Page 15 of A Little Luck
I can’t stay here, and I’m practically jogging away from her in the direction I came.
“Adam…” she calls after me. “Wait! You don’t understand.”
No, I don’t understand, and at this point, I don’t think I ever will.
Adrenaline surges in my veins, and I slow to a walk, heading in the direction of my mother’s house.
I got a text last week from a number I haven’t seen in eight years. It was followed by an email that I dismissed without a thought.
Now I’m giving it a thought.
When I came back to Eureka, I had only one thing on my mind—earning Piper’s love, proving to her I’d changed, and showing her I could be the man she and Ryan needed me to be.
Returning to the circuit was not in my plans, but after tonight, I’m rethinking my decision. Checking my phone, it’s almost eleven.
The lights are off at Mom’s house, and I hesitate. I can’t wake the boys, but I don’t want to disappear without talking to him.
I’m standing in the driveway contemplating my options when the soft noise of laughter quirks my ears. A flashlight draws my attention to the backyard, and I trot around to see four little bodies all sitting inside the net surrounding the large trampoline.
“Where’s my golden arm?” Owen’s voice is wavering and spooky, and I know that scary story.
Inside the netting, I see Pinky and Crimson clutching each other, and Ryan is sitting beside his friend flicking the flashlight off and on.
I can’t resist. Creeping up beside the round structure, I say loudly, “I have it!”
Four screams ring out so loudly, my ears crackle. Britt’s bloodhound lets out a loud barking-howl, and Ryan throws the flashlight in the air.
It bounces off the trampoline behind them, and Owen yells, “Uncle Adam!”
Pinky is on her feet, charging to the split in the net. “I have to go!”
Holding out my hands, I catch her under her arms, lowering her to the ground. “You okay, P?”
She doesn’t answer, and Crimson pats my shoulder fast. I put her on her feet, and she races after her friend into the house.
“She peed her pants.” Ryan is at the side of the trampoline doing his best not to laugh.
“Dang, I’m sorry.” I hold his arm as he hops down. “I thought it would be funny.”
“Oh, it was funny all right.” Owen snorts, and he climbs to the ground beside me, too. “What are you doing here?”
“I actually wanted to stop by and talk to… you.” I point to Ryan, but now that I’m here, I realize how much time I’ve spent with both the boys these last years.
Only Ryan doesn’t have a dad.
I lower to a squat, and he puts his hand on my shoulder. “What’s up?”
He’s almost nine, and he’s already starting to seem more like a little man.
I rest my hand on his waist. “A friend of mine is taking a trip, and he asked me to go with him. It’s something I need to do, so I’m going to go.”
“Where is it?” His expression is worried, but he does his best to act mature.
It reminds me he’ll be hitting puberty soon, and I want to be here for him, for the questions and the unexpected changes he won’t want to talk about with his mom.
Looking down, I try to think about how to phrase this so it doesn’t seem like I’m running away. I’m not running away. I just need time to get a handle on my feelings for Piper. I need distance so I can compartmentalize them and be a better friend to them.
“Moloka’i.” He squints, and I continue. “It’s one of the Hawaiian Islands.”