Chapter 2
CHAPTER TWO
FRANKIE
Istepped aside as someone walked into the pharmacy.
The moment they cleared the door, I jogged to my car.
Slipping in behind the steering wheel, I tossed the bag onto the passenger’s seat and pulled the seatbelt across my chest. Within moments, I had the car pointed in the direction of St. Fleur High School.
I gunned it as soon as I left downtown, praying I wouldn’t come across the sheriff or his deputies.
Almost ten minutes later, I slipped into the turn lane in front of the high school.
The parking lot was full, but I managed to find a shaded spot. I grabbed the paper bag, a battery pack, water bottle, chair, and ball cap before heading toward the track.
Reaching the fence, I looked around but didn’t immediately spot Noelani. After another look, I saw her in the shade of a tree near the building, facing the bleachers.
I jogged over, and relief flooded her face at the sight of me.
“Dad!” She carefully stood, one hand wrapped around her middle. “I thought you were going to be late.”
“Sorry, sweetheart,” I said, offering her the bag and wrapping my now-free hand around her shoulders. “It was swamped in there. I got you tampons, pads, and the Tylenol you asked for. You have to stop waiting last minute to tell me you’re out of supplies.”
Noelani dug around inside the bag and pulled out the Tylenol. She ripped the box open and made quick work of popping out a dose. “I know, I’m sorry. I really thought I had something in my backpack at the very least. I guess—”
“You used it last time and didn’t refill it.” I offered her my water, and she washed down the pills. “Listen, it doesn’t matter now. It’s done. Add it to the grocery list, and I’ll buy more when I go so we can prevent this.”
She’d walked us to a set of doors for the school. “I hope the meds kick in soon. Thanks again, Daddy.”
I hugged her carefully with the chair in my other hand. Sucking in a deep breath, I tried to ease my own anxiety about Noelani’s race. “Go do what you need to. I’ll wait here so I can walk you down.”
Noelani flashed a smile, and her pain reflected in the way her eyes crinkled at the edges.
My heart squeezed, and I pulled out my cell phone.
Finding our grocery list in my notes app, I added the supplies myself.
There was no reason she should have been in pain this long.
I’d stock us on supplies while I could still take care of her.
I looked toward the track where a group of teen boys raced toward hurdles.
Only a few more races before she was up to run the 1600 meter.
Depending on how well she performed, she could go to state next.
Last year, she made it but lost her spot at nationals by five hundredths of a second, a sliver of time by normal means.
If she could achieve her goal, I’d agree to help her join USA Track & Field.
My baby wanted to make it to the Junior Olympics, and I’d support her in whatever way I could.
I’d never have believed dragging her out of the house to run with me seven years ago would have fired her up like it had.
Within a year she’d outpaced me, causing me to work to keep up.
Even still I was bringing her to St. Fleur High School’s track to train early in the mornings. She easily lapped me a couple of times.
Her love for the sport had had us driving along I-10 in search of 5Ks and 10Ks. She’d even done a half-marathon once for fun.
At the sound of the door opening, I peered over my shoulder. Behind her pain was a softness in her expression. The moment she stepped onto the track, her features would harden with the determination that would push her forward. But for now, she was just the little girl Talia and I had created.
At the reminder of my ex, I remembered the card she’d mailed Noelani for the race. We’d both agreed to give it to her afterward. Neither of us wanted to do anything that would jeopardize our daughter’s headspace.
“Have the meds kicked in?” I asked as she reached my side.
“It’s only been like five minutes, Dad.” She shook her head with a mixture of annoyance and amusement.
“I still have cramps, but by the time the race starts, it should be minimal.” She passed me the paper bag.
“I shoved a handful of everything into my gym bag. The Tylenol is still in there, so I don’t get in trouble. ”
I nodded, making a mental note to fill out the paperwork for the school nurse so I could send in a bottle. Not that it would help after school. I stopped along the fence to the track. Noelani reached over for a hug and pressed a quick kiss to my cheek.
I grinned at her. “Run like the wind, and no matter what, remember aloha au iā ‘oe.”
“Aloha au iā ‘oe.”
Pure love filled me as I watched her join her team after telling me she loved me in Hawaiian.
Turning, I headed for the stands. I found a spot where I could record the race for Talia and set up my stadium chair on the bleachers. It hadn’t taken me long in the early days of Noelani’s racing to learn the hard metal did a number on my back.
Settled, my gaze darted to the sidelines where I’d last seen Noelani. She rubbed her stomach but looked a little less tense as the girls lined up to run the 100 meter.
A shadow fell across me, and I peered up. “Hey.”
“Mind if I join you?” Desarae James asked.
I chuckled. “When have I ever told you no?”
Desarae paused in the middle of adjusting her chair. “Let’s see, when I asked you to take Z golfing? Or to Whiskey’s for a drink? Or over for a barbecue?”
I raised a hand in defense. “Hey, that barbecue was a work thing, and you know it!”
She pursed her lips in annoyance. “Station Two is family and so are you, brat.”
“Des, I don’t golf, and if I’m not working, I’m following my girl to her races,” I said.
“How the hell do you expect to meet someone?” Desarae leaned forward, and her long locs swung over her shoulders. “You sure as hell aren’t meeting someone at one of these things.”
I tipped back my water and drank deeply. “And who says I want to meet anyone?”
“Noel’s a junior—”
“I’m quite aware of that fact, Des.”
Desarae narrowed her eyes at me before sitting back against her own stadium chair. “And soon she’ll be off to college, Frankie. What the hell are you going to do then? Follow her to school?”
I shifted uncomfortably in my seat. I hated the reminder that my time with Noelani under my roof was coming to an end. It was hard enough when she went to stay with Talia. The silence in the house always threatened to cave the walls in. “I’ll cross that bridge when I come to it.”
Desarae sighed, the sound similar to ones she’d given her daughter, Willa. She bumped her shoulder with mine. “Well, the least you can do is get Z out of the house for a little before she drives me to do something crazy.”
“How does she feel about running a 5K?”