Mason
I spent the rest of the week being true to my resolve. I gave Sadie her space, and she didn’t seem to have a problem with giving me mine. It wasn’t until Friday night that I caught a glimpse of her.
“Parker,” she hissed.
Like I couldn’t hear her. I was standing just inside the screen door, and Parker wasn’t a silent runner. His sneakers slapped the concrete as he ran, drawing my attention.
“Mason!” His eyes lit up as he saw me standing there like a doofus, watching the whole scenario play out and praying that I was invisible—at least to Sadie.
“Hey, big guy. How’s school?” I asked, wondering how he was getting along with Miss Bossy-boss and the bragging kid who didn’t want to share his football. Dang, I couldn’t believe how much I really cared about all that—about him.
“I’m sorry.” Sadie sidled up behind him and placed both hands on his shoulders. “He snuck out when I wasn’t watching.”
“It’s fine.” And it was. I was so glad Parker wanted to see me. I mean, it made me feel ten feet tall that this kid looked up to me the way he did. He had brought me into his world and accepted me, broken parts and all. How could I not care about him?
He looked at me, wide-eyed and desperate to have some guy time. I grew up with two sisters and two brothers, I knew that look well.
“Do you want to throw that ball?” Parker’s small voice broke my heart. The hope, the prayer in his words was too much to send packing.
Contrary to what Sadie must think of me after the way I’d kissed her and then walked out on her—I wasn’t a heartless monster.
“Sure.” I set my water glass on the counter and hesitated at the door. It provided a nice barrier between me and Sadie, one I wasn’t ready to cross quite yet.
But Parker…
Sadie didn’t seem to have the same aversion because she looked me right in the eye. “Are you sure? We don’t have to stay.”
We? Crap. “Don’t you have some homework or something?” I sounded stressed—more than I wanted to let on.
“I do.” She nodded once and then leaned down to kiss Parker’s head. “When you’re done, come on up, and we’ll get something to eat.”
Parker grinned so big he could have lit up the sky, which helped me relax some.
Sadie turned and headed back up the stairs without so much as a look back.
My heart squeezed as I watched her retreat, but I didn’t allow myself to linger on those thoughts.
After all, I was in desperate need of some time outside my head, and hanging out with Parker was just the ticket. With him, I could just be. I threw the ball, and he returned it. It was easy and simple and exactly what I needed to keep my thoughts in check.
He told me about the issues in the lunchroom, who could trade pudding with whom for chips and whatnot. I chuckled at the drama and wished my life were that easy.
I took in a deep breath of fresh air. I’d spent so much time hiding out in the office to stay away from Holly, who was not happy with the outcome of our date. I’d managed to tick off both women that night. Though I didn’t mind so much with Holly. When she simmered down, I’d apologize and then keep my distance in order to maintain a professional working relationship with her.
The tension in my shoulders was just starting to release when Parker asked me a question that completely stopped me in my tracks.
“What do you do when you like a girl?”
I was mid-throw, and instead of spiraling perfectly into his hands, the ball took a nose-dive to the ground. It bounced widely back at me, and I had to dodge to keep from getting hit.
“What?” I asked once the ball was firmly back in my hands.
Parker had a far-off look on his face. “I think I’m in love.”
I tossed the ball up into the air a few times as I mulled over his words. His brown eyes were unfocused, and his hands dangled at his sides—like his energy had been zapped by this mystery-woman. It was all I could do to hold back my smile. “Who’s the lucky girl?”
He wrinkled his nose and extended his hands. I threw a spiral right into the opening, and he collapsed around it with his whole body, completing the catch with a pose. Then he shrugged and tossed the ball back to me.
“Cheralyn.”
I furrowed my brow. “The bossy girl?”
Parker’s cheeks flushed, and he nodded. “She’s not so bad anymore.”
I chuckled. Of course. Strong women had a way of weaseling into our hearts and taking up residence there without even trying. I’d experienced a similar situation and doubted my ability to offer any real advice. Then again, this was elementary school, and I’d done okay for myself with the ladies back then.
“Well, does she know you like her?”
Parker shook his head side to side like a bobblehead moving in the wrong direction. “No. I’m…scared.” Instead of tossing me the ball, he cradled it against his chest and hunched over. I could see the fear inside of him. Recognized it as easily as if I was looking in the mirror. In a lot of ways, I was.
Not wanting to leave this little kid standing there like that, I crossed the space between us and crouched down. I grabbed hold of both of his arms and dipped down to catch his gaze.
“Why would you be scared? You are an awesome kid.”
Parker hesitated before he glanced up at me. “I'm scared she doesn’t like me back.”
I knew that feeling all too well. The worry that whatever you did would shove you into the friend zone. And that was a tortuous place to be. I’d occupied it by choice, but that didn’t mean I liked it.
“Just be yourself. If she has eyes or a brain, she’ll see how awesome you are.” I ruffled his hair, and his grin widened before it dropped again.
“How do you know?”
I furrowed my brow as I leaned back on my heels. “Know what?”
“How to get a girl to like you. You don’t have a girlfriend. Mom said your love life is as sparse as the desert in the middle of a sandstorm.” It sounded like a question, and then he added, “That’s bad, right?”
I coughed and snorted at the same time. So many things raced through my mind. First and foremost, Sadie talked about me. Sure it was to her kid who had probably pestered her about visiting me for days, but still. I was on her mind. Which was satisfying because she was on mine. She’d become my whole motivation throughout the day. I rose before the sun to get out of the house before her, and I took extra shifts sitting at my desk so I didn’t come home until she was in bed. And, if I did have to stop by, I made sure to do it when she was in class. All day long I thought about where she was in relation to where I was; and if I ever stopped thinking about that—my head sprang right back to our kiss.
Because who could forget a kiss like that?
Second, Sadie was dissecting my love life? I wasn’t sure if I should celebrate or scoff because of her evaluation. A desert in a sandstorm? Ouch. Granted, pressing her against the fridge and kissing my way up her neck wasn’t the most romantic way to win a girl’s heart, but she’d met me kiss for kiss. And the way she gasped when I’d made contact with her bare shoulder? That said something.
Realizing that a kid who looked up to me like a hero was waiting for my response, I shrugged, stood, and tossed the ball nonchalantly into the air. “Sometimes, you gotta know your game.” I shoved my finger toward my chest. “I play for the win, not for tiny advances on the field. When I find the girl that I want to take all the way to the end zone, then I’ll act.” I pretended to slam the football down onto the ground and quietly shouted, “Touchdown.”