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“I thought that was Dad’s job,” Carter groans.
“He and Carlee went to the store to get more rolls. I burned the first batch by accident.”
Knowing there’s no point in arguing, I follow Mrs. Jones into the kitchen, take the potato peeler she hands me, and get to work.
I listen to Carter and his mom chat about their Christmas plans. The Rough Riders play Christmas Eve so he reserved a box for his family to make it easier for the twins to come watch the game.
When Mrs. Jones excuses herself to set the dining room table, I turn to Carter and ask, “What’s going on with you and Laura? I thought it was her year to keep the twins.” Laura was Carter’s college girlfriend and is the mother of his twin six-year-olds. I’ve only met her a couple of times, but I’ve never been a fan. She seemed too superficial for Carter, and I felt like she was only with him because she thought he was going to be drafted.
Carter’s expression dims. “I don’t know, man. She’s been impossible to deal with for months now.”
I finish peeling one potato and reach for another. “What happened?”
“She started dating a loser in some band, and now she’s asking me to take the kids so she can travel with him all the damn time. Not that I mind. You know I love Abby and Andy, and I miss them when they aren’t with me. But I still pay Laura 10K in child support even though she’s basically handing over custody to me.” He places his peeled potato on a cutting board and slices it in half, shaking his head. “I don’t want to fight with her, but the twins notice when she leaves them. Andy asked me the other day why his mom doesn’t want him anymore, and it broke my damn heart. They don’t deserve to be treated this way.”
“No, they don’t.” I’ve never said this to Carter, but I think Laura got pregnant on purpose. The timing was just too convenient. She and Carter had been having problems for months, and they were just about to graduate when she broke the news. Carter had been drafted into the NFL two months prior, and I’m sure Laura saw him as a golden ticket. A pregnancy was a surefire way to guarantee she had access to his success for years to come. “What are you going to do?”
His shoulders slump. “I think I have to take her to court for full custody. It’s not so much about the money. The twins deserve stability. And right now, she’s treating them like accessories to her life rather than the priorities they should be.”
If there’s anyone who knows the importance of stability, it’s me. “I think that’s the right thing to do.”
“Thanks, man. It’ll be a tough road but worth it for the kids. Don’t say anything in front of my parents, but I already have a lawyer looking into the issue. If things keep going the way they are, which I suspect they will, I’ll be serving Laura papers after the holidays, once my season is over.”
“I won’t say a word.”
“How are those potatoes coming, boys?” Mrs. Jones returns to the kitchen with two bottles of wine from the cellar. She puts the white one in the fridge to chill and sets the red on the counter.
“Ready to be boiled,” Carter answers.
I take the oversized pot from the counter behind me and fill it with water. I place it on the stove and set the heat to the highest setting. While we wait for the water to boil, Carter and I finish cutting the potatoes, and Mrs. Jones uses the opportunity to ask me about my life.
How am I adjusting to being back in Texas?
Do I have unfinished business back in Minnesota?
Am I seeing anyone?
That last one earns a laugh from Carter, followed by a swift swat on his arm.
“Ouch!” He cries out, clutching his arm dramatically.
“Don’t be a baby. And don’t laugh at my question,” Mrs. Jones demands, indignant. “A handsome and successful man like Corey is sure to have women lined up to date him.”
“That’s not the point, Mom,” Carter replies with a smirk. “Corey isn’t the ‘seeing someone’ type of guy. He’s more the love ‘em then leave ‘em type.”
I crack a smile when Carter nudges me, but it falls the moment he and his mom no longer look my way.
I know Carter is just joking, but there’s always a hint of truth to a joke. Over the years, he’s never shied away from criticizing my love life. When we were younger, I didn’t pursue any of thegirls who liked me. In college, he said I needed to play the field, even though he did the complete opposite once he met Laura. And when I went pro, I was condemned for not trying to find a good woman to marry to help keep me grounded.
Carter’s idea of what constituted a healthy romantic life was ever-changing, and I was always lacking. Normally, I wouldn’t be bothered by his unflattering assessment, but the memory of long legs accentuated by heels crosses my mind.
I’m not an idiot. I know Carlee and I aren’t going to end up together. But hearing her protective older brother think so poorly of my life choices all but guarantees nothing will happen between us. At least nothing that will last.
The realization makes me cut the next potato a little too aggressively.
“How are you liking your apartment?”
The knife almost slips off the cutting board when I hear Mrs. Jones’s question.
