Page 16 of Love In Hiding

“Hey there, Zac. It’s Uncle Spencer.”

“Uncle Spencer,” Zac yelled into the computer screen. He loved these little visits with Zac, his sister, and his best friend.

For years, they’d kept him grounded. More in the past few months.

When he thought everything he’d been building was going to tumble with a quick blow of the breeze, it’d been Coy Bond there telling him he had this.

His best friend from college. The one who knew more about him than his own family.

The same guy he gave shit to when he found out Coy got his sister pregnant. The man who was supposed to be watching over his sister like Spencer had done.

And the one time in his life he really lost his cool composure.

“Your hair is wet. Have you been swimming in the ocean or just had a bath?”

“We just came up from the beach,” Coy said, leaning in. “We are lucky we got your message to talk.”

His sister, Angel, came onto the screen as she picked Zac up. “This one needs a bath now. He’s got sand in his shorts.”

“In my butt,” Zac said and giggled.

“Yeah, might want to take care of that,” he said, laughing.

“Say bye to Uncle Spencer right now. Maybe we’ll call him later if he’s around.”

“Bye,” Zac said, waving as his sister carried his nephew out of view.

“How’s work going?” Coy asked. “Want to get off video?”

“Nah, I’m good.” He leaned back on the couch, put his feet up, and had the laptop on his chest. “Unless you want to.”

“Nope,” Coy said, picking it up and carrying it with him. “I’m going to get food though.”

He closed his eyes as the device moved around so it didn’t get him dizzy, then it was set on the counter as Coy walked through the kitchen looking for food.

The place that felt like a second home to Spencer.

He missed visiting often like he’d done when Coy first had the house. He even had his own suite there that they promised they’d never give to anyone. Not even another child.

Not that he’d hold them to it, but it was a nice thought.

“How are things there? Filling lots of cavities?”

“That and more,” Coy said. “Which you don’t care all that much about. It’s the second time you’ve called in a week.”

“Am I not allowed to talk to my family?”

“You always can, but you rarely do. Or are you bored having so much time on your hands there?”

He let out a short laugh. “I’m still working close to fifty hours a week and I’m sure it will be more soon. I’m diving in and will be traveling.”

“Fifty is less than seventy. Or maybe it was more before. Hope you’re not doing that to yourself there.”

“No. I don’t want to and am not sure it will happen. Maybe. Hard to say. It’s just completely different here than what I’m used to.”

“Not as cutthroat?”

“Definitely not that.”