raised my eyebrows at that interesting piece of information. “He was a professor at the University. What grade do you teach?”
“First.”
“Mmhm. Mmhm.” Cris chewed as she hummed. “And do you love it?”
“Uh …” I weighed how to explain this. “It definitely has its moments.”
“I bet it does. Playing around with those kids all day, it probably makes you want some little ones of your own, huh?”
I popped another piece of chicken in my mouth and smiled, not really wanting to get into how I truly felt about the subject of kids when everybody else’s were running rampant around the house.
“So are you from around here? Would I know your family?”
It went on like this for what felt like forever. Cris peppered me with question after question, asking about everything from family life to what cleaner I used to scrub the kitchen counters. There wasn’t much everyone didn’t know about me by the end of the evening. I was finally able to relax once Coll leaned over to talk into my ear.
“You ready to go?”
Glancing around the room, I turned my head and we nearly bumped noses. “Yeah,” I said and looked away. “If you are.”
The warmth of his hand seeped through my jeans when he placed it on my knee, using it as leverage to get up. He held out his hand and I took it to stand, my chest warming when he kept a tight grip.
“Oh, you guys leaving? So soon?” Cris asked as she stood.
“Yeah. Hailey’s got class tomorrow and I gotta get some sleep.”
Cris smiled. “You always did need your sleep.” She reached up to tousle his hair, but he turned away. A hint of hurt creased her brow, but she hid it well and walked us to the door to thank us for coming and wish us a good night.
Coll didn’t drop my hand until we reached the truck. I stepped over the cookie Tara had dropped on her way out then climbed in beside Coll, where we sat in silence for a moment before finally taking off.
“Your mom seems nice.” I attempted to make small talk to try and eradicate all the awkwardness.
“Mmhm.”
It didn’t work.
“And your brothers …”
Keeping his eyes on the road, he nodded.
“So your grandma is a real firecracker, huh?”
Coll huffed an embarrassed laugh. “That’s one way to put it.”
“Is she actually your grandma or ...”
“Technically, she’s Russell and Cade’s, but she’s always been like family to me.”
I smiled at his profile then down at his hands gripping the steering wheel. “And the man upstairs. That’s your dad?”
“Stepdad,” he quickly corrected. “My mom calls Russ’ dad our dad. But he didn’t come into the picture ‘til I was nine.”
“Still, that’s pretty young. He never felt like a father to you?”
“No, not really.” It seemed he wanted to say more on the matter, but changed his mind. “It’s just easier to let her think he did.”
I could feel his discomfort, so I dropped the subject, taking his cue to ride the rest of the way in silence. I remained hopeful he’d open up to me in his own time like he had in the letters. I knew there was more to his story. Most likely, one I didn’t want to hear, but needed to.
Chapter Eleven
“So, the blonde’s the old man’s caretaker, huh? You think she was one of his students? Maybe they got it on. Maybe they still do up in that room. Eww …”
I stared off into space as Amber yammered on and on. The longer I stayed on the phone with her the more I wished I had kept my mouth shut.
“Oh God. What if she got it on with both of them? Talk about some father-son bonding.”
“Shut up, Amber. Before I puke.” That wasn’t something I even wanted to think about, let alone hear said out loud.
“I’m just saying.”
“Well, stop just saying or I’m hanging up and never telling you anything ever again.” I probably shouldn’t have told her anything in the first place, but I had to talk to somebody. Talking to Coll was out of the question. After dinner at his mom’s house, he
“First.”
“Mmhm. Mmhm.” Cris chewed as she hummed. “And do you love it?”
“Uh …” I weighed how to explain this. “It definitely has its moments.”
“I bet it does. Playing around with those kids all day, it probably makes you want some little ones of your own, huh?”
I popped another piece of chicken in my mouth and smiled, not really wanting to get into how I truly felt about the subject of kids when everybody else’s were running rampant around the house.
“So are you from around here? Would I know your family?”
It went on like this for what felt like forever. Cris peppered me with question after question, asking about everything from family life to what cleaner I used to scrub the kitchen counters. There wasn’t much everyone didn’t know about me by the end of the evening. I was finally able to relax once Coll leaned over to talk into my ear.
“You ready to go?”
Glancing around the room, I turned my head and we nearly bumped noses. “Yeah,” I said and looked away. “If you are.”
The warmth of his hand seeped through my jeans when he placed it on my knee, using it as leverage to get up. He held out his hand and I took it to stand, my chest warming when he kept a tight grip.
“Oh, you guys leaving? So soon?” Cris asked as she stood.
“Yeah. Hailey’s got class tomorrow and I gotta get some sleep.”
Cris smiled. “You always did need your sleep.” She reached up to tousle his hair, but he turned away. A hint of hurt creased her brow, but she hid it well and walked us to the door to thank us for coming and wish us a good night.
Coll didn’t drop my hand until we reached the truck. I stepped over the cookie Tara had dropped on her way out then climbed in beside Coll, where we sat in silence for a moment before finally taking off.
“Your mom seems nice.” I attempted to make small talk to try and eradicate all the awkwardness.
“Mmhm.”
It didn’t work.
“And your brothers …”
Keeping his eyes on the road, he nodded.
“So your grandma is a real firecracker, huh?”
Coll huffed an embarrassed laugh. “That’s one way to put it.”
“Is she actually your grandma or ...”
“Technically, she’s Russell and Cade’s, but she’s always been like family to me.”
I smiled at his profile then down at his hands gripping the steering wheel. “And the man upstairs. That’s your dad?”
“Stepdad,” he quickly corrected. “My mom calls Russ’ dad our dad. But he didn’t come into the picture ‘til I was nine.”
“Still, that’s pretty young. He never felt like a father to you?”
“No, not really.” It seemed he wanted to say more on the matter, but changed his mind. “It’s just easier to let her think he did.”
I could feel his discomfort, so I dropped the subject, taking his cue to ride the rest of the way in silence. I remained hopeful he’d open up to me in his own time like he had in the letters. I knew there was more to his story. Most likely, one I didn’t want to hear, but needed to.
Chapter Eleven
“So, the blonde’s the old man’s caretaker, huh? You think she was one of his students? Maybe they got it on. Maybe they still do up in that room. Eww …”
I stared off into space as Amber yammered on and on. The longer I stayed on the phone with her the more I wished I had kept my mouth shut.
“Oh God. What if she got it on with both of them? Talk about some father-son bonding.”
“Shut up, Amber. Before I puke.” That wasn’t something I even wanted to think about, let alone hear said out loud.
“I’m just saying.”
“Well, stop just saying or I’m hanging up and never telling you anything ever again.” I probably shouldn’t have told her anything in the first place, but I had to talk to somebody. Talking to Coll was out of the question. After dinner at his mom’s house, he
Similar Books
