While I appreciated the change in subject, I knew the fancy caffeine was a ploy. Reed, who turned twenty-one last month, had been asking to move into the old foreman’s apartment in our training barn. My ex, Cynthia, was open to the idea, but I was finding it difficult to adjust to our son’s newfound desire for independence. Problem was, I had a damn good memory, and it wasn’t that long ago when everything overwhelmed him, and the smallest upset would result in dramatic, hours-long meltdowns.
I promised him I was getting there, but it would take a minute.
I needed coffee before I could engage in this particular battle of wills, so I reached for a mug andhellfire. The move shot an arrow of pain right through the angry joint. Cursing a blue streak, I dropped into my chair and tried not to throw up. Seriously, it was like someone was stabbing the back of my knee with a red-hot poker.
Tap-tap-tap.“Do you need me to call Mom?”
I held up my hand. “Don’t do that. Just pour me a cup and I’ll be fine.”
I could get my own damned coffee, but I needed to distract Reed from calling my ex. He pressed his chin into Totoro a few times, then jerkily grabbed the abandoned mug and carefully poured the coffee. He set it in front of me, swaying as I waited for the nausea to pass.
The sharpest part of the pain didn’t last long, and as soon as I knew I wasn’t going to throw it up, I took a sip to show him I was fine. Only, the coffee was so good I cursed again. Reed sent me a proud little smile. Bastard knew what he was doing.
“Honestly, if you’re trying to bribe me into okaying the apartment, this coffee might push me over the edge.”
He pumped his fist, and I chuckled. Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad to give Reed his own space. As I was considering this, though, I caught his shifting expression.
“What’s wrong?” I asked, wary.
He pointed at my knee, then typed, “You need to wear your brace. And have that pretty ortho come out to look at your knee again.”
I froze for a second. “How do you know about Skylar?”
The folks out here liked to put their noses where they didn’t belong, so I tended to ask Skylar to come by when I knew no one would see him. Had Reed seen him leaving my place?
“I follow him online.”
How the hell had he found Skylar’s account?I wasn’t a huge fan of Sky’s sugar baby lifestyle page, but I’d felt like I had to keep an eye on him after he’d helped me with my knee. Reed’s eyebrows met, and he sent me a confused look, then started typing.
“You showed me his page when my wrist started hurting. He helped you with your knee before, right?”
Oh, right.
I’d found Skylar’s sugar baby account after I saw it on Rowdy’s phone and completely forgot about his alternate account for his adventures in fashion, makeup, and orthopedic physical therapy.
Come to think of it, the sugar baby account was probably his alternate account.
When Reed complained about how his wrists had ached from hours of holding his iPad, I’d shown him a few of Sky’s posts. Reed then DM’d him—I didn’t know my son knew how to do that—and Sky’d responded immediately. Reed was currently using the grip Sky had recommended.
“You okay, Dad?” the mechanical voice inquired as my son nuzzled the stuffy.
Was it weird that I could hear the uncertainty in his digital voice?
“Sure, son. Just . . . lots to do today. Got that big wedding this afternoon.”
More tapping. “Get your knee looked at, or I’m going to tell Mom when she gets back.”
I raised my brow, and he responded by curling in on himself, his nearly silent laugh both the joy and bane of my existence. He would totally tell Cynthia about my knee and then my ex-wife would lovingly nag me until I caved.
Fine, I signed, jamming my thumb into my sternum. More nearly silent laughing as Reed rocked back and forth. Setting down his iPad, he signed backSilly Dad, the gestures awkward since he still had Totoro tucked under his chin.
While Reed preferred the voice-to-text app, we all learned ASL so he could express himself when the iPad wasn’t the right tool for the situation. More often than not, the signs came out for the purposes of snark and teasing.
“Yeah, yeah. Silly Dad.” I winced as my knee throbbed. “But yes, I’ll get a hold of Sky after I’m done with my to-do list.”
Sky?he signed, gesturing an arc over his head.
“It’s what his friends call him,” I answered, feeling a little self-conscious.
