Cocky Secrets (Cocker Brothers #29)

59. Luna

FIFTY-NINE

Luna

A dark-haired, brown-eyed woman in her late fifties answers the door. Since Jett is blonde and grey-eyed, I’m not sure who this is.

“Mrs. Cocker?”

“Yes?” Her eyebrows are up as her gaze drops to take me in.

I’m wearing my usual jeans and t-shirt with my black jacket. Boots, of course. And a small suitcase Melodi loaned me for the plane ride has replaced my backpack. But I feel very out of place at a home like this.

The residential neighborhood of Buckhead in Atlanta is very upscale and lovely. Huge lawns and even bigger homes. Lots of columns and brick. Birds chirping everywhere and I swear I just saw a fucking chipmunk.

“I’m Luna.”

Her eyes light up. “Oh! I’m sorry! Is it two o’clock already? Come in!” She leads me into the large foyer and closes the door, glancing up to the sky first. “Still sunny. Let’s hope that sticks for tomorrow!” Turning around, she glances at my outfit again.

“I uh…I’m not one for shopping. Just a basic type of girl, I guess.”

She smiles, “Don’t be silly. I was just takin’ you in, honey, because between you and me, my Jett is a mystery to me lately. I’m just learning, is all.”

“Ah,” I whisper, glancing down to see what puzzle pieces she put together from me. “I guess we’re a lot alike then. Not really fluffy.”

She laughs and the sound is genuine. Ushering me further into the house, she leads the way. “When Melodi called me and told me about you, I have to admit, I jumped for joy. I hate to think of my sons being lonely and Jett…” she pauses, thinking of the words.

We walk into a kitchen that is so pretty I can’t stop staring. A backyard the size of a small park is visible through the windows. Chairs are already set up for the ceremony. Tables, off to the side, wait to be dressed with cloth, flowers and food. It’s the bare bones foundation of a celebration, and I can’t believe I’m here, nervous as hell.

As she opens the refrigerator, I set my suitcase down by the wall so it’s out of the way. I feel very much like I’m not supposed to be here, even with her being as kind as she is. This is just not my type of place. Way too homey, something I’ve never known.

Taking down a couple of glasses and pouring lemonade for us, she continues, “Jett has a wild side. Always has. Heck, I guess all my boys do, in their own ways. Boys are different than girls.” She glances to me like I might be an exception. “Most of the time.”

“Mrs. Cocker, I think it’s very sweet of you to be helping me like this.”

“Well, I’m doing it for Jett, honey,” she smiles. “Ever since he went on the road with those men, I worry about him. I want him to be happy, and Melodi tells me that he loves you.”

Hearing it said out loud like that makes my chest hurt. “She told you he’s pretty mad at me.” I’d listened to Melodi talk to Jett’s mom for me, so I knew at least one side of the conversation.

Melodi and I discovered we’re alike in some ways, both stubborn and strong.

We came to a mutual respect. Might even become friends. But who knows?

I don’t mind a bitch as long as she’s on my side.

“She did tell me that, yes. What happened, if I might ask? She didn’t say.”

Taking the cold glass from Jett’s mother, I pause, staring at her. “Umm…I wasn’t ready when he was. Your son’s very…” I stop from saying, ‘ good,’ because then it sounds like I’m not good, and I don’t want his mom knowing that. “…different, from the men I’ve met. I guess I needed some time to believe it.”

And to think I might be worthy of being happy.

Another thing I’ll keep to myself.

“He is that,” she smiles with pride. “Let me show you your room.”

“It was so nice of you to let me stay here, Mrs. Cocker.” I had no idea why she offered that, until now. Manners are something she has in spades. She seems like the type of person who if she didn’t like you, you’d never know it. She’d treat you with respect just the same.

Waving my gratitude away with her hand, she motions for me to bring my suitcase and follow her. “To tell you the truth, I was hoping you’d tell me a little about him!” Walking upstairs, she explains, “The hardest part of being a mother is when they grow up and move away. My Jeremy is in the Marines, did Jett tell you?”

“He did.”

“I miss him like crazy. He had a ten-day leave after boot camp before he had to go to that School of Infantry, then he got deployed and has been bouncing around ever since. Been a little over a year now. I was hoping he could come home for the wedding but he’s needed there. It’s this way, Luna.” We pass photos of the brothers growing up – they line the long hallway’s walls and my eyes zip over them as we pass, longing to linger.

Family.

What was it like growing up in a place like this?

I can’t even wrap my head around it.

“We Skype all the time. I’m so happy for the Internet. How mothers of boys in the armed forces lived without it in days gone by, just makes me shudder to think of it. Must have been so lonely. It’s right here.” She opens a door to a good-sized room and surprises me by saying, “This was Jett’s room growing up. I thought maybe you’d like to stay here.”

Oh fuck. How my heart turned over when she said that.

Slowly walking in, I soak it all in.

There’s a Led Zeppelin poster over an oak bed, a navy blue comforter pulled tight across it with matching pillows. On the dresser rests drumsticks, a book by Kurt Vonnegut and Hemingway, and boxing gloves.

As she says, “I cleaned out the clutter when he moved out years ago, but kept what was most important. He’s staying with Jaxson now. Hoped he’d stay with us, but…” she trails off, and I know from what Jett’s told me that it’s because of her husband that Jett’s not here.

Picking up the dented drumsticks I turn them over in my hands. I wasn’t sure where he was staying, and thought it might be here.

When I heard the quiet in the house I thought maybe the men were out somewhere. I’ve been waiting for him to walk in at any moment and give me a heart attack.

“He played drums?”

“He was terrible at them!” she says with a pained look. “Just awful. Banging away in here so we made him put them in the garage after one night of that! I can’t even tell you how annoying it was. Don’t tell him I said that, but good lord, you can’t be good at everything!” She walks to the gloves. “This though, he was great at this. Hard for a mother to watch her son getting punched, but Jett gave more than he got. I only went to one match. Too much for me.”

Smiling, I can imagine how weird that must have been for her. “I’ve seen his skill. He’s very good.”

Her eyebrows rise up. “Oh?”

Shit.

“They deserved it,” I offer, knowing I just said something I shouldn’t.

Mrs. Cocker crosses her arms. “Please tell me more than that.” She’s not upset, just wants to be on the inside. But I can’t tell her what happened, because I don’t want this nice woman, the mom of the man I love, to know where I come from. She already looks at me like I’m a foreign object and not one of her tribe. What would she think if she knew just how dark my past is?

“Please,” she softly says.

Blinking to the carpet, I wring my hands. “Mrs. Cocker, umm, The Ciphers help people. That’s really all I can say. It’s their private business.”

“I’m his mother!”

“I know.” We stare at each other. “What do you want me to say, Mrs. Cocker?”

“The truth.”

Sighing, I finally concede. “They kick people’s ass and take bad people out of the picture.”

Her eyes register this and with a somber steadiness she asks me, “Do they kill people?”

“No, they’d never do that.”

Her shoulders slump with relief. “Oh, good. I was so worried.” She glances away and I stare at her, thinking, sometimes being a good liar isn’t a bad thing.

“Are you tired, Luna?”

“More nervous than anything.”

“Anything I can do for you?”

There is one thing, but I don’t feel right asking. “You’ve got a lot going on.”

Her hands go up. “Are you kidding? Everything is ready! I can’t put the linens on the table until tomorrow or the birds will dirty them. The flowers don’t get here until the morning. The caterers are taking care of the food, also doesn’t come ’til morning. My husband and the boys are all at the shooting range, for Pete’s sake. Drew’s mother is in town and isn’t letting me help with her dress or anything. So infuriating. I’m just sitting here wishing I had something to do because I’m crawling out of my skin!”

Smiling at her exasperation, I offer, “Well, Melodi loaned me a dress, but now that I’m here, I realize it’s a little too skimpy.”

Mrs. Cocker blinks at me, then explodes…

“Oh THANK GOD! Let’s go shopping!!”