Page 62 of Full Throttle

Dom

“What if she doesn’t show?” I asked Halton.

He took a sip of his coffee, looking calm. “I’ll call the judge, and he’ll rain hellfire down on her.” He indicated the chair beside him. “Sit. You’re not fighting this on your own, Dom. I’m here to confirm the boy is here, and I’ll stay across the restaurant to make sure she doesn’t do anything to mess with your time. I’ll report everything to the judge.”

“Who is she bringing?”

He scoffed. “Her lawyer canceled this morning. So, I guess, no one.” He looked past me. “They’re here. Go sit with Cherry.”

I headed to the table across the restaurant we’d agreed on. It wasn’t busy, and the food was decent. Josh could pick out whatever he wanted, and I got to have lunch with my son for the first time in years.

They walked in, and I was surprised when, other than a scathing glance my way, Roxanne indicated me to Josh and listened to whatever Halton had to say with a nod. I heard her reply, her sharp “I’ll be here at three,” clear across the space. Then she left.

Halton walked over, and I stood, tamping down the tsunami of emotions I felt. Josh was tall for his age, and even if I hadn’t seen a picture of him, I still would have known him. He looked like me. Right down to the serious expression I tended to wear. I could tell he wasn’t overly happy to be here, but he came.

We stared at each other for a moment, then his gaze bounced to Cherry. “Hey, it’s the math lady. What are you doing here?”

She smiled and held out her hand. “It’s Cherry,” she reminded him. “I’m your dad’s fiancée.”

“Oh.” He frowned. “Is that why you were nice to me?”

“No. I didn’t know who you were until you told me your name. I was nice to you because I liked you.”

“Oh,” he repeated. “Cherry, then.”

His gaze swung back to me. “I’m not calling you Dad.”

I held out my hand, not surprised at his words. “How about Dom? It’s good to see you again, Josh.”

He stared at my hand, then extended his. “I guess.”

Halton lifted his eyebrows at me and nodded. “I’ll be over there.” He walked away, returning to his table and opening his laptop.

I indicated the booth where Cherry was sitting. “Will you join us?”

He sat down with a huff. “Like I have a choice.”

I sat across from him, and we studied each other. “How about you give me a chance?” I asked. “It’s lunch and a couple of hours.”

“And next week for the whole day. Taking me away from my weekend.”

“I’ve waited nine years for that day, Josh.”

That seemed to surprise him. “Why?”

I rubbed my eyes. I didn’t want to get into a mud-slinging match about what his mother had done, compared to what she had told him. I only wanted to get to know him. For him to know me.

“Because you’re my son, and I missed you.”

He frowned, and I had a feeling he wanted more. I looked at Cherry, feeling helpless and unsure how to answer.

“Why don’t we take it one step at a time?” she suggested. “We’ll concentrate on today. How about we order lunch, and you tell us about your life, Josh. Did the math tips I gave you help on your test?”

That simple question changed his countenance completely. He grinned at her. “Yeah, it did. It made studying easier, and I got a C+ on my test. Last one, I got a D. My teacher was happy, and my mom didn’t yell at me.”

“Good,” she said, handing him a menu. “I can show you a couple more if you want.”

“Okay.” He studied the menu. “What can I order?”