An Unfinished Story(96)

Though they’d hit a few stumbling blocks in their conversation earlier, Claire felt like Oliver had opened up with them enough to dive deeper. “What were you doing breaking into a car?”

Oliver didn’t seem to mind the question at all. “Hanging around the wrong kids in school. Trying to impress them.”

“You don’t hang out with them anymore?”

“Nah, that was my old school. And a long time ago. Now I just hang out with the other baseball players mostly. Our coach doesn’t put up with that kind of thing. Our first baseman was caught toe tagging toward the end of the season. Coach kicked him right off the team, didn’t even let him explain himself.”

“I’ve read about this toe tagging thing,” Claire said, “where the kids all meet up at night in a parking lot and start racing around town.”

“Yeah, exactly. Driving like boneheads.”

Oliver let her steal one of his fries. Then she said to him, “I have to give it to you. Someone who’s been through what you’ve dealt with. You have every reason to still be running with that rough crowd, breaking into cars, toe tagging, God knows what else. But here you are, playing baseball and getting good grades, wanting to go to Duke. I just think you’re an awesome human and an inspiration, and I hope you know that.”

Oliver blushed and looked down at his burger. “I have David to thank for a lot of it. If he hadn’t convinced me to try out for the team, I might still be in a pretty bad place. Baseball is just about all I think about now.”

Claire wiped her eyes and patted his back. “Did he come see you play?”

“Yeah, quite a bit. That’s why we got in the fight, because he came to a game, and I didn’t show. He knew I wasn’t sick.”

Claire imagined David sitting in the bleachers watching Oliver play. Was this when he was supposed to be going on a long bike ride after work? “So what’s this Yankees obsession?”

Oliver finished a french fry. “It’s the one thing I know about my dad. Sounds stupid, but my mom told me he loved the Yankees. I think that’s about the one thing she knew. As much as I want to hate him, I try to picture him as a nice guy. David took me to my first game. I mean, a preseason game, but still, it was amazing.”

Claire smiled, knowing she wasn’t the only one still missing David. “He hated the Yankees. I’m sure you know that.”

Oliver smiled back, nodding. “Yes, he did.”

“He must have really liked you then.”

Oliver nodded, taking a bite of his hamburger. Once he was done chewing, Whitaker watched him start to wipe his mouth with his sleeve, but at the last moment Oliver reached for his napkin.

The singer onstage started another Buffett song, “Tin Cup Chalice.” Claire reached into her purse and extracted the Yankees hat. It still had a tag on it. “He never gave up on you, Oliver. I hope you know that.”

“I know that now.”

Claire offered Oliver the hat. “Now I know why I’ve been holding on to this for so long.”

“That’s the hat that was in his car?”

Claire nodded, holding back her emotions.

“You’re giving it to me?” Surprise shot out of his eyes.

“Of course.”

“Thank you so much,” Oliver said, looking at the hat for a moment before placing it on his head. “It fits!” He adjusted it and then looked at her. “This is pretty awesome.” He opened his arms to her, and she hugged him with everything she had.

So this is what it’s like to have a child in your life, Claire thought. She had never quite been able to let go of the anger she’d harbored toward her mother for leaving them, so she’d never gotten to know her younger half siblings. A few trips to Chicago here and there, but for the most part Claire had avoided her mother’s new family. Of course, Claire had employed some younger adults at Leo’s, but they were closer to eighteen.

Oliver was still so young and innocent and impressionable, and though she’d only known him for a little while, she felt a vested interest in his life—the man he would become.

Looking past him, Claire saw a patch of dark clouds moving in and heard a faint groan of thunder. The wind pushed through, whipping the palm fronds above.

Oliver caught a napkin setting before it sailed into the air.

“I hear thunder,” Claire announced, winking at Oliver.

Whitaker made a big show with his hand. “Okay, that’s enough picking on me for the day.”

“No, listen.”

Another rumble, this time with more fury.

“Oh, you were serious,” Whitaker said.

More thunder, and then a lightning bolt with several terrifying tentacles shot from the sky, striking the ground close by.

Claire clapped her hands together. “I think it’s time to go.”

Whitaker raised his hand. “Check, please!”

And the raindrops began to fall.





Chapter 38

CAN YOU SWIM?

It had been a long time since Claire enjoyed a meal in the main dining room of her restaurant. Today was a special occasion, though. She and Oliver were spending the morning together.

Whitaker had made the excuse that he was writing, encouraging them to go on without him. Claire wasn’t sure if he was truly working, but she was quite sure the real reason he’d asked for a rain check was that he wanted her to enjoy some time alone with Oliver. He knew she still had so many questions, even though they’d seen him twice more since the dinner a week ago.