Page 48 of Wasted On You

He had a fresh pot of coffee brewing and eggs and bacon on the go when Jacob slid onto a stool. His bony shoulders were hunched forward, his eyes downcast.

“Juice is in the fridge.” Mike Paul looked over his shoulder. “How do you like your eggs?”

For a moment, the boy said nothing, and when he finally spoke, it was obvious he was close to tears.

“Sunnyside.”

Angry at the thought of what might have transpired, Mike Paul got busy chopping an onion and kept his mouth closed. It wasn’t time to get into it. He tossed bread into the toaster and proceeded to make a mountain of food. And later, after the kid had eaten enough eggs and bacon to feed at least three adults, Jacob got up and started clearing away the dishes.

“Hold on with that,” Mike Paul said quietly. “Let’s talk.”

Jacob slowly set down a juice glass and then walked over to the sofa. Weiner, sensing something was off with the teen, sidled up alongside him and practically sat on his lap, tail wagging crazily.

Mike Paul sat down across from Jacob. “Do you want to tell me what happened?”

Jacob’s foot tapped. His hands were clenched, and he stared at the floor. Long, silent moments passed, and then the kid sighed and shrugged. “I got locked out of the house. Didn’t think you’d care if I crashed in the barn.”

“You don’t have a key?” Mike Paul kept his voice neutral while inside, he raged. He knew the reputation Jacob’s father had. He was a no-good drunk with a mean streak and a nasty drug habit to boot.

“It’s a code, and I…” Jacob kicked at the edge of the coffee table. “I forgot it.”

Mike Paul didn’t believe that for a second. “Is it true your mom left town?”

Jacob’s head shot up at that. His eyes shimmered, and it was obvious he was fighting back tears. He was full up with anger and pain and fear.

Manley Bridgestone, his buddy Cal’s dad, had been a drunk up until a few years ago. This right here was familiar. And it was tragic.

Jacob nodded but didn’t answer. He went back to staring at the floor.

“How bad are things?” Mike Paul asked, concerned and angry for the kid. He wasn’t sure Jacob was going to answer, but then he looked up.

“He’s been on a bender for days now, and last night, he had a bunch of people in the house. People I didn’t know. They’re not from Big Bend, and I…they…I don’t like them. He tried to pick a fight with me. Came after me with an empty bottle of Jack. I left but not before…”

“Before?” he prodded.

Jacob’s face fell. “Not before I took a swipe at him. Clocked him, but good. I’ve never seen him that pissed. He looked insane, you know?” Jacob shook his head, and his voice dropped. “I had to leave because he would have killed me if I stayed.”

Mike Paul slowly got to his feet. He walked over to Jacob. “Tell you what we’re going to do. You’ll stay here for the weekend. Grab a shower, and I’ll get you some clean clothes that should fit. We’ll give your dad a chance to cool off, and then I’ll go see him tomorrow night.”

“I don’t know if that’s a good idea. You seeing him.” Jacob sounded small, and that fed Mike Paul’s anger. No parent had the right to do that to a child.

“We’ll figure it out as we go.” Mike Paul pointed to the stairs. “Shower’s at the top. The far end of the hall. There’s a spare bedroom to the left of it. I’ll leave some clothes on the bed.”

He stood aside as Jacob got to his feet. “Things will be okay,” he said softly. He wanted them to be true, but also know that they were empty words because Mike Paul had no control over the future.

Jacob shrugged. “Doubt it,” was all he said.

Weiner followed Jacob while Bun stood at Mike Paul’s feet, both of them watching as Jacob disappeared upstairs. He looked down at the dog and ruffled the back of his head, giving a good scratch between the ears, then got busy cleaning up from breakfast.

Jacob stayed in the room most of the day—he’d fallen asleep after his shower. Mike Paul didn’t bother him. Figured he needed the rest. Figured that more than that, the kid needed some space. Plus, he had a party to get ready for himself.

Around five, he checked on his animals, gave out meds and fed them, then hopped in the shower. He was supposed to be at the Sundowner by six o’clock and would be late, but extenuating circumstances and all that.

There’d been no contact from Ivy since Wednesday. He wasn’t too worried. Absence was supposed to make the heart grow fonder. Could be it was a load of crap, but Mike Paul hoped it was true. After all, this endeavor was a delicate matter and had to be handled properly. Besides, he knew she was going—he’d asked Millie Sue. Even better, he knew that Lafferty wasn’t back from Japan yet. That tidbit he’d seen online—the athlete had been pictured at some fancy car reveal party hours earlier.

It was a sad state indeed that he was googling a damn baseball player.

It was just before six, and he was busy writing Jacob a note telling him there was pizza on the counter when there was a knock at the door. The dogs, who in another life were vicious wolves, began to bark like the place was being robbed. He held up his hand, and they immediately stopped, though the two of them trailed behind him when he opened the door.

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