by Jen Davis
True story. The only person who hated him more than Patty these days was her mother. If he missed this chance to pick up Jimmy, there was no telling when Patty would offer again.
“I’m on my way.” He hung up quickly and turned the car toward her apartment.
For the millionth time, he imagined how much better his life would be if he could just get custody of Jimmy all to himself. He’d let Patty see him, of course, but no more of this twisted back and forth where he could only see his son when it was convenient for her.
A judge would make the decision soon enough.
He’d saved every cent he could. Paid an attorney to force a paternity test to legally establish himself as Jimmy’s father. Then, he’d paid even more to file for primary custody.
Mr. Bolton was the best lawyer he could afford, but the man had warned him not to get his hopes up too high. He’d said, in most cases, a judge would side with the mother.
Poor Patty. Had a baby with the man she thought was her best friend, the man who not only let her think they’d get married and backed out but wanted to take their child away from her to boot.
She turned on the tears, and everyone wanted to comfort her. And, somehow, he became the villain in this piece. He’d loved Patty once, but never the way she wanted, and she’d never forgiven him for it. He blamed himself for the destruction of their friendship, but he couldn’t let it excuse her behavior.
Pulling to stop at a red light, he squeezed his eyes closed.
He’d lost things too.
Three and a half years on scholarship at Georgia Tech had left him so close to his dream. He needed only nine more credit hours—basically, three classes—to finish his bachelor’s degree in architecture. The dumbest part: they were all electives. He’d already finished with the core curriculum, but he needed a full-time job to pay for diapers and food and daycare.
The scholarship he’d earned had only applied if he was a full-time student, and he couldn’t carry a full course load while working forty hours a week. Off scholarship, it cost hundreds of dollars to take an individual class at night. He’d finally saved up enough to take one this semester. The computer science class required very little studying or effort. Math and sciences had always come naturally. After this, he had only two classes left, and really, they could be anything. If his life hadn’t taken a turn, he’d be finished by now. A familiar pang of regret thumped in his chest.
Not for having Jimmy, but for the timing of it all. Just a few more months and he could’ve been safely ensconced in an internship instead of hefting beams and nailing up sheet rock.
He shook his head against the familiar thoughts as he turned onto Patty’s street. His dreams weren’t over. They’d just slowed down. It wasn’t a question of if he’d finish school…but when.
Jimmy had to be his priority, though. The custody battle meant he needed money for the lawyer, a good home, and a steady income. His dreams had to take a backseat, and it would be worth it if it meant more time with his boy.
When he pulled up outside the apartment complex, two minutes remained in the fifteen-minute window it usually took him to get there. Still, she already stood in the parking lot, a crying child perched on her hip.
The little boy reached for him the moment he stepped close. Tears stained his chubby toddler cheeks.
“What’s wrong?” Matt swept Jimmy into his arms and rocked him gently.
Patty rolled her eyes. “He’s teething, Matt. Stop overreacting.” She thrust the diaper bag at him and flipped her braids behind her right shoulder.
His heart lurched at her venomous tone, and he wished for the thousandth time he could’ve been the man she’d wanted him to be. Her life—their lives—would be so different now if he could be like everyone else. If he could just feel some attraction, some desire for her…for anyone. But he never felt a spark. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t force it, not beyond the one night that had resulted in Jimmy. And trying to fake it afterward had only made things worse.
He sighed. “You ever going to tell me about this new job of yours?”
“Back off. We’re not friends anymore. My life is my business.” She turned and headed toward the curb where the bus came to a stop. Not so much as a second look at him or the little boy, whose cries had mellowed to an occasional hiccup.
It wasn’t that she didn’t love Jimmy. Matt knew she did. It was the boy’s father she hated.
“Da!” Jimmy proclaimed, his sticky hand patting Matt’s cheek.
He hugged the baby close. “Yeah, Jimmy. Daddy’s here.” His heart settled, breathing in the smell of his son.
He strapped Jimmy into his car seat and headed back to his apartment. There, he’d have everything to meet his son’s needs, from a bath to a sippy-cup to his favorite stuffed giraffe.
Jimmy whined from the backseat—a telltale precursor to more unhappy tears.
“Hey, buddy.” Matt put as much cheer into his voice as he could. “Wanna sing with Daddy?”
The whining stopped.
Singing was never one of his favorite pastimes, but he’d run through Piedmont Park in a chicken suit to make his son laugh. Being Jimmy’s father was the most important, most rewarding, thing in his life. “Old MacDonald had a farm.”
Jimmy joined in with an off key “ee-i-ee-i-oh.”
He’d have enough time to get through all of Jimmy’s favorite animals between here and home.
Then, he needed a plan.
No problem.
Tomorrow, he’d bring Jimmy to the drop-in church daycare while he went to work. He was low on diapers, but if Patty didn’t show up to take the baby back, he could pick up some more at Walmart. Maybe some of those puffed rice treats Jimmy liked so much. Their baby department was a one-stop shop.
Too bad he could never find what he needed most on a store shelf. Something to bring back the woman who used to be his best friend.
Chapter THREE
Matt
Matt’s stomach rumbled when he woke up, but he only had time to grab a granola bar before his quick rinse in the shower. He’d set his alarm early and skipped his morning workout, but he had to keep a brisk pace. It would take an extra thirty minutes just to bring Jimmy to daycare before work.
Thank God, Kim, the lady who ran the place, had a soft spot for his mom. Kim’s mother had been a patient at the nursing home where Matt's mom worked, and Kim said Mrs. York had gone above and beyond in taking care of her. Finding a good daycare was hard enough; finding a good place willing to take drop-ins was even harder.
He’d lain in the bed the night before, staring blankly at the Farscape action figures on top of his dresser, trying to plot out a plan to find some extra money, not only for his custody fight, but to help out his mom. The nursing home had never paid well, and she had let go of her second job a few weeks back. At her age, forty hours a week was hard enough; sixty was out of the question. Only now, without the extra income, she struggled to make ends meet.
His mom had supported him on her own his entire life. Now he needed to step up for her.
Jimmy played with some plastic blocks in his playpen as Matt toweled off, the baby’s happy babbling the only sound in the quiet bedroom.
His toes dug into the soft rug next to the bed for a moment before he slipped on his boxer briefs and khakis. He loved his apartment, but maybe it was a luxury to have his own place right now. Maybe he should move back in with his mom for a while and help her with the bills.
He shut down the line of thought as quickly as it came. He’d need this place if he ever wanted a chance for custody. His mom had made it very clear, no matter how much she had his back in everything else, she’d never be a part him trying to “snatch that baby away from his mother.” Too many years as a single mom gave her a huge blind spot. Besides, a judge would never take him seriously if it looked like he couldn’t support himself on his own.
No. What he needed to do was earn some more money, which meant taking on a second job, maybe even t
he bartending thing Robby had suggested.
A stack of diapers, wipes, and a change of clothes went into Jimmy’s bag. If he hurried, he could get to Little Darlings before they served the kids breakfast. “Wanna go see Miss Kim, Jimbo?”
Jimmy laughed and clapped his hands as Matt swooped him up into his arms and grabbed his keys by the Buffy keychain Patty had given him once upon a time.
Money worries couldn’t compete with the kind of joy his son displayed. He laughed along with his boy, all the way to the car, and sang his favorite Wiggles songs on the road to the daycare. They arrived with five minutes to spare before the eight o’clock breakfast time.
The lobby of the daycare had sky-blue walls painted with puffy white clouds and a dozen brightly colored balloons floating among them. Two preschool age children sat together on a white bench below a large window into the newborn area. The director and one of the assistants stood behind the check-in desk on the right.
Kim raised an eyebrow when he and Jimmy stepped toward her. “Is that Jimmy York I see?” Her voice was exaggerated for the toddler’s benefit.
Jimmy giggled when he heard his name.
“You want to go have a muffin with Miss Stephanie? Are you hungry, baby?”
Matt gave his boy a quick kiss as the assistant whisked him away to the little cafeteria, the two preschoolers following behind them. He set the diaper bag on the desk. “Thanks for taking him at the last minute.”
She shook her head, the tiny beads in her braids clinking gently. “You know I am always here for your family.” Her brow wrinkled. “His mama still messing with you?”
He hated talking about Patty and the way she was behaving, but Kim had to understand why he so desperately needed her to be able to take Jimmy with barely a moment’s notice. He nodded, jaw tight, as he pushed his credit card toward her. “I just wish she’d agree to a permanent arrangement.” Every time he broached the subject, though, she shot him down.
Kim patted his hand before accepting the payment. “He’ll be safe with me. And he’s welcome anytime.” She swiped the card, then handed it back. “Now get on out of here,” she drawled. “You’re gonna be late for work.”
A quick glance at the clock perched near the red painted balloon confirmed she was right.
He double timed it back to the car. His job was too important to dawdle. He cued up his favorite gamer podcast to take his mind off his money troubles, and it worked like a charm. He even found a few new cheat codes to try when he got home.
Score.
Robby’s car was the only one there when he arrived.
Climbing out of his Ford, he strapped on his hardhat and approached the home site. The build was coming along nicely. The windows were delivered late yesterday, and they’d install them today. This was one of two houses they were working on this month in the development.
Cooper Construction was sub-contracting for Berringer Homes these days, and while it meant less creativity among the designs, it also meant guaranteed work as long as this subdivision kept growing. Steady construction work during the winter season was nothing to sneeze at, though now, as they moved into spring, it would mean a much more robust market.
Robby stood in the open, unfinished garage, scribbling something onto the paper on his clipboard. Though he had worked with the guy for more than a year, he could probably count on one hand the number of times he’d seen him without the clipboard in his hands or without his ever-present long-sleeved Oxford shirt.
Stepping forward, his foot crushed a soda can someone had left in the dirt in front of the house. Robby looked up, then froze in place.
Matt smiled despite himself. He found it hard to be nervous around someone even more anxious than he was. “Hey, Robby.”
The man’s eyes widened at the greeting, and it only made Matt’s smile surge.
He didn’t talk much at work, he knew, but it was kind of funny that a simple hello would prompt such surprise, especially after they’d just hung out last night. It just took him a while to warm up to people, and he needed this job so much, he usually found it safer to keep his head down to avoid any trouble. He had more than enough trouble at home.
“I had a really good time at the party.” He tipped his hardhat as he walked past. “Thanks again for the bartending suggestion. I think I’m going to give it a try. Maybe flash a smile or two.”
Chuckling, he caught Robby’s blush out of the corner of his eye.
Not even a minute later—he wasn’t sure, but he thought he heard Robby laugh softly, then start humming under his breath. Shaking his head, Matt pulled the gloves out his back pocket and slipped them on to start his day.
***
Robby
Robby didn’t even realize the song in his head was passing his lips until Kane belted out the chorus.
Oh no. He might have been dancing too.
He closed his eyes, clamped his jaw shut, and prayed the ground would swallow him whole.
Not only did the ground refuse to comply, but Kane added insult to injury with a full belly laugh so loud the crews working down the street probably heard him. “Aw, don’t stop on my account, kid. I was ready to sing the harmony.”
Brick laughed.
Great. Not only one, but two people had witnessed his performance.
The big man tousled his hair. “Keep practicing, and you can give Ed Sheeran a run for his money.”
Kane put his hand over his heart and waltzed around the room by himself, humming the melody to one of the singer’s older ballads. Then, he fell flat on his backside when Brick subtly stuck his big booted foot in his path.
Watching the former biker wipe out so spectacularly cured Robby of any lingering embarrassment. He held his hand out to Kane. “No offense, but maybe you should stick to dancing with a partner.”
Kane laughed as he accepted the help up, and if Robby hadn’t planted his feet so firmly, he would have tumbled onto the floor beside him. “I haven’t had much practice, but maybe my wife will take pity on me when I tell her about this.” He smirked at Brick. “Especially since they weren’t my own feet I tripped over.”
Brick dismissed the pointed words with a wave of his hand. “No one cares about your big-ass feet. What I want to know is what has Robby here on Cloud Nine?”
“Big night last night, brother?” Kane waggled his eyebrows.
And just like that, the blood came rushing back to Robby’s face. With the things he’d seen and done in his lifetime, most people would’ve lost the ability to blush, but Robby had no such luck. If there had been anything in the garage, he would have been tempted to hide behind it. Unfortunately, the wide-open space mocked him.
“Don’t be an asshole.” Brick’s words may have been harsh, but his tone remained mild. He took a swig from a gas station coffee cup Robby hadn’t noticed before. “Seriously, though, did you have a date or something after you left last night, Robby? You know you could tell us if you’re seeing someone, right?”
He did. Brick would probably celebrate the idea. The guy had known for months how he felt about Matt but had never once made him feel like a fool for chasing a lost cause. Not that there was any chasing involved. It was more like staring longingly at a lost cause when no one was looking.
Or maybe everyone was looking.
Brick had figured it out and so had Kane.
Robby hadn’t quite worked out all the nuances of how to be subtle. He shrugged, trying to pull it off anyway. “No date. Nothing’s going on. Really.”
Of course, Matt picked that moment to stick his head back into the garage. “Did I leave my water bottle in here?”
Trying to ignore Kane’s smirk, Robby relaxed his features into a soft smile. “You didn’t bring one in.”
“Must’ve left it in the car,” Matt murmured and disappeared as quickly as he had shown up.
As the front door closed, Kane snickered. Brick elbowed him in the side.
“Aw, c’mon,” Kane groused. “That shit was funny!”
&
nbsp; The corner of Brick’s mouth quirked up, and Kane huffed in response. “It always comes back to Matt. What happened when you two were out on the porch last night? Did you finally manage to have a conversation with the guy? Is he what all the happy singing was about?”
Robby’s smile fell, and it must have been obvious because Kane sighed and looked at the ceiling.
“I’m not trying to hurt your feelings. Trust me, I’m the poster child for holding on to lost causes. Thirteen fucking years after we broke up, I hadn’t let go of Mandy.”
“And look at you now.” He knew he sounded ridiculous, even as the words came out of his mouth. It didn’t change the truth of it. Kane and his wife had the kind of relationship he could only dream of. And he’d resolved five years ago to look at life on the bright side whenever he could. At times, optimism was the only thing able to keep memories of his past from eating him whole.
Kane rubbed his cheek, the pressure briefly turning the pink line of his scar white. “Yeah. And God knows, I’m grateful. But the way I was living all those years, that shit wasn’t good for me. Not any more than this is good for you.”
“What Kane is trying to say is—”
Kane elbowed Brick as he stepped forward. “Don’t tell me what I’m trying to say. I can say it just fine. Matt has an old lady and a kid. Maybe he’s happy; maybe he’s not. Who knows?”
He lifted his shoulders in an exaggerated shrug. “Maybe he likes a little of the D on the down-low. You wanna find out? Be his dirty little secret on the side? Or do you want a chance to be really happy? What I am trying to say is to put yourself out there. Find some dude who wants the same shit you do. Find somebody who can love you. Stop wasting time on a fantasy and live your life, kid.”
It used to bother him when the guys called him a kid. He used to think it meant they saw him as less than equal. But could he really blame them? It’s why they were so protective.