Page 73 of Time Out

“If it makes you feel better, you’re actually the first.”

“Oh hell.” Jim tossed his head back and laughed, brushed a hand over his clean-shaven jaw. “Can’t wait to rub this into Avery and Annie’s face when I get back. Come on you two, you can drive me to Kate and Dave’s and tell me all about it.”

I flashed wide eyes to Davis. He wasn’t going to tell him everything now was he? In a car?

Seemed dangerous.

Davis winked at me and when his dad turned his back and started heading down the hall, kissed my temple. “We’ll only tell him what he needs to know for now. Your pace, Maggie. Your pace.”

The reminder was just what I needed. I reached to where his hand was at my back and gave it a squeeze.

“We’ll see you soon?” I asked Kate as she grinned at me.

“We’ll be right behind you, sweetheart.”

“So, how’d you two kids meet?”

I knew the question was coming. It still didn’t help my nerves as Davis headed north on I-24 out of Nashville toward Marysville. He’d spent time this week telling me about Cole, how Cole grew up there and how he’d hoped to stay nearby because of Jasper and when he was drafted he realized it didn’t make sense to move anywhere else, so he’d built his own house on the opposite side of town instead of closer to his parents.

Although with a town barely skirting four thousand, I wasn’t sure how far apart that could be.

Shockingly, it was still three times the size of my own hometown and my family had taken up at least fifty of those.

Davis chuckled at his dad’s question. Which was such a dad question. “Lou’s. I went in for a meal after a game a couple months back and met Maggie instead.”

“Huh. Seems to be as sweet as the food is there. Probably not a bad deal you got.”

I laughed. Jim was a character, cracking dad jokes left and right so far. He ribbed Davis half-heartedly about a couple tackles he says he should have gotten free from, but it didn’t matter what he was saying. He had the look of a man who worked hard, loved harder, and enjoyed his easy life as much as possible and through all of it, his love for Davis shined the brightest.

“Not a bad deal at all, Dad.”

“So what do you do, Maggie?”

Ah. All the questions I didn’t want to answer. My fingers trembled as I pushed hair out of my eyes and turned around in the chair in Davis’s truck enough so I could see him.

“I work at a steakhouse in Nashville? Just serving for now, but I like it okay.”

“Customer service is hard work. Be proud you can do it, not everyone can. Pretty sure I’d quit three hours in if I had to be around that many people at one time.”

“Um. Thanks.” Was he for real? I’d just told him I was a waitress, and he hadn’t batted an eye. My eyes grew with surprise. I tried to catch Davis’s but he was focused on the road.

“Worked a factory my whole life. Didn’t go to college, in fact no one in my family until my kids ever saw the need. We’ve done just fine. And my wife Kim’s been a dental hygienist long as I known her. You think I’m gonna assume anything because my son makes millions and you’re not right up there with him, don’t. Don’t care what you do as long as you do it with character and a sense of purpose. Don’t care what anyone does as long as they don’t step on others to get there either. Can’t all be athletes and doctors and senators, but we can all be kind and decent. Least, that’s what I always say.”

My dad would say if you didn’t know God, you were going to hell anyway, so it didn’t matter what you did or who you were.

I liked Davis’s dad better.

“Thanks, Mr. Hall. That’s really kind of you.”

And I wasn’t quite sure I needed to hear it until I did.

“Jim, sweetheart. Name’s Jim to my family and friends, that’s for certain.”

“And Paw-paw,” Davis teased, glancing at his dad in his rearview.

“And Paw-paw, which might be the best name if I’m honest. Being a parent is too much hard work. Being a paw-paw is all fun and games.”

“How is Reese?” I asked him. “And Annie?”

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