Chapter Nineteen

K endall woke suddenly from a deep sleep. Sunlight filtered through the blinds, giving the room a dreamlike quality. His heart pounded in his chest, but he didn't know why. Had it been a bad dream? If so, he couldn't remember. Slowly, he became more aware of his surroundings. He'd slept on the wrong side of the bed, and he'd fallen asleep with Forensic Files playing again. Then his body became aware of the mountain-sized man curled protectively around him.

I knew he'd be a teddy bear .

Ridge slept peacefully behind him, and Kendall took comfort in feeling the man's chest rise and fall against his back. He located the remote without waking Ridge and turned off the television. He'd just closed his eyes again when he heard someone pounding on his front door. That must've been what had woken him up. Somehow Ridge had slept through it, so Kendall eased out from beneath his strong arm to ensure he stayed that way.

He stopped long enough to slip on a pair of shorts before dashing to the front of the house where the banging had gotten louder and more persistent. Kendall yanked open the door without checking to see who his visitor was. He stared in disbelief at the sight before him.

"Mom?" In his shock, he'd forgotten to address her as Rebecca. Kendall raked his gaze over her baggy T-shirt, black leggings, and flip-flops. "What are you wearing?" He hadn't seen her dressed so casually since the summer they'd gone to Myrtle Beach for a long weekend. That had been before she'd met Stan, so…a lifetime ago. He looked over her head to see if his stepfather was loitering somewhere on his lawn, but he wasn't there. A faded silver Oldsmobile was parked behind his in the driveway, though. "Are you driving Adelaide's car?"

"Yes," Rebecca said. "And what took you so long to answer the door? And why haven't you taken my calls? I've been trying to reach you for hours."

Kendall grimaced. "I was exhausted when I got home from work and forgot to put it on the charger last night." Exhausted sounded better than extremely horny. "What's wrong?"

"For starters," she said dryly, "my only son has chosen to interrogate me on his front porch instead of inviting me into his home."

"Sorry," Kendall said. "I'm just so surprised you're here. I wasn't aware you had my new address."

"Adelaide gave it to me after she let me borrow some clothes and her car. May I please come in now?" She stepped through the door and chuckled before gesturing to the clothes and shoes strewn on the floor. It was blatantly obvious the items belonged to more than one person. "Exhausted, huh?"

Ridge had worn Kendall out, but he wasn't going there with his mother. "What's going on?"

Rebecca turned and met Kendall's gaze once more. Her usually vibrant eyes were devoid of any spark. The cloak of aloofness she wrapped around herself was fraying at the edges, giving Kendall a glimpse of the insecure woman she used to be. Her bottom lip trembled for a second before she stiffened it along with her posture.

"And how does this involve Adelaide?" he asked when she remained silent.

"She picked me up from jail this morning," Rebecca replied, sounding as cool as a cucumber. "I tried calling you first, but you already know how that went."

"Jail?" Kendall screeched.

Rebecca flinched and lifted her hands to her temples. "Please dial it down a notch or two. I've had a headache since the feds showed up at our house last night."

A snippet of his early morning conversation with Ridge replayed in his mind. He'd mentioned a freak-show family worthy of a reality television show. Oh fuck . "Feds?" he asked weakly.

"Yes," she repeated. "Would it be too much to ask you to make a pot of coffee?"

"Oh, um, sure." Kendall walked to the kitchen and filled the reservoir with water, then removed his coffee grounds from the freezer and scooped enough into the filter to make a whole pot. He retrieved a bottle of ibuprofen and a bottle of water and set them in front of Rebecca.

"Thanks. Adelaide taught you to store the coffee in the freezer," she said softly.

"She's taught me many things over the years." Kendall regretted the remark as soon as it left his mouth, even though his mother had it coming. He switched on the coffee pot and turned to face her. Rebecca's shoulders slumped forward as she stared down at the ground. "Sorry."

She lifted her chin and met his gaze. "Why? I'm very aware of my shortcomings regarding you, Kendall. I meant what I said at Fernando's the other day. I want to repair the damage I've done to our relationship." She took a deep breath. "For now, let's stick to the most pressing issue at hand."

"The feds kicking down the door and arresting Stan?" Kendall asked, not bothering to hide his hopefulness.

Rebecca's mouth quirked and humor added a glimmer of life to her eyes. "You'll be disappointed to hear they didn't kick down the door." Before he could follow up, she lifted her hand to stop him. "But they did arrest him."

"Wow," Kendall said. "I missed all the fun."

"Well, it's been all over the news this morning, but…" She gestured to the clothes on the floor. "Anyway, there was absolutely nothing fun about the marshals seizing every asset we'd ever acquired."

And was one of those marshals sleeping in his bed as they spoke? Kendall crossed his arms over his chest as acid churned in his gut. "They must've had a damn good reason."

Rebecca sighed. "He's accused of tax evasion, embezzlement, and defrauding their investors and the federal government. Roger also said something about a Fonzie scheme."

"Ponzi," Kendall said. "Jesus, that's bad stuff. Really bad." He leaned against the counter and stared at the carafe as it slowly filled with coffee. Once there was enough for two cups, he pulled the pot out and filled two mugs. He added almond milk to both and added a squirt of sugar substitute to his. Kendall handed Rebecca her cup and said, "What will you do next?"

Rebecca dropped her gaze to the mug in her hand. "I'm not sure. I meet with Roger in a few hours to go over my—"

Kendall was too busy studying his mother's forlorn body language to notice she'd stopped talking until he registered the heavy footsteps approaching from the hallway. Fuck . Oh fuck . Kendall only made it two steps before Ridge stepped into the open living room and kitchen area. At least he'd thought to pull his underwear on. The thickly muscled man rubbed his eyes with both fists and yawned.

"Do I smell coffee?" he asked. "And what would it take for you to bring me a cup in bed?"

Rebecca stared at Ridge, and her mouth fell open in a silent gasp. Kendall wasn't sure if it was because she recognized Ridge from last night or because of the way his morning wood strained his underwear. "Well, we meet again, Deputy Marshal Dandridge," she said.

Ridge dropped his hands to cover his crotch as he assessed the situation with a shrewd gaze. "What's going on here?"

"Ridge, meet my mother, Rebecca Burkhart."

His mother saluted Ridge with her coffee cup before taking a sip. "Soon to be Rebecca Blakemore again," she announced.

Ridge blew out a harsh breath and shook his head before fixing his gaze on Rebecca once more. "How's the hand? Did you bust any knuckles?"

"What?" Kendall screeched.

Rebecca cringed and glared at him. "Son, not so shrill, please," she said, then lifted her right hand to inspect it. "A little swollen. How's your partner's lip?"

"Oh fuck," Kendall said.

Rebecca shot him a disapproving glance. "Language."

Kendall placed his mug on the counter. "Wait a damn minute. You show up unannounced and drop an atomic bomb worth of information at my feet. I find out the guy I…um, know, was one of the arresting officers during a raid at your home and that you punched his partner, but I can't curse. Give it a break, Rebecca. Jesus."

"In her defense," Ridge said, "she meant to hit your father."

"Stepfather," Kendall and Rebecca said at once.

"I'd raise my hands to surrender, but…" Ridge said. His underwear clung to every magnificent inch of his bulge, enhancing rather than disguising it.

Kendall turned to Rebecca. "Why'd you take a swing at Stan?"

"Because I'd had enough," she said.

"I can't wrap my head around any of this."

"Drink more coffee," she suggested.

Remembering Ridge had zombie shuffled out to the kitchen looking for caffeine, Kendall looked in his direction. Ridge was picking up his discarded clothes as discreetly as one could while trying to keep his goods covered.

"Do you want a cup?" Kendall asked.

Ridge straightened and looked at him. "Nah. I'll just get dressed and head out so you can have some privacy. It's obvious the two of you have a lot to discuss."

Kendall and his mother quietly sipped their coffee until Ridge reappeared a few minutes later, his duffle bag in hand. "I'll walk you out," he told Ridge.

Neither said anything until they reached the SUV. Kendall placed his hand on Ridge's shoulder, uncertain if he'd ever get another chance to do so. "I was right about you."

Ridge settled his hands on Kendall's hips and pulled him closer. "Yeah? About what?"

"You make an excellent teddy bear."

Ridge laughed and glanced back toward the house. Kendall followed his gaze and chuckled when the curtain fluttered back into place.

"There's an extra blow job in it for you if you can locate footage of the asshole being led from his mansion in handcuffs," Kendall said.

Ridge's eyes darkened, and he took a shaky breath. "I'm sure that can be arranged." He took a deep breath. "The situation with Burkhart complicates things for us."

Kendall closed his eyes, resigning himself to saying goodbye to Ridge and Sammy quicker than he'd hoped. He swallowed his disappointment and met Ridge's earnest gaze. "I understand."

"No," Ridge said, shaking his head. "I don't think you do." Then he pressed a gentle kiss to Kendall's lips. "We'll figure this out, okay? Text me after your mom leaves."

Kendall nodded, refusing to allow hope to take root and blossom. He remained there until Ridge drove away, then returned to the house.

Rebecca was sitting at the small table tucked away in the kitchen. She glanced up when he stepped inside. "So, this thing with the marshal…"

"You want to play the concerned mommy now, Rebecca?" he asked. She stiffened, and Kendall wanted to kick himself harder than he'd just booted her. He blew out a breath and said, "It's new, and that's all I'm willing to say right now." He walked to the bedroom and returned a moment later with what remained of the Palmier cookies. Ridge had done some significant damage to the stockpile after he'd fallen asleep. Kendall set them on the table, then pulled out the chair across from her. "What can I do to help?"

She snapped her head up, and tears filled her eyes. "I don't deserve you."

Kendall chewed a cookie while he considered how to proceed. He'd been down this road with her in the past. Stan would break her heart, and she'd inevitably turn to her first-but-forgotten love for comfort. Kendall would soften and let down his walls, only to get shunned again when Stan asked Rebecca for forgiveness. It was a toxic cycle they both needed to break. Correction: one he would break. The question remained if Rebecca would be joining him on the healthier journey.

"Maybe not," he finally said, "but you also don't deserve a bastard husband. I'm not sure there's a future for us until you're ready to acknowledge that much."

Rebecca took a long, shaky breath. "I don't deserve a bastard husband."

Kendall scooted the container of cookies toward her. "You'll even believe it one day."

Her expression was a mixture of hope and hesitation, much like Kendall felt about their tenuous reunion. Rebecca helped herself to a cookie and nibbled on one end. She briefly closed her eyes, and a look of appreciation washed over her. "Lord, I think Adelaide's cookies can fix anything." She dunked her cookie in her coffee and took another bite. A move he hadn't seen from her since she'd given up Oreos and milk nearly two decades ago. "You're usually stingy with her baked goods, so I'm shocked you're sharing them with me."

Kendall had eagerly shared them with Ridge just hours before, but again, he wasn't going there with Rebecca. "These are extreme times," he said after polishing off a second cookie. "Speaking of which, what are you going to do? Where will you stay? I have some money—"

She waved off his offer before Kendall could make it. "Adelaide has offered to let me stay in her spare room, and I've accepted. Other than that…" Rebecca shrugged. "I'll get a job and find a good attorney. Do you have a recommendation?"

"For which?" he asked.

Rebecca chuckled. "Both, but I think the lawyer is top priority."

"I don't think you should trust Roger Carmichael's counsel. He'll have Stan's best interest at heart, which is at cross-purposes with yours."

"What do you suggest?"

Kendall smiled. "I know a shark who disguises himself as a lawyer. Would you be willing to meet with him if I could get you an appointment?"

"Yes," she said. "Would you consider going with me?"

"Of course." He lifted his coffee mug. "To the end of an awful era."

Rebecca clanked her cup to his. "I'll toast to that."

It was a good start.