Page 124 of Falling Together

“A good home-cooked meal and a book about some cows.”

I laugh. “Just what the doctor ordered.”

Chapter Thirty-Nine

GRANT

Ihate how loud it is here. The buzz of the city used to be something that could put me to sleep in a heartbeat, but now it’s too much.

I miss the crickets and the chirping birds. The way the wind could be so loud, it rattled the windows.

It’s hard to believe it’s only been a week since we left Pinecrest. I never thought it would feel like home, but LA might as well feel like a different planet.

I glance down at my phone, not for the first time this afternoon. I haven’t talked to Georgia since we left. I’ve called and texted to no avail. She hasn’t responded. It’s hard not to be frustrated. We can’t fix things if she won’t talk to me.

I’m doing everything I can to juggle being here in LA with Luke while still doing my job with the Loggers. Thankfully offseason makes it easy. I won’t have much to do until the spring.

Maybe by then Luke will be settled here and I can get back and fix things with Georgia. I’m not sure how that’s going to work considering Luke has spent three out of the last five nights with me.

Since we got to LA, I’ve seen him more than I ever did while we were in Pinecrest. And that’s saying something, because I got the feeling he liked hanging out with me.

Unmuting the TV, I turn on a basketball game and pull up a delivery service for dinner. Since it’s only me, I can order takeout.

Cooking for one isn’t easy.

And right now, Thai sounds better than a bowl of cereal.

“Hey, Dad.”

Luke walks in the front door and drops his backpack on the floor.

“What are you doing here?”

“I thought I’d come hang out with you.”

“Luke, it’s not that I don’t want to see you, but why aren’t you at your mom’s?”

The whole reason I’m here is to make sure he adjusts to living with her. Maybe I’m a crutch for him, but this isn’t the point of me coming with him.

“She was busy, so I asked her to bring me here.”

He opens the fridge and fishes around before pulling out a soda.

“What about Randy?”

“He’s at work.”

The drink hisses as he opens it and takes a long gulp.

A headache is forming between my eyes. It seems it has taken up permanent residence there. I divorced my ex to not have problems like these. They’re only getting worse.

“Come talk to me, Luke.” I pat the couch next to me.

“Am I in trouble?”

“Of course not.” He sits in the chair opposite me. Close enough. He’s probably worried he is in trouble. “Why don’t you want to hang out at your mom’s house? Or with your friends?”

“I texted Brian and he had plans, and Rodney was going to some movie premiere with his parents.”