Page 36 of Awakening the Sheriff

“Absolutely. You have your phone on you, right?”

Dani and Violet both rolled their eyes at me. “Yes, Dad. We always do.”

Pardon me for being from a different generation, one that still forgets their phones at times. “Okay, Miss Sassy Pants. Text me when you want to join us again.”

She gave me a quick hug. “I will. Bye, Dad!”

And off she went. She was a social butterfly, my youngest, and I loved seeing her have so many friends. And I didn’t mind the opportunity to spend some time with Violet, who was a much tougher nut to crack.

“Is it okay to hang out with Gabe, Dad?” Violet asked hesitantly, her gaze searching mine for any sign of disapproval, and somehow that made me feel better. At least my opinion still mattered to her.

“Of course. I just didn’t realize you two were friends. Gabe’s a bit older than you, so that’s why I was surprised.”

Violet shrugged. “I like him. He’s nice.”

She liked him?Liked himliked him, or just friendship? Not something I knew how to ask.

Violet gave another dramatic eye roll like only teenagers could pull off. “No, Dad, not like that. We’re friends. He’s gay anyway.”

“He is? He came out?”

“At the beginning of the school year. Not that we didn’t know already. It was pretty obvious.”

Not to me, but I didn’t say that. Then again, I’d never had much interaction with him. “Has he had any negative reactions to it?”

“Not that I know of…and I think he would’ve told me if he had.” She studied me for a few moments as if gauging my reaction. “I feel safe around him. He’s a good person, and he understands me.”

“I’m glad you found a good friend, sweetheart.” It was comforting Violet had found someone she could trust and confide in, and hopefully, their friendship would continue to grow and flourish. And yes, Gabe being gay made it a lot easier for me to feel that way.

My conversation with Byron about his father’s bisexuality came back to me. The stark contrast between Violet’s and his reactions to people’s sexuality was perplexing.

“Do you know if anyone in school has ever said anything bad about Gabe and Josiah having two dads?”

Violet raised her eyebrows in surprise. “Why would they? They’re like any other family.”

“I know, but…” I didn’t want to betray Byron’s confidence, but Violet would be a good source of information on what was happening at school. “I was wondering if you’ve ever caught someone saying something negative about it or teasing them. Or, you know, making homophobic remarks in general.”

“We’re not like your generation, Dad. No one cares.”

Ouch, that one stung. Not that she was wrong, and thank god for that. I had high hopes for her and her peers.

She cocked her head to the side and narrowed her eyes. “Does this have something to do with the fight between Gabe and Byron?”

Shit. She was way more perceptive than I had given her credit for. I refused to lie to her, but I also couldn’t tell her the truth. “You know I can’t talk about my work.”

She slowly nodded. “Okay, I get that. Can I tell you what I think about that though? You don’t have to react or say you agree.”

“I’d love to hear your thoughts.”

“It’s difficult being the new kid. I get that. And maybe it’s even worse because our school is so small and everyone knows each other. Like, that has to be rough to have to start fresh and make friends. I’d be terrified if that were me.”

Pride filled me at how much empathy she had. She had a big heart, my girl, though she sometimes hid it underneath a prickly exterior.

“But, Dad, Byron went about it the wrong way. I don’t know how his school in Atlanta was, but he came in on day one with this tough attitude, like he was this kid from the hood or whatever, and it was so sad. Like, we all thought it was ridiculous. He was such a fake.”

A picture was emerging, another piece of the puzzle that was Byron Perry. “Did someone tell him? I mean, confront him?”

“Not like that, but no one was trying to be friends with him either. We don’t care for some kid who looks down on us as country hicks and thinks he’s way cooler than us.”

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