Teach Me To Live (Teach Me - Book One) (19 page)

Just then, I saw the patio door roll open and Mom appeared in her swimsuit. She had a towel draped over her arm and her pool sandals on. She walked across the patio stone to come to a stop beside me. “Can I join you?”

“Absolutely,” I smiled, gesturing to the chair beside my own. “This sun is a killer today.”

“Have you put on any sunscreen?”

I chuckled, because Moms will be Moms. “No, I haven’t.”

“You should, Madison.” She lowered herself to the chair and I knew by the instant smell of sunscreen that she had doused herself thoroughly before coming outside. “Direct sunlight isn’t good for your skin. Especially considering you’re complexion is so fair.”

“I’ll put some on when I get dressed for tonight,” I promised. “But I want a bit of a tan first.”

“You don’t tan, darling. You burn,” she huffed. “You have my skin so you can’t fool me.”

I didn’t bother saying anything in reply. Instead, I closed my eyes and snuggled back in the chair; letting the sun work it’s magic and hopefully make me a little less peachy-white. Seriously, I envied those girls who could tan until they were a crisp gold. I did tan, just not as well or as much as I would like, and it typically came with a slight burn first.

“What are you doing tonight?” Mom’s voice broke into the silence and I popped open an eye to peek at her. She wasn’t looking at me. Her eyes were closed and her face was tilted to the sun. But I knew she was curious and slightly tense. I could see it in the way she held her body.

“Austin asked me to meet his parents.” I announced gently. “So, we’re going to their house for a barbecue.”

She flinched, but she didn’t open her eyes. “Oh, a barbecue,” she repeated, but still didn’t open her eyes. “You’re getting serious then, I mean, if you’re discussing meeting the parent’s?”

I nodded even though she couldn’t see me. “Yeah, Mom.” I smiled to myself at the thought of serious with Austin. “We’re getting serious.”

“Have the two of you talked about meeting, um,” she sighed and opened her eyes. “Have you considered coming here to introduce him to us? I mean, your father and I?”

Oh, Mom wanted to meet Austin . . .

“Yes,” I admitted. “We talked about it but . . .”

“But what?” She asked curiously, cautiously. I could see she was worried about pushing me too far and I hated that she felt like she couldn’t talk to me. I didn’t want this kind of relationship between us.

“Well,” I sighed. “Mom, Austin is different.”

“How so?”

“Well,” I shrugged uncomfortably. “You kind of saw him, right?”

She nodded. “Yes, he was a looker from what I could see.”

She had said that before. But still, she hadn’t seen all his tattoos. And I doubted she’d seen his eyebrow piercing from where she’d been standing in the drive as he’d been backing out.

“Austin has a lot of tattoos.”

She shrugged. “Do you not like his tattoos?”

“I like them,” I was quick to clarify. “I just know you and Dad might not be so accepting.”

“Darling, I’m fine with tattoos.”

“He has a lot.”

“What is a lot?”

“You can barely see any skin.”

She laughed. “Wow, that is a lot.” She was quiet again. “If he’s a good person and he treats people right, no one should be judging his tattoos.”

“But Dad will.”

“Your father will judge any boy you bring through the front door unfairly.” She smiled softly, encouragingly. “He’s a Dad, darling. You have to know that no man you bring to meet him is really going to measure up to someone who is good enough to be with his little girl.”

“Really?” I scrunched my nose.

“Really,” she confirmed. “Your grandfather still gives your father a hard time every now and again, because even though I am forty-six, he is still my Daddy and I am still his baby girl.”

I was quiet for a moment as I took this in. “But I want Dad to like him.”

“I know, and he will with time.” She assured. “Madison, give your father and I a chance.”

“Okay,” I winced as I admitted. “He has a bike.”

“A bike, as in a pedal bike, right?” She lifted her head to pin me with narrow eyes.

I shook my head. “No. A bike as in with an engine.”

“Well,” she gasped. “I didn’t see that one coming.”

“Um,” I shifted uncomfortably and she narrowed her eyes once again on me.

“Madison Avery, tell me you’ve not planted your behind on that killing machine.”

I blushed. “Um,”

“Oh, darling, lord almighty!” She huffed. “Do you like your skin?”

“He’s a good driver, Mom.”

“Psh,” she huffed. “It’s not always the driver of the bike that causes the accidents. But it is always the driver of the bike who pays for it in bodily injury or death.”

“Mom,” I whined.

“Madison Avery,” she rubbed her brow before peeking through her fingers at me. “Was it at least fun?”

I stiffened. “Mom?”

She shrugged. “I’m not going to tell you you’re not allowed to get back on it, but I am going to tell you I disapprove of your choice. However, it is your choice and any consequences will also be yours.” She shook her head of the negative. “So, was it at least fun?”

I beamed, giggling abruptly. “It was like flying.”

She smiled something that was both happy and sad. “I’m happy for you, darling girl, but please, be safe. I can’t imagine losing you.”

I nodded. “I promise, Mom.”

She was silent for a moment. “Well, I think we should keep the bike from your father for a while,” she paused. “At least until he’s had the chance to warm up to the tattoos.” She winked. “And the fact that his baby girl is bringing a boy home for the first time.”

“I think that’s probably a good idea,” I agreed quickly.

She nodded. “In about five years we can introduce the bike.”

I laughed with complete abandon now.
My Mom was awesome.
“That’s funny.”

She smiled, reaching across the space between our chairs to grab my hand. She gave it a gentle squeeze. “Are you nervous to meet his parent’s?”

“So nervous,” I admitted on a heavy breath.

She laughed. “Don’t be, darling. They’ll love you.”

“You think?”

“I do. You’re a wonderful girl. They would be silly not to love you.”

“Thanks Mom,” I nibbled at the corner of my mouth. “I’ve never felt this way about someone and I really want this to work with Austin.”

“Everything works out as it should.” She closed her eyes again. “Austin is in your life because he is supposed to be in your life, darling.”

I nodded, because this was something Mom always said. What will be, will be, and we have no control over fate and destiny. As humans, it was our duty to take life as it came to us, to learn from our mistakes, and allow our hearts to guide us. I had always believed her words to be truth, so I don’t know why I’d never listened to them until now. I’d always just lived my life, as I had been told to live it. I went about my days doing what I had been told to do, never taking a risk or letting my heart guide the way. I’d always just—existed.

But now I had Austin.

Austin was teaching me to live.

“You’re bringing the girl by the house tonight?” Dad asked from where he was bent over the hood of an old car. Keith Weir loved old cars. They were his favorite because he could actually get his hands dirty. Dad said the new cars they were coming out with came with complex computers he had no desire to work with, but he did because that was the way of the world. You evolved or you fell behind. Dad didn’t want to fall behind, so he accepted the computers as they came, but reveled in the old cars that were brought to him, the cars he could really get his hands dirty with.

I liked old cars, too. But I wasn’t unfavorable toward the computers, either. Really, I just liked working on bikes.

“Her name’s Madison,” I replied. “And yeah, I’m bringing her.”

“Kai said you haven’t told her.”

The asshat just couldn’t keep his mouth closed about anything. “Nope. I haven’t.”

“You planning on doing it?”

“Not yet.”

Dad stood from his crouched position under the hood and leaned his hip against the front bumper. “Austin,”

“Not yet, Dad,” I shook my head. “Not doing it yet.”

He nodded, looking slightly disappointed and worried about me, and the situation with Madison. “Son, I know it’s,”

“Look, Dad,” I dragged my hand through my hair before hooking the back of my neck. “I tell her and I lose her. You know what happened with Chloe.”

“You think she’d react the same as Chloe?”

I shrugged. “Don’t know. Don’t feel much like taking the chance just yet.”

“Do you think it’s fair to keep this from her?”

“No, I don’t.” I didn’t know how to explain this to him. He was the man I looked up to in this world, the man I wish I had the time to become. “But she’s my wish, Dad.”

“Your
wish
. . .” His voice broke and his eyes welled with tears. I could see the pain in his eyes and I knew I’d devastated him, but I couldn’t take it back. I wouldn’t. It was the truth.

Madison Avery was my wish.

Me:
On my way.

I texted her to let her know I’d be there to pick her up soon. Then I set to driving the roads that would lead me to her house. It wouldn’t take me long to get there. She lived just on the outskirts of town to the North, where all the wealthy people lived, as the North was where the expensive land was.

Dad’s shop, Weir Mechanics, was nestled in the industrial strip of town, which was more South, but it wasn’t really that big of a town. I’d be in her driveway within the next fifteen minutes, even though it was 4:00 pm and people were being let out of work and the streets were filling quickly.

On a whim, I pulled into the parking lot of the café where I’d first laid eyes on Madison. Twisting my wrist, I killed the engine and stepped from the old Chevy truck. I loved this truck. It was Dad’s truck once upon a time. It was blue and rusted a bit around the tires. I’d been meaning to get to that, but I hadn’t yet. I’d also been meaning to grease the door hinges and I was reminded every time I opened the door to get in or out, that I had to get on that sooner rather than later.