Hutch's heart sunk into his chest. "She's on her way here?"
"Not yet," Stephanie replied, as she headed towards the phone, "But you can't expect me not to call her."
Ren stepped in front of his mother, blocking her path. "Mom, please don't do that."
Stephanie stopped and stared down at Ren, crossing her arms. "Oh, don't you even get me started. You told me you were going to go study with a friend! Barely back to being friends with this one and now you're lying to me?"
"I didn't lie. I am going to study with a friend. The friend just happens to be Hutch. And I didn't tell you because I knew you would tell Cherry even if I asked you not to. I didn't want to put you in that position, and in my defense, you never asked which friend."
"And why, exactly do you not want me to call Cherry and tell her that her missing son is here? And it better be a damn good reason."
"Because his boss is Casimir Salvador!" Ren blurted out, before taking a breath and lowering her eyes. "He's the one who got me the internship with Iosat. What if Cherry gets him into trouble and it ruins things for me too?"
"He wouldn't do that," Hutch remarked, reaching out and setting his hand on his shoulder. "No matter what happens with me, he isn't going to take it out on you. Besides, you got that internship on your own merits. All he did was give you a number. As for calling Cherry," he said, turning his attention to Stephanie, "the choice is up to you. All I'm asking is that you wait until after I leave. If you don't want Ren to come with, I will understand, but I refuse to stay here and wait for Cherry to show up, and will not do so willingly."
"This is insane Hutch. You need to talk to her."
"No, I don't. I haven't had any contact with her, and to be perfectly honest with you, I don't intend on it. At least not for the time being. You can tell her that I was here. You can even tell her what I've told you, but I will not apologize for the decisions I've made. I don't know why she was so vehement against me taking this job, but just as Casimir gave Ren an opportunity for a better future, he gave me one as well. Whatever Cherry had against the original offer, she had an opportunity explain her position, and Casimir said he was more than willing to work with her, negotiate and compromise to find something that worked for all of us, but she outright refused. She was the one who decided against that and told me it was the job, or it was her."
"And you chose a job over your own mother?"
"I chose a future over a tantrum. In time, I am hoping that she will come to see that this was the best opportunity I was ever going to get. I now work for one of the richest families in the world with a salary she could never dream of. I go to a private school. I'm tutored twice a week. I drove here because Casimir is giving me driving lessons so I can get my license in the spring. When I pass, he's going to buy me a car."
"But where are you living?" Stephanie questioned, glancing at the phone on the wall and taking a step back, before returning her attention to Hutch.
"I live on the Salvador estate in Cauthard Hills. And I have my own room, both there and in the penthouse, at the top of Cascel Tower."
"Why is someone like Casimir Salvador willing to do this for you?"
Hutch lowered his head. The real reason was too difficult to explain and he knew how insane it sounded. But the only other option was information he didn't want to risk finding its way to Brett.
"I'm sorry, but you don't need to know that," he responded, hoping to assuage her curiosity.
"I beg to differ. Either you tell me something I do need to know, or first it's your mother, and then it's the police."
"Mom! Seriously?"
"Yes, seriously. And don't you get lippy with me young man. You're skating on thin ice as it is."
"Hutch," Ren said, turning to face him, "you can trust her. Tell her what she wants to know."
"I don't believe you," she sighed. "That is not going to get him back into my good graces, but you can talk to me, and I suggest you start, because from where I'm standing, things aren't adding up."
"I understand that," Hutch replied as he straightened himself. "But I need your word that you won't repeat what I'm about to tell you. I don't want this information getting spread around."
Stephanie groaned and narrowed her eyes. "Is it something illegal?"
"No. It's nothing illegal."
"Fine," she huffed, "I give you my word, what you tell me here won't leave this house."
"I'm family. Casimir's wife, Celina; I'm her cousin. It's a complicated family history, but I'm related through Brett, and it's extremely important that he doesn't find out. I ran into him on New Year's Eve and he's already tried to use Cherry and the less than reputable parts of my past to get me to do what he wants. If he finds out there is a relation between him and Celina, I have no doubt he'll try to use that to his advantage and they don't deserve to deal with that kind of a headache just because they discovered I'm a relative."
"How? How did they find that out?"
"When Grandpa took us to Cascel Tower for that tour, our guide was Clara, Casimir's daughter. I mentioned to her that my father was a Barstow. She told her mother, because the name sounded familiar, dots connected, and here we are. Now, I'm their live-in butler with a fantastic future ahead of me, and I don't want anything to ruin it. If Cherry comes here, it's going to lead to an argument, and like it or not, we both know how petty and vindictive she can be. She knows about the family relation, and if Ren could tell that was me on the front page of Celebrity Weekly, I have no doubt she can too. It's a powder keg, and I have no desire to light the fuse. So, I'll ask you again, please, do not call her."
Stephanie shook her head. "Dammit Hutch. Don't make me regret this. Get out of here before someone else around here notices the fancy truck in my driveway and squeals to your mom. And take my kid with you," she said, as she dropped her arms and headed into the kitchen. "But don't you think for a second that you aren't still in hot water up to your ears with me, Renaldo. If I find out you didn't do any studying, you can kiss any chance of going to Vegas with your grandpa, goodbye."
"Yes, mom!" Ren replied, as he scurried towards the door and started putting on his boots.
"I promise, we will be studying. I need all the help I can get with my English class."
"It's good to see you doing better Hutch. It really is, but have him home by 10, okay?"
"Of course," Hutch replied, as Ren put on his coat and grabbed his backpack from his room.
"Thanks mom. Love you, mom!" Ren shouted, as he threw open the door.
"Love you too," she shouted back despite him being half way down the patio stairs. "You boys have fun."
"Thank you for understanding," he said, stopping in the doorway. "I really do appreciate it."
"It's not a hard decision Hutch. I just want what's best for my son. If being close to you means he gets to be close to people like them, then I'm more than willing to keep my mouth shut. But you betray him again, and I'll tell the whole world who you are and where you come from."
"I would expect nothing less, from a woman who truly loves her son." Hutch felt a sense of satisfaction as he left the trailer and closed the door, watching as Ren enthusiastically ran towards the Expedition, Casimir smiling and waving from the front seat.
The air chilled his lungs, as he made his way towards the truck, following the path Ren had cut through the snow that shimmered in the sun that had managed to peak through the clouds. It felt as if it could snow again at any moment, but managed to hold out as they made the drive back to Cauthard Hills, a few miniscule flakes falling after they'd pulled into the driveway.
The ride back had been lively, filled with laughter and tall tales. Which only proved Casimir right, about how distracted Hutch would have been if he'd been the one to drive back, which didn't bother him as much as he thought it would.