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Mowgli growled again. “Stop that,” Ali hissed. “Sit.”
“Is Coach Crawford here?”
Ali’s heart squeezed because maybe that was exactly who Graham needed. Enough time had passed that Cornell’s hot-headed moment should have simmered enough that he might be willing to help—but it was a big ‘might.’ Ali chewed on her inner lip. Maybe it’s a good thing he’s not here.
She pressed her lips together. “Did… did your dad do that?”
Graham stayed silent.
Ali sighed. Her leg bounced nervously, and she locked her knee to stop it. What am I supposed to do? Leave him on the street?
She shook her head, both to his answer and her own thoughts. No, Ali. You don’t leave a kid who’s just been slapped around by his father on the curb.
“He won’t be back until late. Come in. Let me get you some ice.”
Ali unlocked the front door, grimacing when Graham stood, and she could smell the alcohol that didn’t seem to be coming from just his breath but his entire body.
“Stay,” she told Mowgli as she led him into the kitchen, and Graham sat on the couch. She pulled out her phone to call Cornell, but it immediately went to voicemail—You’ve reached Cornell Crawford. Leave a message, and I’ll—
“Great time for your phone to die,” she muttered before texting him.
Don’t be mad. Graham is at the house all beat up and drunk. Doesn’t look good but under control.
She grabbed a bag of frozen peas from the freezer along with a dish towel. “This will have to do.”
“Thanks.” Graham pressed the peas to his busted lip.
“I thought you guys would’ve gone back to Houston by now. Where is your mom?” Ali waited for an answer, but he stayed silent, eyes focused on the floor. “Graham?”
“When will Coach Crawford be back?” The bag of peas against his mouth swallowed Graham’s voice.
“He’ll be—” She stopped herself, suddenly struck by what seemed to be a change in the room as Grant’s green eyes darted around. A small twist in her gut made Ali realize Graham had asked about Cornell again. He’s drunk, Ali thought, but the shift in Graham’s posture, the way his eyes now focused in on her, brought a quake of uneasiness.
“He’ll be home soon. He just had to stop at Walmart on the way home to pick something up for me.” She cleared her throat. “Graham, who can I call to come get you?”
“You said he’d be back late.”
“I thought today was Tuesday.” Ali lied. “He’s late on Tuesdays. He’ll be home soon.”
Graham merely nodded, lowering the frozen peas from his mouth. “I’m sorry for what happened.” He shook his head back and forth, green eyes glazed over, focused on the floor. “I shouldn’t have gotten so upset with you.”
Ali raised an eyebrow but immediately relaxed it. Is that what being upset with someone looks like? “I appreciate the apology. It’s over. But you need to tell me who I should call now.” Because you can’t—
“I can’t stay here?” Graham’s tone was laced with disappointment and Ali shook her head.
What did you expect? A welcome party? Ali sighed, chewing on the inside of her lip.
“No. You can’t. Who can I call? Where is your mom?”
“They left for Houston earlier. I’m driving down tomorrow after the movers come.”
Ali folded her arms across her chest, glancing at Mowgli sitting upright behind her, eyes on Graham. “And you walked here?”
“Yes.”
“Drunk?”
Graham shrugged. “Didn’t seem like a good idea to drive.”
