Total pages in book: 85
Estimated words: 82077 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 410(@200wpm)___ 328(@250wpm)___ 274(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 82077 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 410(@200wpm)___ 328(@250wpm)___ 274(@300wpm)
“Hey,” my son greeted me with a huge grin. “We went for Thai instead and we’re on our way home and Jake wanted pie.”
I turned to Sam. “You texted him.”
“As God is my witness, I did not.”
I was getting a shot of what was in the case at the diner close to our house.
“Key lime for me,” Sam told his son.
“Cherry for me, please,” I said with a sigh.
“I would get you your usual café au lait, but is it too late for you, old man?” Kola teased his father. “You have work in the morning.”
“Funny. You’re so funny,” Sam growled at him.
Kola cackled. “I love you,” he said, smiling, and then hung up.
Looking up, I realized that we were again the center of attention.
“That was your son?” Preston asked Sam.
“Kola, yeah. He’s at Stanford, he’s studying to be doctor, but he’s doing this term online. He’s going to California in the fall, and we’re really gonna miss him.”
He nodded. “You sound so close.”
“The I love you at the end sort of gutted me,” another woman assured us. “My kids don’t speak to me like that.”
And somehow, suddenly, everyone was talking about their kids. People had different experiences. Some close to their daughters but not their sons. Others were close but didn’t spend any quality time together. What was really nice was to finally find common ground. Phones came out and pictures were shown and everyone had beautiful children. Kola and Hannah were by far the most beautiful, but I was more than a bit biased.
“Where is Hannah going to college?” Meg asked us.
“We’re not sure yet,” I answered. “She hasn’t made a decision.”
“But she’s graduating this month,” she reminded us. “It’s awfully late not to know.”
“Hannah does things at her own pace,” Sam said flatly. “We’ve found it’s best not to rush her. She has to find her own path.”
And there were no more questions after that. Sam Kage had spoken.
When Sam had to take a call, Preston took that moment to take a seat on the coffee table across from me.
“I need to apologize.”
“For what?” I asked him.
He cleared his throat softly. “I just—Sam being gay, married to a man, just completely threw me for a loop. He was so different in high school, and that’s the last time I really knew him or spent any extended time with him.”
“I get that,” I told him. “But just so we’re clear, Sam is bi, right?”
“Oh, yes—sorry.”
“No, no need to be sorry, and there’s nothing to forgive about you bringing up your history together. That’s how you remember him.”
He nodded. “You’re very patient with me navigating what to me is the new Sam.”
“Well, I’m fairly certain that Sam isn’t your only friend who’s changed from high school,” I said, grinning at him.
“Oh no,” he agreed. “Not at all. I’ve been far more surprised.”
I gave him a quick pat on the knee and saw the relief wash over him as Sam appeared beside him.
“Hey, Preston, I’m sorry,” Sam began with a grimace. “We’re going to have to cut this short. I need to get to the airport.”
“Are you flying out?” I asked him, standing up, my stomach clenching just thinking about him leaving.
He made a face and then leaned down so he could whisper in my ear, “No. FBI agents lost a couple fugitives at O’Hare, so we need to find them.”
“US Marshals Fugitive Task Force,” I said dramatically, though softly. “Avengers…assemble.”
Straightening up, he shook his head as my phone chimed, along with his. “Oh no,” Sam said, chuckling. “I wonder what he did.”
“What’s going on?” Meg asked as she stepped in beside me, looking at my screen. My Chihuahua was being made to dance to “About Damn Time” by Lizzo. He was cabbage patching, as far as I could tell.
“When our animals do something naughty, they’re made to dance badly,” I told her. “The humiliation is their punishment.”
Meg chuckled. “And does it work?”
“I’m gonna say the jury’s still out,” Sam assured her with a grin. I saw her do the jolt that happened sometimes with people. It was like they saw him and then suddenly, all at once, normally when he smiled, actually realized that Sam Kage was utterly breathtaking.
“Thank you so much for having us,” I told her.
“I look forward to the next time,” she murmured, staring at my husband as she spoke.
Sam took my hand, waved to everyone, turned down the offer of dessert, and had the two of us outside walking back toward the car minutes later. His deep inhale was not lost on me.
“Didn’t love it there?”
He made a face.
“Well, we’ll invite Preston and Meg to our house next time.”
His pained expression told me that wasn’t at all necessary.
“So who are you going after?” I asked as we headed downtown. I was going to drop him at his building and drive the tank home.