The Will(120)

“It’s super easy, Josie,” Ethan told me. “It’s when the offense gets downed in their own end zone.”

“And what’s an end zone?” I inquired.

Ethan blinked.

Jake emitted another grunt.

“That big part at the end of the field,” Ethan explained. “Where you go to get a touchdown.”

“Ah,” I murmured. “I thought so.”

Ethan studied me narrowly and asked, “Are you bein’ full of it?”

“Entirely,” I answered.

At my admission, his face cracked in a grin, which pleased me greatly.

Alas, with very bad timing, at that very moment we heard the garage door going up and Ethan’s smile froze as his eyes went to the entryway to the family room.

In no time, Conner appeared in the entryway with eyes only for his father, his expression making my stomach clench, and I knew Jake’s assertion that he would be okay in the future was in jeopardy.

“Dad,” was all he said before he disappeared from the entryway.

That was all he had to say. Giving me a quick squeeze of the knee before he pushed out of the chair, Jake followed his eldest son.

“Uh-oh,” boy Taylor murmured.

But Amber got up and walked to her little brother, sat next to him on the couch and bumped him with her shoulder. “Want a hot fudge sundae?”

“Not hungry,” Ethan muttered, the first time he had been thus since I’d met him.

Very worried about his brother.

“Wanna help me make some for the Taylors and me?”

He looked up at his sister. Then he nodded.

They got off the couch and went to the kitchen but not before I caught her hand as they passed me and gave it a squeeze.

She gave me a worried look but squeezed my hand back.

She was such a good sister.

The Taylors and Amber were consuming their sundaes (and Ethan must have given in because he was consuming one too), when Jake appeared in the entryway.

“Josie,” was all he said but he didn’t then disappear.

He waited until I made it to him before he turned to the side to let me precede him but did this in a way that I knew we were heading to the kitchen.

I went there. Jake followed.

I moved to the far side of the island, stopped and rested a hip against it. Jake got close and did the same.

“Is Conner all right?” I asked quietly.

“Not by a long shot,” he answered.

Oh dear.

I waited and Jake gave it to me.

“Seems Mia Earhart is a real piece of work.”

I said it out loud this time.

“Oh dear.”

“Oh yeah,” Jake agreed. “Orchestrated one helluva maneuver. Got one of her friends who’s mom is friends with Ellie’s mom to tell that mom that Conner got Mia pregnant. That mom didn’t hesitate to tell Ellie’s mom. Seein’ as Conner’s been seein’ a lot of Ellie, this did not go down real good. Ellie’s mom and dad told Ellie that she had to break it off with Conner at school tomorrow and was not to have anything to do with him before or after that shit went down. Seein’ as Conner showed at their house, this sped that up and got Conner not only a face to face with a very irate father who wants him to have nothin’ to do with his daughter, it got him a face to face with a girl he likes a whole f*ckin’ lot who thinks he’s a dick.”

“But Mia isn’t pregnant,” I reminded him.

“I know. They weren’t so easy to convince.”

I pressed my lips together before I got closer and noted even more quietly, “The truth obviously will out.”

“Not sure my boy’s real hip on waitin’. Liked her, didn’t know just how much until he lost her. He’s gutted.”

I looked to the door and whispered, “Poor Conner.”

I looked back to Jake when I felt his hand curl around my neck and when I did I saw his face was closer.

“Puts a hitch in my plans for us tonight. He’s probably not gonna come outta his room but that doesn’t mean I shouldn’t be here for him just in case that happens. And I gotta get to the club later but wanna do that when all the kids are asleep. So after pizza, when you’re ready, I’ll drop you home but I can’t stay.”

That was highly regrettable, but also understandable, so I replied, “Okay.” Then I suggested, “Perhaps you could phone Ellie’s parents and explain this situation.”

“I offered, Con said no. He’s hurt and for a guy, hurt equals pissed. He can’t believe Ellie doesn’t believe him because he, thank Christ, hasn’t done the deed with either of them. Don’t know if my boy’s a virgin. Hope to God he never shares that with me just as I hope to God he’s bein’ smart about that, somethin’ I’ve shared repeatedly that he should be. Just know he hasn’t gone there with either of those two. Possibly outta self-preservation with Mia, definitely outta respect for Ellie. So he says it’s her loss, she didn’t go to bat for him with her parents because she believed Mia’s lies, and he doesn’t want me to get involved.”

“I can’t say he’s wrong, Jake,” I told him.

“She’s a good kid,” he told me. “But yeah. He’s always been way more into her than the others and she’s shy, he’s all about that, likes that about her, likes lookin’ after her and at their first hurtle bein’ exclusive, she fell. I get him bein’ pissed. He’s hurt he lost her and he’s hurt she didn’t believe in him and stand by him in an extreme situation. That’s a lotta hurt so it’s a lotta pissed and both are justified. ”