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“Stay, Daddy!” Ryle sounds so hopeful, I hold my breath. This is why I never wanted Truman to come inside. It’s one thing that he’s moved on from us, but I hate to see our son disappointed.
“I can’t barge in on you guys, bud,” Truman says apologetically. “This is your mom’s time with you. We had a good day, though, didn’t we?”
“Truman.” I turn and grab a plate from the table, eyeing him as I do. “You’re welcome to stay and eat dinner with us.”
Ryle cheers again, and the chair bangs around and screeches on the floor. When I look over my shoulder, I see him climbing up to sit on his knees. He stares at Truman, his hands folded as if in prayer. Wonder where he learned that.
“Are you sure?” Truman asks me.
“I mean, I have all this sauce, and Ryle’s not going to share it with me.”
Truman laughs softly, glances at Ryle, and gives in with a small nod.
“Yes!” Ryle throws his fist in the air in celebration. He’s not usually so boisterous. It makes me happy—obviously, he had fun today. I’m guessing he’s imitating his older cousin Craig with the theatrics.
I like it.
Unfortunately, I like the feeling of sitting down at our little kitchen table with Truman. I’m sure it won’t happen again, and I’m sure that Ryle thinks it will. I can handle the disappointment, but I’m not sure Ryle can.
6
Julie
It doesn’t take long to tidy up the kitchen, so I end up in the living room with Ryle and Truman. I don’t want to disturb them—they’re spread out on the floor playing a board game that involves matching—so I slip into the room quietly, grab a spot on the sofa, and pick up the book I’ve been reading. But as much as I love Kate Carley’s books, tonight I’m more interested in my son and his father, and I end up putting the book aside to watch them play.
Ryle has a wicked memory, so I’m not surprised when he beats Truman two times in a row. I can tell Truman’s impressed; his eyes get wide every time Ryle makes a match. But he nods and pretends to act exasperated with Ryle, and that makes my son giggle. I rest my head on the sofa and close my eyes, happy to listen to the two of them talking and laughing together.
I let Ryle stay up later than usual. After all, it’s summer. And this is a first for him. My only worry is that he might think it’s going to happen again. I don’t mind that Truman is here, and it wouldn’t bother me if Truman was around more often. But it’s unusual that he’s in town and hanging around here; Truman’s a jet-setter. He’s always on the go. So, odds are, this isn’t going to become a tradition. Not even a semi-normal occurrence.
Which makes me worry that Ryle’s going to get hurt.
I wouldn’t normally insist that Ryle take a bath before bedtime, but since it is summer and he played whiffle ball, I catch them after their fourth game and send Ryle to the bathroom to get ready for bed. I’m halfway off the sofa when my phone rings.
“I can help him,” Truman offers with a nod at the phone. “If you wanna get that.”
Ryle didn’t hear him, so I could tell Truman to go, and I’ll handle it. But I’m feeling pretty mellow, so I decide another half hour with his dad won’t hurt.
“Thanks.” I nod and drop back to sit in the corner of the sofa. The call is from Dani. I pick it up as Truman disappears from the room.
“Hey.”
I laugh softly when I hear Ryle give a loud whoop from down the hall. I wonder if he’d be this excited if it were me hanging around Truman’s place. Probably best not to think about that.
“Julie!” Dani sounds out of breath. “How’s Harper?”
I talked to Dani last night after I rushed away from her and Eric’s house to get to the hospital. But it’s natural for her to be concerned and check in again.
“I think she’s doing okay,” I answer. “I think her biggest issue now is being immobile and drugged for the pain.”
Dani chuckles. She knows Harper well enough to know I’m on the money with my observation.
“Ryle wanted to see her, so I took him over there today. She’s sore.”
“I’m sure she is,” Dani agrees. “Did the girl who hit her get a ticket?”
“Yes.”
If she wouldn’t have, Truman’s sister would have hobbled her way into the police station and made a scene about it. Not that I blame her.
