Page 12 of Chasing Honor

“You didn’t call.”.

“I don’t need to. I know her answer. Gran says I’m welcome anytime, day or night and all the time between.”

“Go get your bathing suit and towel. I’ll call Gran.”

Carson ran upstairs, and Honor stood starring at me confused by the abrupt change of subject.

I pulled my phone out and dialed my parents’ number.

“Hello?” my dad answered.

“Busy?”

“Just got unbusy, whatcha got?”

I made a gagging sound, understanding full well what my father was implying.

“Something's come up. Would you mind, since you’re unbusy now, if I dropped Carson off for a few hours?”

“You never have to ask,” he replied.

“Yes, I do. You and mom are busy more than any two people I know. I’m still trying to recover from the time when I was thirteen and walked into the house and saw something no child ever wants to see. I’m avoiding the years of therapy for my daughter by calling first.”

“You have a point, son. If you had a woman as—”

“Dad!” I cut him off.

He chuckled before he asked, “Everything okay?”

“Yeah. I need to help the woman who rented the room move her shit from the motel she’s staying in.”

“Which motel? You need backup?”

And just like that, with no questions asked, my dad had my back. Just like when I was sixteen, and every day before and after that. He was there, pushing me forward, carrying the load when I thought I couldn’t, and walking beside me as my best friend.

If I turned out to be half the man, half the father, he is, I’ll have walked this life a good man.

4

What was happening? Why was Ethan making plans for Carson to go to his parents’ house and for him to move my stuff?

Ethan was smiling when he hung up and put his phone back in his pocket.

“You good with the rent?” he asked.

“Yeah.” I drew out the word still unsure what was going on.

“Great. There’s only a week left in this month. Call it a move in special, first month’s rent due on the first.”

“What’s happening, Ethan?”

“We’re going to grab your stuff,” he told me as if we’d already agreed I’d move in.

“And why are we doing that? I can manage on my own. I only have a few suitcases.”

“Great, then we only need to take the Tahoe and make one trip. Wait, what about a bed and furniture? Do you have a storage unit or something?”

My face burned with embarrassment. I didn’t want to admit I’d left my stepfather’s house with just my clothes, camera gear, laptop, and what I’d salvaged of my mother’s before Frank had banished all memories of her from his house.