stuff. They’re all going through the same thing as you.”
Josh looked like he was honestly considering it.
“Think what it’d be like to know your son, to see him grow up. Just to be a part of his life, man.”
Josh nodded with a look of fear on his face.
Fear was good. That meant he took the responsibility seriously, and that gave Zach hope.
“He’s a great kid, Josh. He deserves to have a dad.”
Josh looked at the clock again, and just as he did, a tall woman flew in from the back office. “I’m here. Sorry I’m late.”
Josh didn’t say a word. He went back to the office, then reappeared a minute later. Zach wondered if he was going to take off, but Josh took the stool next to him. “Let me have one drink while I think about it. Cool?”
Zach nodded and asked the woman for another Coke.
It was two bourbons and a couple of burgers later, but Zach finally got Josh to agree to come home.
Part one of the battle was over. Zach only hoped that was the hardest part.
* * *
L INDSEY PULLED INTO HER dad’s driveway. She climbed out, then leaned back inside to yank her bag from the passenger side, where it was stuck on the lever underneath the seat. She straightened to find Owen standing inches away from her, making her drop her bag.
“Owen! What are you doing here, sweetie?” Trying to sound normal when her heart was in her throat was a challenge.
“Wanna play?”
She looked across the backyards, expecting to see either Zach or his grandma bearing down on them, but there was no one in sight. Had he snuck out again?
“Where’s your uncle Zach?”
Owen shrugged. “He left.”
“Back to Wichita?” She hated that she felt a smidge of disappointment.
“I dunno where he went.”
“Does your grandma know you’re outside?”
“I dunno.” Confusion crossed his face.
“Is something wrong, Owen?”
He hesitated, then shook his head.
“Well.” What to do. Her dad would be lurking inside, hungry for dinner. But Lindsey was curious about Mrs. Rundle. Maybe it was nothing. But maybe it wasn’t...once again.
She set her purse and shoulder bag full of work down on the driveway next to the porch. “How about if we play follow the leader for a couple minutes before I take you home?”
“Okay! I’m the leader.”
She smiled and groaned at the same time as Owen headed off into the yard at a full gallop. Heels in marshy grass. Bad combination. She followed him, trying to put all her weight on her toes.
Owen ran circles around her dad’s backyard, arms out like an airplane with audio to match. Lindsey followed suit, trying not to laugh.
She intended to give him a minute or so to be the leader, then when her turn came, she’d lead him toward his own back door. A minute turned out to be too long, though.
Just as they were marching past the back porch, Lindsey caught a glimpse of a face in the kitchen window. Her dad.
She groaned.
Her instinct was to run inside and explain why she was with Owen, but in truth it would make no difference. Her dad would nod and try to act like it was okay, but the look on his face would give away his sadness, anger, disappointment, whatever it was churning inside him at the moment.
She waved but got no response.
“Okay, Owen, time to get you home.”
Giggling, thankfully unaware of her dad’s disapproval, Owen trotted ahead of her to his back door.
No one answered when they knocked. Lindsey waited and then pounded on the door again.
“Your grandma was home when you left?”
Owen nodded. Lindsey glanced at the open garage. Her Buick was parked inside.
Tentatively, Lindsey opened the door. “Hello?”
No one answered, so she took Owen’s hand and crept inside. Walking into the house uninvited was disquieting, to say the least. So was the vague fear of what she might find.
They searched the rooms on the main level but didn’t find Mrs. Rundle. Before heading up the stairs, Lindsey called again. No one answered, but she thought she heard a noise.
Her
Josh looked like he was honestly considering it.
“Think what it’d be like to know your son, to see him grow up. Just to be a part of his life, man.”
Josh nodded with a look of fear on his face.
Fear was good. That meant he took the responsibility seriously, and that gave Zach hope.
“He’s a great kid, Josh. He deserves to have a dad.”
Josh looked at the clock again, and just as he did, a tall woman flew in from the back office. “I’m here. Sorry I’m late.”
Josh didn’t say a word. He went back to the office, then reappeared a minute later. Zach wondered if he was going to take off, but Josh took the stool next to him. “Let me have one drink while I think about it. Cool?”
Zach nodded and asked the woman for another Coke.
It was two bourbons and a couple of burgers later, but Zach finally got Josh to agree to come home.
Part one of the battle was over. Zach only hoped that was the hardest part.
* * *
L INDSEY PULLED INTO HER dad’s driveway. She climbed out, then leaned back inside to yank her bag from the passenger side, where it was stuck on the lever underneath the seat. She straightened to find Owen standing inches away from her, making her drop her bag.
“Owen! What are you doing here, sweetie?” Trying to sound normal when her heart was in her throat was a challenge.
“Wanna play?”
She looked across the backyards, expecting to see either Zach or his grandma bearing down on them, but there was no one in sight. Had he snuck out again?
“Where’s your uncle Zach?”
Owen shrugged. “He left.”
“Back to Wichita?” She hated that she felt a smidge of disappointment.
“I dunno where he went.”
“Does your grandma know you’re outside?”
“I dunno.” Confusion crossed his face.
“Is something wrong, Owen?”
He hesitated, then shook his head.
“Well.” What to do. Her dad would be lurking inside, hungry for dinner. But Lindsey was curious about Mrs. Rundle. Maybe it was nothing. But maybe it wasn’t...once again.
She set her purse and shoulder bag full of work down on the driveway next to the porch. “How about if we play follow the leader for a couple minutes before I take you home?”
“Okay! I’m the leader.”
She smiled and groaned at the same time as Owen headed off into the yard at a full gallop. Heels in marshy grass. Bad combination. She followed him, trying to put all her weight on her toes.
Owen ran circles around her dad’s backyard, arms out like an airplane with audio to match. Lindsey followed suit, trying not to laugh.
She intended to give him a minute or so to be the leader, then when her turn came, she’d lead him toward his own back door. A minute turned out to be too long, though.
Just as they were marching past the back porch, Lindsey caught a glimpse of a face in the kitchen window. Her dad.
She groaned.
Her instinct was to run inside and explain why she was with Owen, but in truth it would make no difference. Her dad would nod and try to act like it was okay, but the look on his face would give away his sadness, anger, disappointment, whatever it was churning inside him at the moment.
She waved but got no response.
“Okay, Owen, time to get you home.”
Giggling, thankfully unaware of her dad’s disapproval, Owen trotted ahead of her to his back door.
No one answered when they knocked. Lindsey waited and then pounded on the door again.
“Your grandma was home when you left?”
Owen nodded. Lindsey glanced at the open garage. Her Buick was parked inside.
Tentatively, Lindsey opened the door. “Hello?”
No one answered, so she took Owen’s hand and crept inside. Walking into the house uninvited was disquieting, to say the least. So was the vague fear of what she might find.
They searched the rooms on the main level but didn’t find Mrs. Rundle. Before heading up the stairs, Lindsey called again. No one answered, but she thought she heard a noise.
Her
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