Page 8 of Hold

Thea squeezed past him. “Jake, this is everyone. Everyone, my eldest son, Jacob.”

She couldn’t help the pride that sat in her voice when she looked at him. He might look just like Gabe, but that meant he was beautiful.

Everyone chorused a hello and then, seeing how awkward Jake was feeling, politely looked away from him.

Liam walked in the front door at that moment, carrying a paper bag from the hardware store. He assessed Jake coolly.

“Donaghy,” Liam said unexpectedly. “Freshman basketball?”

Jake looked as though he’d just seen the headlights of the car that was going to kill him. “Mr. McConnell?”

“Uh-huh. How are you?”

“Umm, I’m good.”

“One of your teachers?” Chloe asked. Thea was so surprised that Jake knew Liam, her voice was gone. She should have asked him that.

Liam replied first. “I coached varsity. At Central.”

That was Jake’s school. Jake’s look of horror had rearranged itself into something Thea couldn’t name. “But you quit,” he said.

Liam looked as if the conversation had gone to a place he really didn’t want it to. “I left, Jacob. Big difference. You trying out for JV this year?”

“Uh…” Last season, Jake had told her that he wanted to quit. That had been a fun conversation. “Maybe.”

“You should. You’re good. Good layups.”

Jake flushed and looked everywhere but at Liam. Thea giggled, and she didn’t get to do that very often these days. A teacher! In his own home! Talking to him like a normal person! No wonder Jake looked so confused.

“Um, okay,” Jake finally said, and nearly fell over his feet getting back into the kitchen.

Thea grinned at Liam. “You must have been a pretty terrifying coach.”

Did he go that adorable shade of pink again? It clashed with his hair and beard. But he shrugged. “To a fifteen-year-old, anyone who tells you what to do is a tyrant.”

“Or a mother,” Thea added.

“Same thing,” Zahra said.

“So, hey, Thea,” Chloe said. “You got any wine?”

Liam walked past them without saying any more and began banging around in the kitchen. It sounded as though he was pounding the leaky faucet into submission. Thea followed him to find the wine. Jake had pulled the garbage bag out of the bin and hustled out the back door so fast it had to be a record. Benji had quieted down, and the kitchen was strangely peaceful as she opened the bottle—next time she was going to buy wine that cost more than eight bucks—and Liam assumed the position under the sink. Then Jake banged back through the door, carrying a disgruntled Audrey, whose expression he echoed. He looked warily at Liam’s legs, then at her, and took the cat upstairs with him before Thea could ask him to do anything else.

Figuring silence was the way to go, she left Liam to it and went back to the others.

The wine wasn’t bad and gave them all fresh heart to keep going with the assignment. An hour later, Zahra stood, stretching. “I’m sorry, I have to go. Gotta get lunches made for tomorrow.”

“And I have to drive back to the city,” Chloe said, standing with her. Seth and David also took their cue to leave. They hovered for a moment, looking uncertainly into the kitchen, where the water was now running.

“Thanks, guys,” Thea said. “I learned so much more today than I ever could on my own.”And had an entire conversation with grown-ups who aren’t related to me.Her ridiculous throat closed up.

“Me too!” Chloe exclaimed. “Same time next week?”

“And we’ll see you in class.” said Zahra, hugging her. Zahra, in particular, was a woman Thea wanted to get to know.

“You want me to stay a minute?” Zahra said low into Thea’s ear. She loosened the hug and gave a side-eye to the kitchen.

“No, I’ll be fine,” Thea said. Liam was confusing and probably a pain in the butt, but he wasn’t dangerous.

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