Page 111 of Here's to Yesterday

22

Tucker

Maura is sitting with a guy.

Maura is laughing with aguy.

Maura is touching aguy.

This guyisn’tme.

I never once considered the fact that Maura may find someone else while we were apart. It’s not that I was cocky; it’s that I wasthatsure of my feelings for her. I always assumed it was the same forher.

But with the way she’s acting with the dark-haired bastard sitting with her andmygroup of friends, I see that I may have beenwrong.

I feel a heavy hand on myshoulder.

“Almost show time, Tuck. You ready?” James says gloomily. He knows how much this trip home means to me and knows how crushed I’ll be if it doesn’t gowell.

The scene in front of me?Sonotright.

“As ready as I’ll ever be,” I tell himquietly.

“Maybe it’sinnocent?”

I glance over at him. “That’s what we told everyonetoo.”

James winces. “You never know, man. You never know.” He places his hands on his hips, getting back into his manager mode. “Anyway, you’ve got a visitor out back. I’d send her in, but I don’t really think this is theplace.”

What?

I eye him suspiciously. “All right. I’ll head out there.Thanks.”

“You’ve got five minutes!” he calls to my retreatingback.

Pushing open the back door, I’m met with a sight I wasn’texpecting.

“Uncle Tuck!” Joey squeals, latching her tiny frame around mylegs.

I scoop her up into a giant hug. “Oh, bug. I missed you,kiddo.”

My eyes land on Hudson standing behind her.Thank you, I mouth tohim.

“You’re gonna squeeze me todeath!”

Laughing, I set her down and squat to her level. “So what’s up, dude? You’ve grown like ten feet since I saw youlast.”

She giggles and shakes her head. “I have not. But I did grow two inches! Dad says I’m gonna be taller than Rae one day, and that’s just crazy because Rae is agiant!”

Maybe to Joey’s four-foot-something frame she is, but Rae is far from being agiant.

Before I can say anything, Joey starts talking again. “Did you bring meanything?”

“Joey!” Hudsonscolds.

My little buddy drops her head and kicks at the rocks. “Sorry. That was rude.” She peeks up at me through her bangs and whispers, “But didyou?”

Smiling, I say, “Of course I did. I didn’t know you were coming now, so I don’t have your presents here with me. Can I bring them to you later?” Her head bobs up and down. “Good. I’ve got to get back inside, but you promise me I’ll get to see you soon? Maybe I can talk your dad into letting me take you to get icecream.”

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