Page 67 of Full Coverage (Boys of Fall)

Nolan frowned at her back. “What the hell are you talking about?”

Teresa stirred the contents of her bowl for a few seconds. “I’m talking about…” Teresa took a breath and shook her head. “I’m talking about maybe I was wrong.”

Nolan blinked. He didn’t think he’d ever heard his mother say the words I, was, and wrong, together in a row.

“What’s going on?” He narrowed his eyes. “Are you okay? Are you sick? Do you have a fever?”

Teresa set her spoon down and turned. “No, I’m not okay, Nolan. My son hasn’t returned a call to me in a month. The only contact I’ve had is an email once a week that said “I’m working. I’m fine” and then the email with your book attached. You walked away from a girl who, by all counts, is miserable without you. You walked away from a girl that you’re in love with, presumably making you equally miserable. You became a hermit for a month to write a book that you hate. Then I walk in here to find you looking like hell and that you’ve eaten the pie I need for later this afternoon. So no, I’m not okay.”

Nolan processed all of that. She was right on pretty much every count. “I don’t hate the book,” he said. “It turned out great. And I’m notequallymiserable. I’m waymoremiserable than she could possibly be.”

But the rest was true. He’d become a hermit. He’d walked away from Randi—or at least he’d letherdrive away fromhim. He hadn’t talked to his mom, or anyone else, for a month. And he did look like hell. Hefeltlike hell.

Teresa nodded. “Good.”

“Good?”

“If you weren’t more miserable than she is, I would worry that you’re more like your dad than I thought.”

Being like his dad was the ultimate cut down from Teresa. Nolan frowned at her. “You were thinking I was like dad?”

“I worried for a little while,” she admitted. “He was able to walk away and forget everything here.”

Nolan swallowed. “What made you stop worrying?”

“I remembered how you looked at her at the Valentine’s Day dance,” Teresa said.

Nolan shifted his weight. “How did I look at her?”

“Like you never wanted to be anywhere else.”

That hit Nolan hard in the chest. He knew how his mother felt about this. But it was time to make her understand. He was home. In Quinn. To stay. “You’re right,” he said. “I never want to be anywhere but with Randi.”

Teresa nodded. “Your dad never looked at me like that.”

Nolan felt his heart squeeze. “I…I’m sorry, Mom.”

She shrugged. “That’s harder to find than you think.”

Nolan nodded. “That’s why I want to be sure to hang on to it.”

“Good.” She gave him a sincere smile. “And now it will be okay. You’re finally back and you’re not leaving again.”

Nolan frowned. “You’regladthat I’m back here in Quinn and not leaving?”

Teresa nodded. “Yes.”

“They have great medications now that can help with multiple personalities, you know.”

“Nolan?”

“What?”

“Be nice or I won’t help you win Randi back.”

“You’re going to have to tell me what changed your mind about all of this,” he said. He was happy for her change of heart, of course, but he was also very curious about it. “But first tell me how you’re going to help me win her back.”

Teresa gave him a grin, unlike any he’d ever seen from his mother before. “I have an idea.”

---