Chapter 39
Thirty-Nine
Harper
Leo’s body is so taut I’m worried it’s going to snap as he takes my hand and draws me out of the car.
“What do you need me to do?”
He closes his eyes for a heartbeat, his fingers tightening on mine.
“Leo!” a sharp voice calls.
He exhales sharply, peels open his lids, cups my cheek. “Just don’t leave,” he whispers.
I open my mouth to reply, but don’t get the chance.
Because there are footsteps approaching and—
“Let us into the house already,” Leo’s father snaps. “We’ve been waiting fucking forever.”
“Maybe if I knew you were coming,” Leo says. “I might have been around to meet you.”
“Since when do I need to make an appointment to spend time with my son?”
“Since this is the first time you’ve wanted to in five years?”
A flash of anger in his dad’s eyes. “Are you seriously bitching about that again?”
“I’m not bitching about anything. I’m just pointing out that you didn’t let me know you were coming. Hell, I didn’t even know you had my address.”
“You gave it to me last year so I could send you a Christmas present,” his mom chimes in.
We all look over at her.
Then Leo says quietly, “You didn’t send me a Christmas present.”
“Oh, right.” She waves a hand. “Well, I got busy. But I had your address.”
Leo sighs.
“Should we go inside?” I ask. “I can fix you guys something to eat and—”
His dad turns on his heel and walks up the driveway, not sparing me a look, not so much as acknowledging me.
Right, well this is going to be fun.
I glance up at Leo but he’s just standing there, his jaw tight as he watches his dad walk to the front door, his mom trailing behind.
“We could just get in the car and drive away,” I offer. “Wait until they lose interest and leave.”
From what he’s told me, that won’t take long.
Finally, he looks away from his parents and glances down at me. There’s the barest hint of amusement in his deep brown eyes, and the knot in my stomach loosens just a little bit.
“They’ll probably see it as a challenge and stay longer.”
Ew.
“So should we…” I wrinkle my nose and jerk my chin toward the house. “Just…get it over with?”
His dad bellows his name.
A beleaguered sigh. “Yeah. Probably.”
“Ugh,” his dad, who I’ve now learned is named Bill, spits out the bite of chicken I made. “What is this shit?”
“Dad, are you being serious right now?” Leo snaps.
His mom, Jennifer, sighs and pats my arm. “The man thinks salt and pepper are spices. Don’t take it personally, honey.”
I’m taking things far less personally than homicidally.
Let’s just say, I completely understand why Leo is low contact with his parents.
“What time do you have to leave to catch your flight?” I ask—and yeah, it’s hopeful.
As in, hopeful they’ll be gone soon.
That’s why they’re here, apparently. They flew into the San Jose airport because it was cheaper and now they want Leo to drive them over to San Francisco for their next flight.
In rush hour.
Without a lick of notice.
“You trying to get rid of us?” Bill asks.
I am. Abso-fucking-lutely.
“Dad,” Leo warns.
I don’t bother trying to demure, to lie, just send him the ghost of a smile and go back to my chicken.
Which is delicious, by the way.
Bill narrows his eyes at me.
Leo clears his throat.
“Stop being such an asshole, Bill,” Jennifer snaps. “I want to have a nice, peaceful meal for once.”
“That’s impossible with you sitting at the table with me.”
Jennifer gasps. “Are you being serious right now?”
Leo sighs. “How about we don’t fight and just—”
“Yup,” Bill grumbles. “I don’t even know why we’re taking this trip.”
“You don’t?” She drops her fork onto her plate with a clatter. “You don’t know why we’re taking a second honeymoon after rekindling our relationship?”
“Life isn’t about the honeymoon,” Bill mutters. “It’s about the day-to-day torture of being with a woman who spends her life nagging me to death.”
“Torture?!” Jennifer gasps and clamps a hand to her chest. “Leo, do you hear how your father talks to me?”
“Mom,” he says. “Just take a breath.”
“I can’t,” she says, her hand clamping tighter, her breaths becoming short and staccato. “Your father—” A huge, wrenching sob. “He said—”
Leo rubs his forehead. “Dad, you should apologize—”
“There’s no fucking way I’m apologizing. She’s being dramatic.” He rolls his eyes. “She just needs to calm down and let us all have a nice meal.”
“A meal you won’t even eat because it’s seasoned with more than just salt and pepper!” she wails.
“That’s not true. I like food that has seasonings.”
“Oh yeah?” She glares at him. “Name one.”
He scowls and changes the subject to the cost of their plane tickets, sending Jennifer spiraling again with exclamations about her not being good enough for nice things all while she has another heavy breathing spell.
As she blathers, Bill jabs at his chicken then gags when he takes another bite—seriously, who’s being dramatic now?
But all of that is background noise.
Because it’s Leo I’m worried about.
I don’t want him driving through rush hour with this shit show on surround sound.
So, as it starts closing in on the time I have to leave, I surreptitiously call in reinforcements.
And as I’m doing the dishes—and for the record, the only things Bill ate were those seasoned with just salt and pepper—backup arrives.
The doorbell goes.
Smitty’s voice booms through the hall and I breathe a little easier.
He greets Leo, moves over to me. “How bad?” he murmurs into my ear as he hugs me hello.
“Leo or his parents?”
“Either.” A beat. “Both.”
“Bad,” I say. “All of them.”
Smitty slants a glance behind him, and I know by the way he straightens his shoulders and exhales, that he’s seeing the same thing I am.
Leo’s not doing well.
And his parents are still fighting.
“Sawyer’s coming too,” he mutters. “We’ll handle this.”
“Smitty?” I ask when he starts to walk away.
“Be gentle with him, okay?” I murmur. “I don’t think he’s…” I shake my head. “Just…please be gentle with him.”
Smitty’s brown eyes lock onto mine. “I liked you before, Harp-tastic.” He tugs a lock of my hair. “But now I think I love you.”
My mouth falls open.
He kisses me on the cheek.
“Don’t worry. We’ve got him.”
Then he’s spinning away.
“All right, mofos!” He claps his hands together, drawing everyone’s focus. “Sawyer’s got his new Mom Mobile parked in the driveway. It’s time to hit the road!”