Page 98 of Timid (Lark Cove 2)

“I hope we do, but even if we don’t, I’m glad I got to see your boat.”

Jackson’s fishing boat was the nicest one I’d ever seen, larger than any waterskiing boats docked next to it at the marina. The aluminum frame was shiny and I loved the sound of the waves slapping against the hull.

The bow was closed in with a railing and the roof above Jackson covered his driver’s chair and my passenger seat. The two bucket seats in the back swiveled around completely. And the massive twin engines meant it hadn’t taken us long to get to the middle of the lake.

“I hadn’t planned on buying one this big, but when I saw it, I couldn’t pass it up.” Jackson looked adoringly around the boat.

“I’m glad you didn’t.” Fishing next summer would be a blast. “How’s it going, Ryder?”

“Good.” He nodded, staying focused on his fishing pole.

“Are you excited to start school next week?”

“I guess.”

“You’ll get to be in my best friend’s English class. Her name is Leighton and she’s a teacher there. My dad teaches there too, but you won’t have him for a few years. He teaches high school science.”

“If I’m still here by then,” he muttered.

My eyes shot to Jackson. He was just as surprised by Ryder’s statement as I was. Why wouldn’t Ryder be here? Did he think Jackson would get rid of him?

“Why don’t you set that pole in the holder?” Jackson asked.

Ryder shook his head. “I got it.”

“Just for a minute.” Jackson stood from his seat, striding to the back of the boat to help Ryder with the pole. Then he took the empty seat at the back. “Look kid, we gotta talk.”

Ryder’s entire body tensed. “Are you getting rid of me?”

“What? No.” Jackson put a hand on Ryder’s knee. “What did Mom tell you about me?”

“Not much. Just that I had an older brother but he didn’t live with her.”

“Because she dumped me. She took me to New York and left me with her sister. Except her sister didn’t want me so I went into foster care. Long story short, I jumped from home to home until high school. It sucked but I got to meet Hazel and Thea, which eventually led me here.”

“Mom left you too?”

Jackson nodded. “Yeah. She did.”

“But she never came back?”

“No.”

Ryder’s head fell, his entire frame slumping in his seat. “She comes back for me.”

My teeth gritted together. The cold from earlier was completely gone now that I was angry. Jackson had suspected she’d left him before, and he’d been right.

I hated Melissa Page. That woman was such a bitch.

“She’s left you before?” Jackson asked.

Ryder nodded. “She does it a lot. She leaves me for a while, then comes back to get me. She promised me last time was it. That we were coming up here to see you and be a family. But it was just more of her bullshit.”

The curse word from his mouth startled me.

Ryder cussed with ease, so I knew it wasn’t the first time. I didn’t like that it made him sound much older than twelve. He shouldn’t have things to cuss about at that age, not yet.

Though for his mother, I’d say bullshit too.