An elderly couple stood just inside the doorway to the small restaurant, and Tony lingered with the door open to allow the pair to go out. By the time he was able to close the door, Sabrina and Levi were already seated. In a booth. On the same side. He sighed.
Levi picked the conversation back up. “Bradley said Salt Creek has its own festival that’s even better than Spring Ho.”
Sabrina played with her napkin. “The Harvest Festival takes place at the end of September. It may have changed, but when I was a kid, it didn’t have a carnival. It was mostly vegetables and animals.”
“Animals? Like dogs and cats?” He perked up.
“No. Farm animals. Sheep, steer and lots of pigs. It’s where a lot of kids get their animals for the livestock show.”
“What’s a livestock show?”
Tony bit his lip to suppress his smile. Levi had been raised in the city, just like he’d been. “Kids across the county spend months raising farm animals. The stock show is like a contest to see who’s done the best job.”
“They judge you for feeding a farm animal?” Levi’s voice raised an octave. “Maybe I should be in it. I feed Grandpa’s pigs and goat every day.”
This time, Tony couldn’t hold in his chuckle. “It’s a little more complicated than that. Not only do they feed the animal, but they work with it every day to get it to do what they want. Some of the animals, like steers and sheep, have to hold still a long time so the judges can check them. It takes a lot of practice to teach the animals to do that.”
Sabrina glanced up from the menu. “You also have to keep a log every day on how much you feed them and how much they weigh. Sometimes you even have to take their temperature.”
Her eyes caught Tony’s and they both stifled a grin. He gave Levi a pat on the arm. “Whatever you do, don’t ever let your mom talk you into helping her with that.”
She leaned over to her son and whispered, “Don’t listen to him, Levi. It’s not my fault Tony didn’t know how to check Daisy’s temperature.”
“Daisy?” Tony snorted. “You mean Killer.”
Levi gave Tony a confused look. Four coffee cups sat upside down on their saucers on the back edge of the table. He slid one of the cups toward Sabrina and then one toward himself, flipping them right side up so the waitress could fill them.
Sabrina laughed again. “Levi, in case you didn’t know, in order to take an animal’s temperature, you have to insert the thermometer in their rear end.”
“And, by the way, sheep don’t much like getting their temperature taken.” Tony gave Sabrina a mock glare. “I had hoof prints on my chest for two weeks.”
“It kicked you?” Levi was fascinated.
Sabrina broke into another fit of giggles. “Kicked him. Butted him. Ran over him a few times. Sheep, one. Tony, zero.”
Tony was struck with an overwhelming desire to run his fingers through her silky hair. His gaze lingered on her lips. “I almost forgot what a cute giggle you have. It’s nice to hear it again. Even if it was at my own expense.”
Levi made a face. “You showed animals, Mom?”
“Sheep and pigs. Dad wouldn’t let me have a steer. He thought they were too much work.”
He leaned back in the seat and tapped one finger on his chin. “Do you think I could try?”
“What kind of animal would you want to show?” Tony ignored the glare from Sabrina. “It’s a big commitment. You’d have to take care of it every day.”
Levi lifted his chin. “I can do it.”
“Maybe you should check with your mother before you decide anything.” Sarcasm laced Sabrina’s words. Her eyes never left Tony as she spoke. “I don’t think Tony is the best one to talk to about commitment, anyway. He never raised show animals.”
Tony winced at the subtle dig. “No. I didn’t raise animals when I was a kid.” He returned Sabrina’s stare. “I didn’t really understand how commitment worked then. Now I do.”
She shifted in her seat, but continued to hold his gaze. He held it as long as he could before turning his attention back to the window. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see her staring at him.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
GENE’S RESTAURANT SAT on the town square in Lampasas. Like so many other places in Texas, the town square had once been the hub of activity. Now most of the stores were situated along the highway that cut through town. She picked up a menu and scanned it quickly before setting it down. “The choices haven’t changed much.” With her elbows on the table, she rested her chin on one hand, her eyes unreadable as she stared at him. “I haven’t been here since high school.”
“Me, either.” Tony turned his attention to Levi. “This was your grandpa’s favorite place to eat. Once he woke your mom up at one o’clock in the morning so she could drive him down here for breakfast.”
Levi raised his eyebrows. “Really, Mom? One o’clock in the morning?”
Sabrina nodded, biting her lip. “More than once, actually. He’d get a craving for biscuits and gravy, and off we’d go.”
Only Sabrina usually wasn’t asleep. Or alone. Tony had made a habit of crawling through her bedroom window after her curfew so they could spend more time together. No one would’ve believed that two teenagers would sit up all night, just talking. They’d hear Dad stomping down the hall just in time for Tony to hide in the closet. The memory made her smile and the pensive look on Tony’s face said he was thinking about it, too.
“You seem to be enjoying your time in town. Did you change your mind about living in the middle of nowhere?”
He shrugged. “It’s growing on me. You lived in Houston a while. Did you like the city?”
“Not at all.” She let out a wistful sigh. Closing the menu, she turned her attention to Levi. “Did you decide what you wanted to eat?”
“Can I order whatever I want?” Levi asked.
“Anything.”
“Okay.” Grinning, he set his menu down.
The waitress appeared. “What can I get y’all?”
Levi spoke up. “I’d like a grilled bacon and cheese sandwich, please. With hash browns.”
Tony handed the waitress his menu. “I’ll have the same thing.”
Sipping her coffee, Sabrina avoided his gaze. Tony was probably wondering why Levi had just ordered Tony’s favorite sandwich.
“Levi, you said you like baseball. What other sports do you play?”
Levi shrugged. “I don’t know. I only played at the Y. I’ve never been on a real team.”
Tony cleared his throat. “What about soccer? That starts soon.”
Sabrina had already looked into it but the registration fees for new players were too high. There was no way she could afford it. “I think it’s too late to register.”
“Jarrod’s the coach and he said he needs a few more players.” Tony leaned forward. “Let me talk to him and see what I can do.”
“Bradley’s dad?” Levi asked.
“Yes.” Tony looked at Sabrina. “Is that all right with you?”
Sabrina tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. Giving Levi a sorrowful glance, she lifted her chin. “Thank you, but that won’t be possible.”
“Why?” Both Tony and Levi spoke in unison.
Gritting her teeth, she glared at Tony. Didn’t he think she’d already looked into it? “What do you think I’m in Lampasas for? I’m applying for the nursing program. I’ll have classes every day after work. How am I supposed to get him to practice when I’m going to be at class?”
“That’s not a problem.” Tony met her stubborn gaze with one of his own. “I can take him to practice.”
But he wasn’t going to be here. By that time, he’d be back at work in San Antonio. Levi didn’t know that yet and she wasn’t about to be the one to tell him. She took a deep
breath. “It’s not possible right now.”
Levi watched the exchange. “Why not, Mom?” His eyes opened wide as a thought occurred to him. “It’s because of the money, isn’t it?”
“We’ll discuss this later. At home. Alone.”
Tony ignored her. Leaning forward, he asked Levi, “Do you have a soccer ball or any equipment?”
“No.”
“I guess fishing can wait until after we go shopping.”
Sabrina stood up. “I want to speak to you. Outside. Now.”
Levi whistled. “I think you’re in trouble.”
“I’ll deal with you later, young man.” She walked out and paced back and forth along the side of the building until Tony joined her.
He was confused. “Exactly what did I do wrong?”
Was he just teasing her or did he honestly not know? Her nostrils flared. “You are deliberately trying to undermine me in front of my son.”
“That’s not what I meant to do.”
“Don’t you think I want to let him play? I looked into that team when Marissa told me about it, and there’s no way I can afford it.”
“And if I pay for it?” He arched one dark eyebrow.
Sabrina shook her head. “I’ve raised him for almost ten years without accepting charity from anyone. I’m not going to start now.”
Now it was Tony’s turn to be angry. “It’s not charity. He’s my son. Stop being so stubborn and let me do something for him.”
“Fine. You can pay for it. But that doesn’t solve the problem of him getting to practices.”
Tony’s mouth gaped open. “I just told you I’d take him to practice.”
“How’re you going to take him to practice in September when you go back to San Antonio? I had two conditions, Tony. Don’t make promises you can’t keep.”
He stepped back like he’d been burned. “You’re so sure that I’m going to flake out on you. September is less than two months away and you’ve already pushed me out of the picture.”
The only way to protect her heart was to remind herself that he was leaving. “What do you want from me?”
Tony took her by the shoulders. “I want you to give me the benefit of the doubt. I want you to trust me.”
“I’ll give in, for now. But I don’t trust you.” She couldn’t.
Levi was already eating when the two of them sat back down at the table. He exchanged a worried glance with Tony. “Look, Mom. Tony ordered the same sandwich as me.”
“Really? What a coincidence.” Except it wasn’t. She hadn’t realized how much of Tony she’d impressed upon her son.
“Since your mom agreed to let you play soccer, what’s your favorite position?”
The conversation between the two of them continued as Sabrina played with her food.
Levi was enjoying the attention, but she sensed something was wrong. He’d always been a what you see is what you get kind of kid. He didn’t pull punches with anyone. One more personality trait he seemed to have inherited from Tony.
When Tony left the table to pay, Levi turned to her. “Do you still love him?”
She almost choked on her coffee. “I haven’t seen the man since high school. Why would you even ask me that?”
“You look at him funny.”
She brought her hand to her mouth. Levi was more intuitive than she’d given him credit for. “He’s changed a lot since we were kids. I guess I’m just trying to figure him out.”
“Ready?” Tony reappeared at the table.
“Sure.” Levi took one last sip of his drink before standing up.
Tony’s hand at the small of her back burned a hole through her thin cotton dress as she followed Levi to the door. He kept his hand on her waist all the way to the car, only moving it to open the door for her.
The ride to the college admissions office was quiet. When Tony pulled into the parking lot, he turned to her. “We can wait here if you’d like. How long will it take you?”
Sabrina shook her head. “You promised Levi a new soccer ball and that’s exactly what you’re going to do.” She opened her car door. “Take your time. I’ll text you when I’m ready.”
* * *
THE FOLLOWING WEEK the soreness in his chest and shoulder had eased enough to allow him to go back to Little Mountain. He wanted to spend as much time with his son as possible, but he couldn’t back out on his commitment to the kids at the home. Especially when Jarrod informed him that he’d received a tip that a major drug deal was running through the home. So Tony spent every morning with Levi and dropped him back home on his way to Little Mountain.
By the end of the week, Tony’s cop senses were on full alert. He didn’t miss the glances exchanged between a few of the older boys when he walked into the room. Only Martin went out of his way to be friendly to Tony and stuck to him whenever he was there. Tony wasn’t fooled. It was the age-old mantra. Keep your enemies closer.
Martin, the oldest, thought himself to be the leader of the boys. He’d been raised by an elderly grandmother who let him run wild on the streets, and he had a rap sheet longer than any other boy there. The two things missing from his impressive résumé of crimes were drugs and weapons. If Martin was involved in either, he was smart enough not to get caught. From the judge’s perspective, Martin was a troubled kid who needed a second chance. Little Mountain was a way to keep out of juvie.
At the home, Kyle rarely spoke to Tony. He kept to himself for the most part, but some type of animosity had developed between Kyle and Martin. More than once Martin stepped into Kyle’s path to bump shoulders with him. Not once did Kyle rise to the bait.
Whatever Martin was up to, Kyle wasn’t going along with it. Now, if he could just get Kyle to tell him what that was.
In the back of the hardware store, working on Tony’s old car, Kyle was in his element, a totally different kid. He chatted and joked with Tony and Papa. Blasting the radio on an old country station, he knew the words to songs that were even before Papa’s time. Red Sovine. Hank Snow. Kyle knew them all by heart.
Since Kyle had begun to let himself in and out of the building, Papa had started taking inventory twice a week. Tony busied himself by straightening the shelves. He didn’t relax until Papa tapped his pencil on the clipboard and nodded. Then he would hang the clipboard on the back wall, whistling happily.
Was that how everyone had felt about him at one time? Saying that they trusted him but going behind him and double-checking his work?
“Tony?” Kyle called to him from the door to the back room.
Tony looked up from the shelf he was stocking. “How’s the work going?”
Kyle pulled himself up straight. “I’m finished.”
In less than three weeks? “Really?”
“Yes, sir. Would you like to check it out?”
Tony patted the young man on the back. “Can’t wait. Let’s go.” He followed the lanky teen to the back room.
Even though the roll-up door to the warehouse was open, the smell of grease and oil hung thick in the air. A fan in the corner of the room worked overtime, trying to blow the fumes outside. The old car sat in the middle of the room with its hood up. Not a speck of dirt marred the floor, and the tools lay on the counter in an orderly line. Tony’s chest swelled with pride.
Kyle bounced with impatience as Tony climbed into the muscle car and turned the key in the ignition. The car roared to life. Pressing his foot on the gas pedal, he felt the hum of the engine vibrate through him.
“Well?” Kyle’s brown eyes searched Tony’s. He tapped a wrench against his leg as he waited for Tony’s approval.
Tony turned the ignition off and pulled himself out of the car. “You think you did a good job on the car?”
Kyle stepped back. “No one could get that car running better. No on
e.”
“Good.” Tony pulled a card from his wallet and handed it to him. “A friend of mine in Lampasas could use some help in his garage. Interested?”
“You mean, like a job? A real job?” Kyle looked at the business card. His shoulders slumped. “Mr. Anderson will never let me do it.”
Tony grinned. “Chris will, if you’ve got a sponsor who is willing to accept responsibility for you while you’re out of his supervision.”
“I don’t have a sponsor.”
“You do now.” Tony patted Kyle on the arm. “Chris Mortenson offered you a job, and I’ll be your sponsor. And you can use the car whenever you want.”
“You mean to go to work.”
“No. I mean whenever you want.” Tony tossed him the keys. “Keep it parked here when you’re not using it.”
Kyle’s eyes narrowed. He fingered the keys in his hand. “Why? What’s in it for you?”
Redemption. Peace. Could a seventeen-year-old identify with any of those? Probably not. “Revenge,” he said. Kyle could relate to that.
“On who?”
“Everyone who told me I’d never be worth anything. Everyone who’s still waiting for me to fail.” Tony didn’t want to get too serious with him, but now Kyle needed to know. “If you fail, I fail. I trust you. Don’t let me down.”
Looking Tony in the eye, Kyle nodded. “I won’t. See you at the counseling group tonight.” Walking over to the pegboard on the wall, he carefully hung the keys up and headed out.
The heavy metal door rolled shut with a thud, leaving Tony alone in the room. Most boys would’ve taken the keys, jumped in the car and been gone. Leaving them behind was a promise he wasn’t going to take advantage of Tony’s trust.
Mimicking his grandfather’s happy whistle from earlier, he sauntered back into the main building and almost ran into Sabrina.
“You busy?”
“No. What’s up?” Her long hair, usually pulled into messy bun, hung long and loose around her shoulders. Tony’s fingers itched to touch it.
Her Texas Rebel Page 17