Page 21 of Long Road Home

“You must be really busy,” Destiny said, unable to hide her shock.

I’d been shocked as hell at the idea, too, but our town had needed something to bring in jobs and keep people wanting to stick around on the weekends instead of always heading off toward the city.

I swallowed a bite of the noodles and wiped my mouth. “Spring through fall is pretty crazy. We host weddings and parties out there all year long but wedding season is the busiest, plus the golfing. Spa stays busy in the winter. It’s fun actually. And I always wanted to learn how to play golf, but I still suck.”

“You suck at something?” She tried to tease me, but it fell flat.

We were talking to each other like someone had a gun to our heads and Toby had most definitely picked up on it. I forced a smile that felt more evil than relaxed and looked at my food.

“I hate golf.” This came from Toby and I looked at him to find his face pinched tightly, his eyes on his mom. “And baseball.”

“Toby—” she warned.

Shit. That burned. “It’s okay.” I twirled noodles around my fork and tried to slow my thundering pulse. It was the first thing he’d said that wasn’t a direct question to him and while it was rude, it wasn’t unwarranted. “You like basketball though, right? Thought when you were dribbling outside this morning you looked pretty good.”

“I’m okay,” he mumbled and went back to tearing apart a breadstick.

“He’s being modest,” Destiny cut in. “He plays travel. On the best team and after last season he was invited to try out for a county-wide traveling team. If he makes that and excels, he could someday be playing in the same league that some NBA player’s kids play on.”

At her massive compliment, Toby’s cheeks went pink.

“That’s really cool. Sounds pretty amazing then. You good at any other sports?”

“I like football too. Not as much, though. Baseball’s boring.”

I chuckled. He might have meant it to be a jerk, but I’d grown up saying the same thing.

“What?” Toby asked me, and for the first time all dinner, he faced me directly.

Something warm constricted in my chest as his eyes came to me. Ones that mirrored mine. Had I known him his whole life, I wondered if that burn would have dissipated by now, but seeing him, looking so much like me, petulant attitude included, was precious.

I took a sip of my water, a futile effort to wash away the burn. “Used to say that to my dad. He kept signing me up, shoving a mitt in my hand every summer, and every summer I told him it was boring and moved too slow. Changed for me when I fell in love with the smell of the dirt and grass, though.”

“Basketball is better,” he declared with authority, straightening up. Almost like a challenge. I wouldn’t accept it.

“Never played it except with buddies. But I bet your height makes you a pretty kickass center. You play defense or offense in football?”

“Quarterback and Defensive End. I’ll probably quit in a few years. Don’t want to get hurt for basketball season and soon I’ll be playing all year round, traveling all over the state.”

The state. As in not Kansas. I’d pulled up Google Maps earlier and Houston was almost an eleven-hour drive. Three by plane with travel to the airport.

He wasn’t all that thrilled with me at his dinner table, maybe he was nervous like me, but that wouldn’t stop me from making that trip as much as possible. Or convincing Destiny to stay the fuck here so I could be more than a weekend fixture in his life.

“Maybe while you’re here we could play some.”

He perked up, for a moment. His smile was brief, but I clung to the hope it gave me. He shrugged and went back to his food. “Sure. Whatever.”

Destiny made a giggle sound and I looked at her. She winked, and damn. She was smiling.You’re doing great. I promise.She mouthed the words and that bubble coiled tight in my gut popped.

Her promises were shit, and I didn’t need her approval.

My eyes went back to my meal. I shoved in a bite of food, and I spent the rest of dinner asking Toby every question I wanted to, not caring at all they were lame. I’d walk through fire to catch up on all the time with him I’d missed.

“I’m sorry about dinner,”Destiny said, rinsing a plate and loading it in the dishwasher. “He’s not a jerk. He’s a good kid. I swear it, but he has a lot on his mind.”

“I get it. Wasn’t expecting this to be easy.”

We’d finished the uncomfortable dinner from hell and as soon as Toby cleared his plate, asked if he could go outside. I’d wanted to follow him, see if he’d shoot some hoops with me, see if Destiny would be okay with us going to a nearby park to actually play, but then I’d realized I had to ask for permission for time with my own damn son and gotten pissed and shut down.

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