Page 3 of Pieces of Me

“I took that girl to Biloxi and married her quick as I could,” he’d boasted. “She’s Mrs. Robert Mahoney now.”

Scott leapt lightly from one side of the creek to the other, his steps surefooted and lithe. Rylan didn’t think he’d ever seen such a good-looking boy. Scott was tall with broad shoulders and a deep voice that made him seem much older than his seventeen years.

He had black hair and startling green eyes, a perfect nose, and no trace of a zit anywhere on his face. When he looked at Rylan and smiled, his teeth were white and even, and Rylan ran his tongue self-consciously over his own uneven teeth. Next to this glorious creature, Rylan felt like the worst sort of ugly duckling.

Eventually Scott came and plopped in the dirt next to him, drawing up his knees and wrapping his arms around them.

“So,” he began, “where do you live?”

“In Crestview.”

“You guys moving in with us now or what?”

Rylan picked up a stick and drew aimless circles in the dirt. “I guess so,” he said. “Dad told me to pack some stuff.”

“What about school?”

Rylan shrugged. “He said he’d get me enrolled in Pace High before he leaves again. I may miss a few days, but…”

“Leaves? Where’s he going?” Scott picked up another stone and flung it into the water as he spoke, and a few glittering droplets splashed up and landed on his shoe.

“He’s an over-the-road truck driver,” Rylan explained. “He’s usually gone a couple weeks out of the month. I miss him when he’s gone, but he makes pretty decent money.”

Scott’s eyes widened and he opened his mouth, then snapped it shut.

“What?”

“Nothing. It’s just―nothing.”

Rylan waited, but Scott didn’t say anything else, and Rylan drew more circles with his stick. “Since my mom left, my aunt has been living with us, but she wants to move to Wisconsin to be closer to her daughter, so this works out. He won’t have to worry about me being alone when he’s on the road.”

“You ain’t pissed about having to leave your school, your friends?”

Rylan threw the stick down. “A little, but I’d rather my dad be happy. He’s been through a lot.”

Scott leaned back on his elbows, heaving a sigh. “Shit, this gets better and better. Or worse and worse, depending on how you look at it.”

“I wish you’d tell me what you mean, dude.” Rylan could hear the frustration in his own voice, and yet Scott didn’t answer. He pushed to his feet and held his hand out to pull Rylan to his. They stood face-to-face, staring into each other’s eyes. “You’ll find out soon enough, Ry, I’m sorry to say.” Scott gave his head a sad little shake. “Come on. We should go see what’s happening.”

When they got back to the trailer, Heather was nowhere in sight, but Bob was sitting on the sagging porch holding a little blonde girl on his lap. Scott disappeared inside, and Rylan plopped down in the chair next to his dad, smiling as the toddler peeped at him.

“This is Cara,” Bob said, jiggling her up and down on his knee. “She’s almost three. Over there’s Gavin, who’s five; Garrett, who’s eight; and Jaxon, who’s nine.” He waved his hand toward three boys running around with long sticks, once in a while stopping to duel each other with them, screeching. Rylan held his fist out to the baby, a sort of cautious delight going through him as Cara bumped it with hers.

“You ready to be a big brother, Ry?” Bob asked, leaning back in the creaky old chair with a contented sigh. “It’ll be good for you to have some siblings, especially one your own age.”

Rylan snorted. “Yeah, Dad, Scott seems like such an awesome guy.”

Bob gave him a reproving look. “Give him a chance. Heather was so young when she had him, and she’s admitted to me she made a lot of mistakes with him.” He bounced Cara again, and she giggled. “He needs a man’s influence in his life, and you need a mom. I’m looking at this as a fresh start for all of us, Rylan.” He cooed to Cara, tickling her gently and laughing at her high-pitched chortles.

Rylan watched his dad, thinking about what a simple man he was at heart. Hard-working and honest, with old-fashioned Southern values: the male breadwinner and the loving wife who raised the kids and kept a comfortable home waiting for him.

“Goddammit, Scotty! I said, make a space for that kid in your room. Now!”

Little Cara flinched as Heather’s strident voice emanated from inside the trailer, and she burrowed down into Bob’s arms. Bob looked over his shoulder toward the screen door and then at Rylan, a determined sort of cheerfulness on his face. “A few growing pains are to be expected, son. We all need each other, and it’ll all be fine in the end, you’ll see.”

Rylan couldn’t bear to see the hopeful look wiped off his dad’s face, so he nodded, saying, “Sure, Dad. I know it will.”

Just then Scott poked his head out the door and said, his tone sullen, “Grab your stuff and come see where you’ll be crashin’.”