Page 30 of The Weekend Crashers
Aidan feels blindsided. What is Barclay talking about? He realizes now that Barclay invited him out specifically to talk about Cole. He also realizes that if there’s a problem in his son’s life, he himself is clueless about it.
“Barclay, I gotta admit I’m a little lost here. What ‘bad choices’ are you talking about?”
His father-in-law leans forward and lowers his voice. “I promised Ritchie I wouldn’t get into it this weekend. So let’s just leave it at this: Cole’s last relationship was inappropriate. People got hurt.”
Aidan feels a flash of annoyance. How does Ritchie know something about Cole that Aidan doesn’t?
“I doubt Cole is confiding in Ritchie. He’s a very private person.”
Barclay shakes his head. “Ritchie only knows about this from Scott.”
Scott? Aidan thinks of the fight between Cole and his cousin earlier. And his gut tenses.
“I’m confused. Is Cole dating one of Scott’s ex-girlfriends or something?”
“No, nothing like that,” Barclay says. “I don’t think Scott knows the woman in question. But Ashley—Scott’s fiancée—does. And from what I understand, he had some words with Cole about it a few months ago. I’m guessing there’s still some hard feelings there.”
Aidan starts putting some pieces together. Yes, he’d noticed Cole had become moody and distant toward the end of the summer. Then he seemed better, then regressed again.Yesterday, during the brief drive over to the inn, Aidan casually asked how his dating life was going. Cole just shrugged, and that was the end of the conversation. Aidan didn’t think much of it. Cole could be quiet sometimes.
The jukebox plays Billy Joel’s “Innocent Man.” Barclay finishes his beer and signals to the bartender for another round. Aidan quickly downs the rest of his before saying, “I appreciate you wanting to keep me in the loop. But Cole is a grown man, and if he’s with someone Scott doesn’t like, that’s not something I need to know about. Not unless Cole wants to tell me himself.”
“Understood. But I’m letting you know what Cole and Scott are fighting about.”
The bartender sets the fresh mugs of beer in front of them. Aidan knows it’s a good time to change the subject. But now he’s pissed. “It’s not really Scott’s business. What does he care?”
Barclay raises an eyebrow. “What does hecare? We’re family.”
Aidan sighs. “Are you asking me to talk to Cole? Or somehow broker the peace between him and Scott?”
“No, no, no,” Barclay says, shaking his head. “Just the opposite; I know that’s asking a lot, but for the sake of the boys’ friendship, don’t say a word. Cole got pissed at Scott for telling Ritchie. If he knows this has gone all the way up the food chain to you and me, he’ll never forgive him.”
Aidan feels hurt. Doesn’t Cole know he can confide in him? That he can talk to him about anything? Barclay must read this on his face, because he says, “That boy thinks the world of you. He doesn’t want to let you down.”
That could never happen. “Everyone makes mistakes,” Aidan says.
“Ritchie thought the boys had mended fences before theweekend. But I guess he was wrong. And Aidan, I hold you partly responsible for him going down the wrong path here.”
“Me?” Aidan says defensively. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Look at the example you set. You’ve never brought anyone to a holiday, a dinner. Never mentioned anyone in your life. Not in fifteen years. I can’t blame Cole for not knowing up from down when it comes to relationships.”
Aidan can’t believe it. He prides himself on having avoided the pitfall of bringing a parade of girlfriends into his son’s life. Of course he’d gone out with a few people over the years. Recently, one of his vegetable purveyors, a woman named Beverly Cricket, asked him out for coffee. He gently turned her down, but maybe he should reconsider. After so many years of making Cole his priority, he’d maybe forgotten how to nurture his own life.
But Barclay, of all people, should understand all this. After all, it’s the memory of his daughter that Aidan’s was trying to honor. He knew she’d want him to put their son first.
“I’ve done the best I can, Dad.”
Barclay nods. “I know you have. And I mean no disrespect. Just wanted to loop you in, as they say.”
“I don’t know what to do with this information,” Aidan admits.
“Forget I mentioned it,” Barclay says. “At least for now. It’s a party weekend, right? A few drinks, good food, the great outdoors—he’ll get over this bump in the road.” Barclay raises his glass and Aidan mirrors him with his own.
“Okay. Well, thanks for telling me.”
Really, he almost wishes he hadn’t. How’s he going to spend all day tomorrow with Cole and not talk about this?
Maybe having Maggie Hodges and her daughter along is a good idea after all.
