Page 89 of Fire Island
“I would go anywhere with you, sweet man.”
“You may regret those words,” he says with a chuckle.
“Why?”
“That old Indian is going to need a good long road trip to iron out the kinks, get her running smoothly again.”
“I stand by my earlier statement.”
His gorgeous smile is contagious. “How the hell did I get so damn lucky...”
I lean back to grab a tomato. One of my favorite things to pop between his lips. “Oh, I almost forgot. Iris and I ran into this guy today in town...”
Twenty-Four
CALLUM
When Iris called this morning over the radio, I thought I was ready.
I also thought this day would be one I’d never have.
The water is choppy as Firefly powers over it, bow proud. The sea is a direct reflection of my gut. I’ve spent the last two hours trying to find the right words to say to someone I’ve never met.
An impossible task.
Will he be anything like me? Or has Ava nurtured the McCreary right out of him?
Contemplating a thousand scenarios of what his childhood was like—what his relationship is like with his parents—I grip the wheel too hard.
The bitterness of missing my son’s life churns sour in my gut. I remind myself it wasn’t his doing. It was Ava’s. Her parents.
Oh, of all the ways our parents can screw us up, this one’s a clusterfuck.
Bay Shore comes into view, and I slow Firefly. I’m not entirely certain what’s going to happen, and it’s doing my head in.
“It’s only a first meeting,” Iris had said. “Ava thought it was fair that Reese comes to you, that way he can see a little of your life. And maybe next time, meet Evie.”
Evie will be pacing the living room floor with bated breath, no doubt. She’s up in her head about this, too. But what took me aback about her reaction was the fear I would choose my son over her. I highly doubt it would ever come to having to choose. Like I said, after all we have been through and the soul-deep need we have, nonnegotiable.
Em’s waiting as I slip into the dock and kill the engine. He moors the lines and shoves his hands into his pockets. “Easy trip?”
“Choppy.”
“The water or that mind of yours?” He raises a brow.
“Both.”
“You’ll do fine, Cal. I mean, come on, who wouldn’t want you for an old man, hey?”
I punch his arm, and he sways with the impact, chuckling.
“Is he here?”
“Theyare here.”
Shit, I’m late. Great first impression.
“Ava’s here, too?”
