Chapter 15
It’s been a week since I read the letters, and I’m seized by a fit of restlessness from this overwhelming desire to be near Jo, Abby, and Jay.
True to my word, I’ve helped Abby with homework, and enjoyed my time around her.
We haven’t talked beyond school and math, but I didn’t expect much else.
She’s a teenage girl who assumes I’m nothing more than her tutor.
A couple of nights I shot some hoops with Jay, and accepted every invite from Jo to stay for dinner.
But it’s not nearly enough.
Jo has punctured a hole in my normally calm reserve, and that first night around the dinner table with them awakened something I can’t shake, a fatherly instinct to step in and protect, to fix Abby’s bully situation once and for all.
For a split second, I even pictured myself coaching Jay’s basketball team.
Then there’s Jo. Spending that much time with her only sharpened the ache for things she clearly isn’t ready for, or doesn’t want.
It’s for these reasons that I need to be more than just an extra plate at their dinner table. I want to be all in, but I have to wait, to move at Jo’s pace. And it’s killing me.
With Austin taking things slower, there’s not much for me to do here, and I’m going stir crazy holed up in this apartment, with the scent of cigarettes wafting up through the slats of the wooden floor. Who the hell still allows smoking in public anyway? Don’t they have to pay hefty fines for that?
I attempt to work one of the crossword puzzles from the book I bought at the bookstore, but my mind can’t focus.
Grabbing my phone from the coffee table, I scroll to Instagram, typing in Josie Thomas.
Her face pops up as the third account listed, and I tap the screen, bringing me to her grid.
It’s mostly pictures of her art, with a few mixed in of her with her kids and her with Penny and Lisa.
A link in her bio brings me to an Etsy shop named PortraitsbyJosie. It looks like her shop is relatively new—less than a year old—but she’s already had an impressive number of sales. Zooming in on one family portrait, I’m in awe of her talent. No wonder her art is so popular.
I’m so lost in the wonder of Jo that I physically jump when my phone starts to ring, Austin’s name appearing on my screen. I immediately hit the answer button.
“What’s up?” he greets me, his breathing labored.
“Why are you so out of breath?” is my response.
“I’m setting up a home gym in the garage. We cleaned out a corner. I bought a punching bag and a few other pieces of equipment. Head on over. I wanna talk with you about something.”
This is exactly what I need. Since being in Singing River, my workout routine has suffered and hitting a heavy bag might work out this knot of frustration.
“Be there in five,” I say and hang up.
When I turn into the driveway, I’m greeted by a pile of cardboard boxes for every kind of gym equipment imaginable. Austin comes into view, standing in the doorway of the garage, surveying his new home gym.
Cutting the engine, I climb from my SUV, and Austin turns, walking toward me.
“What’s up?” I ask. “What do you wanna talk about?”
Austin jerks his chin, ushering me into the garage, and I follow him. He sits down on the bench and looks up at me.
“You’re serious about staying here? When you said indefinitely, I assume you meant for good?”
I shoot him a look. “My daughter is here. I’m not going anywhere.”
“That’s what I assumed.” Austin gets that far off look in his eye, the one he gets any time he talks about Penny. “Listen, you know Penn wants to concentrate on her music more, right?”
I nod and he goes on.
“Think you’d be willing to take over the accounting side of things? Of course she’d pay you.”
“Actually, I think that’s exactly what I need. Tell me what to do, and I’m in.”
While Austin gives me the details of the job, I do a few lower back and leg stretches.
I’ve known for a while now that Penny wants to step back from the studio to work on her music with Austin.
This feels like a win-win for both of us.
There’s now something to focus on rather than Jo; plus, I’m able to help Penny out.
With all that squared away, I rise, snagging the gloves lying near the new heavy bag that hangs from the ceiling. Austin grabs a free weight to do a series of reps while I slide the gloves on, securing the Velcro on my wrists.
Austin remains quiet, watching my fist slam repeatedly into his brand new bag.
It’s not worn in like the one at my gym back home, but it feels good when I land my first punch, elbows in, throwing from my core.
I adjust my stance, letting my legs do the work and land three jabs in rapid succession.
Concentrating on my breathing, my form, and nothing else, I begin to break a sweat.
I deliver a right uppercut, but my punch doesn’t land right, a twinge of pain traveling up my arm.
Stepping back, my hand goes to rub my shoulder and Austin stops mid-rep, setting the free weight at his feet.
“You wanna talk about it?”
“No,” I grumble. I throw a few more jabs but finally unhook the Velcro on the gloves and fling them onto a nearby workbench.
“I’ve tutored Abby three times now, and I’m no closer to figuring out how to get to know a teenage girl than I was when Jo first told me she’s mine.
She’s sweet and polite, but all I am is a stranger to her.
Jo keeps me at arm’s length, and isn’t ready to break this news to Abby.
Not to mention, she’s juggling so much, and I’m beyond frustrated.
I could shoulder some of her burden. That’s what I do, dammit!
” I sink to the cement floor, leaning on a support beam.
“I gave her my number that first day in case she’d need anything, and you know what she said? ”
Austin looks at me expectantly, so I forge ahead.
“She said she won’t need anything. But you know what I see every time I’m there?
I see a woman drowning in responsibility.
Jay’s basketball coach might give up the position, and of course Jo offered to take on yet another thing.
” I chuckle to myself. “Jay shot that down quick, though.”
Austin’s mouth twists in thought. “You could coach,” he suggests. “You know all there is to know about basketball.”
“But I don’t know the first thing about ten-year-old boys,” I remind him.
Austin waves a hand in the air. “They’re just shorter. Figuring the game out, learning how to handle their emotions. Treat ’em like short adults and it’ll all work out. Also, I should add, that was an awful lot of words for someone who doesn’t wanna talk about it.”
I roll my eyes, but my mind is hung up on his suggestion, and unlike at dinner the other night, this time I give it serious consideration. Coaching would be fun. It would be good for the kids and avoid disappointing Jay. Then I’m struck by a solid idea.
“We should coach them together. It could be fun.”
Austin nods. “Yeah. Probably would. Lemme run it by Penny.”
Austin leaves, returning a few minutes later with Penny. He explains the situation to her and a smile spreads across her face. “This is perfect!” she squeals, rubbing her hands together. “It’s like Operation Woo Josie.” She moves to nudge me in the ribs.
I scoff, but I’m smiling despite myself. “I’m trying to get to know Abby and help out with Jay.” By the look on her face she knows good and well that’s not the only thing I’m doing.
Penny slides her phone from her back pocket and begins tapping on the screen. Not thirty seconds later, it pings with a text.
“What are you doing?” I ask.
“Checking with Josie about the coach. It’s her planning period, so I figured she’d be able to text.
” Penny pauses to read the text on her screen.
“She said he’s already let the Recreation Center know he can no longer coach the team and they’re trying to find a replacement, but so far no luck.
They’re giving it a few more days before they break the news to the kids. ”
She begins typing again on her phone and Austin leans in to read over her shoulder.
“I know the perfect men for the job,” he reads aloud from her phone.
An hour later, Austin and I are driving across town to the Recreation Center. The secretary hands us a stack of forms and we fill in all of our information for the background check required to work with kids.
“It’s quick,” the secretary assures us.
While we wait, I pace the tiled floor, the clock on the wall ticking the minutes down.
“Why are you so nervous? Your background is squeaky clean,” Austin says.
Pivoting to face him, I ask, “Am I overstepping? I feel like this is too much.”
Austin considers me. “Dude, you’re keeping Jay’s team alive. And he likes you. Don’t overthink it.”
The secretary comes back, interrupting us.
“You’re both set. I need you to fill out a short form and we’ll get your team shirts ordered.”
Austin signs on the dotted line, then I follow—and with that, we’re now coaching a nine- and ten-year-old basketball team. What am I getting myself into?
On the drive back to Penny and Austin’s, I decide to tell him about Jo’s funding and her principal. When I get to the end of the story, he inhales sharply, fists clenching in his lap, evidence of how much Jo means to her friends, including my cousin.
“And I bet you’re working on a plan for this, too.”
I cut my eyes to him, and back to the road. “If there’s dirt on him, Kate could find it, right? I only plan on using the information if I absolutely have to,” I explain.
Austin chuckles to himself. “Yes. If anyone could find the dirt, it’s Kate. You gonna give her a call?”
I pull into Austin’s driveway, grab my phone from my console and dial Kate’s number. It’s still hooked up to CarPlay and after the second ring Kate’s voice comes through my car speakers.
“Kate Green speaking.” Ever the professional.
“Kate. It’s Tyler. You’re on speaker, and Austin is here. I’ve got a situation I need your help with.”
I explain to Kate that I need anything and everything she can find on Ian Stanback, principal and former coach at Singing River High School.
There’s the sound of a pen scratching on paper, then silence. “What’s this about, Tyler?” Kate asks, curiosity lacing her words.
Austin leans in, so she can hear him better. “Ty’s a baby daddy.”
Shifting to face him, I keep my voice flat. “Really, Austin? A baby daddy? That’s what you’re going with?”
Kate is coughing, probably choking on the mineral water she always keeps nearby.
Austin barrels on, undeterred. “Turns out he had himself a real good time about fourteen years ago when he visited Alabama in college. Surprised doesn’t begin to cover the look on his face when he found out.”
“Stop talking. Please,” Kate warns, a rare laugh escaping her. “So this has something to do with her. That’s all I need to know. If she’s important to you guys, she’s important to me. We’ll talk in a few days.”
“Wait,” I interrupt before she can hang up. “One more thing. Can you find a location for a man named Chad who was married to Josie Thomas?”
Everyone goes silent, and I can feel Austin staring at me.
“What are you doing, Ty?” he asks. I give a quick shake of my head, waiting on Kate’s response.
“No last name?” she asks.
“You know his last name?” I ask Austin.
“Not a clue. I do know Thomas is Josie’s maiden name because it’s her grandmother’s last name. Want me to ask Penny?”
Through the phone, I hear the tap of Kate’s fingernails on a hard surface, her tell when she’s thinking.
“This might be enough. If it’s not, I’ll let you know.
Then you can ask Penny if I need more information.
You’ll hear from me soon.” She hangs up without a goodbye, which is completely on brand for her.
I set my phone back on my console, avoiding Austin’s stare.
“Just trying to cover all my bases,” I explain.
Austin is silent for too long. “Ty,” he begins but pauses until I look over at him.
“I know you want to fix this. But don’t set yourself up to be hurt.
” He gives me a long look. “Josie is extremely independent. Don’t do too much at once.
We signed up to coach not ten minutes ago, you’re digging up dirt on the principal, and now whatever you have planned for her ex.
I know you’re the problem solver—hell, you basically solved every problem in my life.
” Austin huffs a short laugh. “But don’t get ahead of yourself, fixing things that are better off left alone. Tread carefully.”
I give a quick nod of my chin. “Careful is practically my middle name, Austin. I got this.”
Austin knows better than anyone that I’ve been known to jump in when it might not be my problem to fix.
At a young age, I learned to take charge, and it’s not easy learning a different way.
But will I do more harm than good if I do too much for Jo?
I’m unsure, and for the first time ever, this feels like a problem with no clear cut solution.
Heading back to the apartment, I chew over his words.
Freaking Jo out is the last thing I want to do.
But I also can’t sit on the sidelines while she juggles life alone.
What kind of man—no, what kind of father—would I be if I sat by watching, knowing damn well I could make her life, and Abby’s and Jay’s lives easier? In my opinion, not much of one.