The Hero (Thunder Point #3)(58)

“Will it still be light when we get home?”

“Barely. Why?”

“I wanna get out on the bay. Just for a little while.”

“You’ll have plenty of time tomorrow. We should call your dad, let him know we connected and are on the way.”

“I called him once already,” Austin said. “Can I have pizza?”

“Sure,” Cooper said. And while they waited in the food line, Cooper texted, The package has been delivered. They had about three minutes to spare when they got back to the gate and were immediately boarding. Cooper’s phone chimed and he looked at the response, Tell the package I’m ready for him to be home.

“I think your dad missed you,” Cooper said with a laugh. “He said he’s ready for you to be home.”

“I think maybe three weeks is too long,” Austin said. “They need naps.”

“Everyone who hangs out with you seems to need a nap. What do you suppose the common denominator is there?”

“I’m gonna have a new school,” he said. “It could suck.”

“It’s a good school—it probably won’t suck. You’ll make friends easy.”

“Why?”

Cooper shrugged. “One of your dads is the football coach and the other one owns the beach bar. We’re cool.”

“Yeah, I have two dads,” he said. “I don’t care, you know, but it’s kind of weird...”

“Not nearly as weird as you think. People get divorced and remarry all the time. There’s the original dad and the next dad. Happens all the time. At least both your dads are very cool.” Then he grinned stupidly, very uncomfortable with this ten-year-old’s dilemma. “Same thing with moms. I think Sarah is now your stepmom. And a lot of people have seen your dad around town with Devon, who I think he likes.”

That got Austin’s attention. “Does she like football?”

“Yeah. She does. I think she knows more about football than I do.”

“I know more about football than you do,” he said, grinning his crooked-toothed grin. And Cooper thought, We’re going to have to set him up with braces soon. Do we split the cost on that?

“Watch it, now. I know a lot about football. The town’s gonna look so different, you’ll think I took a wrong turn. The hillside on the beach is a wreck, there are two new roads getting finished, in another week or two, they’re going to start the foundation for the new house. They’d like to get as much done as possible before they get weathered out. And, of course, football officially starts. Your dad says he’s got a good team...and everyone in town has an opinion or some advice for him.” He cleared his throat. “I’m looking forward to watching Landon play.”

“Who’m I gonna sit with?” Austin asked.

Cooper had a flashback. He’d been the new kid a lot growing up and there was a pang of memory about being at the end of a lunch table...alone. Walking to classes...alone. Wondering who would be his friend and half the time making a bad choice.

“Well, you’re not obligated, but I always sit with the McCains—Gina, Mac, Aunt Lou. Sometimes other friends and their kids join us. Once school gets started you’ll probably find your own gang of kids you want to sit with, but Gina and Mac always go early to get a good spot and it’s not torture, sitting with us. We bring a cooler and snacks. And you seem to be a bottomless pit. So until you get acquainted, you can count on sitting with us.”

“I like to meet up with my dad after...sometimes the team goes out.”

“I can make sure you meet up with your dad...” And with a pathetic swirl in his chest he thought, Maybe I’ll even get invited along. Then he realized, he was merely mirroring Austin’s feelings. Empathizing. Poor kid—he must feel very vulnerable. “Most of the kids you’ve seen around the beach will be in your school.”

“I didn’t get to know ’em or anything.”

At least for Austin, it was doubtful he’d face this issue again. He’d probably graduate from Thunder Point high school. Cooper sought a happier subject. “Landon’s been at practice every morning, but afternoons he spends at the beach. I bet he can be talked into taking you out on the bay. You’re about ready to try out your own board, aren’t you?”

That got a grin. “I already have. When no one’s looking. No one except Landon.”

“You think no one’s looking,” Cooper said. “Was your visit with your grandma and grandpa great?”

He shrugged. “Pretty good. Being at their house... It made me miss my mom....”

“I guess it would,” Cooper said. “We’ll get your grandparents out to Oregon for a visit, get Grandpa out on the dock, fishing. Get Grandma on the back of that Jet Ski.”

Austin laughed at what must have been an amusing mental picture.

“Think you can show ’em how to get up on a board?”

“Bet I could,” he said. “I’m gonna need something, Cooper. Pretty soon I’m gonna need a wet suit, like Landon has.”

“Put it on your wish list. We got birthdays and Christmas and grades...”

“Grades?” Austin asked.

Cooper shrugged. “Sometimes when you get impressive grades, little rewards show up here and there.”