Page 35 of Reaching Roland

The traffic was even worse than I anticipated, and parking was a freaking nightmare. As I turned down Ocean Drive, Kenny said, “Uh, Daddy. I’m pretty sure you’re not going to be able to find anything this close to the water. You might want to go back deeper into the neighborhoods. I don’t mind walking.”

As if. I’d come prepared. He hadn’t been to the boardwalk yet this summer, and I was determined that he’d enjoy himself. “You let me worry about that, shortcake.” We passed a couple of lots that were already filled with cars and with closed signs blocking the entrances, before I saw one several car-lengths ahead where a teenage boy stood out on the curb holding up two fingers. “There’s one.”

He squawked. “Do you know how expensive that’s going to be?” Considering it butted up to the back of the rides in the kiddie area, I had a clue. “Oh good,” he said, slumping into his seat as the car three ahead of us turned in. “I didn’t want you to spend all that money just to park.”

I didn’t argue with him, but I hoped that the two cars left before me would pass the lot by. It was stop-and-go traffic, so it felt like an eternity before the truck right in front of me inched along past where he’d have turned in, and I breathed a sigh of relief. Kenny jumped in his seat as I whirled down his window and yelled out to the young man, “Do you have any spots left?”

Like I was stupid, he shoved his index finger in my direction. “One.”

There wasn’t one of the huge boards like the other lots had, so I asked, “How much?”

He pointed to a small eight-by-eight sign back where he had a beach chair set up. The damn writing was so small I couldn’t even see it from here, but Kenny gasped. “Fifty dollars? Are you people insane? That’s highway robbery.”

The kid shrugged indifferently. “People pay it, man. Don’t know what to tell you.”

“Move out of the way. I’ll take it.”

He jogged to the side of the narrow entryway, while my passenger pitched a fit. “Daddy, have you lost your mind? That’s too much money. We can walk. I know you’re in better shape than me, but I stand all day for a living. I’m pretty sure I can handle it.”

“Hold on, shortcake.” I handed the parking lot attendant a fifty-dollar bill. “You going to be here all night?” I asked him.

He sighed like he’d rather throw himself in the ocean than answer me. “I have to at least stay until the fireworks start in case someone leaves. This is a prime location, and the boss wants to make sure he gets every cent he can out of you Bennies.”

Kenny gasped—again—clutching his hand to his chest. “How rude. I’ll have you know that I’m from the LBB, you little snot,” he yelled over me at the poor kid.

I snickered and reached over and patted Kenny’s thigh. “Don’t worry. It’s not as bad as you’re thinking.” He huffed and crossed his arms over his chest, but I redirected my attention back to the teen. “Would you like some water? Or a bag of apples? Maybe some carrots? I have a cooler. I’d be happy to share.”

The annoyed look on the young man’s face was replaced with confusion. “Really?”

“Sure.” I reached back behind Kenny’s seat and grabbed the small plastic cooler I’d brought with us. “What would you like?”

“I could really use a drink. My sister works up in one of the restaurants, and she usually brings me stuff on her break, but they’ve been too busy for her to leave.”

“How long have you been out here?” I asked as I unzipped the bag.

“Since ten this morning,” he admitted.

The high today was ninety-eight degrees. No wonder this kid was so cranky. Instead of pulling anything out, I zipped it back up and stuck it out the window. “Take the whole thing. There’s a couple more bottles of water and some food. Hopefully, it’ll tide you over until your sister arrives.”

His eyes widened as big as silver dollars as he hesitantly accepted the cooler. “Are you sure? What about the bag?”

“Yeah. Can’t have you passing out. And that’s one of those cheap bags you can pick up at a convenience store. Keep it.”

Again, Kenny leaned over me and said, “Might as well take it. If you don’t, he’ll just go up and buy you all kinds of drinks and food and bring it back down.” Then to me, he finished with, “No sense in paying those prices if we have to walk back and forth a dozen times.”

I grinned, and Kenny smiled back. The attendant thanked us, then he pointed to the row that had the one remaining spot. “That was really kind of you, Daddy.”

I parked and turned to him. “Just basic human decency, shortcake. No big deal.”

I’ll be damned if he didn’t look back at me with heart in his eyes, and I was lost. It had been over fifteen years since someone looked at me like that. Equally as long since I’d longed for someone to look at me that way, but I wanted that with Kenny. My gaze dropped to his lips where they shined with stickiness from his latest lollipop, and I wanted to lick the sweetness away. I wanted to taste him.

Now how did I tell him that I obviously wasn’t as straight as I thought? He’d been so burned in the past by men who’d told him one thing, but hidden him away. More importantly, would he believe me that I had room in my life for him emotionally? I’d spent so much time over the last five-plus weeks talking about Rhonda and how she’d been my one true love. Would he give me a chance? Would he give us a chance?

Chapter Thirteen

KENNY

If I didn’t know better, I’d swear that Roland was looking at my lips. That didn’t make sense, though. The last few times we’d hung out together, he'd been a little different. Not in a bad way, but more in a confusing way. He'd always treated me kindly and respectfully; he'd been attentive and watched out for me, but there was a new softness to the way he gazed at me.

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