‘Well, I think part of the reason she can’t stand the sight of you is because if you’d stayed in Oklahoma …’ Jordan shrugs, her expression one of slight pity. ‘It wouldone hundred per centbe something you would know.’
But you didn’t stay.The words she doesn’t say are louder than the ones she does.
Savannah slides the breadbasket my way, crossing her eyes. ‘All that’s left is wholegrain, dingus.’
‘Thanks,’ I grumble, but I still take a roll from the basket. It’s fresh, still warm. Wholegrain be damned, I’ll take one of my mom’s homemade rolls in any form. Sav can have her all-purpose flour.
Ma, happy and content with my healthy choice, shoots me a smile. That’s definitely not all she’s keen on, though, and it’s certainly not all Pop’s keen on, judging from how glowing and excited they’ve been since the game. They know as much as the rest of the town – the rest of the state, possibly – and are riding a wave of satisfaction because of it.
‘How’s May?’ asks Ma, setting the salad bowl down on the table as Pop comes in with the steak. How they put this stuff together every night after Ma’s full day of teaching and Pop’s twelve-hour days performing trauma surgery at the hospital, I’ll never know.
‘No practice today.’ I take an aggressive bite of roll to shut myself up before I can say something stupider than that.Fuck. What’s sospecial about practice? We’re supposed to be in a relationship. How the hell would Inotknow how she is?Damn it, Colt!
‘He’s so secretive,’ Ma teases, nudging Pop, who swings around from the stove with a skillet in hand and a smirk on his face.
‘You know, Colt,’ says my dad as he serves me my steak, ‘I was the same way when I started dating your mom. Right in this very town, you know. Reluctant, quiet, didn’t wanna admit what was happening between us. Say what you like, but magic happens in Prosperity. It’s a good thing you came back.’
Sav, out of the corner of my eye, rolls hers dramatically. I resist the urge to flip her off.She’sthe one who stayed here for college. ‘Colt Bradley, homecoming king,’ she singsongs sarcastically. ‘Ooh, damn. That reminds me. You’re lucky you weren’t here for homecoming. They would have paraded you and your girlfriend around like nobody’s business.’
‘Shut up,’ I mutter with all the energy I can muster.
Savannah and I have always been at odds. It’s kind of a sibling thing, but it’s kind of also a thing that’s made worse by distance, especially during your sister’s formative years. I missed her prom for a New Haven home game, but made it to her graduation – so technically I have been back in Oklahoma since I left – but it all moved so fast. The only reason I didn’t miss that, too, was because I had training in Houston the next day. I flew into Oklahoma City, drove straight to the high school, sat for the ceremony, took a few pictures, and went right back to the airport to catch a tiny domestic flight to Houston. But then I missed her freshman year move-in because I was playing in New York City. I honestly wish May would be as outwardly angry with me as Sav is about the whole skipping-town thing. It would hurt a hell of a lot less than the disappointment.
‘Well, make sure you’re treating her right,’ Ma chides me. She’s using her professor’s voice. ‘Walk her to class. Buy her dinner. Listen to her when she tells you how her day’s been, how she’s feelin’. Bring her around here at some point. We’d love to have her. And for crying out loud, go to her games – that one ought to be easy – but Colt, you left that girl on her own foryears. You’re lucky she’s even talking to you. You have a lot of lost time to make up for.’
Sav snorts. ‘If he tried making up for all his lost time, he’d still be doing it by the time he was in the grave.’
‘Savannah,’ sighs Pop with his best tired-parent voice. He’s adapting pretty fast. I’ve only been back for a few weeks, and already our parents have gone from excited to have both kids back home to quickly becoming sick of our bickering.
‘What?’ my sister whines. ‘He’s no exception just ’cause he’sfamous.’ She puts on a high-pitched voice for the last word. Ma and Pop exchange a pursed-lipped look. They’re definitely holding back laughter now.
‘I’m trying my best!’ I protest.
There’s a moment of silence before our parents finally lose it, leaning on each other and laughing like they’re still our age, and everything is unserious again. Their infectious energy is one of my favourite things about them, but at that moment, it’s my ma’s advice that rings in my head.
You left that girl on her own foryears.
Chapter Twelve
Puppy Dog
May
By the time I arrive at campus, I’ve already had a long morning so, with a groan, I swing myself out of my truck, cursing the work boots still on my feet. I never wear them out here if possible. It’s like wearing your house shoes out to buygroceries. That’s not accounting for the fact that – as much as Oklahoma is a major agriculture state – it’s still uncool to show up in boots unless it’s Thursday, Friday or Saturday night. I’d have remembered to take them off if it hadn’t been for Mumma and Papa.
The two of them have never really been social media users. So when Mumma held up the video of Colt and me at the bar the other night, stopping me in my tracks on my way out of the house, her eyebrows rising curiously, I honestly wasn’t sure what to say.
‘What should I make of this?’ She had smirked the sly sortof smirk that told me she’d already made something of this. ‘May, after all these years!’
Baffled, the words ‘It’s not like that’ had started to form in my throat before I remembered the game plan. My parents, naturally, would be the sort of weak link that could break the entire chain by telling the whole town what was going on before the last of the explanation had left my mouth. I, against my instinct, would have to uphold the lie.
Through gritted teeth, I had fabricated some sort of mangled response about us testing the waters, before I quickly headed away from the scene of the crime, realizing too late I still had my work boots on.
Now, by the time I start the walk to the Meteorology Hub, backpack in tow, and see a familiar blue Ram sidled up in street parking, its familiar owner leaning against the side, I’m ready to start swinging fists.
‘Morning.’ Colt adjusts today’s backwards cap, so his hair sticks out from behind. The weather is chillier than usual, so he wears an orange OKC hoodie and jeans. If I didn’t know any more about him, I’d think he actually went here.
‘Morning,’ I grumble in return. He shows no sign of noticing that I look like I’ve just rolled out of bed to be here, or that I have zero shits to give at the moment. He just beams brightly. What a goon.
