Chapter 7

Ifrowned at the nearly empty fridge in the main kitchen. There were three in total—completely unnecessary in my opinion—but all of them were about as well stocked as this one right now.

Colten sat at the expansive kitchen island, impatiently waiting for me to come up with something for us to eat. “I’m starving. What’s for breakfast?”

“That’s a good question,” I said, scratching the side of my neck as I considered our options.

We’d eaten through the loaf of bread and the ready-made meals I’d had delivered before we’d arrived. Of the grocery items that had been stocked before our arrival, we had some basics left, like butter, milk, and coffee, but nothing we could eat as a meal.

The eggs were gone and so was the pasta. I’d seen rice in the pantry, but I had no idea what to do with it. As I stared into that fridge after having spent equally long staring at empty containers on the shelves in the pantry, I realized I was ill equipped to prepare meals.

I’d spent so much time working that I’d never really learned how to cook—beyond ramen and eggs. Walter had done the bulk of the cooking when I’d been growing up. Then I’d gone to college. Hence the ramen and the eggs, and then I’d lived on takeout and restaurants for a while before I’d hired my chef.

Guilt gnawed at my insides when I realized I hadn’t cooked a proper meal for my son ever. As a baby, I’d fed him but it’d never been food I’d made myself. In the morning, we had cereal for breakfast, but that came out of a box. At all other times, I either got us takeout or we relied on our chef to come up with something.

My automated systems at home allowed him to add items to a grocery list on a tablet in the kitchen. The tablet was linked to an online shopping app and the groceries were delivered to our home once he ordered them. When it arrived, the staff packed it away and the cycle started all over again.

All of that and I never had to do a thing other than pay our monthly bill. I raked a hand through my hair as I thought it over.

“It looks like we’re going to have to take a drive into town and check the place out,” I said as I closed the fridge. “There must be a decent place to grab waffles.”

At the word waffles, he perked up but then sighed. “Do we need to call the driver and wait? How long will that take?”

I shook my head. “There’s a truck in the garage for guests to use.”

A grin spread on his lips. “I love waffles.”

He got up and followed me to the door leading to the garage. I unlocked it, flipping the switch for the lights and finding a solitary truck in the center of a space meant for at least four vehicles. The air was stale in here, but the gleaming blue truck was clean and relatively new.

Looking around, I found the keys hanging on a hook on the wall and I grabbed them before inclining my head at Colt to follow me. I’d been a touch worried that the battery would be dead despite the seemingly good condition of the truck, but it roared to life when I turned the key and I grinned.

“Decent waffles, coming right up,” I said as I hit the button for the garage door and waited for it to slide open.

While we waited, I opened the windows. Colt switched on the radio and fiddled with it for a moment before he settled on a catchy pop song, turning up the volume as I backed out of the garage.

The sun was high in the sky as we drove along the winding roads to the tiny little town. It glinted off the surface of the lake, its waters the same incredible blue as the sky itself. Colt grinned and peered down to the slope to the shore, watching the activity for a minute before he looked at me.

“There’s tons of people down there. The water is packed. We should go.”

“One of these days, we will.” I wasn’t too keen on sand, sunscreen, and congested beaches full of strangers, but that was one of the reasons we’d come out here.

At some point, I’d have to suck it up and go join the summer fun. These last couple days, Colt and I had been settling in, playing chess, and lounging around the swimming pool. That had been great. We’d been able to see the lake without having to deal with any of those other things.

I knew it wouldn’t last all summer, though. Eventually, we’d go to the lake. I was even considering chartering a boat to take us out, but that wasn’t happening today.

As we drove into town, I was struck again by how underwhelming it was. The tallest building was no more than two stories, and while the streets were flanked on either side by parked cars, it wasn’t exactly a bustling metropolis.

I parked in a spot along one of the side roads, pulling up the emergency brake and sliding my sunglasses over my eyes. “We’re going to have to walk it. Explore a little until we find someplace that looks good.”

He nodded, opened his door, and climbed out. I followed him, aware of how everyone we passed was looking at us as we walked down the sidewalk and popped into the only cafe we could find. A little bell above the door jingled when I pushed it open, and the only server around smiled brightly when she looked at us.

“Inside or outside, boys?”

“Outside,” I decided immediately, figuring that we might as well get a feel for the town by being able to see it while we ate.

She finished pouring the coffee she’d been busy with, then chatted to the people at the table she’d been serving for a moment before she nodded and turned back to us. Motioning that we should follow her, she plucked two menus out of a stand on our way out and led us to the streetside seating.

Bordering the sidewalk, it was separated by only a low metal trellis that appeared to have seen better days, but the umbrellas covering the tables and the faux plants hanging from the wall and trellis gave it a cozy feel.

As we sat down, she dropped the menu on the table and slid a notepad out of the pocket of her apron. “What can I get you to drink?”

“Coffee,” I said immediately.

Colten chuckled. “Orange juice, please.”

“You got it, baby boy,” she said before she smiled again and took off.

In her fifties and wearing neon pink lipstick with an apron to match, it turned out that our server’s name was Verna and she fancied herself as the town’s welcome committee. As she brought our drinks, she peppered us with questions.

“Where are you folks staying?” she asked conversationally. “Have you been here long? If you need anything, you should just ask. Anyone from around here would be happy to answer any questions you might have or to show you around.”

“Thank you,” I said politely. “We’re staying at the Styles Manor and we’re doing okay so far. We’ll be sure to keep that in mind, though.”

“The Styles Manor?” Her purple eyeshadowed eyes widened. “Is that so? It’s the nicest house in town.”

“So I’ve heard,” I murmured. “Do you sell waffles?”

She grinned. “Only the best in town. Two?”

“Yes, please,” Colten said. “For me. I don’t know what Dad wants.”

She giggled, but I flashed her a tight smile. “He’s serious. He’ll have two and I’ll have one as well.”

“Perfect.” She grinned at him in that grandmotherly way that made me wonder if she was going to pinch his cheek next. “I forget sometimes that boys have such healthy appetites. My own are fully grown and they flew the coop ages ago. I’ll bring your food in a few.”

She took off and I picked up my coffee, taking a small sip and expecting the worst, but by some miracle, it was actually pretty good. Colten lifted his juice to his lips, also seeming tentative until he’d had the first sip.

We watched as people strolled by, many greeting one another on the street and having quick chats before they separated. The pace of the town was mesmerizing to me, so slow and lazy that even the people who appeared to be in a hurry were practically moving in slow motion.

I couldn’t understand how anyone got anything done. It was a weekday morning, and sure, it was summer, but no one seemed too stressed out about work.

I envy them that, I realized as I watched them. I would never be able to live like this myself, but it had to be nice.

Verna came back with our waffles, also not seeming to be in a rush to get back to her other tables. “You guys should come to the Friday Night Market tonight. It’s at the bandstand, which is a landmark in town so you’ll see the signs for it.”

“A night market?” I asked.

She nodded and offered me a wide smile. “There will be live music, great food, face painting, and plenty of kids’ activities.”

Turning to Colt next, her smile softened. “There are lots of boys your age who will be there. Maybe you’ll meet some friends for the summer? It’s no good for a child to rattle around that big old house all by himself.”

I was about to protest that he wasn’t all by himself when she winked at me. “You know what I mean. Kids need kids, or they get bored unless you entertain them.”

Colten shrank in on himself and I wondered why the idea of making some friends seemed to have suddenly shut him down. Resolving to ask in a minute, I glanced up at Verna. “Thank you for the invitation. We might see you there.”

She nodded as she spun away and Colten picked up his cutlery, but he poked at his waffles instead of devouring them like I’d thought he might. While we ate, I glanced at him from across the table, taking in his slumped shoulders and the forlorn expression on his face.

“What do you think about going tonight?” I asked. “It could be fun.”

He shrugged and responded without looking up at me. “It’ll be fine, I guess.”

I sighed but let it go, thinking back to what Mr. Lafferty had said about suspecting that Colten was being bullied at school. I’d tried to broach the subject a few times, but he kept dodging it, finding a way to avoid the question before he changed the topic.

Maybe this is just what he needs. Some small-town kids who know how to have good old-fashioned fun and aren’t obsessed with their social media following or designer shoes.

While I paid the bill, he went to wait outside by the truck, and when I caught up to him, I saw him talking to some local kids. Well, look at that.

Hanging back for a moment, I watched him, noticing how awkward and unsure he was, his hands in his pockets and his gaze averted. The kids ended up leaving, but one of them turned back to holler at Colt over his shoulder as they rode off on their bikes. “You should come tonight!”

Once they’d turned the corner, I smiled as I approached him. “Who was that?”

“Just some locals,” he murmured, turning toward the truck and reaching for the door. “It was no big deal.”

“Yeah, of course. They seemed nice, though.”

“I guess.” He shrugged. “Can we go now?”

“Sure.”

We climbed into the truck and drove around the block back to the main street, and I glanced at him. “Are those kids going to the market tonight?”

“Yes.”

I grinned. “We should definitely go, then. I can get you a bike to use while we’re here, if you’d like. It looked like you might need one.”

“No, I’m fine.”

I frowned. “Are you sure? I used to love my bicycle when I was your age. Our neighbors and I?—”

“It doesn’t matter, Dad,” he grumbled. “They’re not my friends and I don’t know them. I don’t need a bike to ride with kids who don’t even know my name.”

“That’s why they invited you to the market,” I reasoned. “To get to know you. Who knows? They might just become your friends.”

“They won’t,” he said confidently.

My frown deepened and I considered pulling over to talk to him but decided to keep it casual at the last minute. “Why not? The kids in towns like this are usually different to?—”

“No.”

Frustration started bubbling in my veins and my grip on the steering wheel tightened. “If you opened up to them, they might become your friends, but that means you have to try.”

“I don’t want to.”

I blew out a heavy breath, shaking my head at him. “Just give them a chance, Colt.”

“Can we just stay home tonight?” he asked, completely ignoring what I’d said. He sounded so defeated that I didn’t push it, though.

Clearly, there was more to this than him just wanting to spend his lunch hour honing his skills with his teacher. Intent on finding out what it was, I debated my next move internally. Getting in an argument with him about this wouldn’t help, but I also didn’t know just what the hell would.

Damn it. Why don’t kids come with manuals? That sure would’ve been helpful right around now.