I should check just in case.
CHAPTER 8
DANIEL
“It’s two in the morning, Roman.” I scrub a hand over my face. Opening one, I rub the inside corner of the other.
“I have to go, and I don’t want to go outside alone.”
“I don’t blame you, kid.” New place to get used to, unfamiliar landscape, and it’s pitch-black inside this house and out. I flip the covers off and set my feet on the wood floors. “You sure this can’t wait?”
“I’m sure.”
“When you gotta go, you gotta go, so let’s go.” I stand, taking his hand and leading him from my bedroom down the hall through the living room to the front door. Unlocking it, we step out onto the large deck and walk to the corner. I release his hand. “Aim for the dirt.” I give him privacy by turning my back.
The moon reflects off the water, providing plenty of light out from under the trees, but it’s dark where we are due to the coverage. My eyes have adjusted, but I don’t hear anything coming from my son. I look back over my shoulder and see him standing there. “What’s up?”
He looks from the ground to me with a grimace. “I can’t do number two off the deck, Daddy.”
“You need to do number two?” I try to pull back my shock so I don’t shame him, but this is an issue.
“Yeah.”
I look in the direction of Summer’s house, but it’s too far to see from here. “Is it an emergency or can it wait until morning?” There was a Buc-ee’s fifteen, twenty minutes off the highway. Give another ten to fifteen minutes to get to the highway. Doing that would be better than bothering Summer and her family at this hour.
“I need to go.”
If it did take thirty-five minutes to get there, we’d probably be twenty minutes too late. No way is he going to make it that long in the car. “Let me get dressed, and you put some shoes on.”
Three minutes later, we’re loading into the car, and I’m backing out. I say, “Everyone is sleeping, so be very quiet when we get there, Roman.”
“I will.”
Other than my headlights, there are no lights to guide our way. Until their porch light pulls us toward the house like a beacon in the night. I park in the distance so the engine or tires on the gravel don’t wake anyone. Pulling my phone from my pocket, I hate doing it, but when nature calls, so do I.
One ring.
Two rings.
Three.
Four . . .
“Hello?”
“Summer, it’s Daniel.” It’s two in the morning, so when there’s no reply, I add, “The tenant from next door.”
“Oh. Um. Hi.” Her voice is rusty as her breathing lightens from when she first answered. “What’s going on?”
I latch my seat belt. Roman does the same as we prepare to dash inside to take care of business. “I hate waking you, but my son needs the bathroom. He says he can’t wait for morning.”
There’s a longer pause this time. “You’re guys.”
Logic would reason we had options at the cottage, but not this time. “It’s number two.”
“Meet me at the front door.” She hangs up so fast that I’m left still holding my phone to my ear.
I pop the door. “Hurry, buddy.”
