“She’s fine with it.”
“Really? She’s willing to give up all her Friday nights to go sit in a stadium filled with people and watch your son play football?”
“Yes. She likes the sport.”
“I’ll bet she does.”
“This isn’t about her anyway. Listen, I talked to my lawyer.”
“You what?” I drop the oil and it spills all over the floor. My hands shake. Did he really think I would agree to this? He can’t just yank his son around so he can live vicariously through him. “He’s old enough to make his own decision about where he lives.”
“And he did. I talked to him last night. How do you think I found out about you and your cousin?”
“Again, your cousin. He agreed?” I can’t keep the hurt from my voice.
Jeff laughs. “Seriously, you should’ve stayed here in Arizona. Why you ran home like a little girl, I still don’t understand. Moving Jed up there his senior year, of course he wasn’t gonna be happy about it. Plus, if he wants to play in college, he needs to be at a top high school. Hate to break it to you, but Sunrise Bay isn’t on that list. Just ask your cousin.”
I clench my hands at his sly way of referring to Hank not continuing his football career after high school. I’m not even sure Jed wants to play in college. He’s seemed happy the last couple weeks. Am I such a horrible mom that I don’t even know my own son?
“I have to call you back.” I click the phone off. My body sinks to the floor as I look at the oil spreading across the linoleum.
Am I really so stuck in my own bubble of happiness that I didn’t realize my son wasn’t happy? What kind of mother does that? My children’s happiness means more than mine does.
A vehicle pulls up in the driveway. I hear a car door shut, then the front door of the house opens and shuts.
“Marla!” Hank calls.
I don’t answer, but he finds me on the kitchen floor with my back against the wall.
“What happened?” He steps over me, grabbing paper towels to clean up the oil. “Are you hurt?” He drops the towels on the oil and crouches to my level. “Marla?”
“Jeff is going to take Jed back to Arizona, and apparently he wants to go.”
“Who wants to go? Jed?”
I nod.
He sighs and his head falls back to look at the ceiling for a moment. “I’m here because we have something more immediate to handle.”
I sit up straighter “What?”
“Just be calm, okay? It’s about Cade and Jed.”
My stomach sinks. “What happened?”
“They’re in the principal’s office for fighting.”
My eyes close and my shoulders sink. Hank stands and holds out his hand to me. I take his offering and he pulls me up.
“Before we go.” He holds me to his chest. “We are a united front. I know we’re only dating, but I think I speak for both of us that this thing between us is only growing stronger. So when we go in there, we’re a team.”
“What if Jed goes back?” Unshed tears sting my eyes.
Hank shakes his head. “He won’t, and if he does want to, we’ll talk to him and change his mind. Don’t let your mind spin out of control. We should’ve fixed this earlier with the boys, but we didn’t. So let’s go and clear this up with them now. Let them know they need to be a team too.”
I grab my phone and my purse, agreeing with Hank. But my mind is filled with so many what-ifs, I have no memory of making it out of the house or into Hank’s truck.
* * *
We arrive at the high school, where both of us know the way to the principal’s office. In the waiting area, Cade is in one chair and Jed is in the one on the opposite side.
Principal Torres comes out of his office when he spots us and calls us all in. “Marla. Hank.”
We both get a nod. Principal Torres was our classmate. Great. It’s an extra layer of embarrassment that we have the delinquent sons.
Hank looks at Cade with a disapproving glare while Jed holds his usual cocky smirk. It’s the one he uses in front of everyone who isn’t family.
“These two got into it during lunch. They’re both refusing to tell me any specifics. I’m thinking of sitting them out of the game tonight.”
“What?” Jed sits up straighter. Finally the smirk drops off his face.
Cade shrugs as though he couldn’t care less.
“Whatever you think is necessary,” Hank says.
“Seriously? My dad would’ve fought for us to play! Your dad’s such a pussy,” Jed yells.
Cade stands. “At least my dad can keep his dick in his pants.”
Jed stands and they start toward one another.
“Say one more thing about my dad,” Jed threatens.
Cade lets out an arrogant cackle that I’m surprised to hear. “I could list everything wrong with your dad and you. You think you’re so cool and so popular. But you’re a high school quarterback, and when high school is over, you’ll be a has-been.”
“Says the kid who lost his starting position,” Jed fires back.
“Only because your lips are attached to Coach’s ass. Look at the record, hotshot. We’re not going to state. Almost every game you were quarterback, you lost.”
“It wasn’t my fault the receivers can’t catch a damn throw.”
Cade laughs. I step forward, but Hank stops me by putting his hand on my forearm. I look at him.
He leans in to say to me, “They have to get this out.”
“Get a clue. Your dad is friends with Coach. They played together here,” Cade says.
Oh my God. How did I not think of that until now? I look at Hank and he blinks in surprise.
“What are you saying?” Jed asks, but his cocky stance falters.
“You got my position because Coach is friends with your dad, and he called in a favor.”
“No.” Jed looks at me.
I shrug because I don’t really know. I do
