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“Why’s that?” His voice shakes.
“Because anyone can do better than I did.”
“How old were you?”
“Twenty.”
He sighs. “That’s better than me.”
“A little bit, but a few years isn’t magical if you’re not ready. What you need to do is commit to being the best father you can be. Your kid comes first. Remember that.”
“I know.” He sounds dejected. “But any dad is better than no dad.”
Ouch. I can’t imagine. My father is great now, but he was one imperfect son of a gun back in the day. “Sending a paycheck home isn’t enough.” I got that lesson on both ends.
His head pops up. “Sending? I’m going to be right there with my kid. Always.”
The odds of that are south of fifty-fifty, if you ask me. People don’t stay together these days, and nothing I’ve heard yet about this girlfriend of his makes me think she and the kid will be exceptions. My money’s onsplitsvilleeven before the due date.
I lean my elbows onto my knees. “I hope so, Jacob.”
His more pressing problem, however, is his impending court case. Jacob may have a separation foisted upon him, his girlfriend’s steadfastness aside. What a tragedy it would be to miss his child’s birth. Lousy as what followed became, the day Tyler entered the world was pure magic.
How did I let it fizzle?
“I’m going to be with Reagan. She’s not gonna have to raise our baby alone, not like Mom did.”
Being in the know isn’t worth the trouble it causes, but man, my curiosity about Hollie’s backstory is off the charts. I already know it’s bad, bad enough that I can’t shake free of the tantalizing image of wrapping her in my arms and soothing all her pain away. I want to fix every problem that steals her joy.
Good one, right? Weaving my life with hers would add a dozen more to the heap.
Crud. Crud. Crud.
I roll my head Jacob’s way. “On a slightly different subject, I do hope you’re planning on telling your mother soon. Waiting won’t make the problem go away and could make things worse.”And if you don’t, I will. I’ve got an itchy foreboding that Hollie is not going to take my knowing before her well.
“I’m gonna tell her.” His petulant tone is a reminder of his youth.
“Facing problems is what makes a man, Jacob. And you can’t afford to be a kid any longer.”
Chapter 21
John
Monday, bright and early, the spring has done sprung out of my step. There’s just enough light in the new day to shut off the lamp on the giant pole I pass in the office parking lot.
“Chavez.”
Turning, I find Tripp, all bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, jogging to catch up. Longish hair aside, in a suit, tats covered, he wouldn’t scare Hollie if he showed up like this.
Mygood morningmay or may not resemble a grunt.
The loser claps me on the back. “Mornin’ to you, too, sunshine.”
“Hey, watch it! If you make me spill this…” I hold my lidded cup out to the side, as if the dregs at the bottom are somehow going to magically fly through the spout. My laptop case dangles from my shoulder, and my sport coat drapes my arm.
“Running late, are we?” There’s a grin in his voice.
The sun is up, so, yes, I am behind schedule. I know what he’s getting at, though. “Mind your own business.”
