Page 69 of My Return to the Walter Boys
I looked down at my hands in my lap. “Those are your words, notmine.” This wasn’t how I’d wanted our conversation to go, for Cole to believe I thought so little of him, but how could I fix things now when the final outcome would be the same either way?
“Well, you’ve obviously been thinking them if you feel like I’m putting the pressure of my happiness on your shoulders.”
“Cole, please,” I said, trying to tell him he was getting things twisted, but he was done listening, done talking, done with me.
“No!” He slashed his hand through the air to cut me off. “Just forget it, Jackie. You don’t need to concern yourself with my feelings anymore. Clearly, they were never a priority for you to begin with.”
Then Cole walked away just like he had that night in the barn.
The difference was this time, it felt like for good.
Fourteen
“I have some news to share,” Cole told his family halfway through dinner Friday night.
I wasn’t hungry, I hadn’t been since our conversation at the community center last weekend, but the only remaining vestige of my appetite vanished at his words. His expression was neutral when I stole a look at him through the curtain of my hair, but that didn’t stop my stomach from churning, and I immediately set down my fork as a sense of déjà vu flooded through me. The last time he made an announcement at dinner, I’d lost my bedroom as a result.
Cole paused as he waited for the table to quiet down, but that only opened the floor to his impatient siblings.
“Did you get a tattoo like Isaac?” Benny asked excitedly, which made Katherine choke and prompted a round of snickering from the rest of the group. The infamous tattoo incident had made an impressionon the youngest Walter; Benny was constantly asking Isaac to see the phoenix on his back or talking about what kind of ink he wanted to get when he was older, much to his mother’s distress.
“Not likely,” Jordan said as he helped himself to another serving of mashed potatoes. “Even if he did, I don’t think he’s stupid enough to announce it at dinner.”
Jack nodded in agreement. “Yeah, Mom would kill him. I bet he got another promotion or something like that.”
“Are you the manager at the Gas Exchange now too?” Isaac asked, his tone mocking. “Congrats, man. At this rate, you won’t need to go to college.”
His comment made me flinch, but thankfully nobody noticed.
“Isaac,” George said, shooting him a warning look from across the table.
“Don’t be a dick,” Lee added, whacking his brother upside the head.
Nathan leaned toward Jack. “This isn’t about a promotion,” he stage whispered, holding his hand against the side of his mouth. “I think Cole is finally going to confess that he’s found his true calling as a ballet dancer.”
“Withhisknee?” Alex scoffed, clearly missing the memo about Nathan’s attempt to lighten the mood. “Yeah, right.”
“You’re all wrong,” Parker said. “Obviously, he’s moving to Las Vegas to become an Elvis impersonator.”
“Hey!” Cole clapped once to get everyone’s attention. “Are you guys done?”
“Go on, honey,” Katherine said. There was a gleam of mischief inher eyes as she reached out and gave his hand an encouraging squeeze. “Tell us your news. Even if you’re moving to Vegas, just know that we’ll all support you no matter what. I’ve always loved Elvis.”
The table exploded with laughter.
Cole heaved an exasperated sigh and shook his head, but the corners of his mouth turned up slightly at his mother’s teasing. “Back in September, an amateur dirt track racer hired me to rebuild his engine,” he said once everyone settled down. “He was impressed with my work, so he referred one of his friends to me, and this new guy is legit. He’s won most of the local races, even a few regional ones. People are saying he might go pro.”
“That sounds—Whoa! Careful, kiddo,” George said, saving his glass of water from being knocked over as Zack reached for the bread basket. “Sorry, Cole. You were saying?”
“I’ve been hired by another racer,” Cole told him. “One who might make a career of it.”
“What does that mean for you?” Katherine asked.
“Well, in the short term, I have an engine to rebuild, but if it goes well, he said he’s looking for a more permanent mechanic,” he explained. “I still plan on going to school, but I think I want to start my own business, build up a client list.”
“Oh, Cole!” Katherine exclaimed. “That’s amazing news! I’m so proud of you.”
A broad smile stretched across his face, and in a cringe-worthy impression, he said, “Thank you. Thank you very much.”
