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“Of course she is.Her fucking husband died, Cameron.”
The permafrown he wore around me deepened.“Don’t cuss at me, William.”
“And don’t talk to me like you’re my dad.”
His cheeks pinched.Not quite a wince, but more reaction than I expected from a guy who’d spent his life denying my existence.“You should give her some room.”I stared him down.He gave a disgusted grunt.“What are you doing, William?You’re almost twenty-eight.Single.Kids.Look what happened with their mom.”
“You know nothing about that.Or are you afraid what went on between me and their mom resembles what you did?Like father, like son?”
His eyes filled with warning.“Don’t.”
“Don’t what?Don’t talk to you about shit I know nothing about like you’re doing?Don’t spend time with Kenny, who can make her own damn decisions without consulting you or Bruce?It’s a tired argument.Kenny’s an adult, and instead of questioning her, maybe you and Bruce should ask yourselves something.Why do you think Derek and Kenny would both equally conclude that I’m a decent guy and that they want to be around me?”
“Derek was—” Cameron’s voice hitched.“He was a good kid, but Bruce spoiled him.He didn’t think through his actions.”
That part had been true—when he’d been a teenager and we’d done stupid shit like with the four-wheelers.As an adult, Derek had been the best there was.“Bullshit.No one was as balanced as him.Same with Kennedy.”
“And what do you think he would say about you spending so much time with his wife?”
I sucked in a breath.Cameron was aiming low today, but he wasn’t the only one prepared for conversations like this.“I don’t know.But that’s the thing, isn’t it?He can’t tell us, and it gives you and Bruce free rein to write the script about what you would want him to say.You’re going to have fun telling everyone what an awful friend I am now?”
Cameron shook his head.“You always were hardheaded.What’s with you and Hattie Garcia?”
“Gonna tell me to stay away from her too?Want me to get so upset that I drive off, hysterical, and poof—you don’t have to deal with me anymore?”
Cameron charged forward, shoving a finger into my shoulder.“You have no idea, William.”He backed up and glanced at the house.His gaze swept the rest of the yard like he was worried someone had witnessed a rare loss of temper.“You have no idea what your mother put my family through.I made a mistake, and she wouldn’t let it go and…” He waited until his breathing slowed.“I was young and stupid.You might think I expect the worst out of you, but I don’t want you to make the same mistakes as me.It’s obvious you care about Kennedy.You want what’s best for her.The thing you don’t seem to get is that you’re not always what’s best.”
I reared back.“Get out of here.”
“Think about Kennedy.”
“Fuck you, Cameron.”
He shook his head, his lips smacking against his teeth.His boots ground into the gravel as he sauntered to his pickup, like he didn’t have a care in the world.Like he hadn’t suggested that I was no good for anyone.Like the insinuation wasn’t there that my mother hadn’t been good for anyone either.
Before he climbed behind the wheel, he turned to face me, his calm, frowning mask in place.“Good luck trying to get a job around here, Liam.”
The issue of seeing Derek’s widow hadn’t been the only subject I was prepared for.I’d had time to think about this move.I wasn’t an impulsive teen anymore.“Good luck trying to convince your golf buddies that I’m not good at what I do.In case you forgot, I work for King Oil, and my manager promised a glowing recommendation.Should look good, considering you just lost your vice president to King Oil.”
Cameron’s nostrils flared, and I smirked.For the first time I wasn’t drowning in rage or helplessness around my father.Relief that I hadn’t been raised by this man seeped through my anger.
He got in his ride and slammed the door.I didn’t move from the middle of the driveway.He had to pull around me, leaving tire tracks in the overgrown lawn.
Think about Kennedy.
I thought about her every waking moment.No one knew how important she was to me.But someday soon, I hoped they would.
Kennedy
The boys had askedfor me to tuck them in tonight.They’d given Liam hugs and run upstairs to pick a book for me to read.While I read what ended up to be ten stories, Liam went out to the shed to finish some work for Hattie.
I finished the last story, and Owen asked, “What’s your real name, Kenny?”
“Kennedy, but only you two and your daddy call me Kenny.”I leaned down to his little face sticking out of the blankets.“I think it’s really special.”
Eli’s nose scrunched.“So, is that guy that calls Daddy ‘William’ special too?”
A chill swept down my back.Only one guy called Liam by his full name.“No, he’s… When did you hear him say William?”
