The Discovery - 23. Chapter 23

Kyle was sitting at the long table in his office scribbling down notes and mentally going over everything he wanted to accomplish for the day. There were roughly two hours to go before his court appearance. With an hour for just the drive there and half an hour to make sure Josh was dressed and ready, that would give them time to talk and come up with their strategy for all the objections that the prosecution would likely raise. Chief among their objections would be his subpoena for Dylan Goode but Kyle was well prepared for that argument. Glancing up at the time, he realized they needed to go soon and wondered where Michelle and Kevin were. They were supposed to be with him today for their first day of pre-trial.

No sooner than he started to worry came a knock on his door which then opened as Michelle walked in. “Are we ready to go,” she asked.

Kyle swiftly put his notes and files into his briefcase. “Yup. Where’s Kevin?”

“He’s in the lobby, waiting on us.”

Kyle grabbed his overcoat and threw it over his arm as he started for the door with Michelle following behind as they left his office. They were just passing Rose’s desk when the main door opened, and Kyle slowed his pace seeing David walk in. He was equally surprised to see his father coming into his office and that he was wearing a suit and tie. “Dad? What are you doing here?”

David looked at his son with a small smile and replied, “you’re going to see Josh today, right?”

“Yeah,” he replied with some confusion.

David’s explanation was simple and also confounding. “I’m coming with you.”

“Wait. What? Dad. No.”

His father raised his hand to stall whatever objections Kyle might have. “I want to see him myself.”

Kyle couldn’t believe they were having this conversation in the lobby of his law firm. “Why?!”

“I want to meet him,” he explained, as if it should be obvious. “All this talk about the boy but no one really talks that much to him. I want to get to know him and find out what he’s like.”

“Can’t you do that later?” Kyle had to pointedly ignore Michelle and Kevin who were sharing amused smirks. “We’re going to be busy today in court.”

“But before that, you’ll be sitting down with him,” David pointed out. “And I get the feeling that except for a few questions and things about what he should and shouldn’t do while he’s in front of the judge, it’s going to just be the three of you doing most of the talking.”

“More than likely yes,” Kyle said with a hint of exasperation. “But this is serious, Dad. You can’t just expect them to leave you alone in a room with him.”

David smirked a little more. “I’m dressed like the three of you. Any of the cops will just think I’m part of his legal team and not give me a second thought.”

Kyle knew his dad didn’t really have a good hold on what was going to happen, and he had to admit to himself that he’s partly to blame for this since he all but told his dad what he was doing today. If he had thought about it longer, Kyle would probably remember that David asked him more than a few leading questions to give him a clearer picture and that it was more than likely that David had been planning this for a while. “Dad…”

David shook his head. “You’re not going to talk me out of this, son. Trust me. Everything will be okay.”

Kyle was getting ready to give his father a solid “no” when Rosette walked past and said offhandedly, “don’t argue with your daddy. You’ll be late.”

David’s eyes sparkled playfully as he grinned at Kyle. “I promise I won’t cause trouble.”

Kyle was dubious about this promise, but he had to get moving. “Just… don’t do anything to get me arrested. Or disbarred.”

Michelle finally decided to speak up, having enjoyed the back and forth and knowing that while Kyle may have a point, he was mostly worrying over nothing. “He’ll be fine, Kyle,” she said with dismissive confidence. She gave David a bright smile, sliding her arm around his. “Come on, Mr. Howard. You can ride with me.”

Kyle sighed and followed them out the door with Kevin on his heels. With Kevin in his car, they made the long trip to Pittsburgh in relative silence. He half-listened to Kevin talking about still searching for evidence, but Kyle knew they had just about everything they’re going to get. They had a good case, he knew. But it would depend on what he did today. It was going to be a game of brinkmanship. If he gave away too much about his overall argument, the prosecution could stop him and then he could lose a good part of his case. After learning everything he has learned, if he couldn’t get Dylan Goode on the witness stand, then this could all be for nothing. True, he had other points that could lead to reasonable doubt. But he wanted real vindication. He wanted to expose the real killer right in front of the jury.

Once they entered the downtown area of Pittsburgh, Kyle drove towards the jail while Michelle’s car continued to the courthouse. Michelle could take David straight to where they planned to meet up, but Kyle had to get Josh and get him ready for his first appearance in court. When he pulled up to the jail, Kyle got out and grabbed the hanging bag in his backseat. Together, the two lawyers walked up to the entrance and signed in. Seeing Josh already standing there in the holding room waiting gave Kyle a small sense of relief. He smiled as the door closed behind them. “Good morning, Josh. Ready for today?”

Josh shrugged, but Kyle thought he saw a very small smile on his lips. “Yeah. Let’s get this over with.”

“Not quite what I wanted to hear, but it’ll work. Here.” He held out the bag. “Once you’re changed, then we’ll get going.”

Josh took the bag and turned around and started to undress. Kevin politely turned to give him what little privacy he could have. “Kyle,” Kevin muttered as he moved closer to his boss. “I’m still looking through some sources.”

“That video guy you talked to?” Kyle had been skeptical when Kevin told him about his trip to the area around where Sharon was killed. From experience, he knew that the odds of finding anything helpful were slim at best. “Don’t bet on finding anything, but feel free to look when you have time. I don’t want to say we didn’t turn over every stone.”

“For what it’s worth, I think you’re probably right. I’ll keep looking but I spent most of the night pouring over his old videos and haven’t seen anything that even looks close to helpful.”

Kyle nodded slightly. “Don’t say anything to Josh. I don’t want him to think we have some magical new piece of evidence that’s going to free him in a snap. This is going to take a lot of subtlety to pull off today.”

“Don’t worry. We’ll get what we need.”

Kyle didn’t say anything more on the subject. The more he thought about it, his mind remembered his last loss. He could envision something similar happening here that would end up ruining everything.

Josh interrupted their conversation. “Well?”

They turned and Kyle smiled as he looked at Josh in his shirt, pants and tie. Kyle walked up to Josh to straighten his tie. “You look very handsome. Just remember to not do any talking unless the judge asks you a question. Pay attention to what’s being said but try not to react too much. I’m not expecting him to ask you anything, but if he does and you’re not sure how to respond, just look at me and I’ll help you out.”

Josh nodded. “Okay. We ready?”

“Yup.” Kyle turned to Kevin. “Go ahead and notify the guards.”

Since Josh was still in custody, the police drove them the short distance to the courthouse and handed him and his lawyers over to the bailiffs once they arrived. From there, they were escorted up to the meeting room they had designated as their waiting area before they would be summoned to the courtroom by the clerk.

Kyle did not think to advise Josh about his father’s presence. When they stepped inside, they found Michelle and David quietly talking to each other. David locked his eyes onto Josh as he rose to his feet, like he was trying to memorize every inch of Josh’s body. Kyle realized this could become awkward with Josh’s shyness. “Josh, I would like you to meet my dad. He decided to tag along with us today.” As an aside, he added, “do me and yourself a favor and don’t mention that to anyone else.”

Josh sized up the older man in the room with the grey beard framing his smile and the bright welcoming eyes. He could see the obvious resemblance between the older man and his son. David’s body seemed a little slimmer, which he figured had to do with his age than anything else. In any other situation, Josh would have probably avoided the seemingly outgoing smile. He lived too long to not learn that some of the nicest appearing people almost always had bad intentions behind those smiles. He nodded slightly to David before Kyle led him to a seat at the table.

David was looking at Josh silently as he came towards the table he was sharing with Michelle. In his eyes, he saw exactly what he saw the first day he met Jacob. A sullen, withdrawn kid that didn’t know who to trust. Only this wasn’t a teenager. This was an adult who never grew up knowing any other life than distrust and keeping his guard up. He listened quietly as Kyle talked to Josh about what was going to happen in the courtroom and what to expect before the day was over. While David could only half-understand what Kyle was talking about, he knew enough that his son was getting a strategy in place for what was going to happen later.

After a few minutes, Kyle and the other lawyers began to talk among themselves, and David watched as Josh silently closed himself off. The blue eyes drifted down to the floor and while he wasn’t fully aware of what was going on inside his mind, David felt compelled to draw the young man out. He shifted his chair to be closer to Josh and leaned in to speak quietly with him without the others overhearing. “It’s nice to finally meet you.”

The blue eyes flicked up and there was a moment of doubt in them before Josh answered back. “Thanks.”

One side of his lips lifted in amusement. The boy was definitely keeping his shields up. “How are you holding up?”

“Okay, I guess,” Josh replied. “Kyle makes it sound like he can pull this off.”

A sad but sympathetic look crossed his face hearing those words. David could tell this was a man who was used to disappointment. “You sound like you’re not so sure. You are innocent, aren’t you?”

Josh’s defenses flared up as he replied. “Of course, I am. I loved her. She was…” He stopped himself from saying more and shook his head at letting himself get carried away. Ever since Kyle came into his life with this sense of hope that he could in fact be found innocent of killing her, he was starting to feel cracks in the protective shell around himself that he had used since he was a kid to keep himself from being hurt. What he never realized was that his protection also kept him from feeling happiness. Kept him from forming any kind of bond out of fear that it would just lead to losing them. He scoffed and said, "I am innocent."

David nodded. “Yes, you are. And I know my son. He’s going to get you out of this. One way or another. I guess the real question you need to ask yourself is what happens after it’s over?”

Josh’s eyes avoided looking at him. He seemed so genuinely concerned that it didn’t seem real. “I don’t know,” he replied. “I don’t really have much of anything left.”

“You have more than you think,” David countered gently. “You have something you haven’t had in a long time. A family.”

Josh snorted. “My brother?” He frowned slightly. “Kyle told me about him not long after we met. Haven’t heard a word from him and I know they’re married. Seems like he’s just like all the other ‘families’ I was stuck with as a kid. Doesn’t mean anything to him and doesn’t want me.”

David sighed. The boy was more insightful than he expected. “Josh, he has a complicated past. That said, he will come around eventually. Sooner than you think, I would bet. He just needs to sort things out.”

“Heard that before…”

“I’m sorry for everything you’ve been through. But Jacob isn’t the only family you have.”

“What? You?”

David nodded. “Yeah. Me. Why do you think I’m here? I wanted to meet you. Talk to you. Kyle told me about you being in foster care while you were growing up.”

Josh’s gaze returned to the top of the table. The idea that someone would be willing to include him and honestly want him around without wanting something in exchange was anathema to him. “What do you expect me to do?”

“What do you mean?”

“What do you want in return? You want me to work for you or take care of your house or…”

David shook his head. “I don’t want anything. Well, that’s not entirely true, I guess.”

Josh smirked sardonically. “I figured.”

Taking a chance, David reached out and touched his hand. “What I want is for you to be at peace.”

Josh felt his eyes getting wet. The hand that was laid over his was warm but strong. He dared to look up into David’s eyes because he could tell the old man meant every word he was saying. There was no hint of deceit or duplicity in his eyes. Just a man who wanted to help. The same look that Sharon used to give him when he first thought she wasn’t serious about her feelings for him. “I don’t know how,” he replied in a whisper.

“That’s okay,” David leaned across the table and lowered his voice. “We can figure it out together. Kyle is a good lawyer, Josh. He’s going to win this. I’m not sure how but he will. I didn’t come here to help him. I came here to help you. No one should have to walk the road you’re on right now, especially by yourself. And I know that’s what you’re doing. You keep holding everyone else at bay just to save yourself. You’re like a drowning man who’s flailing around so much you keep pushing away the people that are trying to save you.” A gentle, knowing smile brightened his face. “Your brother did the same thing a long time ago. I love him like he’s my own. And believe me when I tell you that he will come to know you in time.”

The words were coming out of his mouth before Josh knew what he was saying. “It’s just so hard, you know? Being alone all the time. Like… ever since my dad, my adopted dad died, I’ve never felt like I belonged. Like I was broken, and no one wanted me anymore because I wasn’t good enough. Going from house to house with strangers who pretended they liked you only for them to yell and scream for reasons I didn’t understand. To make up rules and punish you before you knew what the rules were. In orphanages where the other kids have to treat you like shit because everyone else treats them like shit. And then you get out of it, and nobody cares. They just step on you. They expect you to know things you don’t know and then hate you for not knowing.”

David nodded. “And it’s hard to finally take the risk of trusting again because your past teaches you that you’ll just get hurt more. I know, son. When this is over, you can come stay with us and you can find a way to let go of all of that.”

“I’m not sure I can anymore.”

“Doesn’t hurt to try.”

A knock at the door was followed by one of the guards in the hallway informing them the judge was ready.

Josh wiped his eyes as he stood up with the others. He took a deep breath to calm himself. It wouldn’t look good if he walked into the courtroom and the judge saw tears in his eyes. He started to follow the others to the door but before he could take two steps, David stopped him. Just as he started to say something, David wrapped him up in a warm embrace. Despite himself, Josh closed his eyes and took a moment to let himself feel the sense of comfort it gave him. Like the memory of a warm summer’s day of your youth when all you’ve known in the past years are cold winter nights.

David held him, perhaps longer than he should have, but his compulsion to comfort this man he just met overrode any other consideration. “Everything is going to be okay,” he said gently before letting him go. Josh said nothing, just looked at him with a more trusting attitude before they joined the others on their way to the courtroom.

Kyle led them down the hall into the courtroom. David was slightly impressed. The room looked much like he imagined. A large dais at the opposite end of the room where the judge was already seated and the witness chair to the right. The empty jury box was next to that, and the two long tables stood on either side of the aisle where the two sides would conduct their arguments. He moved to the side of the gallery where Kyle and his team were setting up. On the other side, a man and two women were seated together, speaking in low voices who David guessed were the prosecutors.

Judge Schumer was writing something on a page and passed it to the clerk next to him before he raised his head to acknowledge the next set of lawyers in the room. “Mr. Jensen?”

The man sitting at the other table stood. “Ready to proceed, your honor.”

“Alright.” The judge looked at the new file that was placed in front of him. “People versus Carter. Murder in the second degree. I see we have an initial plea of ‘not guilty…’” He glanced up to Kyle and the others before asking, “is your client maintaining that plea at this time Mr. Howard?”

Kyle stood and nodded. “Yes, sir.”

“Very good.” The judge made a note and continued. “Before we leave here today, gentlemen, I would like to have a schedule for jury selection and a trial date unless there are any objections.”

“No objections here, your honor,” Kyle replied, and Jensen confirmed.

The judge nodded and was silent for a few moments as he looked over some other pages. “Mr. Jensen, you have a list of witnesses I see you’re calling. Five, is that correct?”

“Yes, sir,” Adam Jensen replied. “I have spoken to all of them, and they are willing to appear in court without the need for subpoena. Commonwealth reserves the right to add witnesses beyond what is scheduled at this time.”

Judge Schumer nodded. “Very good. Mr. Howard…” he turned to a second list and examined the names on it. “Seems to have a number of witnesses.”

“Yes, your honor.” Kyle kept his face neutral as he explained. “Most of the witnesses are willing to testify, but I will be requesting subpoenas for a few of them as noted at the bottom of the page.”

Adam was quick to step in. “Your honor, the commonwealth has an objection to his list.”

The judge looked curiously from the list as he spoke. “What is the commonwealth’s objection?”

Adam picked up his copy of Kyle’s list. “He has a request for a subpoena for Dylan Goode. The commonwealth feels that it’s unnecessary to be calling him when he’s an important member of the community and being involved in a trial such as this would cause an undue burden when all he would be called in for is to testify to his actions with the victim prior to her murder.”

“Mr. Howard?” The judge turned his head to Kyle. “Why should the court compel testimony from Mr. Goode.”

Kyle kept his back straight and his face blank, remembering that this could be the most important part of Josh’s trial. “Normally, I would agree that keeping a local politician out of a trial would be a good thing, your honor. But, in this case, the night in question and the testimony he could give the jury are all things that took place prior to Mr. Goode’s election as a city council member. It has no bearing on his current work and defense will be the first to say that the less interest from the media would be better for my client and the court as a whole. But in order for my client’s defense to be complete, it is important that we get testimony from every person who knew her and was present the night of her murder in front of the jury. In short, your honor, my client has a right to a full defense.”

The judge seemed dubious. “You don’t think it would be redundant for him to get on the stand and say the exact same thing the others on your list will say?”

Kyle anticipated that question and was prepared. “It’s been my experience, sir, that while multiple people may witness the same moment, each of them walks away with a different viewpoint. I just want to give my client the best possible chance for his acquittal.”

The judge was silent for a moment before he made a note on the page. “Mr. Jensen, the court is aware that having a politician in a courtroom tends to elevate public attention, however Mr. Howard’s point is too compelling to ignore. The court will issue a subpoena for Mr. Goode and, without objection, any other witness or evidence they may see fit to introduce.”

Adam Jensen frowned but conceded the issue for now. Kyle didn’t dare look over at his opponent, or else he would be tempted to smirk and that wasn’t something he wanted to do and give away too much of his plan just yet. “Thank you, your honor,” Kyle said as the judge handed the instructions to his clerk.

The judge waved dismissively at Kyle’s words and moved on. “If there’s no objection, there is a jury pool available next week beginning on Monday and we can proceed with selection from that pool.”

“No objection,” Adam said as he sat down and started writing the date down. “Nine o’clock?” He turned to Kyle for his opinion on the time.

Kyle looked down at his calendar and nodded. “No objection there.”

“Excellent,” the judge said. “Then we can hopefully get a twelve-person jury and four alternates before the end of next week.” He turned a page, looking at it carefully before saying, “if we can agree on the jury selection by the end of next week, then we will proceed with seating them and beginning opening arguments a week later, Monday morning same time.” He looked up from his page to see their reaction. “No objections?” When both lawyers shook their heads, he put pen to paper. “Very well. Monday, April tenth, we will begin with opening arguments. Until then, Mr. Carter will remain remanded into custody. And with that, court stands in recess for half an hour.” The judge stood and moved off the bench and headed out to his private office.

David watched in fascination as the entire moment played out. When Kyle turned around, he noticed a small but pleased smile on his son’s lips. He wanted to ask what he was so happy about but knew to wait and ask later the way home. “Kyle.” When he got his attention, David moved close to him and said quietly, “I’ll come with you with Josh, if you don’t mind.”

Kyle did mind. The last thing he wanted was his dad seeing the inside of a jail, but other than the obvious discomfort of having your father looking over your shoulder, he could not come up with a convincing argument to deny his request. “Just be careful about what you say. Don’t talk about what goes on in here or what we talked about when we’re alone. You don’t enjoy attorney/client privilege, remember?”

“I know,” David said. “I just want to go with Josh.”

“A ten-minute conversation and you’re ready to adopt him,” Kyle asked teasingly.

His father smirked and playfully nudged him. “Guess I’m just an old softie.”

They walked out of the courtroom and Kyle told Michelle and Kevin, “you two can go ahead back to the office. We’ll get Josh back and be behind you. Get some lunch to, while you’re at it.”

Michelle nodded and the two of them parted from Kyle and David. Father and son went with the police escort to return Josh to his cell. David’s nature was to protest how Josh was being treated but a warning look from Kyle reminded him to keep his mouth shut. Once Josh was back in his orange jumpsuit and his suit was stored for whenever he went back to court, David approached him and gave him a reassuring smile. “I’ll call you first chance I get.”

Josh nodded and his lips lifted in a small smile. “Okay. Will you be back?”

David nodded. “Sure. Any time you’re going to be in court, I’ll be there with you. If you want me to be.”

The younger man stood there, seemingly uncertain how to respond. “…Yeah. That’ll be fine.”

With a nod, David smiled. “Okay. Then I will see you next time.”

Kyle put a hand on David’s shoulder as they left the building and headed out to the car. As they got in and Kyle started the engine, he asked his father, “so, do you believe me now?”

David arched an eyebrow curiously. “What do you mean?”

“That Josh is innocent.”

“Oh,” he scoffed. “I already knew that. You wouldn’t be putting yourself through hell if you thought he was guilty. I just wanted to see him with my own eyes and hear from him what he needed.”

“He needs help,” Kyle stated.

“He needs a connection,” David countered gently. “He needs to know that there’s life after he is freed. You’re doing a bang-up job to get him found innocent, but he needs a lot more than that.”

“Reminds you of Jacob?”

David shrugged. “Sort of. I mean, really, if you put them side by side, you’d be blind to not see how similar they look in the face. He more reminds me of Troy in a way.”

That was not what Kyle expected to hear as he started the long drive back. “Troy?! How?”

David sighed, feeling both tired but determined. “Because he feels like he’s lost everything. Even at his lowest point, Jacob always knew he had someone in his corner. When his mom died, and Sam fell into depression, Troy honestly felt like he had lost his whole life. He was too young to understand what he still had. It took him awhile to come around and really heal from losing Emily. But he did.” He turned to look at Kyle. “And he did it because he had you and Andy and Brian helping him.”

“And you,” Kyle pointed out.

“Well, that’s just a given,” David replied with a half smirk. “I think when I get home, I’ll start getting a room ready for him.”

“I wouldn’t tell Jacob, if I were you.”

David frowned slightly in thought. Jacob was another matter he knew he would have to deal with. He didn’t want to reveal anything just yet, but he had an idea of how to go about it. “Well… It’s still my house. I get to decide who lives there and who doesn’t. But it won’t come to that. Have you two worked on things yet?”

“We’ve only had one session with the counselor.”

David rolled his eyes, not seeing the point of them going to a therapist when all they needed to really do was talk to one another. “I don’t see why you two don’t just talk it out. There’s a common ground to be found somewhere.”

Kyle kept his eyes on the road as he shook his head. “Well, if there is, I have yet to find it.”

“What’s he told you so far?”

“Nothing.”

“Nothing?”

“Nothing.”

David let his frustrations show. “Okay.” He felt a little disappointed that Jacob had not done what they spoke about. He was hiding things from Kyle about his past. About his father. He had to start sharing it or else nothing was going to get any better for him or Kyle.

After a few moments of silence, Kyle felt like he had to ask what he had been wondering about. “So…” Kyle hesitated, not wanting to start an argument. “Why was it so important to you that you felt you had to come today?”

“Because he needed someone on his side,” David replied simply.

Kyle frowned, feeling like he hadn’t been doing enough if his dad thought Josh needed someone. “And you think that’s not what I’m doing?”

“No, no,” David said, not wanting Kyle to get the wrong impression. “You’re doing your job and you are doing a great job. But your focus needs to be on his trial and getting him out of prison. That’s a big job and you can’t do the little things that can matter more in the long run. He needs to know that after his trial, he’s going to have a life. Not just exist on his own like he has been most of his life. He needs a home and someone who cares about him. You’re doing your part right now. But he needs a dad. He’s gone too long without one.”

“What if that’s not what he wants?”

David smiled. “If that’s what he chooses, that’s his right. But I want to make sure he knows that the door is always open for him.”

Kyle sighed and knew his dad had a point. Of course, the sticking point will be getting Jacob comfortable with the idea. “I guess we’ll just have to wait and see how it all works out.”

“Don’t doubt yourself, son,” David said in his compassionate, fatherly tone. “You know what you’re doing. I have faith in you. Even if you don’t.”

Kyle smiled slightly. “Thanks, Dad.”

****

Colt was sitting down at the kitchen table to enjoy his sandwich when the back door opened, and Jacob stepped inside. He looked up from the table, mildly surprised to see him come home so early in the day. Ever since he and David returned early from Florida, an uncurrent of tension had flowed through the house. Jacob and Kyle had been polite to each other and had not raised their voices to each other since David had staged his surprise intervention. But the air in the house felt thicker than it had been before they left. If Colt felt annoyed by any of it, it was only because it was causing stress to David. “You back for lunch of back for the day,” he asked Jacob casually.

Jacob joined him at the table and opened the bag he was carrying that contained the sandwich he got on his way home. “No reason to go back today,” he muttered. “I broke the piece of walnut I was using to make a desk top I was designing, so now I have to find another piece of the same size and that’ll take a few days.”

“Hm. Sorry to hear that.” Colt took a bite from his sandwich and watched Jacob as he chewed. While Jacob and the others generally respected him, Colt was never one to voice his opinion often. He surmised that they probably took that as general disinterest on his part but that was hardly the case. As an office who had men under his command for decades, he had learned how to size up a man when he felt a need to. It had been fairly obvious to him even before they left for Florida that something had been going on between Jacob and Kyle. Kyle had been acting quiet and was constantly being careful with the words he used when Colt was around. At the time, he felt that it was not his place to say anything. But that was before they had to rush home to stop them from destroying their marriage, which he knew was still up in the air. Even now he could see a faint flicker of resentment in Jacob’s eyes, and he knew what it was from. “How did you break it?”

“Hit it too hard with the chisel,” he replied quietly. “Where’s Dad?”

With a slight frown of disapproval, Colt replied, “he went to Pitt with Kyle. Wanted to see Josh.” He watched impassively as Jacob’s eyes darkened but said nothing as he continued to eat. Opting to say nothing for the moment, he continued to eat his lunch calmly, moving only to retrieve a soda from the fridge when he was almost finished. His thoughts cautioned about getting involved. He didn’t want to get in the way or step on any toes, but the longer he sat there, eventually he couldn’t hold back any longer. “So, what’s your beef with a man you’ve never met in your entire life?”

Jacob looked up, mildly surprised. He was caught off guard by Colt’s question, he wasn’t sure how to answer. “It’s hard to explain.”

Colt took a drink of his soda and leaned back in his seat, fixing his gaze on Jacob. “I got time. I’ve never heard of a man hating a stranger outside of a war zone.”

As he sat there, thinking of a response, Jacob could only respond honestly. “I just think he’s not someone that should be around here. He’s been in trouble, has nothing to offer. Could end up being a bad influence on the kids, not to mention I’m not totally sold on Kyle’s instincts that he’s innocent. For all we know, we’re letting a killer into our lives, and I know that’s what Kyle has in mind. To have him come here to live.”

Colt nodded slowly as he listened. “All good points.”

Jacob seemed mollified by Colt’s response. “I’m glad at least someone sees it the way I do.”

“I didn’t say I did,” Colt responded. “I said you made some good points.” He leaned forward in his seat to look Jacob in the eyes. “Now, I could be wrong, because I wasn’t around here back when 'The Legend of Kyle and Jacob' first began, but if I’m not mistaken, weren’t you living in a rundown trailer park here in town when you two first met?”

“Yeah,” Jacob replied with a deep frown.

“And your daddy was a drunk and used to beat you,” Colt pressed. “And, if from what I’ve heard is true, you’re a recovering alcoholic on top of that.”

“What’s your point?” Jacob’s eyes darkened even further but his angry demeanor did not faze Colt.

“Well, seems to me if I had been in Davey’s shoes, I probably wouldn’t have trusted you much if I’d judged you on your background then.” He shrugged and continued, “but, Davey and Kyle and all his friends didn’t bat an eye and brought you into the fold. And look where you are today? You have a successful business, a husband, a huge home and an even bigger family. You probably wouldn’t have been so lucky if it hadn’t been for Davey and Kyle’s compassion for you, not to mention Kyle being so fucking over the moon for you it’d be obvious to Helen Keller.”

Jacob sighed, unable to argue against that. “So, what’s that got to do with this Josh person?”

Colt looked at him and let a bit of disappointment show. “Just that I never figured you for that type of person.”

“What type of person is that?”

“The type of person who takes advantage of all the benefits he’s offered and once he’s built himself a nice comfortable life and, let’s face it, you’re richer than anyone else in town, that you would slam the door shut in the face of someone who’s life you could have lived had it not been for people who took you in when you needed it most.” Colt could see his words had a sobering effect on him. “There’s a word for that, you know. ‘Selfishness.’” Having made his point, he stood up from his chair. “I need to run to the store and get some milk because we’re out. While I’m gone, you might wanna rethink your priorities and ask yourself if it’s worth it to hold onto your grudge against a man who’s done you no harm.” He opened the door to leave and paused before adding, “it’s past time for you to grow up and be a man for once in your life. Stop running from shit and deal with it.”

Jacob sat there as he heard the door close behind him, staring at the table, feeling embarrassed because he knew there was a lot of truth in Colt’s words.

****

Troy relaxed on the sofa, watching the news as the evening starting winding down. Emily was in bed and the boys were upstairs in their rooms already. They weren’t due to be asleep for another hour, but they had their homework done and as long as they didn’t make a lot of noise, he was content to leave them alone until it was time to tuck them in for the night. There was a sense of relief in him that there seemed to be no more fighting between Jacob and Kyle. He checked up on Jacob during lunch and found him content and acting normal while also mentioning their upcoming therapy session in a few days. Troy had thought about talking to Carter before school about telling him if Matt started acting strange, but then he probably knew to say something anyway, so Troy opted to say nothing instead. It didn’t stop him from worrying about them though.

But he had a bigger worry on his mind now. Something Elizabeth had noticed Saturday at Tanner’s birthday party. And this was a little closer to home. He wasn’t sure how to say it exactly and he didn’t want to force the issue. But Liz had told him that it was better to do it now and get it over with than wait and run the risk of something worse happening.

He was brought out of his thoughts by the sound of the garage door opening. A smile came to his lips as he waited for the car to stop in the garage and the door to go down which signaled his wife was home from work. One of the most normal activities of his life seemed to be his most beloved. Knowing she was home after a shift at the hospital meant that he could see her again. After thirteen years of marriage, the passionate fire of their youth may have cooled over the years but never went out. The best part of their lives now was each other and how they got to share their experiences.

Liz came into the house with a sigh and made her way through the kitchen. “Why’s it so quiet,” she asked out loud.

“Because it’s past bedtime number one,” Troy answered from his spot on the couch.

“She didn’t rebel or anything,” Liz asked as she joined him on the sofa, still wearing her scrubs.

Troy shook his head. “Nope. I may have hinted that if she were to go to bed with little to no fuss, she would get a reward.”

“What reward would that be,” she asked with an arched eyebrow. Troy tended to bribe the kids for compliance when she wasn’t around. Something she warned him against, telling him that in her opinion it was tantamount to negotiating with terrorists.

“Oh, I didn’t say anything specific,” he said calmly.

Liz smirked. “She’s gonna want something by morning…”

“Ah. I thought about that,” he said as a small smile lifted his lips. “I figure, there’s a fifty-fifty chance she’ll forget by morning so there’s practically nothing to worry about.”

“And if she does remember?”

He looked at her with a playful grin. “I’ll tell her a good night’s sleep was her reward.”

Liz giggled at that. “Good luck with that.” She reached up and brushed the hair on his head back gently with her fingers. “What about the other thing,” she asked with a suggestive look.

Troy sighed. “I haven’t yet.”

“Do it.”

Troy jokingly whined. “I don’t wanna.”

Liz leaned closer to him and said quietly, “he wants you to, I think. And you already know what to say. You were ready for this moment long before I met you. So, get up there.”

Troy’s lips twisted in a slight grimace, but he couldn’t put this off any longer. “You going to go with me?”

“Nope,” she replied with a shake of her head. “This is exclusively a father/son thing.” She sat back and eyed him expectantly.

With a deep sigh, Troy got up and slowly took to the stairs. Liz was right. He did know what to say. The only real reason he had been holding back for so long was because deep down, he knew it was the start of a very long, rewarding, exciting and ultimately painful journey his relationship would be taking with his oldest son. Where he really wouldn’t be a child anymore and would be starting that slow transition to adulthood. An inevitable outcome, of course. But there’s a kind of sadness that comes with knowing that eventually, he was not going to need his parents for much longer.

He went down the hall to the last doorway on the left. It wasn’t closed and from the sounds coming from the room, his little boy was listening to music and likely playing a game on his tablet. Stopping in the doorway, he took a long look at Chace, leaned back on his bed who looked like he had added inches since he got home from school. With practiced ease, Troy put on a smile to cover up his melancholy and lightly rapped on the doorway.

Chase looked up, absently flipping his hair out of his eyes to see who was there. “Hey, Dad,” he said with a friendly smile.

“Hey, yourself,” he replied. “Mind if I talk to you for a minute?”

“Sure.” His smile faded slightly as his dad stepped into the room and closed the door behind him.

Troy moved to the bed and sat down on the edge, putting his hands in his lap. “You had a lot of fun with Tanner and the others last weekend.”

Chase smirked. “Well, yeah. It was a party. Are you asking me what kind of party I want to have?”

Troy nodded slowly. “Kind of, yeah. I know you were a little uneasy at first with some of them, since they were mostly his friends on the wrestling squad. I’m glad you got to spend time with them, though.”

“Yeah,” he answered casually. “They were a lot of fun. I thought they’d be like the typical jocks and treat me funny because I wasn’t one of them, but we got along good.”

“I noticed,” Troy said with a patient smile. “Do you think you might want to try out wrestling next year?”

“Meh,” Chase made a face and shrugged. “I don’t think I’ve got the muscle for it.” His face brightened when he added, “I do think I want to try track, though.”

“Oh,” Troy nodded. “That could probably be something you’d be really good at. We’ll look into it next year when you hit eighth grade then.”

“Sweet!”

Troy grinned at his exuberant reply and then reluctantly got back on track with the real reason he was there. “You know, I noticed a lot of things at that party.”

Chase frowned curiously. “Like what?”

Troy gave him a knowing look. “I noticed you seemed very friendly with one of the boys.”

“What do you mean,” the boy asked as his frown deepened.

“Oh, I don’t know,” Troy said innocently. “It’s just that you stared at him a lot when no one else was looking. What was his name?”

Chase’s eyes showed his fear even as he giggled. “Who? Tanner? He’s my friend.”

“Not Tanner,” Troy replied with a reassuring smile. “The other boy.”

He took a moment, as if trying to recall who Troy could be referring to. Hesitantly, he offered, “Bill Dougherty?”

“I think so,” his dad replied. “A little taller than Tanner. Short blonde hair. Seemed to be pretty big for a boy his age.”

“Yeah,” Chase said. “What about him?”

“Do you like him?”

His eyes looked away as he laughed. “Dad. He’s a cool guy, that’s all.”

Troy knew better. Years ago, he knew someone else who had that same look in his eyes. “Are you sure?”

Chase felt his body stiffen slightly. “Yeah.”

Seeing his son starting to get defensive, he softened his tone. “Chase, it’s okay. You know anything you tell me I won’t tell anyone else. Not your friends or mine. Just between us. Well, and your mom.”

“Dad…”

“I’m saying that, to let you know that you don’t have to be scared to tell me things. I know it can all feel confusing at your age and you’re not sure what makes sense. It’s what happens when you start growing up.” He moved closer and put his hand on Chase’s shoulder. “You are more important to your mom and I than anyone else. I want to make sure you have someone you can talk to when things start changing.”

Chase looked at Troy. “I… I’m not sure what I feel. Or what I like.”

Troy grinned. “That’s perfectly fine, son. No one, myself least of all, expects you to have all the answers. So, you like Bill, but you think you’re not sure how much you like him, is what I’m hearing. Is that about right?”

Chase nodded slowly. “It’s just…” His voice lowered slightly as if not wanting the rest of the world to hear him. “I get weird feelings and stuff. If you know what I mean.”

Troy chuckled. “Yeah. Yeah, I was twelve once. Thirteen to, like you will be soon.”

He hesitated for a moment and seemed to relax. “We can really talk about this?”

“Yeah,” Troy said with a confident nod.

“Okay. So, his voice kind of… excites me.”

Troy smirked and did his best to be serious. “Okay. Nothing wrong with that.”

“But I don’t know if he likes me too.”

“Well, see, here’s the thing about that.” Troy relaxed a bit on the bed as he went on. “As much as you feel confused and unsure about it, and how you’re changing and looking at people differently than you used to, he’s going through the same thing himself. Maybe he does like you. Maybe he just wants to be friends. You have to wait and see if he catches up to you. As much as you don’t want to be put on the spot, he probably doesn’t want to either.”

Chase’s face became thoughtful. “Yeah. Hadn’t thought about that.”

Troy shrugged. “Just wait a bit. See if you can form a friendship and see where that friendship goes.”

He nodded slowly. A small smile lights up his face again. “Okay. That’s not so hard. Thanks, Dad.”

With an affectionate pat, he replied. “That’s what I’m here for.” Feeling pleased that it was a productive talk, he started to get up.

“Wait, Dad,” Chase said as he grabbed Troy’s hand. “There’s more.”

“More?” As he slowly sat back down, Troy wondered how many boys Chase was interested in.

“Yeah.” Freed from the confinement of not having anyone to confide in, Chase was a little more animated as he continued. “Well, see, there’s this girl. Amber. She’s really cute and I love talking to her.”

Troy frowned slightly. “Okay… like how exactly?”

“Well… Kind of like the same way Bill made me feel.”

Troy realized that he may have bitten off more than he could chew. “Well…” He shrugged as he searched for a way to respond. “… I guess you just have to do the same thing with her. Just wait and see if she feels the same way.”

“Okay,” Chase said, seemingly accepting of the advice. “If anything else happens, I’ll let you know.”

Troy nodded. “You do that. Or you can talk to your mom. She loves you. But she’ll wait for you to start the ball rolling with her.”

“Okay.”

Troy smiled. “Okay.” He leaned over and kissed Chase on the top of his head. “Almost bedtime. Finish up what you’re doing and then get to sleep.”

Chase nodded. “Okay. Goodnight, Dad.”

“Goodnight.” Troy closed the door on his way out and went back downstairs where he saw Elizabeth was still sitting where he left her, watching the news. With a long sigh he flopped back down onto the couch next to her and stared at the screen.

She grinned when she turned to see his face. “So?”

Troy had to admit to himself that there was some confusion inside himself as he answered the question she didn’t ask. “Well, there’s two possibilities.”

“And what are they?”

“Well, the first one is he might not have read between the lines about ‘liking’ someone, or…” He paused and sighed. “And here’s where things might go off the rails with our guesses… or, he’s bisexual, or he’s still on the fence and he’s just dealing with a lot of hormones overloading his head.”

Liz wasn’t sure what to make of that. “So, what do we do?”

“We wait,” he replied with more confidence than he felt. “See where things are later. Go from there. Let’s just not pressure him into making a decision he’s not ready to make.”

Liz nodded in total agreement. “Fine by me.” She leaned over and kissed him tenderly. “One down, two to go.”