Page 112 of Well Played

“No. I didn’t know, actually. But it’s a nice surprise. How’s school?”

“It’s okay. My friends still ask about you. They say hello.”

“Well, tell them I said hey too.”

“I wish you were here. We could play Trouble.”

“I would much rather be there playing Trouble with you right now than here.”

“Grandma always lets me win. It’s no fun. I bet you would try to beat me.”

“You’re probably right.” I braced myself. “Where’s your mom tonight?”

“She’s out on a date with Dad.”

His words were a swift kick to the gut. My heart raced.

I hadn’t realized I’d fallen silent until he said, “Are you there?”

“Yup.” I swallowed. “Did your momsayshe was going on a date with your dad?”

“Dad told me.”

While it brought me some relief to know Tanner was the one who’d referred to it as a date, this still sucked. Whether it was officially a date or not, they were out together, which meant they were bonding.

Fuck.This was supposedly what I’d expected to happen, what needed to happen, but I’d never get used to the idea.

We talked for a few more minutes until Alex put my mother back on the phone.

She’d apparently read my mind.

Mom lowered her voice. “I don’t know if they’re officially on a date, Levi. From what Tanner tells me, he’s still trying to earn her trust.”

My heart pounded. “How is she?”

“Presley seems good—good but busy. The Palm Inn is up and running, fully booked for two months.”

I smiled. “Wow. That’s great.”

She paused. “You did the right thing, son. I’m proud of you.”

If only it felt right. Instead, my insides felt like they were twisting in knots.

After we hung up, I was desperate for a distraction. Despite knowing I’d pay for it tomorrow, I needed something to numb this feeling. I reached for a bottle of Jack Daniel’s and crashed.

CHAPTER 30

Presley

Six weeks after Levi left, I’d finally fallen into a routine. I’d get Alex ready for school, make breakfast for the guests at the inn, teach four periods of art, pick up Alex, come home and make dinner, check in on the guests, eat, do homework and bath time with my son, tidy up the common areas, take a shower, and fall into bed exhausted. Wash. Rinse. Repeat. It was easy to forget what day of the week it was since they all looked the same.

Today I’d just finished tidying up the inn and was about to turn off the lights and head upstairs to take a shower when someone knocked at the front door. Shelby Miller smiled when I opened it. I had to force a similar greeting. It wasn’t that I didn’t like Tanner’s mom, but most of the conversations we had were draining, and it had already been a long day.

Nevertheless, I stepped aside for her to enter and put on my best fake smile. “Hi, Shelby. I didn’t know you were coming by. Tanner isn’t here. He and the assistant coach are working on some new plays. He said he’d probably be back pretty late.”

“I know. That’s why I came by. I was hoping you and I could talk for a few minutes alone.”

“Ummm… Yeah, sure. Of course. Would you like a cup of tea?”

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