“I don’t know, I’ve just been worried about her.”
“She’s going through something with that guy she’s dating.”
“The secret guy?”
He nodded. “Yeah. I’d like to know what’s going on, but if she wants to keep her love life private, that’s up to her.”
“All right,” I said. “Just, keep an eye on her.”
Grant nodded. “Don’t worry, she’ll be fine. She always is. She’s been let down by jerk offs before. We never get involved. She and Faith can handle it.”
Chapter 37
Faith
“WHAT DID YOU THINK?” I said to Sam. We were sitting in a booth at the ice cream place by the theater.
“I loved it, mom.”
“What did you like best?”
He looked up at me and thought about his answer.
“I liked the way the boy looked after himself. He knew he could beat the bad guys. All he had to do was train.”
“I liked that part too,” I said. I didn’t say that the kid in the movie had a father to help him. That it was his father’s mentorship that made all the difference in the world.
“Did you like the part where the dad showed him how to defend himself?” Sam said.
“I did like that part,” I said.
The waitress came over and asked what we were having. Sam looked at me.
“Go ahead,” I said. “Order whatever you like. No limits.”
“No limits?”
I nodded. He scanned down the menu, which was cute because I knew exactly what he was going to order. We’d been coming to this place his entire life and he always had the same thing.
“Hot caramel fudge sundae with cream and a cherry,” he said.
The waitress took down his order. “And for you?” she said to me.
“Just a coffee,” I said.
She left and Sam looked up at me, his big, bright eyes like two stars in the heavens. I was spoiling him. He’d had hamburgers, popcorn, now ice cream. It wasn’t good for him, but being bullied at school wasn’t good for him either.
“Have you been thinking about what sport you’d like to sign up for?” I said.
Boy’s liked sports. It helped them make friends. Sam had enjoyed baseball when he was younger. Soccer too. He was an active kid. It was just recently that he’d become more withdrawn. He seemed to have lost his confidence. And I didn’t know how to help him find it again.
He shook his head. “All the mean kids are in sports,” he said. “I think I’d rather steer clear of them, at least for now.”
I nodded. I didn’t want to pressure him. Tonight was about being kind, helping him find his feet after a difficult day. We’d deal with his real issues another time.
The waitress arrived with the sundae and my coffee.
“Holy cow,” Sam said.
He always said that. No matter how many times he got that sundae, it never ceased to amaze him. I poured a little cream into my coffee and gave it a stir. I looked up at my son.
“I love you, you know.”
He smiled, more interested in the ice cream than his mother’s sentimentality. “I love you too, mom.”
My phone beeped. It was a text message from Lacey. It said, “I fucking love you so much.”
I wasn’t sure what to make of it. Lacey was probably drinking wine. I knew I should call her. “Honey,” I said, “I’m just going to call Lacey.”
“Okay, mom.”
I dialed Lacey’s number but she didn’t answer. I thought that was a little strange since she’d just texted but it wasn’t a huge deal. I sent her a text back. “I love you too, best friend. Is everything all right?”
Chapter 38
Jackson
I WASN’T IN THE MOOD for the Rusty Nail. It was nice of the boys to take me out and all, but I had Faith and Sam on my mind. I needed to reconnect with them. They were my family. I couldn’t let any more time pass us by. They were mine and I had to return to them. I had a terrible feeling that if I didn’t, I’d miss out on the opportunity to be a part of their life. Forever, this time.
“Fellas, I’ve got to go do something,” I said.
“Come on,” Grady said, “we just got here.”
“I know. We’ll do this another night.”
“What have you got to do? You just got back. You don’t have any plans we don’t know about.”
I smiled but didn’t answer. They knew what business I had. “I’m taking the truck,” I said. “You fellas will have to find your own way home.”
We’d all rode down in the pickup. Grant and Grady in the cab. Me and Forrester in the back.
Forrester shrugged. “You owe us a night out, Jackson. This was in your honor.”
“Yeah, yeah,” I said, walking out of the bar. I knew that if it hadn’t been for me, they’d have been more than capable of coming up with another reason to head out for a few drinks.