Chapter 14
Chapter Fourteen
Gavin
T atum pulls Lena away to the concession stand, and Mike, who has been silently watching the whole exchange with a grin of his own, finally speaks up. “For the record, I’m Team Gavin.”
“That’s surprising,” I reply. “I always thought we were cool back in the day, but lately, you seem to hate me.”
Mike shrugs nonchalantly. “I did. Aaron told a lot of stories of horrible things you did, of why you left and never came back. I think the more I learn about my late best friend, the more I realize that he was telling me what he did and was using you as the patsy. I never liked that you disappeared, but I’m a fan of anyone who treats Lena and Jayla right. If that changes, so does my vote.”
I stifle a laugh and nod. I don’t plan on that changing, but I am glad he’s a smart man even though he was my brother’s best friend. Even if she had a miserable marriage, at least Lena was surrounded by a good support group of friends.
“I guess I should be grateful that Lena isn’t holding his lies against me.”
“I think she got to the point where she didn’t believe anything he said,” he answers quietly.
The girls come back with popcorn and sodas. I glance at Lena. She moves close and offers me a drink, but the way her eyes dart around nervously makes it clear that she’s uncomfortable about the public display.
The town mayor getting snuggly with her late husband’s brother probably isn’t ideal.
I can tone it down. I clear my throat.
“Come on,” I say, gesturing toward the bleachers. “Let’s go sit down before Jayla disowns us all.”
We make our way up to the stands, my hand finding hers as we climb the steps. We settle into our seats, with Tatum and Mike on one side and Lena on the other. Jayla is still on the court with her team, running through warm-up drills, but she keeps glancing up at us, probably making sure we aren’t doing anything else to embarrass her. Lena gives her a small wave, and she rolls her eyes, but a smile tugs at her lips.
“She’s going to be amazing out there,” I say.
“I know,” she replies, squeezing my hand. “She’s been so excited about this tournament.”
“She gets that determination and fire from you. Hopefully, she didn’t gain any of the Wells basketball skills, and that part is solely your genetics.”
“Aaron tried to teach her how to play once. She immediately banned him from the basketball court, and she was only six years old.” She giggles.
“It’s like watching her mama out there,” Tatum interjects. “She’s so talented.”
The game starts soon after, and Jayla’s team is off to a strong start. I find myself getting lost in the action, cheering her on with every basket she makes, every pass she completes. She is incredible out there, so focused and fierce, and I couldn’t be prouder.
“Man, she’s killing it,” Mike states, leaning forward in his seat. “I told you she got that from you, Lena.”
“She’s got a good coach.” Lena smiles.
Tatum nudges her with her elbow. “You should take credit where credit’s due. You raised an amazing kid.”
As the game goes on, Lena leans into my side, letting my arm drape around her shoulders. It feels natural, like this is where she is supposed to be and this is how things are supposed to feel.
All that anger I still hold toward my dad, toward Sara and the hatred I felt toward relationships is slowly starting to slip away.
Jayla’s team ends up winning by a few points, and the gym erupts into cheers. I jump to my feet, clapping and cheering loudly for my niece as she high-fives her teammates and grins up at the stands. When Jayla finally looks up and sees us, her face lights up with pride.
“She’s incredible,” I say.
“She really is,” Lena agrees. “Aaron wasn’t at many of her games, so…so even if she doesn’t say it, she’s going to appreciate that you’re here.”
“He wasn’t?” I ask in shock.
“No, duty calls, you know how it is. If he was here, he usually got called away for a phone call or had to put out fires somewhere.” She answers with a shrug, explaining it all away.
Is that how he got away with cheating on Lena without her knowing?
He always bragged about how great it was to be at all of Jayla’s games and to be so active in her life. Was that all a lie?
It’s irritating to think that I fell for all of it.
I watch as Jayla sprints toward Lena and me, her face beaming with pride. I don’t even realize I’m grinning like a fool until Lena’s hand brushes against mine.
Jayla reaches us, her chest heaving from exertion, but her energy is still high. Without hesitation, she throws her arms around Lena first, hugging her tightly. “We did it, Mom!”
Lena hugs her back, a wide smile on her face. “You were amazing out there, baby. I’m so proud of you.”
When Jayla finally pulls away from her mom, she turns to me, her eyes bright. For a second, I’m not sure what to expect. She steps forward and wraps her arms around me. It isn’t the same bear hug she gave her mom, but it is something.
“You killed it, Jay,” I say, hugging her back. “I’m proud of you too.”
She pulls back, grinning up at me. “Thanks, Uncle G.”
I glance over at Lena, who watches our interaction with a soft smile. She looks content, maybe even a little relieved.
“Well,” I say, clearing my throat as I rub the back of my neck, “how about we celebrate that win? We can go to Miss Betty’s diner. My treat.”
Jayla’s eyes light up. “Really?”
“Yeah. When I was your age, Mom and Dad used to take your dad and me to the diner after every big game. It was kind of a tradition. Some of my best memories are from those nights.”
She smiles wide, glancing up at her mom. “Grandpa used to do that with Mom and me after all my games, too.”
Lena’s smile falters for just a second, a flicker of sadness crossing her face before she recovers. I know that loss is still raw for both of them even though they rarely talk about it.
“He did?”
“Yeah,” Jayla answers with a smile. “He used to say that varsity was coming for me, and he couldn’t wait to see me play. But…” She bites her lip. “He never got to.”
There is a brief, heavy silence as Jayla’s words hang in the air. I look at Lena, her eyes a little glassy, and then back at Jayla, who is staring at the floor.
I rest a hand on Jayla’s shoulder, giving it a small squeeze. “Pops would be proud of you, Jay. I can promise you that.”
She looks up at me, a small smile tugging at the corners of her lips. “Thanks.”
I nod, trying not to get too emotional myself. “So what do you say? You up for some burgers?”
Jayla’s smile grows wider, and she nods enthusiastically. “Can we, Mom? I know that I’m grounded.”
“Yeah, let’s do it!” she replies.
I turn to Mike and Tatum. “You guys in? Dinner’s on me.”
Mike grins, clapping me on the back. “Hell yeah, I’m not passing up free food.”
Tatum chuckles, shaking her head. “You didn’t have to ask him twice. Plus, we have a sitter for the night. We’re making full use of that.”
With the plan set, we start to head toward the parking lot. Jayla falls into step beside me, her shoulder brushing mine every now and then. I can feel her testing the waters, figuring out where she stands with me.
As we near my truck, Jayla leans into me, just enough for me to notice but not enough to make it obvious. “I’m glad you were there today.”
Her words catch me off guard. I turn my head slightly, looking down at her. “Yeah?”
“Yeah,” she says, her voice barely above a whisper.
I smile. “I’m glad I was there too, kiddo. I wish I hadn’t missed so many before.”
But just as quickly as she leans into me, she shifts, making sure to position herself squarely between Lena and me. It’s subtle, but it is there. She isn’t quite ready to let me be that close yet. I don’t mind, though. Baby steps.
I climb into the driver’s seat and steer us toward the middle of town. The diner is a classic small-town spot with bright neon signs out front, red vinyl booths, and the smell of fried food in the air. We grab a booth near the window, Jayla sliding in beside me while Lena takes the seat across from us. Mike and Tatum sit on the other side, immediately diving into the menus.
“So Jayla,” Mike says, leaning forward with a grin. “How does it feel to be the MVP of the game?”
Jayla grins widely. “I’m not the MVP.”
“You sure about that?” he teases. “Because I saw you out there. You were unstoppable.”
She ducks her head, clearly embarrassed but secretly pleased by the praise. “Thanks.”
Lena laughs softly, shaking her head. “You’ll have to excuse Mike. He gets a little too invested in games.”
“I do not,” Mike protests, feigning offense. “I just appreciate greatness when I see it.”
The conversation flows easily from there, everyone jumping in with jokes and stories.
When the server comes by to take our orders, I lean back in the booth and grin at Jayla. “You know, this diner has the best milkshakes in town. You’ve gotta try one.”
Jayla’s eyes light up. “Gramps and I would always get the Oreo cake shake. Mom would pretend to go to the bathroom, and he’d order them for the table, then tell her he didn’t know how they got there.”
“And Jayla was sworn to secrecy.” Lena giggles. “Ornery old man knew he shouldn’t be drinking them with his diabetes.”
“Aaron and I used to have competitions to see who could finish one the fastest without getting brain freeze.”
“Who won?” Jayla asks.
“Me, obviously. Aaron was an amateur.”
“I’ll take an Oreo cake shake,” Jayla says, nodding decisively when the server returns to take our orders.
“I’ll have the same.” I smile, then glance at Lena. “What about you?”
She raises an eyebrow. “You want me to get a milkshake?”
“I mean, I don’t want to pressure you, but... they are pretty legendary.”
Lena rolls her eyes, but a smile tugs at her lips. “Fine. Chocolate for me.”
The food arrives not long after, along with the milkshakes. At one point, I catch Lena’s eye across the table, and we share a quiet smile. She looks happy and content, and that is all I need. I reach across the table, brushing my fingers lightly over hers, and she squeezes my hand in return.
“Gross. Could you guys not do that in public?” Jayla whines, “I think I’m ready to go home. I didn’t sleep much last night.”
“Yeah,” Lena says, glancing at the clock on the wall. “It’s getting late.”
We all stand, stretching and gathering our things. Jayla still sticks close to me.
Mike and Tatum go their separate way, and I drive the girls back to Lena’s Bronco at the school. I open the doors for both of them and walk them to the SUV.
“Thanks for tonight, Gavin,” Lena adds quietly. “I had a lot of fun.”
I smile down at her, squeezing her hand gently. I open the door for Jayla and help her in. Then quickly do the same for Lena.
“Thanks for letting me hang with you guys tonight,” I tell her before I brush my lips against hers.
When we pull away, she smiles up at me, staring into my eyes. “It was a good day.”
“I agree.”
She climbs into her SUV, and I close the door. I watch as she starts it and then drives out of the parking lot before I climb into Dad’s truck.
Leaving in a few days is going to be harder than I expected.