Page 61 of Singled Out

As much as I wanted to get to know Harper better, I couldn’t let myself go there.

Chapter Eighteen

Max

Every year, Principal Ellison hosted a back-to-school barbecue on the beach for the staff and their families.

He and the office staff had the food catered by a local restaurant and supplied coolers full of nonalcoholic drinks. We could bring our own adult beverages as long as we made it to work tomorrow, as it was a Wednesday evening. I was down for water tonight since I’d just finished football practice on a hot field. We hounded the players to drink plenty, but sometimes the coaching staff had a hard time following our own rules.

I’d been to the barbecue every year since I was hired except for last year. Last year, my cousin’s death was recent, and Danny had only been in my care for a few weeks. Truth be told, on top of grieving, I’d been too nervous to take him to the beach, so he and I had skipped it.

We were in a different place this year, I realized as I carried him along the side of the road toward the beach. Though I still often felt like an imposter, all too aware of how many ways I could screw up this little human, I guessed we were making progress.

“Look at us, little man,” I said to him. “Guys’ night at the beach. We’ll eat some dinner and play in the sand with your trucks.” I had an overstuffed diaper bag over my shoulder, complete with trucks and a sand bucket, beach towels around my neck, and his booster seat in my other hand.

There was no such thing as traveling light with a toddler.

“Tuck,” he said joyfully.

“We brought your dump truck and your bulldozer. How’s that sound?”

Danny didn’t answer, his eyes glued to the gathering that came into view with my every step.

There were clusters of people standing and talking, most of them in swimsuits, coverups, wide-brimmed hats, ball caps. Though it was after five, the late-August sun still beat down hot. Danny and I would be taking a dip to cool down at some point.

Several grade-school-age kids splashed and chased each other in the shallow water. A trio of middle-school girls stood in bikinis, trying to look grown-up, their incessant giggles proving otherwise.

I spotted Mills talking to Lisa and her wife, Beth Ann, along with Michael Clausen, the biology teacher, and his wife, Kristina. Ty Bishop, who taught econ and coached the varsity basketball team, was playing two-on-two volleyball with Jasmine Hughes, Amber Ullman, and Amber’s boyfriend. I laughed as Jasmine spiked one emphatically on six-foot-four Ty and scored.

“Bah,” Danny said, pointing at the volleyball in the sand.

“That’s a volleyball,” I told him, loving his inherent interest in all things sports related.

Some baby babble came out of his mouth that I thought meant volleyball. I smiled and kissed his forehead.

“Hey, Coach.” Several people greeted me as we arrived.

“Hi, guys,” I said. “Can you say hi, Danny?”

My son burrowed his head into my chest, which elicited several awws from nearby women.

“Such a doll,” Jody Rivas said.

“Need some help, Max?” Rissa Raymond was suddenly in our space, reaching for the diaper bag. She was single, transparent, and persistent in her quest to worm her way into my life. I’d never given her any reason to believe I was interested.

“I’ve got it. Thanks,” I told her in a friendly but noncommittal tone. Without making eye contact with her, I continued toward Mills, Lisa, and Beth Ann, greeting everyone as I passed, leaving Rissa behind.

“Ooh, here comes that handsome little boy,” Beth Ann cooed as I approached. She waved at Danny. “Hello, Daniel. Remember me?”

Instead of hiding, Danny nodded shyly. He’d met her a few times, and she always fussed over him enough to make an impression.

“Want to set up by us?” Lisa asked, gesturing toward an umbrella, a large blanket spread over the sand, and a single beach chair next to it.

“I forgot to pack a blanket,” I muttered.

“You can share ours,” Beth Ann said. She took the booster chair from me. “We’ll set this up on the blanket, and your daddy can sit right next to you,” she told Danny.

I gladly let her take the chair and followed her. Lisa moved their bag so there was more space.