Martin drew a shaky breath.
At least his son hadn’t told him to get lost. It was possible he just needed a few minutes to process the arrival of his unexpected visitor.
One could hope, anyway.
Five eternal minutes later, his phone pinged.
He pulled it out and scanned the screen. Called up the text from Lucas.
I’ll meet you at The Ground Floor coffee shop in fifteen minutes. It’s a couple of blocks from here. That work?
Thank you,God!
Somehow he managed to thumb in a response despite a serious case of the shakes.
Yes. See you there.
He retraced his steps down the hall, googled the shop, and was waiting inside in a corner booth when Lucas entered fourteen minutes later.
After detouring to the counter, his son slid onto the bench seat across from him, a disposable cup in hand.
“I didn’t expect you to change your plans.” Martin wrapped his fingers around his own cup. “We could have gotten together later.”
“My friend was chill about it. And I would have been lousy company. I’d have spent the whole time wondering why you came.” Lucas rotated his cup on the table, watching him.
Hard as he tried to fill his lungs, they refused to cooperate. He’d have to stumble through and hope his air didn’t run out. “I’m here to acknowledge that I’ve made a lot of mistakes with you and your mom. Her walking out was a wake-up call. So was a conversation I had with Adam Stone.”
Lucas did a double take. “You talked to Adam?”
“Yes. The mill is donating lumber for sets for a Helping Hands show, and Adam’s in charge of the crew.” Martin took a sip of the coffee that had grown cool as he’d waited for his son to arrive. “He told me about the letter you sent him after all the trouble with the vandalism incidents, and he asked me to tell you hello. I’m impressed you contacted him.”
Lucas shrugged, a hint of pink creeping across his cheeks. “It was the right thing to do. And he’s a good guy. Most people wouldn’t be as willing to forgive.”
“I know. But I’m hoping someday you’ll forgive me. Let me have another chance to be the dad I should have been all along. Because I love you. I always have. I’m also proud of the man you’ve become. I admire you for following your dream and channeling your creativity into a career that allows you to use your gift.”
Lucas squinted at him, his skepticism obvious. “Is this on the level?”
“Yes.”
He lasered him with a cynical gaze. “You must want Mom back really bad to fly all the way here just to give a pretty speech so you can tell her you tried to mend our fences.”
That hurt.
But it wasn’t undeserved.
“My trip here isn’t about your mom. It’s about you and me.”
“Right.” The word dripped with sarcasm.
Gut twisting, Martin regarded the clean-cut young man sittingacross from him. The same man who’d once been a little boy with worshipful eyes who’d loved to play catch with his dad.
Until his dad suddenly didn’t have time for him anymore.
If fate was kind, somewhere deep inside the grown-up Lucas, that little boy still lived.
“Look, I don’t blame you for being suspicious.” His voice choked, and he paused. Swallowed. “I know I messed up big-time. All I’m asking for is an opportunity to prove things will be different going forward. Let me visit you. Or come home for visits when your schedule allows. We could text or email. Whatever works for you is fine with me, as long as we can reconnect and stay in touch on a regular basis.”
Lucas’s features hardened. “You don’t have time for me, Dad. You haven’t for years. The mill always came first.”
