Chapter 5
Five
Remi
The cab of my truck is silent, the tension so thick, I’m surprised it hasn’t suffocated one of us yet. I should probably turn on some music. To be honest, I’m not sure why I haven’t yet. Probably because I’m all frazzled and don’t know my ass from my head.
Lukas is moving in next weekend. The last month has somehow flown by and dragged on at the same time. I’ve spent so much time figuring out what he’ll need and getting everything in order, yet I feel no more prepared than I did when I decided to do this.
Since I’ve only got a few more days off before the big day—today being one of them—I thought it would be a good idea to get his room painted and put together so it’s ready for when he officially moves in.
I picked him up about an hour ago, and we just left the hardware store with a couple of gallons of “Raspberry Bellini,” a shade somewhere between red and pink, to splash across the walls.
Wouldn’t be my first choice for a bedroom, but Lukas seems thrilled, which is all that matters.
Glancing over, I take him in for a moment before bringing my focus back to the road.
His hands are in his lap, and he’s been picking at the skin around his fingers since he got in the truck.
Between that and the fact that he hasn’t said more than two words to me, other than about the paint, it’s clear he’s nervous.
And the feeling is mutual. But as the adult, I know it’s my job to help ease his nerves…
Except I don’t know how.
I don’t know what to say, or how to even begin to get to know him.
Which is ironic, considering I’m one of the most outgoing, friendly people I know.
Putting people at ease is like a special talent of mine, be it a frightened mom desperately waiting for us to rescue her five-year-old son from the tree he somehow climbed to the top of, or a group of drunk, panicked college kids stuck in a broken elevator on campus.
Chatting it up and making people relax, and even laugh, comes easily to me.
But the one time I could really use those skills, I’m coming up blank.
And, fuck, if that ain’t frustrating.
It dawns on me as I turn onto my street that the one thing I didn’t do in all my preparation was get groceries. Both the fridge and pantry are damn near bare, and I don’t know if I’ll have time to make it to the store today with all we have going on. That’s fucking great.
“Do you like pizza?” I ask Lukas as I pull into the driveway.
He looks at me like I’ve grown a second set of arms and chuckles. “Yeah. What kid doesn’t like pizza?”
“Hey, you never know.” Laughter bubbles out of me as I turn off the ignition. “Figured we could order some pizzas for lunch after we’ve done some painting. What do you think?”
“I’ll never turn down free pizza,” he says. Then, averting his gaze, he adds, “Th-thanks for doin’ this. All of this.”
Nudging him with my elbow after I unlock the front door, I say, “It’s no trouble, bud.”
Lukas shrugs, still not meeting my gaze. “Yeah, but you could’ve just given me a room with a bed in it and called it good. It’s really nice of you to let me paint and stuff.”
My chest warms. “I’m happy to do it,” I tell him honestly. “And besides, like I told your grandma, I want you to feel comfortable and at home here.”
He finally lifts his gaze, looking me in the eye. “Well, thank you.”
After I give Lukas a quick house tour, we bring in the paint and supplies, setting them in the room that’s now his.
“Ever painted a room before?” I ask while pouring half a can into one of the pans.
Lukas shakes his head. “Nope, never. My parents painted my room when I was younger, but they wouldn’t let me help.”
Chuckling, I say, “Probably for the best. Little kids and paint sound like a recipe for disaster to me.”
“What about you?” he asks.
“Oh yeah.” I nod. “Plenty of times. Hell, when I moved in here, I had to touch up the paint in damn near every room. Truth be told, I kinda like it.”
“You do? Why?”
I shrug. “It’s a methodical task, and I don’t know…relaxing, I guess.”
“I’ll let you know if I agree when we finish.”
Once I give Lukas a mini lesson on painting the walls, we get to it.
Unlike in the truck, I turn on some music, which does wonders at easing some of the tension.
Thankfully, I prepped the room last night, and I’m glad I did because it cuts out at least an hour of work.
As the morning turns into afternoon, Lukas seems to be loosening up little by little, and by the time we break for lunch, the conversation comes more naturally.
“What’s your favorite subject in school?” I ask as we take the pizza box and a couple of sodas into the living room.
He thinks for a moment. “Probably science.”
“That was my worst subject when I was still in high school.” I chuckle. “What do you love the most about it?”
“I don’t know.” He shrugs. “I guess because I like knowing why things are the way they are. Makes the world feel less…random.”
“That’s fair. What about your least favorite?”
The response is quick. “English.”
Chuckling, I say, “Also fair.”
Lukas glances my way before quickly shifting his gaze to his lap. “Hey, can I ask you something?”
“Go for it, kid.”
There’s a pregnant pause. “Do you remember when you had dinner with my grandma and I, and you told her about your best friend’s ranch and how you think they’d be open to showing me around and stuff?”
“I sure do.”
He meets my gaze, and I can read the apprehension all over his face. “D-Did you mean that? You really think they would?”
“Abso-freaking-lutely, kid. Is that somethin’ you’d be interested in?”
Lukas nods enthusiastically. “One hundred percent. I’d love that.”
A smile pulls at my lips. “Well then, let’s make it happen.”
The thought of Hollis and the ranch makes me think of Gentry.
After that first pottery class, he never came back.
Not that I’m surprised. But I was hoping to see more of him, especially in a setting like that.
Shocked doesn’t even begin to describe how it felt watching him walk into that class.
Pottery is something I’ve been passionate about for years now, but it’s never been anything I’ve shared with many people.
I don’t know why.
It’s something just for me, I guess. I give so much of myself on a daily basis at work that having something just mine is kind of…
nice. But that doesn’t mean I didn’t get a kick out of being Gentry’s instructor, even if it was only for one class.
I still don’t know what brought him there—it’s so out of character for him—but I’m dying to know.
Not that he’d ever tell me. That man is like Fort Knox.
No matter how hard I’ve tried over the years, he never opens up.
Probably for the best. Crushing on my best friend’s dad has messy and irresponsible written all over it.
Not to mention, I know Hollis would have an aneurysm if anything were to ever happen.
But a man can dream. Being with a man as rugged as Gentry would blow my mind.
The fantasy alone does it for me more times than I care to admit.
Back in the room, I run the rolling sleeve through the paint. Glancing at Lukas, I ask, “So, what do you like to do for fun?”
“Uh…” He pauses, looking like a deer in headlights for a moment. “I don’t know. I like to listen to music. And I like to collect cards.”
“Oh, cool. Like baseball cards?”
He shakes his head. “Like Pokémon cards.”
“Right on.” I nod. “Still pretty cool. When did you start collectin’?”
“It’s been a long time. It’s somethin’ my, uh—” His voice cracks. “It’s somethin’ my dad and I used to do together.”
Way to go, Remi.
Leave it to me to ask something that makes him emotional.
“I love that,” I say. “My dad and I used to watch wrestling together.”
Lukas’s face screws up before he corrects it. “Oh, that’s…nice.”
“I hate wrestling,” I say with a chuckle.
“Then why did you watch it?”
“Because he enjoyed it, and I liked doin’ stuff he liked.”
“Well, what did you like doin’?”
I shrug. “Typical rowdy boy shit. Dirt bikes, gettin’ dirty in the mud, nurf guns.”
Lukas regards me for a moment. “Did he do rowdy boy shit with you?”
“Whoa.” A laugh bubbles out of me. “Don’t think you’re supposed to say that.”
He rolls his eyes, but I don’t miss the twitch of his mouth. “Well, did he?”
I think for a moment, trying to remember a time when he might’ve. “Actually, no,” I finally offer. “He didn’t. Was usually too busy with work, or too busy relaxing after work. I either played by myself or with my best friend, Hollis.”
His brows pinch. “That sucks.”
I chuckle. “Why does it suck?”
“Parents should take an interest in what their kid likes to do,” he says so simply. “My dad always made an effort to do stuff I enjoyed.”
“Yeah. I guess you’re right. It didn’t bother me or anythin’. Just how it always was.” I pause, finishing up the little bit of wall left. “You said you’re into music… What kind?”
He shrugs. “All kinds. But country, mostly.”
“Can’t go wrong with a little country.” I set the rolling brush down and grab my phone out of my pocket. “Let me play you some stuff I’ve been listenin’ to lately. Let me know what you think.”
We run through a handful of songs. Most he likes, but some, he doesn’t.
As the afternoon goes on, it hits me that, unlike when I first picked up Lukas, things between us actually feel a little easier now and a whole lot less awkward.
And for the first time since making this decision, I know things are going to be okay.
We get along, are into some of the same things, and he seems like genuinely such a good kid.
I got this.
We got this.
Between the two of us, we’re able to make good time getting it done. It’s nearly five o’clock by the time we call it quits, and after we stop somewhere for dinner, I drop him off at his grandma’s house. It’s less than a week away from this kid living with me full time, and honestly…I’m excited.
I kind of want to drive over to the ranch and tell Gentry all about today and the plan, but I don’t.
That would probably be weird, and knowing him, he’d get all huffy about me stopping by unannounced.
But he’s a big part of why I felt comfortable enough to take this chance… I want to share it with him.
But instead, I go straight home and shove that desire out of my mind.
For now.