Read Online A Rocker and a Hard Place by Hunter J. Keane - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Hunter J. Keane
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holding yet another book.
“Another baby book?” I guessed.
“Not exactly.” She looked down at the leather-bound book and ran her finger over the cover. “You asked if I had planned to tell T.J. about you. Honestly, I thought about that moment from the second he was born. And while I never knew exactly when it would happen, I always knew what I wanted to tell him, what I wanted him to know about you and about us.”
She handed me the book and I saw that it was titled, The Story of Us .
CHAPTER EIGHT
Emma
T.J. couldn’t stop playing his new guitar. He played it until his little fingers were raw and bloody. Even then, he kept playing. He only stopped when I made him, to eat or to go to bed. Then he did nothing but talk about Tyler. Two days passed without Tyler stopping by and I thought T.J. would run out of things to say, but somehow he didn’t.
“Can Tyler come over for dinner again?”
I had convinced T.J. to set aside the guitar long enough to accompany me to the grocery store. He hadn’t exactly come willingly so he’d been spending most of his time pouting.
“Connor is coming over tonight. We’re having dinner with him.”
T.J. groaned. “Why?”
“Because I like Connor. He’s an important person in my life and I haven’t seen him in a while.” I threw a box of cereal in the cart. “He’s excited to see you, too.”
“Yeah, right,” T.J. muttered. “He’s only nice to me because he wants to sleep with you.”
“What did you say?” I grabbed his arm and whirled him around. “Where did you learn that?”
T.J. shrugged. “Television.”
“I have got to figure out how to set up the parental controls.”
“I’ll show you.” T.J. grinned.
I tussled his hair. “How did I get such a smart alec for a kid?”
“You’re just lucky.”
I pulled him in for a quick hug. “Darn straight. Now go get us some milk.”
Later, after I put our groceries in the truck bed, I looked around for T.J. He had pushed the cart back inside and was on his way back to me, but something had distracted him.
“Look, Mom!” T.J. waved excitedly. “It’s Tyler!”
Of course.
I waved, trying to seem friendly without also being inviting. I failed.
Tyler followed T.J. back to the truck. “I haven’t seen you around the shop the past couple of days.”
He’d been looking for me.
“I was only in during the mornings.” I had taken the afternoons off to spend time with T.J. He would be leaving for camp soon and I wanted us to have some time together.
“I wish I would’ve know that. It would’ve saved me a couple of trips.” Tyler smiled and I tried not to think about how good he looked.
T.J. saw an opening. “If you want to see Mom, you should come over for dinner tonight.”
“T.J.,” I hissed his name.
“What?” He feigned innocence. “We just bought all this food for dinner. You have a friend coming over, so why can’t I?”
“Hey, that’s alright.” Tyler could tell I wasn’t happy. “I’ve got big dinner plans myself.”
“Oh, do you?” I smiled, appreciative that he was trying to let me out of an awkward situation.
“Definitely.” He winked at me. “I’ve got the pizza delivery guy on speed dial.”
T.J. turned to me. “Come on, Mom. That pizza sucks.”
“Hey, watch your language.”
T.J. and Tyler were both grinning- identical, toothy smiles. They both knew exactly what card to play. “Fine. Tyler, would you like to come to dinner?”
“That sounds wonderful.” Tyler held out his hand and T.J. slapped it. “Well played, mate.”
“This was a conspiracy!” I said. I should’ve known that they had planned to tag-team me. “No fair.”
“Buck up, blondie.” Tyler started backing away. “I’ll bring a pie.”
I called after him, “Seven o’clock. Don’t be late!”
T.J. was in a much better mood when we got home. Now that Tyler would be coming over, he followed me around the house talking incessantly.
“Do you think Tyler will show me
“Another baby book?” I guessed.
“Not exactly.” She looked down at the leather-bound book and ran her finger over the cover. “You asked if I had planned to tell T.J. about you. Honestly, I thought about that moment from the second he was born. And while I never knew exactly when it would happen, I always knew what I wanted to tell him, what I wanted him to know about you and about us.”
She handed me the book and I saw that it was titled, The Story of Us .
CHAPTER EIGHT
Emma
T.J. couldn’t stop playing his new guitar. He played it until his little fingers were raw and bloody. Even then, he kept playing. He only stopped when I made him, to eat or to go to bed. Then he did nothing but talk about Tyler. Two days passed without Tyler stopping by and I thought T.J. would run out of things to say, but somehow he didn’t.
“Can Tyler come over for dinner again?”
I had convinced T.J. to set aside the guitar long enough to accompany me to the grocery store. He hadn’t exactly come willingly so he’d been spending most of his time pouting.
“Connor is coming over tonight. We’re having dinner with him.”
T.J. groaned. “Why?”
“Because I like Connor. He’s an important person in my life and I haven’t seen him in a while.” I threw a box of cereal in the cart. “He’s excited to see you, too.”
“Yeah, right,” T.J. muttered. “He’s only nice to me because he wants to sleep with you.”
“What did you say?” I grabbed his arm and whirled him around. “Where did you learn that?”
T.J. shrugged. “Television.”
“I have got to figure out how to set up the parental controls.”
“I’ll show you.” T.J. grinned.
I tussled his hair. “How did I get such a smart alec for a kid?”
“You’re just lucky.”
I pulled him in for a quick hug. “Darn straight. Now go get us some milk.”
Later, after I put our groceries in the truck bed, I looked around for T.J. He had pushed the cart back inside and was on his way back to me, but something had distracted him.
“Look, Mom!” T.J. waved excitedly. “It’s Tyler!”
Of course.
I waved, trying to seem friendly without also being inviting. I failed.
Tyler followed T.J. back to the truck. “I haven’t seen you around the shop the past couple of days.”
He’d been looking for me.
“I was only in during the mornings.” I had taken the afternoons off to spend time with T.J. He would be leaving for camp soon and I wanted us to have some time together.
“I wish I would’ve know that. It would’ve saved me a couple of trips.” Tyler smiled and I tried not to think about how good he looked.
T.J. saw an opening. “If you want to see Mom, you should come over for dinner tonight.”
“T.J.,” I hissed his name.
“What?” He feigned innocence. “We just bought all this food for dinner. You have a friend coming over, so why can’t I?”
“Hey, that’s alright.” Tyler could tell I wasn’t happy. “I’ve got big dinner plans myself.”
“Oh, do you?” I smiled, appreciative that he was trying to let me out of an awkward situation.
“Definitely.” He winked at me. “I’ve got the pizza delivery guy on speed dial.”
T.J. turned to me. “Come on, Mom. That pizza sucks.”
“Hey, watch your language.”
T.J. and Tyler were both grinning- identical, toothy smiles. They both knew exactly what card to play. “Fine. Tyler, would you like to come to dinner?”
“That sounds wonderful.” Tyler held out his hand and T.J. slapped it. “Well played, mate.”
“This was a conspiracy!” I said. I should’ve known that they had planned to tag-team me. “No fair.”
“Buck up, blondie.” Tyler started backing away. “I’ll bring a pie.”
I called after him, “Seven o’clock. Don’t be late!”
T.J. was in a much better mood when we got home. Now that Tyler would be coming over, he followed me around the house talking incessantly.
“Do you think Tyler will show me
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