“Okay. Uncle Matt, tell my Mommy when we can go to the zoo. I’malways free.” Scarlett jumped off the couch and started running toward the stairs.
She was so freaking cute.
Ellen took off after her.
I watched in silence as Penny stared down at her son. The sonshe almost lost. The miracle baby sitting in her lap. Liam started to whine. Andit looked like Penny was about to cry again.
“Penny?”
She blinked fast and didn’t look up at me. “Yes?” Liam startedto really cry now. “Shh, baby boy.”
“Are you okay?”
She laughed, but it sounded forced. “I’m fine.”
Fine. Women’s universal word for not okay, as far as Icould tell. “You know you can talk to me.”
“Hm?” She finally looked back up at me. She shook her headlike she’d been lost in a trance.
I pulled Liam out of her arms and cradled him in mine. Liamimmediately quieted down in my arms. “I can tell when something is botheringyou, Penny.”
She pulled her eyebrows together in an adorable frown. “I cantell when something is bothering you too.”
“A standoff, huh?” I looked down at Liam. He looked just likeJames. A head of dark hair and a rather serious face. But he had blue eyes likehis mother. I used to want kids. And this was the closest I would ever get. Thisshould have been my life.
“I always wanted kids,” I said, breaking the awkward silence.“Four of them. I don’t really know why.” But I did. Because my brother and Iwere practically raised with the Hunter brothers. The four of us against theworld. The Untouchables. Before everything broke.
“You’re going to be a great dad,” Penny said. She didn’t lookcomforted by my words at all. Instead, she looked even more upset.
But I didn’t get a chance to ask her why. Because Jameswalked in the front door. Penny plastered a fake smile on her face. I couldtell. I’d been wearing one for half my life.
“Hi, James!” she said and stood up.
“Hey, baby.” He leaned down and gave her a kiss on the lips,pulling her against him.
Message received loud and clear. I turned away.
“Hey, Matt,” James said. “I thought our dinner was Saturday night…”
“It is.” I stood up. “I just stopped by to say hi.”
James gave me a weird look and pulled Penny closer.
I clenched my jaw. As much as I was tempted to, I wasn’tgoing to ruin his life. Not like he’d ruined mine.
“Since you’re already here, you’re more than welcome to stayfor dinner,” James said. “I’m sure Ellen made enough.”
“I already ate,” I gestured toward the plate of leftovers. “AndI actually have plans tonight.” I didn’t. But I didn’t want to sit here as theodd third wheel. Or like I was one of their kids.
Penny looked up at James. “Did you know that Matt volunteersas the head coach for the football team at your old school?”
“Yeah.”
“What? How did everyone know this but me?” She turned back tome. “When’s your next game? Maybe we can come? I’ve never even seen your highschool. It’ll be so much fun.”
“Tomorrow night,” I said.
James ran his fingers through his hair. A nervous tic. “I havea lot of papers to grade tomorrow.”
“That’s okay,” Penny said. “I’ve been meaning to get togetherwith the girls anyway. I’ll ask them to go with me. I bet Bee and Daphne wouldlove to see Empire High.”
She was right - I was sure Mason and Rob’s wives would loveto see where we used to go to high school. And honestly, that sounded betterthan having the guys there. None of my friends had stepped foot back in thatschool after graduation besides me. I think they were terrified of the ghosts oftheir past. And they’d all moved on. I was the only one who kept going back. Iwas the one who was stuck there.
“This is going to be so much fun,” Penny said. She wassmiling for real again. And I was happy it was because of me.
“Great. I’ll see you tomorrow, Penny.” I winked at her.
James frowned at me.
But Penny’s smile grew. And that was all I cared about.
She waved goodbye and I left before James could pull me tothe side and tell me to fuck off. It wasn’t like Penny and I were going on adate. I’d be on the field the whole time and she’d be with our friends. There’dbe zero funny business going on.
No, I didn’t kiss Penny. But I still felt a million timesbetter than I had after practice. Penny was the breath of fresh air I needed.
When I was in the hall my phone buzzed in my pocket. I pulledit out and saw the name flash across my screen. Mr. Pruitt. My blood rancold. Why the hell wouldn’t he leave me alone? I clicked out of the text withoutreading it. I knew exactly what it would say. He sent me the same text everyfew months for years. Telling me we needed to talk. That it was important.
But nothing that came out of that man’s mouth was importantto me.
My heart started beating the same way it had when I thoughtI’d seen Brooklyn walking around the streets of the city. None of my ghostswere leaving me alone tonight.
I needed another drink. And to talk to someone who actuallyunderstood. Someone who hadn’t frozen me out. I fired off a text and headed tothe closest bar.
Chapter 4
Thursday
“Hey man,” Tanner said and slid into the stool next to mine. “What’sup?”
I could always count on Tanner. No matter what he had goingon, if I said I needed to talk he’d show up within 10 minutes. Honestly, Ididn’t know how he managed it with the ridiculous traffic in this city. It waslike he could teleport or something.
I didn’t respond. I just downed my glass and slammed it onthe bar top.
Tanner grimaced. “That bad, huh?”
I nodded. My parents had forced me to go to therapy afterBrooklyn died. And I did that whole thing for years. But it didn’t help. I justneeded someone I trusted to talk to. Back and forth. Not someone staring at metaking notes. My best friends
