Chapter 9 Abby
CHAPTER NINE
Abby
“Mom, when are they going to get here?” Mav asks, hopping off the swing.
“They should be here anytime. Remember, we got here a little early.”
He nods, moving over to one of the climbing structures. It is kind of adorable how eager he has been for this little park hangout with his bestie.
I glance down at my phone, making sure I didn’t miss a text from Oliver’s dad. He never responded after I told him my name last night. Nothing.
I’m not mad about his lack of response, but it does seem kind of odd.
Tires crunch along the gravel as a car pulls into the parking lot behind us. “They’re here,” Mav shouts, running to the sidewalk.
“Don’t run in front of the truck,” I yell after him.
As soon as the truck comes to a stop, the blond-haired boy from school bounds out of the backseat. He and Maverick take off toward the climbing wall.
When I turn back to face the truck, my jaw drops. My brain can’t even piece together what the hell is happening.
How is he standing in front of me right now? How?
He’s a few years older, but it’s definitely Kane. His light brown hair and blue eyes are still the same. His beard has gotten a little grayer.
“Kane?” His name comes out raspy and barely audible.
He slides his hands into the front pockets of his jeans. “Hi, Abby,” he says in that familiar voice.
I might have only heard it for one night, but I would still recognize it anywhere.
“How are you here right now?”
He points to where the boys are playing. “Oliver is my son.”
Logically, I know this, based on how they just arrived in the same car. Slowly, piece by piece, the puzzle starts to take shape in my mind.
I have so many questions, but I can’t think of anything other than him being only a few feet away. It is so good to see him.
I close the distance between us. He opens his arms just in time for me to collide with his chest. Our arms band around each other, holding tight like we might just be each other’s lifelines.
“I can’t believe you’re here,” I mumble against his chest.
His large palm runs over my back. “Honestly, I can’t either.”
I sink into the hug for a few more moments, letting myself enjoy just being here with him.
A thought pops into my head. “Wait… do you live here now?” That’s the only thing that makes sense, since his son goes to school here.
Our arms fall away from one another as I take a few small steps backward.
He points to the sidewalk. “Want to walk? We have a lot to talk about.”
I nod, then turn to look at the boys. “Mav,” I shout. I wait for his eyes to connect with mine before continuing. “We’re going to walk the loop around the park.”
He gives me a thumbs up and goes right back to playing.
Kane and I fall into step with one another. He starts talking, and I just listen quietly. Tears well in my eyes as he talks about losing Oliver’s mom and almost losing Oliver on the same day.
I let my hand graze against his. “I’m so sorry for your loss and everything you had to go through.”
He nods, dragging in a deep breath. “It was really rough.” He lets out a sad laugh. “It still is. It always will be, especially for Oliver.”
I can’t even imagine what that’s been like for him. It’s too much to even put into words.
“That’s why we moved here, though. We needed a change, all four of us.”
“Four of you?”
“Oh, yeah. My two best friends, Linc and Wyatt. They moved here with us, and we all bought the bar together.”
I stop walking, turning to face him. He stutters to a stop, mirroring my position. “You own Benny’s Tavern now with Wyatt and Linc?”
“I do,” he says with a nod. “Have you met them?”
Memories from that night hit me all at once. I would be a bold-faced liar if I said I hadn’t thought about both of them many times this week, maybe even a few times when I was tucked into bed for the night and slid my hand between my legs.
“I was at the bar last week, and I met both of them.”
He blinks a few times, then understanding seems to settle in. “It was you,” he whispers, like he only intended the words for himself.
I don’t know what he means, but this doesn’t seem like something I want to press him on.
He grabs my hand and pulls me into an alcove in the brick building across the path from the park. His hands move to my hips, pressing me back against the hard wall.
He steps closer, leaving only a sliver of space between us. I want him to close it so badly.
I can still hear Mav yapping away, so I know the boys are okay, but they can’t see us.
“Kane,” I breathe out as he rests his forehead against mine.
“Don’t,” he whispers, silencing anything else I might have said. “Just give me a minute. Okay?”
“Okay.” My hands slide up his chest, gently gripping the fabric of his shirt.
“I’ve thought of you a lot over the years,” he says after a minute.
“I have, too… well, you. I’ve thought about you.”
His breath tickles my skin as he laughs quietly. “You’re still the same, I see.”
“Pretty much.”
“Good. I like you the way you are.” His thumb grazes over my bottom lip. “I wish I could kiss you right now,” he breathes out, his lips just barely out of reach.
I want to tell him to do it, but I don’t.
He lets out a heavy breath, leaning back a little. “I just can’t. Oliver…” He trails off, but I don’t need him to say any more.
“I get it.” And I really, really do. I bring my hand up to the side of his face. “But know that I want that, too.”
He leans into my touch. “I won’t be able to forget it, sweetheart.”
He presses a gentle kiss on my palm. It’s not really where I would choose to have him kiss me, but I’ll take it.
We move back to the sidewalk in silence, resuming our walk around the loop. The boys are now sitting on the top of one of the play structures.
They’re sitting side by side, looking at a book. I’m sure it’s Mav’s. I have no idea where he got it from, but he always seems to have a book with him.
Some kids have a comfort blankie or stuffed animal. My kid has comfort books.
When we get back to where we started, we settle on one of the benches. I can tell Kane wants to sit closer, but at the last second, he sits a little farther away.
“We can be friends,” I say.
“Yeah, friends,” he says, nodding. I think we both know that will be challenging, but for the boys, we will make it work.
I should have known he was the one I’d been texting. I’ve never met anyone I get along with this easily—someone I can talk to about anything.
We spend the next hour catching up on the last few years of our lives. A part of my soul feels alive again after being dormant for too long. It’s just conversation, but it’s a damn good one.
Finally, we call the boys over. Clearly, neither of them wants to leave, but Kane has to get to the bar, and Mav and I need to get to my parents’ house for dinner.
We promise them we will get them together soon. They give each other fist bumps, then climb into their own cars.
I take a step toward my car, then freeze. I whip around to face Kane again, who is standing there, staring at me. “Did you know it was me?”
He shakes his head. “Not until last night.”
“That’s why you didn’t text back.”
“Yeah. I figured this would be better done in person.”
I nod, letting that sink in. “Bye, Kane.”
“Bye, s… Abby.”