“Maybe I just don’t want to talk about him,” I mutter, gripping the steering wheel tighter.
“Katherine Renee, what do I always say?” Jeez, Louise, called by my full name twice in one morning. This has to be a record for me lately.
“Talking it out with an outsider can often put things into perspective,” we say in unison, although my tone is more sarcastic.
I press on the brake as I approach a red light and sigh back against the headrest.
“Fine,” I huff. I explain what happened yesterday from watching Andy walk outside to leaving my sister’s cook-out annoyed. Of course, I give her a rather watered-down version.
“Oh, honey, you have such a big heart. You weren’t wrong about bringing it to his attention, but I know you, and sometimes you’re hot-tempered and go about doing things in your own way.”
“Mom,” I shout. “Are you taking his side?”
She sighs. “Of course not, sweetheart, but I’m just trying to understand how things went sour so quickly.” Umm, because he’s a fucking prick, duh.
I grit my teeth. “He basically said because I have no children of my own, I couldn’t possibly understand what being a parent is like. I wasn’t trying to parent his kid or criticize him. I only wanted to make sure the kid was safe.”
“He’s a single father, right?” Her voice softens. I know she must be able to relate with him on some level, being a single parent.
“Yeah. So?” Single parent or not, it doesn’t give anyone the right to act like that.
“You remember how I juggled everything with three kids after your dad left? I had my hands full. Well, imagine if you had been much younger and that life was all he ever knew. I at least had your father’s help in the beginning. Now he is living in a brand-new place where he doesn’t know anyone.”
“It doesn’t excuse him for being a dick.” I know my statement is about Jaxon, but there’s a bitterness to my voice that always comes up at the mention of my father. It’s been nineteen years since he walked out the door and didn’t look back.
“And you are one hundred percent correct, but maybe just cut him some slack. I got plenty of unsolicited advice over the years, but I’m sure as single dads, they get it even more. Sometimes dads can be viewed as the babysitter. It wouldn’t be a far stretch to believe that everyone who tries to tell him how to parent his child would make him feel like he wasn’t doing a good job.”
I rub the crease between my brows. It’s before lunch and already I’m mentally exhausted.
I pull into an open parking space at the batting cages, thankful to escape any more talk about him. “Well, Mom, I gotta go.”
Over the past few years, whenever Lauren and I had a bad day, we’d go to the batting cages and “whack some balls.” And I think it’s safe to say that yesterday was the epitome of a bad day.
“I’ll stop by this week.”
“Good. I miss my baby,” she says.
I roll my eyes. “I saw you just the other day.”
“And?” I see right through you, Liz Lawson. I can read between the lines here. When she saw me a few days ago, it was before she had some gossip. I would bet my life savings that the first thing she asks when I walk into her house will be an update.
I laugh. “All right, Mom, love you.”
I hang up after she returns the sentiment and toss my phone in my bag.
The bell rings when I walk through the front door, alerting the owner, Trevor, of my arrival. He sets down his newspaper. “Well, good morning, beautiful,” he says with a big smile when he sees me walking toward him. “Shit day already?”
“You have no idea, Trev. Who knows, I might just need to rent a lane by the month.” With Jaxon and his shitty attitude invading aspects of my life, I have a feeling that if our interactions are anything like yesterday, then I can just start writing Trevor’s rent checks directly.
“Won’t see me complain. Your crappy days are good for my business, plus you’re not too hard on the eyes.”
I laugh as I hand over the cash to pay for the lane.
“I’m out of your league, old man.” I’m pretty sure Trevor is old enough to be my grandfather.
Grabbing my bat and helmet, I head toward the back door that leads out to the cages. “Not in my dreams, you’re not.”
I can always count on this place to make me feel better, even if it’s just remarks like that from a pervy old man.