Page 44 of Finding Kyler
I lean into him, and it’s nice to feel like someone cares.
“Dad?” I jerk my chin up as Kent comes barreling into the study. He takes one look at the two of us and scowls. Before James can even acknowledge him, he legs it out of there without another word.
James squeezes my shoulder before retaking his seat. Deep creases furrow his brow as he stares numbly at the empty door. There’s a world-weary defeatist aura around him, and it makes me want to shower him with love. Clearly, he’s concerned about Kent. “I still remember the years when my boys thought I was Superman, Batman,andSpiderman, all rolled into one.” He runs a hand through his hair, and I notice it’s lighter than usual. I try not to gawp as I take in his newly acquired blond highlights.
“When all they wanted was to play ball with me. Or try and drown me in the pool,” he continues. A huge grin splays across his face. “Those were good years. Great years. When I lived for them and they lived for me.”
The grin fades away, replaced by a look of utter despair. He looks so sad and my heart aches for him. One doesn’t have to be a genius to see he adores his sons. Or that it’s breaking his heart that their relationship is on the skids.
“It’ll come full circle. Teenage boys are the worst kind of beast to tame.” And don’t I know it.
James smiles. “You sound like you’re speaking from experience.”
“I am. I’ve been living in the jungle for over a week now.”
Chapter Sixteen
A little while later, Alex informs me that she’s booked a restaurant near Boston Harbor for a family dinner. I’m not blowing off my shift after only officially getting the job, so I inform her that I’ll have to pass. She refuses to have dinner without me, so she leaves to reschedule the meal to Monday night instead.
I hang with Keaton by the pool all afternoon before getting ready for work. He’s such easy company, and I could get used to relying on him, but I can’t ride his coattails forever. Besides, I suspect he’s ditching his friends to hang out with me, and I don’t want that either.
When James shows up, beseeching us to play Xbox with him, I use the work excuse to bow out, allowing them some father and son time.
Rose is pulling up to the diner as Max drops me off. She slides off the pillion of a motorbike and waves as a helmeted mystery boy puts his foot on the gas and weaves into the traffic.
“Hey, girlfriend.” Rose greets me with a generous smile, fluffing out her hair with her fingers.
“Who was that?”
She pushes the door open. “That was my boyfriend, Theo. He gave me a lift from the pool.”
My eyes flit to her damp pink hair. “You swim?”
“Yeah, I’m on the school team. During summer break, I train with a private coach.” She ducks her head under the counter, and I follow her into the back. “It’s why I need this job. I used to work at the ice cream parlor, but they closed a few months back. I was lucky to find this job pretty much straightaway. I wouldn’t be able to afford the swim lessons otherwise.”
I’m surprised that she’s only worked here a couple of months. It seems as if she’s worked here her whole life.
“I’ve put my name down for the swim team at Old Colonial,” I admit, yanking off my jeans and tee. “I’m waiting for my tryout.”
“They suck.” She casts her eyes over me. “You have a swimmer’s body.” Her gaze latches on my ample chest. “Well, except for those baby girls. No wonder the guys are all talking about you.”
I pull my uniform on and turn to stare at her. “They are?”
She zips up her dress. “Oh, yeah. Fresh meat always attracts attention, but you’re not the average newbie. Theo says they’re already taking bets on who’ll hook up with you first.”
My jaw hangs open. “Please tell me you’re joking.”
She scrapes her hair back off her face, securing it with a hair tie. “No, straight up.”
I lean back against my locker and groan. “Who’s currently in the lead?”
She snickers. “Jeremy, but that’s only because he got in there first. I heard Ky went crazy when he called for you the other day.”
That’s news to me. “I didn’t know that.”
“Figures. Expect more of the same.” She slams her locker shut as she sits down, bending over to tie her laces. “I’m figuring those cousins of yours will want to pass all potential dates through their rigorous selection process.”
I sit on the bench beside her as I attend to my own shoes. “Do I even want to know?”
