Mind Games

The screen door slapped open. Rubbing sleep out of his eyes, hair everywhere, Bray said, “Daddy.” Then his eyes popped wide, and he dropped the truck he held in one hand. “Bunk!”

They raced to each other as if war had separated them.

“Usurped by a giant dog.”

“I’m going to add to that.” Though her pulse still jumped, Thea pushed to her feet. “I’m going to steal your boy and take him and my giant dog to Grammie’s.”

“You don’t have—”

“Try to stop me. You should go back to work.”

“Why aren’t you working?”

“Because I didn’t spend the last two days playing video games, Candy Land and watching Sesame Street.”

“And Spider-Man cartoons.”

“Or that.” Thea picked up the truck. “Give me a good reason besides you don’t have to.”

“I don’t have one.”

“All right then. Bray! Do you want to come with Bunk and me to see Grammie?”

“Okay! Bye, Daddy.”

“Hey, hey, I get nothing?”

Grinning, Bray raced over, gave a hug, a smacking kiss. “Bye, Daddy.”

Ty watched Bray take Thea’s hand as they walked away, the giant dog beside him like a guard.

He felt a little pang, but it didn’t last. Instead, he unplugged the headphones, turned his amp up a little.

As she walked, Thea heard him playing fast, tricky, unrestrained rock to the hills.

“Daddy plays guitar.”

“He sure does.” When Bray lifted his arms, she picked him up, set him on her hip for the walk. “He sure does.”

Chapter Twenty

After Bray gobbled cookies and filled Lucy in on everything he’d done when it rained and rained, he ran—his usual speed—to see the animals.

Thea sat on the porch with her grandmother to help shell peas. She felt certain Ty knew she’d tell Lucy the story, and she did, quickly, quietly.

“That poor girl. So young. She did a brave and loving thing for her baby.”

“I thought the same.”

“I hope she can see what a fine job Ty’s doing with that child. I thought a lot of Ty before you told me this. I think even more of him now.”

As she shelled, she watched Bray talk to old Betty Lou.

“Another man might’ve said, Oh no, no, I’m not taking this on, not changing my life, taking on a lifetime responsibility. Or he might’ve cursed her, tossed her out. Maybe sent her off with a chunk of money. A lot of other ways it could’ve been.

“Makes me want to hug them both.”

“His parents don’t approve of him.”