Page 22 of Under the Lights
That hurt, but Kelly didn’t allow the impact to show. Of course everybody in town knew about her divorce, and Hunter was just blindly lashing out with whatever weapon he had at hand. “It doesn’t have to be a romantic relationship. It’s true for family and friends, too.”
He hung his head, looking at his hands dangling between his knees. “I’m sorry, Officer McDonnell. That was a shitty thing to say.”
“Sometimes people say shitty things when they’re hurt or angry or under stress. You do. I do. Molly and your dad do. If you push people away when you’re miserable, you’re still going to be miserable, but then you’ll be alone, too. Trust me, that’s worse.”
He nodded. “I’ll text her later.”
“Good. Though make it later enough so you’re sure she’s home. No texting and driving at the same time.”
He actually chuckled. “We know.”
“We remind you all the time because we care. Jen... uh, Miss Cooper and I and all the other people you accuse of riding your asses, as you like to say, do it because we care. Not because it’s our job. If it was just my job, I would have left as soon as I saw there was no more fight. You get that, right?” He nodded.
“I just want to play football.” The sorrow in his voice threatened to break her heart. “I know I’m not good enough to play pro ball. Probably not even good enough for a top college. But if I can get a scholarship to one of the smaller schools, I’ll be out of here.”
“If you’re hoping for a scholarship, kid, you can’t be getting in trouble. They don’t usually go for prospects with criminal records.”
He looked at her then, his eyes shimmering with tears. “I don’t wanna be like my dad, Officer McDonnell. He’s mad all the time now.”
“Your dad’s a good guy, Hunter. I’ve known him a long time, so I can say that with certainty. He’s going through a rough spot right now, and it’s hard on his pride, to say nothing of his stress level. Things will turn around.”
“I hope so.” He hopped off the picnic table, signifying that he was done talking about it, and Kelly got up a little more slowly. She was getting a bit old for sitting on hard surfaces with no back support.
“I don’t see a vehicle. You’re not planning on walking, are you?” Not only was it a bad road to walk in the dark, but a teenager in his current frame of mind could get into all kinds of trouble.
“We were in Molly’s mom’s car, but she took off. I was waiting to see if she’d come back—like maybe she’d drive around and get over it—but I was only going to give it another five minutes or so before I started walking.”
“I’ll give you a ride home.”
He started shaking his head before she even got all the words out, his eyes wide. “If I come home in a cruiser, my dad will sh... have a fit.”
“You can ride in the front and we’ll tell them you were helping me sort through the Eagles Fest decoration contest entries and I drove you home.” He didn’t look convinced. “I don’t want you walking on that road after dark. That’s all there is to it.”
“Okay,” he said, but his reluctance was still obvious.
She waited until they were in the cruiser and on the road—so he couldn’t get mad and walk away—before speaking again. “How bad are things at home, Hunter?”
He stared out the passenger window. “They’re okay.”
“Is your home a safe place for you?”
His head whipped around. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“It’s just a question. Are you scared to go home?”
She waited for a smart-ass answer or maybe another cheap shot aimed at her personal life, but he just slumped back in his seat. “No. I mean, I don’t want my parents to get pissed a cop brought me home, but I’m not scared. It’s not like that.”
“Okay. You know you can come to me or Miss Cooper or Coach anytime you need to talk. There won’t be any freak-outs or confrontations. Just talking.”
“Thanks.”
When she pulled into his driveway, the lights were on, but nobody opened the door or—as far as she could tell—even looked through the curtains. Just in case, she swung to the left so anybody watching could clearly see him get out of the front seat. Then she gave him a smile and a wave, waiting until he was inside the house before turning around and heading back out.
—
After she dropped Hunter off, Kelly drove the roads of Stewart Mills for a while, but all was quiet. The radio was completely silent and her cell didn’t ring. Her own thoughts weren’t good company at the moment—especially after the shot about her relationship with her ex-husband—so she decided to swing by Eagles Lane and see what her parents were up to. It was a little late for company, but she knew they wouldn’t have gone to bed yet. And she wasn’t really company, anyway. She even had her own room in the house still, though she regretted that thought because it made her remember Chase was sleeping in her bed.
The garage door was closed, but the porch light was still on, so she pulled in next to Chase’s truck and killed the engine. The front door wasn’t locked, because no matter how often she lectured them, her parents only locked the house when they were going out of town. And even then, they told half the town where the spare key was hidden, “just in case.”
