Page 64 of Wasted On You

Their father got up from his chair and gave his daughter a hug. “I’m glad to hear that.” He turned to his wife. “Aren’t we glad to hear that both of our kids are doing great?”

Mike Paul knew the moment his time was up because his mother turned her focus from Cobi to him.

“Mom, I don’t want to discuss it.” His tone was clipped, and he hoped she’d take the hint.

“It? There’s an it? As in, something going on between you and Ivy Wilkens?” His mother’s voice rose at least an octave. If Mike Paul wanted to head her off before she achieved three-octave status, which would make his dogs howl like wolves, he needed to nip things in the bud now.

Mike Paul looked at his sister for help, and luckily, Cobi had his back.

“Mom. Can we just hit pause on this conversation? It’s too early for an all-out Darlington family fight-fest. Why don’t you take the baby from Mike Paul, and he and I will get breakfast ready. Then you and I can go to my place and make Christmas cookies like we planned.”

Mike Paul didn’t give his mom a chance to speak. He handed the baby over to his mother and proceeded toward the fridge, where he grabbed eggs, bacon, bread, and butter. Cobi handed him a bowl and whispered, “You’re welcome.” He was about to crack the first egg when he heard his mother.

“Um, there’s a teenager watching us from the stairs.”

“That’s Jacob,” he replied casually, before glancing over his shoulder “Jake, these are my folks. You already know my sister. Grab some juice and have a seat.” He looked at his mother and gave a slight shake of the head. Luckily, she didn’t ask thewhoor thewhythat was dying to fall from her lips.

And for the next little while, his house was quiet and peaceful. They ate breakfast. Mike Paul and his dad chatted about the Steelers and the Bills, respectively, their two favorite football teams, while his mom settled into Nana mode and cooed over her little granddaughter. Cobi was relaxed, drank her coffee, and kept sending him amused looks—they both knew this was just a reprieve.

Jacob, on the other hand, ate in silence, then disappeared upstairs when he was finished.

Once everyone was done, Mike Paul insisted he’d clean up on his own. He practically pushed them toward the door, and when his parents, along with Cobi, headed in that direction, sighed in relief. It wasn’t often he managed to avoid his mother and her digging. The women walked outside into the bright sunlight, but his father paused. He rubbed at his face and turned to Mike Paul, his expression serious.

“What’s up pop?”

“That the Clappison kid?”

Mike Paul nodded.

“I hear his mother’s quit town.”

“She left a couple weeks ago.”

“His dad still a drunk?”

“I don’t think he’s in great shape at the moment.” Mike Paul sighed. “I’m headed there to see him in a bit.”

“The crowd he hangs with aren’t the kind of folks a man antagonizes. They’re all screwed up. Into pills and booze and the kind of stuff that makes them dangerous.”

“I’ll be careful. Jake’s a good kid, and he and his father needed some space. I want to make sure it’s safe for him to go home.”

“And if it’s not?”

Mike Paul hadn’t thought that far ahead. “I’ll figure it out.”

“And this Ivy situation?”

“God, not you, too.”

His father gave him a wry smile. “I always liked her, you know. She stood up to you boys. Didn’t take your crap.”

“Yeah,” he murmured.

“Just be careful, son. The ones that got away are always the hardest to wrangle.”

He held his father’s gaze for a heartbeat and then nodded. “I will.”

Mike Paul waited until his family left, then closed the door and turned around. Jacob stood by the island, looking unsure and a little lost.

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