One in a Million Read online

  Troy went mutinously silent.

  “Troy,” the principal said disapprovingly. “I have four witnesses who say you pushed Caden into that railing. Not a single witness said that you were stopping him from picking on someone. Or that something got stolen.”

  “Because you asked the guys that were with Caden. You didn’t ask the person they were picking on,” Troy said. “And anyway, I got their stuff back already so it doesn’t matter.”

  “And who are we talking about?” she asked. “Who’s the kid who’s being picked on and stolen from?”

  Troy went mum.

  Tanner looked into the kid’s stubborn brown eyes, which was more than a little bit like looking into a mirror. I got their stuff back…

  Aw, shit. The day Troy had gotten caught climbing out of the girl’s window. He’d gone there to return her stuff. “Juliet,” he said quietly.

  Troy’s mouth went hard with determination.

  Yeah, Tanner thought. It was the girl. He looked at the principal. “Look, I think it’s clear to both of us that he was protecting someone. It’s also clear you don’t have the entire story.”

  The principal looked at Troy for a long beat, then nodded. “Yes, I believe you’re right.”

  “What’s going to be done?” Tanner asked.

  “What’s going to be done is I’ll get to the bottom of this and then decide. Troy,” she said, “who did you step in to help?”

  Troy remained mum.

  The principal folded her fingers together. “I can’t help you unless you let me.”

  “She won’t talk to you,” Troy said. “She won’t tell you because she’s been in trouble before. But those guys bully her because her brother turned them in for cheating on a test. They’ve been just saying mean stuff but today they touched her, and scared her.”

  “Who, Troy?”

  Troy shook his head.

  The principal leaned in. “I want to help you out here, Troy. I want to help whoever it is you’re protecting. But I can’t if you won’t trust me.”

  Troy didn’t look impressed by this, and the principal leaned back and blew out a breath. “If what you’re saying is the truth,” she said, “the boys can be suspended, all of them. And if they pull anything like this again, I can expel them next time. Help me stop the cycle, Troy.”

  Ten minutes later Troy and Tanner stood on the sidewalk by Tanner’s truck.

  “Proud of you,” Tanner said.

  Troy looked startled, and Christ, Tanner hated that. Didn’t Troy know by now that Tanner stood at his back no matter what? “So proud,” he said, and willed Troy to believe it.

  “For the fight?”

  “For protecting your friend. For standing up for someone you care about. For doing the right thing, which is rarely the easy thing.”

  “I ratted out those guys.”

  “Like I said,” Tanner told him. “You did the right thing. You protected the girl, once by being there for her and again just now by getting help for her so that it doesn’t happen again. But you should have told me all of it, from the beginning.”

  “I know.”

  “Do you?”

  “Yeah.” Troy dropped the ice from his eye and looked at him. “You’re really not mad about the fight?”

  “Hell, no.” They got into the truck and Tanner leaned toward Troy to check out the bruise. “Does it hurt?”

  “Like a mother.”

  Tanner smiled grimly. “Other than that, how are you doing?”

  Troy shrugged.

  “Come on, man. Spit it out.”

  “Well, I am kinda starving.”

  Tanner stared at him and had to laugh. He’d been afraid Troy would be suffering some long-lasting emotional angst over everything he was going through. But no, he was just hungry.

  A damn good outlook on life when it came right down to it.

  So Tanner took him to the diner. He intended to get him a quick take-out, but Jane, the diner’s owner, had heard about the fight and insisted they sit down and eat “on the house,” because as it turned out it was her great-niece that Tanner had protected.

  Troy was brought a huge tray of food fit for a king and then dessert. When he and Tanner rose to go, Jane hugged Troy tight. “You’re a good boy,” she said fiercely.

  Back outside, Troy looked down at his phone in shock. “Kids from school are texting me. Like a bazillion texts. They’re happy Caden finally got in trouble.” He looked up at Tanner in surprise. “Some of these texts are from the kids that wouldn’t give me the time of day ’cause I was the newbie.”

  “Welcome to the most ridiculous years of your life,” Tanner said. “High school.”

  “But how did people hear?” Troy asked.

  Tanner slung an arm around the teen’s shoulders. “It’s Lucky Harbor, son. It just is.”

  Troy shook his head in disbelief. “My mom was right. This place is crazy.”

  “You that unhappy here?” Tanner asked, keeping his voice even. “Because if you are, we could talk about it and visit our options.”

  Troy was boggled. “You mean…move?”

  “Whatever it takes to make this work between us,” Tanner said.

  Troy stopped walking to stare at him. “You’d really do that? Move? For me?”

  “Whatever it takes,” Tanner said again, and was stunned when Troy leaned in for a hug. Tanner didn’t hesitate, just wrapped his arms around his kid and held tight for the moment it was allowed, closing his eyes while his heart swelled until it squeezed against his ribs.

  All too soon Troy pulled back and looked away, clearly uncomfortable with the need for physical touch. “I don’t want to move.”

  “Good,” Tanner said. “Because I’m getting tired of buying paint.”

  He took Troy home and was halfway up the walk when he realized what time it was—six-thirty—and went still as stone. “Shit!”

  Troy glanced back at him. “What?”

  Christ. He’d done some difficult things in his life, but being a dad took the cake. He was overwhelmed by the sheer emotional drain on his system and the fact that, without Elisa, it was entirely up to him to give Troy everything he needed.

  And in doing that, he’d forgotten Callie. He’d fucking forgot her. He whipped out his phone and called her.

  His call went right to voicemail. Not a good sign. “Callie,” he said. “I’m sorry. I got held up, but I’m coming now.” He wasn’t about to use Troy as an excuse, but an uneasy anxiety curled in his gut. He’d left her waiting for him, which killed him. He looked at Troy. “I’ve got to go.”

  “You had a date?” Troy asked.

  “Yeah.”

  Troy studied him. “A big date?”

  “Pretty substantial.”

  “Like you were going to ask her to marry you substantial?”

  The kid was a mind reader. “I’ve been thinking about it,” he said. Thinking. Breathing. Eating. Fantasizing… “Would that be okay with you?”

  Once again Troy was dumbstruck. “You’re asking my opinion?”

  “Well, yeah,” Tanner said. “We’re a package deal.”

  Troy stared at him from eyes that were suddenly a little shiny.

  Tanner cupped the back of the kid’s head and lowered his own to be at eye level with his son’s. “Right?”

  Troy nodded.

  “Good. Go inside. Do your homework. Don’t leave without being in contact with me.”

  “I won’t,” Troy said. “I’m sorry I made you late.”

  “Not your fault,” he said, and when Troy just looked at him, expression uncertain and worried, Tanner reached out and clasped his shoulder. “Seriously. This isn’t on you.”

  “Bring her flowers,” Troy said earnestly. “That’s what her site says to do. You bring a girl flowers when you screw up.”

  Tanner was pretty certain flowers weren’t going to do the trick. He drove to the docks, which were deserted. Of course she wouldn’t still be waiting there an hour and a half hour la