Chapter 7 #2
“Shouldn’t you be in class right about now?”
I heard a huff come through the line, then a familiar voice dripping with teenage attitude. “Jeez, Uncle Hunt, I’m walking there right now. I have a few minutes before class starts, so I thought I’d call you.”
It might have been several years since I moved away from Luke and Liam after realizing I needed to build a life of my own that wasn’t centered around their mother, but that didn’t mean I hadn’t kept up with them since I’d been gone.
Those boys were probably the closest I’d ever get to having kids of my own. I might not have been their father, but I hadn’t been able to stop loving them like they were my own flesh and blood. Nothing would ever change that. No matter what happened with Vera, I’d make sure my boys never lost me.
“Glad you did. Always good to hear your voice. How are things? You still seeing that same girl you told me about a couple weeks ago?”
“Nah. Cammie dumped me when I showed up five minutes late to pick her up for a date, even though it was because I got a flat. I’m talking to a new girl now. Rebecca. She’s cool.”
“That’s good, bud. You making sure you treat her right? Show her respect?”
That earned me another huff and a groaned, “Yes, Uncle Hunt.”
“Good man.” I’d started calling Luke a man a couple years back. It always made his chest puff out with pride when I said it, and I loved giving him that. Only, this was the first time it hit me that it was getting closer and closer to being the truth.
It seemed like it was just yesterday he was a lanky, knobby-kneed kid. Now he was sixteen—nearly seventeen—driving around in his own car and dating his way through high school. It was amazing the things that made you feel old as hell.
“So, how’s everything else? How’s Liam?” I stopped to swallow down the wad of cotton that was drying out my throat. “How’s your mom doing?”
“Liam’s fine, I guess, when he’s not annoying the shit out of me.”
My voice dropped with a warning. “Hey, watch it. For one, I doubt your mom likes you using that language. And two, I don’t care how annoying you think he is, that’s your brother, and he’s the only brother you’ve got.
I don’t want to hear you talking about him like that again.
You got me? You two need to learn to get along and have each other’s backs. ”
“Sorry, Uncle Hunt,” Luke said sullenly. “You’re right.”
“Remember that. It’ll do you good in the future.”
I could hear the smile in his voice as he said, “Yes sir.” Then his mood shifted with his next topic. “Actually, I’m calling you because of Mom.”
My stomach plummeted like I was on a steep drop on the world’s highest roller coaster and my heart began to beat like I’d just run up a steep hill at a dead sprint. “Is everything okay? Did something happen?”
“No, no,” he said quickly, reading the urgency and worry in my tone.
“It’s not like that. It’s just, well, she was talking to me last night about the wedding and stuff, and she mentioned that you hadn’t RSVPed.
She asked if I’d talked to you about whether you were coming or not.
I told her we hadn’t, but I got the feeling she was bummed out that maybe you weren’t planning on coming. ”
Squeezing my eyes closed, I leaned back in my chair as far as it would go while pinching the bridge of my nose.
This was a conversation I’d prayed I wouldn’t have to have.
The boys didn’t know the real reason I’d left to move to Hope Valley.
They were too young and didn’t need to know the dirty details of it all.
As far as I knew, Vera hadn’t told them either.
The last thing I wanted to do was lie to either of them, but the truth could potentially put a wedge between us, and I just couldn’t let that happen.
“Yeah, buddy. Tell her I’m sorry about that. I’ve been looking at my schedule here at work,” lie, “and I just don’t think I’ll be able to swing it,” lie. “I wish I could be there,” biggest lie of all, “but it’s not looking good.”
“Oh, okay.” The dejection in his voice ripped my insides to shreds. I hated myself for lying to him, but more, I hated that I was the one to make him feel anything but good. I just couldn’t stand it.
I clenched my fist until my knuckles turned white and ground my molars so hard it was a wonder they didn’t crumble to dust. “But you know what?” I found myself saying before I could stop the words. “I’ll see what I can do.”
Just like that, the happy, easy-going Luke I knew was back, excitement brimming in his voice. “Really?”
“Yeah, pal. I’ll make it work.”
“That’s awesome, Uncle Hunt! I just haven’t seen you in a while, you know?
” I did know. I tried to get to them at least once a month.
I’d take a couple days off work to make a long weekend, and travel down to them in North Carolina.
I’d take them hunting or camping or fishing, something that was just for us guys.
But it had been hard to find the time to get down there the past couple of months. Then I got the wedding invitation.
“I know, bud. I’m sorry for that.”
“Liam’s gonna flip. This is awesome. I can’t wait to see you.”
Jesus, but the kid was undoing me. I’d just fucked myself, and there was nothing that could be done to fix it. It would mean letting Luke and Liam down, and I couldn’t do that. I just couldn’t.
“Me neither. Tell your mom I’ll get that RSVP to her soon, yeah.”
“Yeah, you got it. Hey, the bell just rang, I need to get to class.”
“All right. I’ll see you soon. I love you.”
“Back at you. And soon.”
With that, the call disconnected, and the bright mood I’d been experiencing since my earlier run-in with Serenity disappeared in a puff of smoke.