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Walking past him, I said, “Anyone tell you it’s rude to greet guests with earbuds in?”
“All the time,” Ryan’s voice boomed from the kitchen.
I followed the smell of marinara sauce and garlic.
“Good to see you,” Ryan said, where he was emptying the hot water from a pot into the sink. He shook the colander and dumped the pasta into a bowl on the island.
When he was finished, he kissed Nana on the cheek. Ryan had been in our lives since we were kids and considered her to be a grandmother-figure to him, too.
I gave Hailey a one-armed hug while she was arranging crusty garlic bread on a plate.
She kissed my cheek. “Thanks for coming. We’ve missed you for dinner.”
“I don’t like to intrude.” No matter how many times they said it was okay to drop in whenever, I was worried I’d walk into something else. I didn’t need to see my best friend going at it with my sister. The idea sent a shudder through my body.
“When are you going to get over us?” Hailey asked with a knowing grin before hugging Nana.
I sat at my usual place at the table. “Probably never. It’s enough that I’m here, isn’t it?”
Hailey’s face softened. “I’ve missed you.”
“I work at the garage in town. You can stop by anytime.”
“He works hard,” Nana said.
“Thanks, Nana.” I pulled out a chair at the table for her. She always had my back with Hailey and Ryan.
Corey set his phone and earbuds on the counter before sitting across from me.
“How’s school?” I asked him, knowing he was due to receive his quarterly report card.
“It’s going.”
I looked at Ryan for the answer.
Ryan tipped his head. “He got all As and Bs last report card.”
“That’s great. Have you thought any more about what you want to do after graduation?” It was early to ask, but I’d never had anyone push me. I wanted Corey to consider all his options.
Corey shrugged as he dug into the spaghetti on his plate. “I like working with you at the garage.”
“You should keep an open mind.” As much as I loved the idea of him working with us, I didn’t want him to feel like that was his only choice.
“Wouldn’t hurt to go to school. See if you like something else,” Nana said.
“Dad didn’t, and he’s successful,” Corey said with the usual know-it-all tone only a teenager possessed.
“That’s true, but it’s not a guarantee. School is a good fallback plan,” I said.
“You can do whatever you set your mind to,” Hailey said as she set the salad bowl in the middle of the table.
“What’s your off-season schedule like?” I asked, knowing that’s what Corey loved to talk about. He was obsessed with football and training his body to be bigger and stronger. It was a good focus for him to have, especially after he’d gotten into trouble with the law for vandalism when he first moved here. Sports kept him out of trouble as well as being friends with kids who had the same focus.
Corey talked about off-season practices, weight lifting, and drills. He was in his element with football. It was great that he’d discovered sports at a moment when he needed it. He’d been in some trouble when his mother first sent him here. But now he was doing great.
I wasn’t immune to the soft looks that passed between Ryan and Hailey while Corey talked in between shoveling bits of food into his mouth.
Their connection was one of the reasons I stayed away. They made each other happy, which should have satisfied me. Instead, it made me uncomfortable. I’d always thought I’d stay single, hooking up when the mood suited me, but otherwise, the garage would always come first.
