Stranger in Town (Dundee, Idaho #5)(39)
Author: Brenda Novak

“Tuck thinks Sly’s a loser,” Brent volunteered.

“Sly is a loser,” Kenny concurred.

Hannah set a glass of water and two capsules on the table. “That isn’t what I asked.”

Kenny swallowed the medication, then downed the rest of the water. “He tried to stop it. But you know Tuck. He’s not the strongest guy in the world.”

“Mom, you’re burning the eggs!” Brent cried.

The acrid smell finally registered in Hannah’s brain. Whirling, she snatched up the spatula and tried to save the eggs she’d managed to get into the frying pan before Kenny appeared. But it was too late—they were already black. With a sigh, she dumped them down the garbage disposal, set the pan aside and opened a window. But before she could return to her discussion with Kenny, the doorbell rang.

“If that’s Dad, tell him I don’t want to go anymore,” Kenny said.

Hannah hoped it’d be that easy. She’d rather handle this latest development without Russ’s involvement, because no matter what she said, she knew her ex would take the other side. If she punished Kenny for fighting, Russ would praise him for being a man’s man and tell her she was trying to turn him into a mama’s boy. If she supported Kenny in what he’d done, he’d accuse her of trying to win points with their son at the expense of being a good parent.

After the positive emotions she’d experienced last night, and the dreams she’d entertained afterward, it was too soon to deal with such a large dose of reality.

“Stay here,” she said. “I’m sure he’ll hear about the fight, but maybe this will buy us a couple days.”

“Where’s my lunch?” Brent asked, bending to tie his shoes.

“On the counter.” Hannah doubled back to get it for him. Brent was all ready. Maybe she could send him off without having to invite Russ into the house. Then she could figure out what she needed to do about Kenny.

“Thanks, Mom!” Brent took the paper sack and started to race out of the kitchen, but Kenny snagged him by the back of the shirt before he could clear the door. “Wait a second. Where do you think you’re going?”

Brent scowled and tried to jerk away. “To the car show.”

“Not without me, you’re not.”

“I’m not going to miss it just because you don’t want to go,” he said, yanking on his shirt.

“Kenny, let him go,” Hannah said.

“Why? It won’t be any fun for him.” Kenny’s glower darkened. “You know Dad. He’ll be with his buddies, talking and drinking beer. He’ll basically ignore Brent.”

Hannah gave him a meaningful look. “Are you telling me it’s not safe?”

Kenny didn’t answer.

The doorbell sounded again, followed by a rapid knock. “Hey, you guys up?” Russ called from outside.

“Kenny?” Hannah prompted.

Reluctantly, her son met her eyes. “No, but…why can’t he stay here with us?”

“Because I want to see the cars,” Brent said. He’d finally wiggled loose from Kenny’s grasp and was attempting to slip around Hannah, but she held him off.

“I already told him he could go, Kenny. Is there some specific reason I should change my mind?”

Hannah thought he might come clean about the  p**n  video. She could tell he wanted to. But she knew he’d decided against it when his gaze slid to the floor again. “Never mind. Give me a minute to change and I’ll go, too.”

“Kenny—”

He shoved to his feet. “It’s fine, Mom. Everything’s fine. Just answer the door before Dad loses it and starts shouting.”

CHAPTER ELEVEN

HANNAH TOOK A DEEP BREATH and tightened her robe before answering the door.

“They ready?” Russ asked without so much as a greeting.

Hannah’s eyes scaled the man she’d lived with and slept with for twelve years. Russ’s lifestyle was taking a toll. He was growing a goatee, which helped to hide the bloat in his face. But it made him appear mean instead of just derelict. Today she thought he might even be hung-over. “Brent is.”

As if her words had been his cue, Brent shot around her and headed straight for his father’s Jeep. But Kenny wasn’t dressed yet. Russ wouldn’t be leaving right away, as Hannah would’ve preferred.

Russ looked her up and down. “Where’s Kenny?”

“Changing.”

“Tell him to get his ass out here.”

“Give him a minute.”

“We’re gonna be late,” he complained. “I told you to have them ready.”

“You’re lucky I’m letting them go,” she pointed out, taking exception to his imperious tone. “It’s my weekend.”

It was a good thing she didn’t expect any gratitude for the small sacrifices she made for the boys’ sake, because Russ was still so bitter over the divorce he vacillated between begging her to come back to him and making sure she never would. “Right. You’re a saint, much too good for me. I remember.”

She bit her tongue, knowing the antagonism between them would only get worse once he saw Kenny’s face. “If you’d like to wait in the Jeep, I’ll send him out when he’s finished,” she said, hoping to avoid the whole exchange.

“I’m here,” Kenny called from halfway down the hall, and Hannah braced herself with a deep breath.

“What the hell happened to you?” Russ bellowed as soon as Kenny appeared.

Mr. McDermott, her neighbor across the street, was outside watering his lawn. He glanced up, but Hannah pretended she didn’t see him. Curving her fingernails into her palms, she focused on Russ, being careful to keep her voice low. “He got into a fight last night.”

“With who?”

“Sly Reed.”

“Sly?” Russ blinked several times, then his eyebrows drew together and his mouth clamped shut. “Get in the Jeep,” he told Kenny and stalked away.

Hannah straightened in surprise. He was leaving? That easily?

Suddenly, she realized that she must be missing a piece of information. Kenny had never been in a serious fight before, yet Russ’s emotions seemed to have skipped shock and worry and gone straight to anger. Why?

Kenny cast her a sideways glance before climbing into the Jeep. She lifted her hand to wave, but his stark expression made her freeze midmotion. Earlier she’d assumed he’d wanted to stay home because he didn’t relish the thought of hearing his father’s reaction to the fight—and maybe he was hesitant to be seen in public with a black eye and a busted lip. Now she wondered if there might be more to it.