“I never cried whenever you would leave us. I knew I had to be strong for my mother. She cried enough tears for all of us, anyway.”
“I’m sorry, son.”
“Don’t call me that.”
“Last night, I cried for the first time in my life because I saw the beautiful face of Teagan on a fucking phone. I went home, sat in this fucking rocking chair and I scrolled through the selfies we made on a day we went fishing. I cried like a little bitch because I knew I fucked things up. I will never have that again in my life. Ever again.”
Rob scooted to the edge of the lounger and said, “That’s where you’re wrong, Devlin. You have time.”
Devlin hung his head. He didn’t want to hear it.
Rob shook Devlin’s shoulders, and it took him so much by surprise that he didn’t even knock the man on his ass for touching him. “I know you hate me, Devlin. And you have every right. But right now, you’re acting just like me. You’re frozen and stuck in place. Everyone else is moving on with their life and you’re still angry with me. You’re trying so hard to not end up like me that you’re turning into a miserable, grumpy thirty-seven-year-old who cries after seeing a picture of his ex.”
Devlin shook off his father’s hands. “Get the fuck away from me.”
Rob stood from his lounger and Nanna shouted, “Rob, sit down. Don’t do anything stupid.”
“You give me that punch I deserve, Devlin. Knock me on my ass. And after that, you’re going to get on your bike and go get your girl back. You are goin’ to remember that you are nothing like me. So you’re going to stop being a coward. You’re going to tell that girl that you love her. And—”
Devlin rammed his fist against his father's jaw before his father could say another word. The crack underneath his fist was most definitely satisfying.
“You can drive him, Nanna?”
Nanna narrowed her eyes at Devlin and said, “I’m not happy about this. We’re going to have a talk after you get your girl back. And bring her over to meet me and your grandfather.”
He kissed her cheek and shot a glance at his father, who groaned as he rubbed his broken jaw. It felt good to get that off his chest. Fuck. If he’d known, he would have done it years ago. He got on his bike and revved his engine. It was time to claim his Old Lady.