Page 9 of Fierce-Baker
His parents weren’t that frivolous with money. His father might be cheating, but he wasn’t lavish with gifts. Nothing like that.
“Have there been problems in the house that I don’t know about? Repairs that need to be done? Things like that? Anything else you’re not saying?”
“No. Not that I know of.”
“Did you ask Dad why the savings is less? And how much less?”
“There is fifty thousand missing. I noticed it a few months ago.”
His shoulders sagged. His mother only ever worked part time her whole life. It was her spending money. His father had a decent job. He was a finance manager for a large car dealership. Working a lot of long hours and weekends. A perfect cover for a guy who might have a woman on the side.
“Ask him where it is,” he said.
“I suppose. Maybe when things calm down.”
“Find out, Mom,” he said. “Or I’ll make the call.”
“Please don’t,” his mother rushed out. “It will only make matters worse.”
Then why the fuck call him at all? She had to know he’d react this way.
“I don’t know what you want from me.”
“Just a shoulder to lean on.”
“Yeah,” he bit out, “but when I want to help, you don’t want it, so all it does is frustrate us both.”
He hung up a minute later, finished his lunch while he ran shit through his head.
Should he walk away or try to do something about it?
The lesser of the evils was to call his sister.
“I know,” Brittany said. “I got the call today too.”
He leaned back in his chair and blew out a breath. “What the fuck is wrong with her?”
“Don’t ask me. I’m a lesbian for a reason. I can’t understand men and after what Dad has done to Mom for years, I’m scarred by it.”
His sister’s dry humor always made him laugh.
“You’re not the only one.” He had his own demons, but ones he’d rather not share with anyone.
“I know,” Brittany said. “I get it. No one has a perfect relationship.”
“Theirs isn’t even close. She should have left him when we were teens.”
“Her excuse back then was she wasn’t doing anything while we were home. Then it was he promised to do better. Now it’s she doesn’t think she can afford to live on her own.” His sister’s voice was mimicking his mother’s tone and words pretty accurately.
“Did you record that and play it back right now?”
Brittany let out a hoot of laughter. “I wish. Or maybe I wish I could record my response to her every time she calls me over this stuff so I don’t have to listen to it anymore. Just kind of hit the button to replay and go back to what I was doing.”
“Sounds like a good idea to me. What do you know about the money that’s missing?”
“What missing money?”
His sister sounded as confused as him. “Mom said that there is fifty thousand missing from the savings. She noticed it a few months ago but has said nothing.”
