That caused Leigh’s eyes to widen in surprise. “Dakota? Bullied? He doesn’t look like he could’ve been the kind of kid to get picked on. He’s big, strong and to-die-for handsome!”
“No one is immune, that’s what. He was dirt poor and his father is crazy as a bedbug. Those Jones kids—they grew up with a lot of drama going on. The other Jones kids did all right in that regard but seems like Dakota took a real hit. So he thinks if he’s a teacher, he can profile bullies, help with that problem. Plus, I think he likes kids.”
She just stared at Sully. “That’s wonderful,” she said. “I think I love him for that.”
“Yeah, it was my lucky day when Cal hung out in my campground and eventually married my daughter. I inherited a whole family. So what’s up with your family?”
“I talked to Aunt Helen just this morning. We’re going to sell the house we shared in Chicago. Then she’ll come here for a visit. I miss her. I haven’t seen her in a while. We went to Maui for some sun. But she’ll be here next month and she’ll stay while she plans her next move. A couple of months, probably.”
“Will you take time off then?” he asked.
“Maybe an extra day or two but Helen likes to stay busy. And she needs her writing time, which doesn’t include me. Usually about this time of year she makes all her plans for the trips she’ll take in the year to come. She goes to conferences, library events, visits friends all over the place. And she usually rents a house or condo in a warm place for winter.”
Rob delivered their plates. “Sully, just like you like it,” he said. “That burger should moo for you. And for you, Doctor, your boring turkey club.”
“I’m saving my heavy eating for a little later in the day so I don’t fall asleep while I’m icing an ankle or putting in stitches.”
“And we all appreciate that,” Rob said. “I’ll refill your drinks in a minute.”
“Are you on your own today?” Sully asked.
“Sid will be here soon but I’d insist on taking care of my two favorite customers even if she was here.” And then he was gone.
Sully took a big bite of his burger and savored it. His eyes were closed. He was in heaven.
Leigh took a more delicate bite, and she smiled at him.
“Your aunt Helen lives like she’s independently wealthy or something,” he said.
“I believe her writing keeps her comfortable,” Leigh said. “I’m sorry, I keep forgetting to get you a book! She’s become an expert at visiting friends.”
“Hmph. I’d be just as happy to never have to go farther than town,” Sully said.
“She might be spending winters in Florida from now on, for all I know.”
“She’d rather have hurricanes?” Sully asked.
Leigh laughed. “Good point. Do you like winter?”
“Winter here isn’t so bad,” he said. “So much skiing, skating, snowshoe hiking... Course, I’m very busy just keeping the road plowed and trying not to slip on the damn ice.”
“I enjoyed this winter,” she said. “It wasn’t nearly as challenging as winter in Chicago. Of course, I don’t have to contend with a freeway to get to work. Winter here seemed mild. Gentle.” And just the scenery, she remembered, was more like a snow globe than the harsh, blowing, difficult Midwestern city winter.
“Your aunt hike?” he asked.
“She likes long walks,” Leigh said. “She reads a lot. She writes three books a year. We talk about books all the time. She’ll call me and say, ‘What are you reading?’ And I’d better be reading something. But she’s so cool. I can’t wait to introduce you—I know you’ll like her.”
“I don’t know, I don’t read much,” he said, biting into that big burger again.
“I don’t think that’ll be a problem,” she said. “You’re not her niece.”
Finn and Maia were experts at texting. It wasn’t interesting stuff, just silly stuff, just keeping close tabs on each other. They weren’t allowed to use their phones in school; if a teacher saw a phone, it was confiscated. But there was time before school, during breaks, after school, while at work. They didn’t start eating lunch together right at the beginning of senior year—Maia had her posse of girls and Finn had his guys. But it wasn’t long before they merged those friends so they could be together. Finn liked to put a hand on her knee under the table; she liked to give him a brief kiss on the cheek before heading to the next class.
They saw each other whenever they could. They walked to classes together, they went out on weekends, and Maia liked to watch him practice with the baseball team. They did homework together now and then, sometimes at one of their houses, sometimes on the phone. Maia’s parents were ready to adopt Finn, and Rob and Sean were big Maia fans.
Then at night, they had those quiet serious talks that seemed to mark love in bloom. And there were long stretches of time when, phones pressed to their ears, they just listened to each other breathe.
Maia was not Finn’s first kiss but there hadn’t been that many girls before her. And he had fallen into those awesome, hot, steamy makeout sessions with Maia easily. And while love was in bloom, so was Colorado. Things were sprouting everywhere, from the ground to the treetops. April came with a blush on the land.
“It’s obvious you’re down for the count,” Rob said to his son. “I like Maia, she seems like a real nice girl...”
“She’s awesome. Brilliant and fun and cool,” Finn said.
“So, is there anything we should talk about?” Rob asked. “Like ground rules? Boundaries? Safety? Responsibility?”
“Haven’t we had this talk about fifty times?” Finn asked. “Maybe you should talk to Sean.”
“Does Sean have a girlfriend?” Rob asked, eyebrows raised with surprise.
“Probably,” Finn said. “He moves a little fast in that area. Faster than me.”
Finn had never dated seriously before Maia. His focus had really been on school, work and sports, not necessarily in that order. He had to do well in school—it was a means to an end. If he was going to live well and have good man-toys, he’d have to find a way to earn a good living. And he did not want to own a bar or restaurant.
Then he noticed Maia and, holy shit, by Thanksgiving of his senior year he had fallen hard. He loved everything about her—her skin, her hair, her voice, her scent, her shape, her brain, her personality. She was the only girl he’d ever known who had it all. Really, all. He just couldn’t believe she wanted to be with him.
He didn’t know if this was what love felt like but he couldn’t imagine it got any better.
He’d gotten his stitches out; the bandage was off but his hand still hurt sometimes, like when he caught a fly ball. He wasn’t playing that well. He was hitting okay, catching worse. It frustrated him but graduation was nigh and he knew he wasn’t scholarship material based on athletics. He was getting a little scholarship help at UC for academics. But he liked baseball and wanted to play. “You’re going to have to give it time,” Dr. Culver said. “It might be slightly sore when stressed for a few months.”
“So much for baseball,”