Page 52 of Catching Our Moment
I found my chair and slid into it. My hands covered my face, but I couldn’t stop my shoulders from shaking.
“It’s okay if Mom starts dating. She will still have time for us, you know.” Aaron hunched down on his knees and bent to look at me, placing his hand on my back as if to soothe me.
God bless this kid.
I sat back and high-fived him. “I know. I was just thinking about a funny story.” Think quickly, asshole, and cover. “When we were young, we knew a guy named Bob.” I would think about Kelcie having a Battery-Operated Boyfriend later…when I was alone.
Aaron straightened. “Ohhh.” He dragged out the word in understanding. “You were laughing. I thought you were upset.”
I shook my head. “I’m fine.”
“There you are.” Kelcie found the two of us in a huddle on the porch, me with my t-shirt in hand, ruined with a red sports drink. But instead of talking to Aaron, she was staring at my chest.
My phone rang in my pocket as I stood. I pushed a button, sent it to voicemail, and used the chair as support. “I’m fine,” I repeated. “Just being clumsy.”
“What the heck is going on out here?” Kelcie asked. She was wearing an old t-shirt and sweatpants, her hair was in a towel, and her eyes were dancing between us warily.
“We were talking about your love life,” Aaron said.
“Were you now?” Kelcie kicked out a hip in a challenge. “Since it’s non-existent, it would be a quick recap.”
“Not after tonight,” Aaron said.
“Yeah, yeah. Go get your things together,” she said, ushering him back into the house, looking everywhere but at me and my naked chest.
“So, a date?” I said.
She rocked back on her feet. “Yep. Going to The Winecellars on the creek.”
“Nice. Classy choice,” I said. The guy was pulling out all the stops for a first date. I was going to be sitting on the front porch with a shotgun, just to make sure she came home alone this evening, I swear to God.
I think Dylan owned a shotgun.
“Wyatt’s trying to reach you,” she said as she shifted the chair around and positioned herself behind it.
“I know. I’ll call him. It’s probably about Riley and?—”
“I saw,” her voice softened. “I’m sorry.”
I waved it off. “I knew it was over when she left for the show. It just wasn’t spoken. This is a—” My phone came to life, blaring Rihanna’s song like a bullhorn calling me to my senses.
Riley. “Speak of the devil herself.”
Would I exit this extremely awkward situation just to jump feet first into another one with my soon-to-be ex? Yes, please.
We both stared at the phone in my hand. “I should take this.”
“Of course. I should get ready.” She was gone before I could say anything to stop her.
And really, why would I stop her? It wasn’t as if I had any say in her life. She should go out with someone that made her feel important. He was probably better than that jackass she was married to. I needed to stop thinking of James like that. He was Aaron’s father. The only thing he did right was father that child, even if he was a crappy dad.
The phone kept ringing as her storm door closed with an audible slam.
This evening was going to suck, so I might as well meet it head-on.
“Hey, Riles,” I said, walking back into my own half of the house for privacy. Thank God this wouldn’t take long…
I was in my porch chair, beer in hand, legs propped on the railing, when Grace walked up. “Hey, hon.” She came over and leaned against the railing to face me. “How are you doing?”
