managed to make him feel lighter when she said, “He’s ten. What’s to know? Vegetables, not too much TV, decent bedtime. You can do it.”
You can do it.
Those four words made his heart thump. His dad, Heather, Danika, the guys—they’d all said or shown with their actions that they believed in him and in what he was doing. But damn if it didn’t make him almost grin like a dumbass when Eve said it.
“Nothing to it, huh?”
“No problem,” she assured him.
He sighed, the reality once again pressing in. “Oh, there’s lots of problems.”
“Drew’s a really well-adjusted kid,” Eve said. “I don’t think you’ll have any issues with him. And it’s not like he’s an infant. There aren’t any diapers to worry about.”
“No, Drew’s not a problem. It’s complicated.” What an understatement. “I haven’t had time to get anything really organized.”
“You should keep him here in Grover,” Eve said. “This is his home. That will be easier on him than anything else. And then you don’t need to organize anything.”
He frowned. “I know. I intend to keep him here. But I still have to worry about my other responsibilities.”
Eve frowned back at him. “He’s a ten-year-old kid whose mom is in rehab. I think maybe he’s a little bigger priority than…whatever else you have going on, don’t you?”
Kevin’s frown deepened. “Of course he’s the bigger priority. But there are other people who depend on me too. I have to figure out how to not leave anyone hanging.”
“I guess your girlfriend is just going to have to deal with it,” Eve said, her eyes narrow.
“My…”
Ah. His girlfriend. Eve thought there was a woman. Was Eve annoyed on Drew’s behalf or was she annoyed that there might be a woman who wanted Kevin around on a daily—or nightly—basis?
He liked the jealousy theory. Which was stupid.
“No girlfriend. But I work three twelve-hour shifts a week from seven p.m. to seven a.m.” He ran a hand over his face, feeling tired even thinking about it. “My days off are no problem, and even the days I work I can be there for him until about five-thirty, but I have no idea what to do about the overnight thing.”
He didn’t know why he was dumping this all out there. Maybe because all of the thoughts had been nagging at him since last night and he’d realized that this was going to be a major juggling act—and it was very likely he was going to drop some balls.
“We can ask around,” Monica volunteered from over by the oven. “Surely we can find someone who can stay with him.”
Kevin gave her a small smile. “Thanks, I’d appreciate it.” He’d figure something out. He could take some time off, of course, but that meant finding a replacement for the crew. It was a lot to think about. He turned to Eve, intent on dealing with one thing at a time. “Anyway, we’ll need to go talk to the lawyer in the next few days. After that, I’m not sure when I’ll be able to do it. Things will be crazy.”
She said nothing. She looked at him, her bottom lip pulled between her lips. She seemed thoughtful.
“Can you do it tomorrow?” he asked.
“No. Sorry.”
Well, crap. They needed to get it over with. Not only because he needed to concentrate on everything with Drew, but because, frankly, it was still painful even with having had fourteen years to get used to the idea. It wasn’t as if they’d been living like a married couple, but for some reason the idea of signing those papers again made him want to get drunk and hit something. Again.
And getting drunk and hitting things were two things he’d been working on not doing in the past several years.
“Okay, how about Friday afternoon, before I have to go back to Omaha?”
Eve drew herself up tall. “Yeah, okay. Maybe.”
“Sounds good.” But it didn’t. Not at all.
“I guess at least we’re not fighting over custody of the dog or splitting up our dishes and furniture, right?” she said with a
You can do it.
Those four words made his heart thump. His dad, Heather, Danika, the guys—they’d all said or shown with their actions that they believed in him and in what he was doing. But damn if it didn’t make him almost grin like a dumbass when Eve said it.
“Nothing to it, huh?”
“No problem,” she assured him.
He sighed, the reality once again pressing in. “Oh, there’s lots of problems.”
“Drew’s a really well-adjusted kid,” Eve said. “I don’t think you’ll have any issues with him. And it’s not like he’s an infant. There aren’t any diapers to worry about.”
“No, Drew’s not a problem. It’s complicated.” What an understatement. “I haven’t had time to get anything really organized.”
“You should keep him here in Grover,” Eve said. “This is his home. That will be easier on him than anything else. And then you don’t need to organize anything.”
He frowned. “I know. I intend to keep him here. But I still have to worry about my other responsibilities.”
Eve frowned back at him. “He’s a ten-year-old kid whose mom is in rehab. I think maybe he’s a little bigger priority than…whatever else you have going on, don’t you?”
Kevin’s frown deepened. “Of course he’s the bigger priority. But there are other people who depend on me too. I have to figure out how to not leave anyone hanging.”
“I guess your girlfriend is just going to have to deal with it,” Eve said, her eyes narrow.
“My…”
Ah. His girlfriend. Eve thought there was a woman. Was Eve annoyed on Drew’s behalf or was she annoyed that there might be a woman who wanted Kevin around on a daily—or nightly—basis?
He liked the jealousy theory. Which was stupid.
“No girlfriend. But I work three twelve-hour shifts a week from seven p.m. to seven a.m.” He ran a hand over his face, feeling tired even thinking about it. “My days off are no problem, and even the days I work I can be there for him until about five-thirty, but I have no idea what to do about the overnight thing.”
He didn’t know why he was dumping this all out there. Maybe because all of the thoughts had been nagging at him since last night and he’d realized that this was going to be a major juggling act—and it was very likely he was going to drop some balls.
“We can ask around,” Monica volunteered from over by the oven. “Surely we can find someone who can stay with him.”
Kevin gave her a small smile. “Thanks, I’d appreciate it.” He’d figure something out. He could take some time off, of course, but that meant finding a replacement for the crew. It was a lot to think about. He turned to Eve, intent on dealing with one thing at a time. “Anyway, we’ll need to go talk to the lawyer in the next few days. After that, I’m not sure when I’ll be able to do it. Things will be crazy.”
She said nothing. She looked at him, her bottom lip pulled between her lips. She seemed thoughtful.
“Can you do it tomorrow?” he asked.
“No. Sorry.”
Well, crap. They needed to get it over with. Not only because he needed to concentrate on everything with Drew, but because, frankly, it was still painful even with having had fourteen years to get used to the idea. It wasn’t as if they’d been living like a married couple, but for some reason the idea of signing those papers again made him want to get drunk and hit something. Again.
And getting drunk and hitting things were two things he’d been working on not doing in the past several years.
“Okay, how about Friday afternoon, before I have to go back to Omaha?”
Eve drew herself up tall. “Yeah, okay. Maybe.”
“Sounds good.” But it didn’t. Not at all.
“I guess at least we’re not fighting over custody of the dog or splitting up our dishes and furniture, right?” she said with a
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