Page 87 of Can't Kiss the Chef

“Your mom being the saint she is, has come to every appointment with me. A reminder that she was always too good for me.”

My mom’s eyes lock onto mine. I’ve seen this look a few times when I was growing up and she was about to tell me something important.

“And I remembered that forgiveness allows us a new lease on life.”

Her head falls to my dad’s shoulder and he places a light kiss to the top of her head.

The words come out before I fully understand the repercussions. “Mom’s coming up to Westvale next week. We have a couple of home games and–” at the same time I say, “It’s my birthday.” He says, “It’s your birthday.”

“Yeah.” It comes out strained, but hopeful.

“I’d love that Byron.”

33

Lola

The crisp air has an extra chill as Cookie approaches the last jump of the outdoor course. For the first time this session her back legs clear the last obstacle. I pat her head in excitement. It’s been a long road getting Cookie back into show shape, but our runs improve every week.

“Good girl.”

I pull an unwrapped peppermint from my pocket. A reward for all her hard work.

Charlotte wasn’t at the barn when I got in this afternoon. So she squeals and ditches cleaning out the stalls of the therapy horses. Stopping me from getting Cookie ready for the night.

“How was New York?” She asks.

A loaded question really. While the trip could not have started any worse for me by the end of the engagement party I was on cloud nine. It was quick and unexpected, but something about Byron has always felt right. I realized on that balcony I couldn’t lose him again.

It took one look at Byron when he got back to Ivy and Jalen’s apartment and I could tell that it was his turn to have his world turned upside down.

“My heart broke when he told me that his dad was sick.” I trace patterns in the dirt floor with the toe of my boot.

“I’m hopeful that his dad will come up for his games tomorrow, but he keeps telling me he’ll believe it when he sees it.”

The normally talkative Charlotte is in a state of shock. Her eyes are wide and she has been holding a brush to the horse’s back completely motionless for the last minute.

“That’s a lot,” she says as she starts to move the brush again. “I saw Dalton this weekend at a party and he didn’t say anything.”

“Of course he didn’t.” I roll my eyes. “He isn’t going to let something like a cheating sex tape ruin his reputation.”

Life quickly gets put into perspective when your worst day is followed by your friend finding out his mother is dating his estranged father. Then just when you think it can’t get any worse he tells you his father has cancer.

I am not convinced Byron has fully digested that his dad is sick. Life just simply went on when we got back to Westvale. He recorded three hits and a goal in the Retrievers team scrimmage they had to make sure they didn’t lose their momentum during their bye week. We finalized the menu for our project. The only thing that’s changed is we spent almost every night together.

He’s also been initiating sex whenever I’ve tried to ask him about his dad. I’m not complaining, just nervous that him nottalking about how this all makes him feel will only hurt him in the end.

“Well he’s a scumbag and I’ll be wearing Westvale gear at the rivalry game in January,” Charlotte tells me.

I forgot about the annual rivalry games. One’s played at each school. They are always sold out and they are always rowdy.

“I hope we fucking destroy them,” I pause before adding, “And Dalton loses his shit when he sees me there in Byron’s jersey.”

I’m sitting on the couch in my poorly lit living room, getting ready to start The Nightingale for the fourth time. I’ve just finished clipping the book light on when Byron storms through the door.

I jump at the harsh thud of the door against the wall. Then clutch my chest as I try to regulate my heart rate.

“What the fuck Byron?” I scream and the innocent look on his face incites a laugh that only he can get out of me.

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