Page 52 of Awakening the Sheriff

KEATON

Islumped on the couch, my body heavy with exhaustion after a draining week at school. The boys were upstairs, packing their bags for the weekend visit to their mother’s. I rubbed my temples, trying to will away the headache threatening to split my skull. The Friday evenings I had to drive to Seattle were always the worst.

Before, I’d at least have a weekend of sex to look forward to, plus some alone time in Seattle, a city I loved. I’d browse the bookstores and boutique shops, enjoy the many superb coffee shops, and find a nice place to eat.

But I wasn’t in the mood for sex anymore. Not with anyone but Auden. And to be honest, that sucked on too many levels to count. I was still so hung up on Auden, even though he didn’t feel the same about me. After our hike last weekend, I hadn’t heard from him, leading me to conclude I’d misinterpreted the signals.

Plus, I needed that sexual release, and I might have to buy myself some toys if this drought persisted. As crude as it sounded, few things got me more relaxed than a hard pounding, so if anonymous sex wasn’t gonna do the job, I’d have to do it myself. Story of my life.

My phone buzzed on the coffee table, and I glanced at the screen. Oh, it was a text from Auden.

Hey, you got time to hang out?

I’m driving the kids to Seattle.

The bubbles did their little dance, and I waited and waited, but nothing came. Just when I was about to close my phone and put it down, his reply popped up.

Please come back tonight. Don’t stay there for the weekend. I really want to see you.

Auden hadn’t known I was already planning on coming back, but his words shook me. What was that about?I really want to see you?That didn’t sound like a man who wanted to hang out with his friend, did it? Gosh, I was getting tired of myself, trying to interpret every interaction with Auden.

Okay. I’ll be back around eight.

Thank you. I’ll wait for you.

I’ll wait for you? What was that supposed to mean? Did Auden mean he was going to wait for me at his house? At my house? Or was waiting metaphorical here?

“Okay, Dad, we’re ready!” Milton bounced down the stairs, his glasses slightly askew. Byron followed him, his expression impassive.

My musings about Auden would have to wait. “All right, let’s hit the road.” I grabbed my keys and ushered them out the door.

The drive to Seattle was smooth, and I was grateful for the lack of traffic. Milton chatted animatedly about his new friend, Jay, and how they had bonded after the snowball fight. It warmed my heart to see him so happy.

“Sounds like a great kid, Milton. I’m glad you’re making friends.” I glanced at him in the rearview mirror.

“Thanks, Dad. He’s really cool.” Milton adjusted his glasses with a grin.

Byron, on the other hand, remained quiet, staring out the window as the miles rolled by. He hadn’t caused any trouble recently, and he’d been a bit more social, but we still had a long way to go.

“Byron, you doing okay back there?”

“Fine,” he muttered.

It wasn’t much, but he wasn’t downright hostile, so I would take it. Baby steps and all that.

As we approached Mandy’s house, I mentally prepared myself for the inevitable tension. Knowing about her attempts to undermine my relationship with the boys made it hard to pretend everything was fine. But now was not the time to confront her. I wasn’t doing that in front of our kids. I’d have to set aside some one-on-one time with her to talk, and to say I wasn’t looking forward to that was the understatement of the year.

“Here we are, guys,” I said as I parked. “I hope you’ll have a wonderful weekend with your mom.”

“Bye, Dad!” Milton called out as he disappeared through the front door. Byron followed without saying anything.

I exchanged a few words with Mandy, careful not to let bitterness seep into my tone. My boys didn’t need to see their parents arguing, and besides, my mind was too occupied with Auden and his unexpected request for me to return to Forestville tonight. With forced smiles and curt goodbyes, I left Mandy’s house and headed back.

I arrived a little earlier than expected, but Auden already sat waiting in my driveway. I pulled into the garage and walked back out to his truck.

“Hey. You didn’t have to wait out here.”

“I wanted to make sure I didn’t miss you.” He opened the door and stepped out. Dressed in jeans and a black ski jacket, he was just as sexy as in his uniform. His gaze was focused and intense, like he was drawing me in with a magnetic pull. “Thanks for coming back.”

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