting me go to New Horizons. I will work so hard in school (the so was underlined heavily) that you’ll be glad you did. Annie thanks you, too.” Plenty of hearts and Xs and Os surrounded those words and Annie had also signed her name.
Although Jada was touched, she had to force a smile when she met her daughter’s eager gaze. “Thank you. This is beautiful. I’m glad you’re happy.”
Maya got off the bed to hug her. “I am. I know it’s been a hard year with...with the divorce and everything, but you always make sure you’re there for me. You’re the best mom ever.”
Jada squeezed her eyes closed as she held her daughter close. “No matter what happens, will you remember one thing?” she asked.
When Maya lifted her head, Jada smoothed her hair back. “I love you and I have always loved you. Okay?”
“I know, Mom. I love you, too.”
With a happy hitch in her step, Maya went back to the bed and to reading her book while Jada put on her pajamas and sat at the desk to do her social media work. She was soon so engrossed she didn’t notice Maya nodding off until her book dropped onto her chest.
Jada got up to set the book on the nightstand and tuck her daughter in. Then she got back to work, but as it grew later, she kept stopping to check her phone. She’d thought she might hear from Maddox, that he’d react to her allowing Maya to go to the school where he was principal, if nothing else.
But she didn’t hear from him. An entire week went by during which he didn’t come by the store, leave a note on her car, call or text. They’d had sex for the first time in thirteen years! That had affected her deeply, and yet it didn’t seem to have impacted him at all.
Maddox was standing at the stables, giving a handful of the sugar cubes he’d taken from the coffee service in his office to Hannibal, his favorite horse and one of a dozen owned by New Horizons. Although it was getting late and finally cooling off, the mosquitoes from the pond nearby, which Aiyana stocked so the students could fish, were out in full force. Hannibal’s tail swished every few seconds as the fourteen-hands-high quarter horse did all he could to keep the pests at bay.
When the sugar was gone, he neighed softly and allowed Maddox to pat his strong neck. Maddox remembered how much the animals at New Horizons had soothed him when he was a student here and smiled to think they still had the same effect. Aiyana was brilliant in what she made available to the damaged young men she tried so hard to help.
Before Maddox had realized that Jada was back in town and his brother was released from prison, he’d been considering getting a dog. Now he knew he’d better put that on hold. Having an animal would only make it more difficult if he had to move.
“What are you still doing here?”
Surprised to have company, since all the students were in their dorms and the teachers who lived on campus were in their houses on the far side of the property, Maddox turned to see Eli striding toward him wearing a pair of boots, worn jeans, a T-shirt that read Losing My Mind, One Kid at a Time and a friendly smile. Maddox had been lingering at the school because he hadn’t been eager to go home. It would be the first of August tomorrow. It was getting closer and closer to the time when the fall semester would start, and yet he was still dithering on whether or not he’d be able to keep his job. The closer it got to the first day of school, the more difficult it would be for Aiyana if he quit, which made him reluctant. He didn’t want to let her down. And yet he was beginning to realize that the problems with his brother were going to take a lot longer to fix than he’d first estimated. Maddox had driven Tobias to three different job interviews in Los Angeles, which had cost him one whole day of work, but Tobias hadn’t received a call back. Trust for someone so freshly released from prison wasn’t easy to come by.
“Not much,” he told Eli. “Just thinking.”
“You ready for school to start?”
“Getting there. I’m fully staffed at least. We have some great teachers.”
“It helps that there are so many top-notch private schools in the area. If any of their teachers get disgruntled or need a change, we’re here to scoop them up.”
“Your mother’s reputation also helps,” Maddox said.
Eli rested his arms on top of the fence. From what Maddox had heard, he’d once lived in the house closest to the animals, which was vacant now. After he married Cora and they started having kids, they’d built a larger home, farther out on the periphery. Maddox had once asked Eli if Cora, who was a teacher at New Horizons, wouldn’t rather live in town to get a break from the school when she wasn’t working, and he’d said no. She liked being able to walk to her classroom, and she liked being close to Aiyana, who was as good a grandmother as she was everything else. He’d said they were far enough from the dorms and other buildings that the students didn’t bother them in their off-hours, and yet he could stay late and take care of the animals or help his mother and still spend a lot of time with his own kids. “My mom’s a fighter. I never bet against her.”
“I wouldn’t, either,” Maddox said.
“How are things going with your brother?”
He gazed across the pen to where the sun was slowly sinking below the horizon. He liked Eli and his brother Gavin. The rest of their brothers—there were six more Aiyana had adopted, as well—now lived in other towns, cities and even states, except the youngest, who was still in high school and attended New Horizons. “Pretty good.”
“Any luck on the job front?”
“Not yet.”
Eli showed Hannibal, who kept nudging him, that he didn’t have any sugar or other treats, so the horse shook his tail once again and moseyed over to his trough, where he used his lips to carefully pick up the strands of hay left over from his dinner. “I’m sorry to hear that.”
“He’s not ready to give up yet.” Although Maddox feared depression and hopelessness would become a problem if something didn’t happen in the next few weeks.
“That’s good.”
Silence fell. Maddox expected Eli to say good-night and go on about his business, but he didn’t.
“Speaking of jobs...”
Maddox felt his eyebrows slide up. “What about them?”
“I received an unexpected application today.”
“Unexpected in what way?”
“Atticus Brooks is applying to be our new computer technology teacher.”
Maddox, who’d also been leaning on the corral, straightened. “Atticus wants to work here? Does he have the education for it?”
“Not exactly. Not for teaching. But he has a BA in computer science, so it wouldn’t be too hard for them to get where he needs to be.”
“Regardless, I can’t believe he’d consider it, especially because he knows I’m here.”
“That surprised my mother, too. She thinks he’s already tried everywhere else and is getting desperate enough to overlook your presence. If we hired him, he’d be employed on the boys’ side, anyway, so he wouldn’t have a lot of interaction with you. Maybe that’s enough separation for him.”
“Except we’ll all be attending the same faculty meetings, at least when we pull the staff from both schools together. And now that my brother’s in town...”
“I’m pretty sure the Brookses aren’t aware of that.”
Maddox and Tobias had been very careful not to be seen in town. If they went out, they drove to LA or Santa Barbara. Hiding wasn’t something they’d be able to pull off indefinitely, but so far, so good—it seemed. “He knows if anyone will give him a break, it’s Aiyana.”
Eli shrugged. “My mom tries to help everybody.”
“So she’s willing to hire him—even before he works through the student teaching and certification process?”
“She said she could use him as a teacher’s aide until he gets that stuff done, so I think she’s considering it.”
“Why didn’t she tell me?”
“She’s still trying to figure out how to do that. She doesn’t want it to be the last straw, the thing that makes you leave.”
“It won’t be the thing that makes me leave.”
“But if we hire Atticus, we won’t be able to hire Tobias, even if Tobias can’t find a job.”
“I see. That might make me leave.”
“Exactly. She wouldn’t be happy to know I’m letting the cat out of the bag, but I’d rather she not be put in the position of choosing. I know it’ll be hard on her to turn Atticus away.”
Maddox bowed his head and kicked at the dirt beneath his feet. Maybe this was one way he and Tobias could try to make up for the past—they could give Tobias’s one opportunity to Atticus. Maddox was certainly willing to do that; he had no doubt Tobias would feel the same. “Tell her to give him the job.”
“You mean it?” When he looked up, Eli searched his face. “Even though it might make things a bit more difficult for Tobias?”
“Don’t worry about Tobias. We’ll figure things out.”
“And you won’t quit?”
He couldn’t promise that. If Tobias couldn’t find work, and soon, they were going to have to leave.
He thought of Jada and the way she’d felt in his arms. That would always be one of the best nights of his life.
At least he’d take away the memory.
“We’ll see what happens,” he said.