“So I let it go?”
“No, you call him. You ask what’s up and ask him to be responsible. You—”
“Okay, fine. Come on.”
As we’re sneaking out through the side yard, a car starts to pull in the driveway. I grab Tessa’s hand and pull her into the trees beside us.
She laughs, and I cover her mouth, pulling her back against me to hide us.
“Shh …”
She leans into me, looking up and smiling. Then she turns around and pulls my hand off her mouth, holding it against her cheek. “Your hands are warm.”
“Just a couple more seconds,” I whisper as I unzip my jacket and wrap it around her to stop her from shivering.
I see Logan come to the door. He reaches out, and the kid hands him his keys. He steps back and lets them in. When the coast is clear, she doesn’t move.
I give her a few minutes then ask, “You ready?”
When we get in the car, she buckles up as I dial Logan. He answers on the first ring.
“Dad?”
“Yeah, just wanted to see what you were doing.”
“A few friends came over. We’re watching a movie.”
“Girls?”
“Dad,” he warns.
“If there are, you have condoms, right?”
“Dad, you can’t be serious.”
“Oh, I can be. If you don’t, I can bring you some.”
I hear him cover the phone and a muffled, “Don’t you dare move.” Then a female giggles. That makes Tessa giggle, and I shoot her a look.
“Dad, what the hell is the problem? I don’t need condoms. I have them—”
“Why do you have them?”
Tessa smacks me.
I grab her hand and hold it still.
“Dad, seriously?”
“You don’t need anything distracting you. Logan, you need to—”
“I’m not gonna move in with some girl ’cause I got her knocked up, Dad.”
“Excuse me?”
“That’s what Mom said. You and Tessa a long time ago, you—”
“That’s not how it all went down, Logan. Not at all. She was …” I pause. “Look, apparently, you and I need to have a conversation about life and love, son, because—”