Chapter 29
TWENTY-NINE
I smile at Landon as he shovels in another large bite of pancake.
“Good, right?” I ask, hoping to ease the tension. “They’re my favorite pancakes in the city.”
His answer is to cut another huge piece. I glance past him to the front doors of the restaurant.
Whitney went outside to intercept Grady in the parking lot so she could talk to him.
I don’t know how much more she knows than I do, but when she reappeared from the school with a rumpled-looking Landon and said he was coming to breakfast with us, I got the gist that something was amiss.
Her eyes pleaded with me for it to be okay.
As if I could say no to her, let alone a kid who is clearly in some sort of trouble.
I gather from the small conversation between them that Landon slept at the school last night, but that’s about all I know. Well, that and he’s eating like he hasn’t in days. My stomach churns and my own breakfast threatens to come back up. Fuck, what if he hasn’t eaten in days?
Whitney already asked him if there was anyone we could call for him, but he shook his head and glanced away. Neither of us pressed.
I think about my own parents and how if I’d gone missing overnight, they’d be frantic.
My mom still checks in every few days if I haven’t called her first. Speaking of which, I haven’t answered her last “are you bringing Whitney home with you for your dad’s fiftieth birthday?
” text. Clearly, she’s hoping I don’t screw it up with the first woman I’ve ever brought home. Ditto.
“I’m sorry about the stick.” Landon’s voice pulls me out of my thoughts.
“What stick?”
“The hockey sticks that you and D-Low sent to the team. I accidentally left mine in the living room at the house and Taylor broke it.”
“Who is Taylor?”
“Another kid in foster care at Jenny and John’s house.”
My chest aches. I rub two fingers over the spot as I give him a reassuring smile all the while this new information hits me like a ton of bricks. “It’s no big deal.”
His stare is blank and hard to read, but his words continue to gut me. “It’s the nicest thing I’ve ever owned.”
I’m grateful when Grady and Whitney appear beside us because I don’t know what the fuck else to say right now.
“Landon,” Grady says, voice warm and friendly.
The kid sits straighter and swallows down the bite of food in his mouth. “Hey, Coach.”
His presence has the kid on edge, but he doesn’t look away even as Grady takes a seat beside him. Whitney drops into the space next to me and I push my leg against hers, seeking any sort of comfort.
“I understand from what Coach Whitney’s told me that things aren’t going great at home.” Grady wastes no time broaching the subject.
“It’s fine. I just didn’t want to stay there last night, and Pepper is out of town.”
Grady takes in this information as he runs a hand along his jaw. “Do you stay at Pepper’s house often?”
“His parents are cool.” He shrugs.
“Do your foster parents know where you are?” Whitney asks.
He looks as if he wants to lie but then slowly shakes his head.
“I called them on my way and let them know you were okay,” Grady says, then puts a hand on Landon’s arm like he’s reassuring the kid.
“Oh man. I’m going to be in so much trouble.” He groans, then mutters, “They probably didn’t even know I was gone until you told them.”
“I doubt that’s true,” Whitney says.
“It is.” Landon is adamant. “Jenny’s been really sick. She can barely take care of her own two kids let alone the rest of us. No one bothers to track my schedule. They never would have noticed.”
“If that’s true, Landon, then I think this is a bigger issue. Your safety is too important to me. I can’t take you back to a house where you aren’t getting the attention you need.” Grady’s blocking the kid’s escape. Otherwise, I think he might jump the booth and sprint out of here.
“No. I’m fine. I’m not in danger or anything.
Taylor breaks my shit but that’s the worst of it.
I promise. It’s the best house I’ve been in, and I don’t want to move again.
” He shakes his head and sits straight, nerves bouncing off him so clearly, I want to do anything to ease some of it for him.
“Things will be better once Jenny has the baby. And even if they aren’t, I’ll be eighteen in a few years. I can handle it.”
My lungs hurt as I pull in air. The kid is spiraling and all I want to do is hug him.
Grady does, putting an arm around his shoulders and squeezing. “Easy, kid. Don’t worry. We’ll figure it out together. Everything is going to be okay. I promise.”
I hope he’s right.
Breakfast ends with Grady taking Landon home with him and me and Whitney riding back to her place, shell-shocked.
“I feel awful that I didn’t see it,” she says. “There were clues, and I just didn’t piece it together. His unpaid school fees, the broken laptops, not having a ride . . .”
“He didn’t want you to see it, so you didn’t.”
“Still.”
“You’re a great coach and a great human being. You did what you could once you knew.” I run my hands down her arms in long, gentle strokes.
She whimpers and then nuzzles into me, resting her cheek along my chest. Grady texted to say he talked with the school counselor, who was going to make all the other necessary calls, and until then, Landon was going to hang out with him. There’s nothing to do now but wait.
“What do you think will happen?” I ask her.
“Grady said that they’ll likely check in with his foster parents, question Landon too, and depending on how it goes he’ll either stay there or be moved to another home.”
“Good. I’m glad he’s with Grady. Maybe that could work out.”
“Maybe.” She sighs. “Or maybe I could help find another temporary placement for him. Grady said the process is long to get approved to foster or I’d take him myself. He’s a good kid. He deserves better.”
I hug her tightly. “Something will work out, but I love you for even considering doing that for him.”
I freeze after I realize what I’ve said. Neither of us acknowledges it, and we pull apart slowly.
She looks up at me and offers me a small, sad smile. “Sorry about our date.”
“I got to spend the day with you. That’s all I wanted.”
The light in her eyes returns slowly. “What a mess. First Victor goes missing and now Landon . . .”
“I know.” I lift one hand and cup the back of her head, then bring my lips to hers.
She kisses me back, then speaks against my mouth. “You’re going to be late for practice if you don’t leave soon.”
I groan. I hate that I have to leave her right now. Or ever. “Do you want to hang out when I’m done?”
Her small nod isn’t all that convincing.
“Landon will be okay,” I assure her—and maybe myself as well.
When I pick up Whitney a few hours later, her spirits are lifted. She climbs into my truck and leans over to kiss me, then breaks right into it.
“I talked to Landon this afternoon, and he seemed better. His foster parents talked with social services, and they all agreed that he could stay with Grady until something more permanent can be worked out. I guess one of the other kids is a real jerk and is always breaking stuff and causing trouble. It’s bad but not as bad as it could have been, you know?
Grady said the foster parents seemed to genuinely want what’s best for Landon. ”
I work my jaw back and forth. Maybe that’s true, but I’m still pissed thinking about the kid not having the love and attention he deserves. At least he has Grady and Whitney.
“I’m glad things are looking up.”
“Me too.” She lets out a sigh of relief as she sits back.
I reach over and lace my fingers through hers as I drive us across town.
“Have you heard from your brother?” I don’t want to bring it up, given how happy she looks, but it’s all the guys could talk about today, so it’s on my mind.
“No.” Her smile drops. “Still nothing. I did talk to my dad, but he just muttered something about Victor being an embarrassment and wouldn’t tell me if he’d talked to him. So I hung up on him.”
“You hung up on your dad?” I ask, letting out a small laugh.
“Kind of.” She gives me a sheepish smile. “I said bye, but I didn’t wait for his reply. Does that count?”
“Sure, baby.” I pull into the driveway at Nick and Ruby’s house.
“Where are we?” Whitney asks, seeming to just now notice we aren’t at my place.
“It’s poker night.”
Her brows lift.
“The girls are here too.” I turn off the engine and unbuckle before I open my door. “Come on. It’ll be fun.”