Page 33 of Rugged Fox

That was true. We didn't need seven guys all the time, even though I had yet to meet their final teammate. Which made me wonder …

"When is your other teammate coming to town? I think you said his name was Lex."

Easton lifted his shoulders again. "Who knows? You'll understand once you meet him. He moves to his own beat. Last I heard he was taking the scenic route on his way. Knowing Lex, he's probably crossing a million things off his bucket list before starting to work again. It took Mav a lot of convincing to get Lex to agree to the team."

"So then why did he agree?"

"That's anyone's guess. I don't try to understand what goes on in Lex's head."

That made me laugh. Lyla was the same. It was the artist in her. She did what she wanted and didn't care what others thought about it. I always admired that part of her. More people in the world needed to be like Lyla and Lex. Minding their own business and just enjoying life.

"Well, I look forward to meeting him when he gets here. He should get along fantastic with Lyla."

Lucien snickered. "Aunt Lyla gets along with everyone until you make her mad. Then she makes you public enemy number one. She's not a woman I would ever want to upset."

"That lesson doesn't just apply to your aunt Lyla." Easton was quick to speak up. "You don't ever want to make any woman mad."

Lucien gave Easton his full attention and it was at that moment I realized I wanted that in our lives. I wanted a man that my son could look up to and get advice from. Someone who was a good man and could teach Lucien to be the man I knew he was. I wanted my son to have all the things he missed out on. The father-son moments that, despite giving him everything, I could never play to the fullest.

I let the two of them interact and just watched on. The conversation switched from women to school. Easton was asking Lucien what he liked to do. It wasn't until things transitioned to sports that I really paid more attention.

"I tried track and field last year in junior high. I was decent but not sure it's my thing." Lucien shrugged and kept his eyes cast down at the island.

I was interested to see where this conversation went because Lucien was more than decent, but as the season went on, he began to show less and less interest despite practically begging to do it at the start.

"Which events did you participate in?"

Easton looked genuinely interested in the answer. It was the type of relationship I was starting to realize I secretly hoped my son could have with Easton. Not that I was rushing things, but after last night I was looking to the future for the first time, rather than just living in the now.

"I was part of the four-hundred-meter relay and the four-hundred-meter hurdle."

"Wow, that's awesome. Which was your favorite?"

"The hurdles." I could see my son's eyes light up like they had done at the start of the season.

"How about the relays? Did you do them because you liked them, or just because you were good at it?"

And that was when the excitement disappeared and the guarded look I always received any time I tried to speak to my son about quitting emerged. How was it that in a matter of minutes, Easton had ferreted out the problem when I tried unsuccessfully for months?

"Wait." I turned on the stool and forced Lucien to do the same. "Was it the other relay team members that forced you to quit?"

"Mom …" The word was dragged out and expressed how much he wanted me to drop the subject. I refused to do that.

"Don't mom me. Is that what happened?" Mama Bear was out in full mode. I didn't like the look of one of the kids. He was the nephew of Principal Hawkins and I had expressed my concerns at the time, but Lucien assured me it was fine. How the hell had I missed it?

"It was nothing. I preferred the hurdle event anyway but that wasn't enough reason to stay on the team."

"Why didn't you tell me? I could've done something." I was going through all the ways I could make this right but Lucien was pushing off the stool.

"I didn't want you to do anything. That would've only made it worse. He's not the first kid who had something nasty to say and he won't be the last. I can handle it."

I glanced at Easton. The tightness of his jaw. The way his nostrils flared. And the crease between his eyebrows. He was just as pissed as I was. This man who barely knew my son, but in a matter of days wanted to protect him nearly as much as I did.

"I know you can, but you shouldn't have to."

Lucien came closer and grabbed my hand. His lips tipped up into a sad smile. "Mom, for every mean kid, there are dozens who treat me kindly. It was easier for me to leave the team than do something I would regret and be the person he claimed I was. I didn't mind. I swear. Track and field was something I enjoyed but didn't love. Eventually, I'll find a sport I love and I promise to fight for it. In the meantime, I'm happy without it."

Damn, I was one lucky mother.

---