“I need to get to work,” he said again. “See you guys later.”
He left Theo and Andy alone at the front desk, Theo with a white paper bag crumpled in his fist.
“I’ve gotta go,” Theo said, stepping away from the desk and gesturing toward the door. “Taking these to Ronan. Bye.”
Andy sighed.
The awkwardness with Theo was entirely his fault. He’d come off so hard at the farmer’s market and he hadn’t done much to backtrack it since. Andy scrubbed his hands down his face and went over to the couches near the fireplace and collapsed into one of the worn and overstuffed cushions with a sigh.
“You look like you need coffee,” Luke’s voice rang out softly from across the room and Andy pried his eyes open.
“I wouldn’t say no.”
Luke gave him a quick nod and slipped back into the restaurant. He returned with two white mugs of coffee, passing one to Andy and keeping the other for himself. He sat down on the couch opposite Andy, raising the mug to his lips and blowing on it before testing the temperature with a small sip.
“You also look like you have something on your mind.” Luke folded one leg over the other and looked at Andy like he was waiting for him to speak.
Andy dragged his tongue across the front of his teeth and puffed out a breath, looking toward the burnt out logs in the fireplace. He had a thousand things on his mind and no idea where to start or how to quantify any of them in a meaningful way.
“It’s weird to be home,” he started, frowning down at his coffee.
“You haven’t been able to settle back in,” Luke said, and it wasn’t a question.
“Not really.”
“And now a man came looking for you?” Luke raised a brow and took a sip of coffee.
“How did you know about that?”
“It’s Cherry Creek. You’re a Motel.” Luke shrugged before adding, “Theo.”
Andy’s body tensed and he leaned over, setting his mug on the low table with a little more force than necessary. “Why does everyone excuse his behavior?” Andy snapped.
Luke gave him a tired look, a dad look. “Theo loves your brother.”
“That’s not an answer.”
“Isn’t it?” Luke changed his position, crossing his other leg over his knee.
Andy sighed. “Do you like it here?”
“I like being with Cameron, and it doesn’t matter if I did. He needs to go to school and that’s what he’s going to do.”
“And you’ll just go with him?” he asked. “Uproot your life again to move to another city you have no ties to because Cameron wants to go?”
Luke chuckled, taking a long swallow of coffee.
“Cameron doesn’twantto go,” Luke said. “He’s going because he needs to go. Because it’s what’s best for him.”
Andy gave him a doubtful look. “Do you really think you know better for him than any of us do? Cameron said he didn’t want to go to college.”
“He decided not to go to school because his family means everything to him, and his family was here.” Luke cradled the mug between his hands. “Well, most of them.”
“Really? You want to come at me like that?”
“I wasn’t coming at you like anything. I was just stating the fact. You weren’t here. Now you are, and he’s leaving. And yes, I’m going with him because I love him and I’ll support him in the things he needs to do to have a good life.” Luke furrowed his brow, giving Andy a small shake of his head. “I’m not that much older than you. This can’t be a foreign idea.”
He bristled, mouth turning down into a deep frown. How dare Luke, who had been around for years through Cameron’s relationship with Eddie, make comments as bold, as presumptuous. Luke didn’t know anything about the life Andy had lived or the things that were important to him.
