Dating Daddy's Best Friend novel · Chapter 9 of 32

Chapter 9: Not His Mother

I unchained the gate with my hands shaking.

"You took the bus? From Grand Rapids?"

"To Holland. The last one." His teeth clicked together. "Then I walked."

"Coby, that's ten miles."

"Eleven. I checked."

"I'm on the crew team," he said. "I'm very fit."

I didn't know whether to hug him or shake him.

I put my hand on his wet sleeve and pulled him through the gate.

Upstairs, my father was standing in his kitchen doorway in a bathrobe.

He didn't ask one question.

He got a towel from the hall closet and threw it at the boy's head.

Then he put a pan on the stove.

"Eggs," he said. "And then bed. And then we'll see."

Coby ate six eggs.

He fell asleep on my father's couch with his shoes on and his mouth open.

At seven-ten my phone rang.

Jarrod.

I took it out on the stairs.

"Is he there?"

"He's asleep."

"Kiersten found his bed empty at six. I've been calling him for an hour."

"His phone died on the Blue Star Highway. He walked eleven miles in the rain to get away from you."

There was a pause.

"Put him in your car and bring him back. Now."

"He's sixteen, Jarrod. He's not a package."

"You don't have any rights here, Britt. I don't know how many ways I can say it. You never adopted him. You're not his guardian. If you don't bring him home by noon I can call the police and tell them you're keeping my son."

"Then call them."

I heard the stairs creak behind me.

Coby was sitting on the top step in his socks, his hair sticking up on one side.

He held out his hand for the phone.

I gave it to him.

"Dad."

I could hear Jarrod's voice, fast and low.

Coby listened.

"I'm not going to Connecticut," he said.

More of Jarrod.

"Then I'll run from there too. I'll run from the airport. I'll keep running every time you put me somewhere. I'm good at it now. I've had practice since last night."

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