“Look Lennox, I don’t fault you for wanting to meet your son, but we’re here for work. We need the people in town to trust us.”
“What better cover than meeting my son?”
“Don’t fuck this up. Chief would be livid if he knew you took this job because you have an ulterior motive. Besides, you can’t tell your kid you’re an undercover cop. You’ll have to lie to him right out of the gate.”
“It’s not the ideal way to start a relationship. I get it.” I turn the radio up and stare at the mountains as we roll into Whispering Pines.
Blake pulls into the driveway of the small furnished two-bedroom rental, and we do a walkthrough. The tiny bathroom with a vanity that’s mostly sink makes me wish we’d gone for something bigger. I didn’t want to stretch the budget though.
“Alright.” I hold out my hand. “Give me the keys.”
“How are you going to explain where you got his phone number and address?”
“Online directory.” I shrug off the easy answer and take the keys Blake hadn’t let go of.
I put Henry’s address into the GPS then ignore the directions and just drive. Is Blake right? Should I wait?
There’s no way he can understand how badly I need to set this straight. I have to let my son know that I would have been there for him if I’d known.
Finally turning onto Henry’s street, I breathe heavier as the house numbers climb toward his.
He’s standing in the doorway. There’s no doubt he’s my son. When I was his age, I looked just like him. Now, with my beard and fifty more pounds, we’re not going to be mistaken for family as easily.
But more interesting, is the fiery little thing on his porch.
His car must be the one in the driveway and hers presumably the one in the street. I have to pull forward to the next house to park. As I do, I notice a female in the car parked on the street. The fiery one’s friend?
Are they picking Henry up to go somewhere?
Are they dating or just friends? If he has any brains, he’d be dating her. I’d date her. That’s a wildly inappropriate thought. I’m probably old enough to be her dad—a great reminder that I’m here to meet my son.
I’m out of my truck, striding down the sidewalk when their conversation hits my ears.
Her voice is raised defensively. “You’re not even making sense.They can’t both be true.”
He’s defeated. “And yet, all you want to do is have fun. Even that’s not so fun after a while, Ceci.”
She takes a step back, her mouth dropping open but words failing to come out at first. “That’s the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard.”
It seems like I should default to taking my son’s side, but the desire to have fun with Ceci hits below the belt.
If Blake was here, he’d undoubtedly tell me to mind my own business—this is not the optimal point for starting my relationship with my son. No one wants to be seen getting ripped a new one.
“What the fuck are you lookin’ at, old man?” My son shouts at me.
There’s another thing we had in common at that age, hotheadedness.
I pause, studying the pair.
Ceci doesn’t bother to look my way or allow me time to answer, just lays into my son. “You should have been a fucking man and ended the relationship if you were done.”
My chest tightens. My fists ball. Did he cheat on her? What a goddamn idiot.
I relax my fists. This woman doesn’t need me to come to her defense no matter how badly I want to. And perhaps the only way to make this situation worse would be to actually punch my son.
He tries to get a word in. “Seemed like—”
She doesn’t care. “I’d have been happy to move on. In fact, that’s what I’m doing. Trena and I are leaving you and this shithole of a town.”
