Page 25 of An Overdue Match
“You ready to go?” Hayley asked as she opened the driver’s door and slid in behind the wheel.
Tai shut the back of the Jeep and walked to the front. A towel covered the passenger seat, and he made sure that itdidn’t slide too much as he climbed in. He hadn’t run the whole river, so it didn’t take long for Hayley to drive him back to the old beat-up truck he used whenever he needed to haul his recreation equipment. The Challenger was fun to drive on the windy roads, but the truck worked better when he was going out kayaking or spelunking in the area’s limestone caves.
“I’ll see you later at your parents’ house.” Hayley waved before driving away.
Tai had just enough time to go home, put his gear on the racks to dry, take a quick hot shower, and change before heading out again. His parents lived in the same house that he’d grown up in, a turn-of-the-century ranch-style home at the end of a steep drive on top of a hill covered in pine, fir, rhododendron, and mountain laurel. There wasn’t a backyard to play in or really any grassy area because of the pitch of the land, but he and Hayley had had fun playing hide-and-seek among the wild, overgrown bushes in the summer and then building mounds out of fallen leaves in the autumn to jump in—when his mom wasn’t looking, of course.
As soon as he killed the engine, his mom swung open the front door to the house and stepped out onto the porch. She was a diminutive woman in stature, but she made up for it in presence. Even on the other side of fifty, there were hardly any wrinkles on her face. Tai wondered if there was some sort of magic in their genes since her forehead should have deeply etched worry lines by now, given how much she fussed over everything.
He climbed out of the car and walked up the steps of the porch, pulling his mom into a snug embrace when he reached her. Her head fit under his chin, and he breathed in the scent of her secret mac and cheese recipe clinging to her cardigan.
When people first met Missy Davis and were invited to her house for a meal, they thought they’d be served fried rice and dumplings and were usually surprised to find a spreadof southern comfort in the form of collard greens, pimento cheese, and fried chicken. She may have been adopted from China, but she was Southern through and through.
His mom pulled out of his arms, and Tai stood tall, ready for her inspection. A thorough looking-over always came before he was allowed inside to eat. He held his arms out to his sides and smiled down at her. “Do I meet with your approval?”
She narrowed her eyes at him, then pinched his waist. “You’re too skinny. Are you eating enough?”
He let his arms drop. “Yes, Mama. I eat plenty.”
“How are your lungs? Are you breathing okay? Do you keep your inhaler with you at all times?” She peered at him with the same narrowed expression.
He dug his inhaler from his pocket. “Right here. Happy?”
She wagged a finger at him. “Don’t get sassy with me, young man.”
“Sorry, Mama. But I’m in perfect health. Would you like a note from my doctor stating such?”
“There goes that sass again.” Her face softened as her gaze roamed over him again. “Good. I’m glad you’re okay.” She breathed in deeply then exhaled as if taking her first full breath of the day.
“Missy, are you done examining our boy yet?” his dad called from inside the house. “I’m starving.”
“You’re always starving,” she yelled back, then turned to Tai. “I know for a fact he’s stolen at least two cornbread muffins, so he’s not wasting away.” She rolled her eyes, but the small upturn to her lips belied her feigned annoyance. “And he says I’m the dramatic one.”
Tai followed his mom into the house. Family members rose from lounging on the furniture to greet him as soon as he stepped into the foyer. His aunt and uncle each gave him a quick hug, while Hayley’s younger brother, Elliot, held out his knuckles for a fist bump.
“Good to see you, son.” His dad slung an arm around Tai’s shoulders. “Can we eat now, Missy?”
She shook her head at her husband but directed everyone to the table where dishes of food sat with tea towels over them. With a flick of her wrist, she removed each cloth. Steam rose in aromatic waves over crispy fried chicken, golden yellow mac and cheese, cornbread muffins, and tomato casserole.
“Everything looks delicious, Aunt Missy.” Hayley pulled out a chair and sat down.
“Did you use Mom’s recipe for the casserole?” Aunt Bonnie slid her napkin off the table and set it on her lap.
Missy finished putting the serving spoons in each dish, then took her seat. “No, I—”
“Before we get into who makes what dish better, let’s pray so I can eat while you hens cluck.” Walter Davis bowed his head.
Hayley caught Tai’s eye as his chin dipped.Hens? Really?she mouthed with a look of exasperation on her face.
Tai shrugged but closed his eyes as his dad said a blessing over the food.
Thankfully, the conversation turned to other topics instead of a sisterly disagreement about cooking.
“So, Tai, Hayley tells me you were hoping to get to Telluride to do some skiing before the season ends,” Uncle Bob said before biting into the drumstick clutched between his fingers.
Tai glanced at Hayley, who mouthedsorryas she winced. The sound of silverware clattering against a plate crashed down the table. Tai sighed but turned in that direction. There was a reason he hadn’t let his parents know of his trip.
“Skiing? Really, Tai?” His mom’s disapproving tone filled the dining room like it was another member of the family. Which it might as well have been. He’d lived with that disappointment enough growing up that the sentiment should probably have its own room in the house.
