Thin Love (Thin Love, #1)(159)

He won’t ask the boy what happened, figures it was more shit his friends were giving him online, but when Ransom kicks the glove compartment, Kona reacts, tugs on his arm to get his attention. One eyebrow up is all the question he asks.

Ransom tries deflection, but Kona’s expression doesn’t change and he stares at the boy, telling him with a look that he wants an explanation.

“Emily’s dad won’t let her talk to me.”

“Because of all that shit?” Kona asks, nodding toward the radio.

The quick flash of his temper dies at Kona’s question and Ransom’s seat squeaks as he moves around in it, uncomfortable. “Uh. No. That’s not it. He, um, found some texts I sent her. Some she sent me.” His voice is low, whisper soft and Kona doesn’t get it. Doesn’t understand the need for secrecy.

“Okay. So?”

“He said they were inappropriate.”

“What did they say?”

“They didn’t say anything.” A tug on his hair and Ransom shifts again in his seat. “It’s what they showed that had him pissed off.”

Kona’s friends sent him stupid texts all the time. Jackasses pranking each other, shit getting blown up, half naked girls dancing, those he didn’t mind so much, but he has no idea what two kids could text each other that would make the girl’s father angry. He’s sure his expression is stupid, nose wrinkled up, pinching as he wonders what Ransom’s hiding, but then his boy tilts his head, rolling his eyes once more before he glances right at his crotch and then back again to catch Kona’s eyes.

Oh my God, he thinks, eyes widening at his son. “What did you do?”

“She sent me one first.”

Kona’s face is next to Ransom’s, his voice low, fierce. “You do not send dick pictures to girls, Ransom. What the hell’s wrong with you?”

“What? She wanted to…”

“Hey,” he says, tapping the dumbass in the back of the head. “You don’t do that shit. You think you’re Brett Favre or something?”

“No, man, that dude doesn’t have anything on me.”

His frustration is instant and Kona doesn’t pull that emotion off his face. This boy has no clue, no idea what kind of offense something like this can muster. He knows Keira has taught him better, has made sure he respects women. He knows that Ransom wasn’t thinking, didn’t realize how immature, how inappropriate those texts were and the idea of his son doing something like this, boils that frustration until he is angry.

For the first time since he’s known his son, Kona gets pissed at him. “I don’t care what this girl says she wants, you don’t send anyone pictures of your sixteen-year-old dick. That’s not cool, brah.” He hates the look Ransom gives him. He hates more that the boy doesn’t seem to understand where Kona’s anger comes from. Closing his eyes, Kona scratches his chin, says a small prayer, asks for calm.

“Shit,” he says, glancing at his son. “If Keira knew. Wait.” The shit storm would be epic and then, suddenly, Kona’s eyes round, his stomach drops when he thinks of other things these two kids could have gotten up to. His voice is low as he leans next to his son, but he doesn’t pull back his frustration or his anger. “Did you… you and this girl… you… you know’d her?” His shoulders fall, back against the seat when Kona spots that bright blush again. He was just getting past the things he’d missed in Ransom’s life. He told himself that missing potty training and first steps was no big deal; he’d be there for the really important things, but this? This was huge. This was more than Kona was prepared for. “What the hell? Keira will kick your ass.”

“You’re gonna tell her?” The boy’s blush is gone, replaced by the paling of his dark skin and the sheer horror that drops his mouth open. Kona suddenly realizes that Ransom’s breaths have slowed as he waits for Kona to answer. He is the boy’s father, true enough, but this is something he doesn’t think he is ready to get in the middle of. Still, Keira has dealt with enough shit. She doesn’t need more.

“No. That’s on you. I’m pretty sure she doesn’t wanna know that shit.” His son moves his mouth closed and Kona catches the withheld breath he releases, relaxing. Eyes shifting around the car, Kona shoots for subtly, tries to not let on that his worry is cresting and his heart is pounding in his chest. Elbow on the armrest, he looks down at his boy. “Were you safe?”

“Of course I was. I’m not trying to be anyone’s daddy.”

“Neither was I.” The smile Kona gives Ransom lets the boy know his father is messing with him. “I was much older than you are now and brah, I’m just wrapping my brain around the fact that I’m a father. I so can’t handle being a grandfather.” Ransom nods, releases a laugh that doesn’t help to calm Kona’s thundering heartbeat. “This parenthood thing is stressful as hell.”

Already it has been overwhelming; more shit than Kona thought he could take in one day. He leans back against the headrest, still shaking his head, shocked, still annoyed that his son had been so careless.

“Hey.” Kona slips his gaze to his son, to the smile that has returned, moving his chin to acknowledge him. “You just earned it.”

Kona offers his son a smile and his attention returns to that house and the full blooms of flowers lining the walkway. Exhaling, he turns off the engine. “Come on. Let’s get this over with.”