Chapter 20

Chapter 20

Serena

Marge hadn’t asked for anything, but I knew she was partial to the chai latte the coffee shop made so I had gotten her one. Putting the cup on her desk, she looks up and swallows nervously, “Thank you, Miss Sommers.”

“Everything okay?” I ask.

Blushing slightly, she glances away. “Um… No. I mean yes… I just wanted to have a word with you before Smoke gets back from his meeting if you’re available?”

It wasn’t like Marge to be evasive, and I wondered what was on her mind. “What did you want to talk about? I hope you’re not unhappy having two attorneys here. I love it here and will be devastated when my ninety days are up.”

“I really like you, Miss Sommers. I think you’re the perfect addition to our office and would be the perfect wife for my son.”

I almost choke on my coffee at the last bit. In the few weeks I’ve worked here, she’s never once tried to fix me up with her son—let alone, said anything about actually having a son. Smiling broadly, I say, “Thanks, Marge. You’ve made me feel welcome. I didn’t think that I’d fit in here, but you’ve been really good to me. However, I’m sure your son is probably really nice, but I’m partial to Smoke.”

She lowers her voice as if sharing a secret, “I always worried about what kind of woman my son would end up with. I’m glad it’s you.”

I squint my eyes, trying to figure out what she is saying. “It almost sounds like you’re saying that Smoke is your son. I guess after working with him for so long you’ve gotten quite close.”

She stares at me for a brief second and then starts to get up from her seat and leave.

Suddenly it dawns on me. “Oh my God, you are saying that he’s your son.” I gesture wildly with my hands. “Sit back down and tell me everything.”

She eases back down into her seat. “What do you know about Smoke’s mother?”

Easy question, “He said she died in an automobile accident when he was a young child. He was raised by his father. Smoke says that a lot of men who grew up without mothers gravitate to places that offer a strong brotherhood, especially if they grew up as only children. The MC becomes the family they never had.”

Marge’s hands tighten on the arms of her chair. “Only, I didn’t die. My husband divorced me and ran me out of town. I tried to contact my son multiple times, but his father was a wealthy, well connected man. Every time I tried to petition the court, he buried me in lawyers. I never stood a chance. After his father passed away, I came back to Las Salinas to beg Smoke’s forgiveness for not being able to be part of his life growing up and ask for a relationship with him.”

I am absolutely dumbfounded by the words coming out of her mouth. “Why did he want a divorce so badly?”

“I don’t know. All I know is what I saw with my own eyes. One time we were at a club, and he said he needed to go to the restroom. He was gone for so long I went to look for him. He was never in the best of health, and I worried that he might end up having a heart attack when we least expected it. In the hallway between the ladies and the men’s restroom, he was standing there allowing some redhead to press her body seductively against his with her hand around his—” She made a gesture indicating exactly where the woman’s hand was touching.

“What? He just stood there in the hallway getting a handy?” Her husband was clearly a player, but I can’t imagine him doing that, knowing his wife was only a few steps away.

Marge nods, her expression horrified. She continues, “I started asking around and found out my husband was a wild man about town. When I confronted him, he tried to convince me that I didn’t see what I saw and told his family I was making up lies about him running around with tramps.”

I know how polite and demure Marge is. I imagine there was a sharp contrast between how she presented herself back then, and the kinds of women her husband hung out with.

The older woman leaned over, looking into my eyes. “Women throwing themselves at men isn’t all that unusual in the wider world, but I didn’t sign up for that kind of life.”

“Well, of course not. Who would want to take a chance on getting an STD from their own husband?”

“The women he hung out with were bold as brass. I’ve never seen anything like it before or since.”

“Your husband sounds a little unhinged, to give up a nice lady like you, so he could sleep around.”

“He eventually convinced his family that I was bad news and divorced me. The only thing I truly regret is losing my child. Little Marcus meant everything to me. I had no skills to fall back on, and even if I had been able to afford the lawyers’ fees there was no way the courts would have granted me custody in those days, as I had to live in shared accommodation.”

I smile at the older woman. “Well, I’m loving all the honesty. It’s a refreshing change in a world that’s becoming more jaded every day. You have a fascinating life story. You say you came back to beg Smoke’s forgiveness, what did he say? He’s said nothing about you being his mother.”

Marge looks down at her feet.

“You didn’t tell him?” I ask incredulously.

She changes the subject and tries to draw me into the new conversation. “What do you think men want in a woman, Miss Sommers?”

I freeze in mid-drink, put down my coffee and reply quietly. “I feel like it’s different for every man. Some want a woman who’s loyal and kind, others are all about the looks. I’ve noticed these days men seem to expect more. I don’t see that as a bad thing necessarily, because they seem willing to give a little more as well.”

“I’d love to hear about how you and Marcus met,” Marge states.

“I met Smoke when I was young, he was one of my brother’s friends, so I guess he’s always been in my life. It was Smoke who inspired me to get into law. Talking of law, how did you become a legal secretary? Was it intentional, or did you just kind of fall into office work?”

“I used to work for the attorney who was in this suite before my son took over the office. My job was basically answering phones, like an old-fashioned receptionist I guess, rather than the newer fashion for having office administrators. He moved into a bigger suite across town and wanted to upgrade his business to keep most of his client information locked in an encrypted digital portal. That’s how I got left behind.”

“It was a stroke of luck that Smoke took over this suite.” I say, thinking that in a town the size of Las Salinas, the fact she ended up working for her son is practically a miracle.

Looking embarrassed, Marge says, “Luck didn’t have too much to do with it. When I learned that Mr. Carlos was interested in selling, I made sure that Marcus got sent the brochures from the real estate office. Las Salinas may be a large town, but the world of law is small, and I’d heard word that he was looking to open up on his own.”

“Wow! I can see where your son gets his smarts from, that is devious in the best possible way. You seem to do really well in this job,” I point out. “I know Smoke is really happy with your work.”

Her expression lights up. “I like working here because I can continue keeping most of the information we use on paper. But the real draw is getting to know my son over the last few years. I worry that he’s going to want to modernize his office as he scales his business up, and I’ll get left behind again. I don’t suppose anyone would want someone whose skills are out of date.”

“You keep avoiding the question of talking to Smoke about being his mother. You are planning to do that, right?”

“I don’t know how he would feel about me coming back up after all these years of him thinking his mother was dead. Sure, he might be thrilled. But on the other hand, he might be happy just to let sleeping dogs lie, rather than dredging up all the past. Or he might be angry that I’ve kept this from him.”

“Knowing him the way I do, I think he would be overjoyed to find out he still has family alive. You know he thinks the world of you. Ever since I’ve been working here, he can’t say enough good things about you. That has to count for something, right?”

“I’ve tried to tell him dozens of times over the years. Every single time I chicken out.”

“Have you tried putting it in writing?” I suggest. “That might be easier than a face-to-face conversation because you can think about what you want to say ahead of time, and phrase things just the way you want him to hear them.”

“That’s not a bad idea,” she responds almost eagerly. “I don’t know why I thought it would be a good idea to bring this up to you before I did him. I guess I just needed another woman’s perspective.”

I’m so excited that I can hardly stand it. “Well, this woman says go for it,” I say enthusiastically. “What do you have to lose?”

Her face falls. “Only everything. If I talk to him about this and it doesn’t go well, he might decide he doesn’t want to look at me every day. It’ll be hard, but I can get another job someplace else. But what I can never replace are the days I get to spend with my boy after all these years. I won’t be able to keep his appointments, file his paperwork or help him become a successful attorney.” The more she talks, the more tearful she becomes. “The truth is I just don’t know if I can lose him twice. He’s not just my only son, he’s my only child. If things go badly, I’m not looking forward to the prospect of being all alone in the world with no family.”

“Well, I’m not going to force you one way or another. But I will say that one day Smoke is going to get married and have children. Since his children probably won’t be coming to work with him, you’re going to miss out on the experience of being a grandmother. And those children are going to miss out on the experience of having a wonderful woman like you for a grandmother.”

“Oh, that’s so sweet of you to say,” she says as she wipes the tears from her eyes.

I try my best to be positive and supportive, “I think now is the time to wrangle all your anxieties to the ground and put yourself out there. Even if he’s not wild about the idea at first, he’ll probably decide to give it a chance once he’s time to process the information. What kind of orphan would pass up the chance to have a parent back in their life, especially when they were forced away though no fault of their own? You’re his family, after all.”

“I didn’t think about it like that. In my mind it was an all or nothing one shot deal. But you’re right, we can take things slowly and see how things work out long term.”

“If you want, I can talk to him. Maybe get a feel for how he would come down on the issue, without coming right out and telling him all your secrets.”

“I don’t know about that. He might see that as me being too much of a coward to speak up and advocate for myself. I wouldn’t want him to think badly of me.”

“Just remember that everything in life is a negotiation. Things aren’t always cut and dried. Smoke has always been a reasonable person. I can’t see him acting out of character just because he meets his long-lost mother.”

“Of course, you’re right about this. I might think about it overnight and try to find the right words to explain the situation to him, so he understands what an important part of my life he is.”

We talk about finding the courage to talk to him for a few minutes until we hear the front door open and close. Knowing it’s probably Smoke returning from his appointment, Marge shoots me a worried smile and scurries away.

As for me, I’m absolutely dumbfounded. I can’t imagine how thrilled Smoke is going to be about finding out his mother is still alive. This is the best news ever, if only she manages to find the courage to tell him. It’s so sweet how she sees her job as keeping up with his appointments and helping him become a successful attorney. That just about melts my heart.