Page 23 of Loving You Always

“Watch your mouth, boy!” Mama Jess snapped from the door, drawing everyone’s attention.

Cam turned sheepish eyes to Mama Jess, before glaring back in Walsh’s direction.

“Mama Jess, I’m sorry, but you don’t understand. This is—”

“I know who it is. You ain’t gotta tell me. Both of you need to be quiet.”

“With all due respect—” Cam began.

“What you know about respect?” Mama Jess’s hands rested on her round hips. “I heard you. She was chasing you? That’s why she’s here right now?”

“Look, what happens between a man and his wife is private. We had an argument.”

“That landed Lil’ Bit here.” Mama Jess’s words were fiery pokers, and though not directed at him, Walsh felt the stinging heat.

“I’m her husband, and if I say you all have to leave, then you all have to leave.”

“I’ve already told you I’m not going anywhere.” Walsh pulled every muscle of his face into the mulish lines that had gotten him what he wanted most of his life.

“Both of y’all just be quiet,” Mama Jess said. “I mean literally be quiet. Do you hear that?”

The only sound was the steady press of the machine giving breath to Kerris.

“Do youhearthat?” Mama Jess repeated. “That’s a machine breathing for her, and you’re having a pissin’ contest. I wonder if either of you cares for her at all if you can’t get past this long enough to put her first.”

A stern-looking nurse chose that moment to come in, raising her eyebrows for a second before pulling them back into a frown.

“I’m sorry. There can be only one person here at a time. And it’s only a few minutes at a time.”

“I’ll go.” Walsh headed toward the door, but paused beside Meredith. “Keep me posted?”

Walking through the door, he couldn’t resist bending down to kiss Mama Jess on the cheek, despite the frown she still wore. He could have sworn there was a softening in her granite-hard expression.

“Thank you for loving her. And for coming back into her life,” he said. “She always loved you like a mother.”

“How do you know that?” Mama Jess whispered back, her eyes filling with tears.

“She told me.”

***

“Hello.” Walsh’s father responded on the second ring.

“Dad, it’s me.” Walsh firmed up his tone and corrected his posture.

“Walsh? This is a surprise.”

“I, um, I’m in Rivermont.” Walsh braced himself for the explosion.

“What about Sheikh Kassim?” His father was much more calm than Walsh had anticipated. “I thought you were in discussions with him all this week there in New York.”

“I was. I have been, but something came up and I had to come here.”

“Walsh, I don’t have to tell you how crucial these negotiations are.”

“No, Dad, you don’t. There are some things I could get done from here, but some of it has to be face-to-face. I know that.”

“What’s so important? Something with your mother’s estate?”