Hate to Love You novel · Chapter 4 of 24

Chapter 4: Dinner at Dad's

Dinner at the Hollowell house started at six sharp, because my father said so.

Dad stood at the stove in a flannel shirt with the sleeves pushed up, stirring a pot of chili.

His reading glasses were on top of his head, and he'd been looking for them since I got home.

"Your brother's going to be late," he said. "Practice ran over. Can you set the table?"

"Sure."

I set three places.

The kitchen was a small yellow room with a calendar from the hardware store on the wall.

Mason's old school photos ran up the hallway, one for every year.

There was a gap in the line where mine should have been.

My father had noticed that on my first night, and he'd gone quiet, and then he'd put up a picture of me at ten.

It was the only one he had.

I touched the corner of the frame as I walked past.

The front door banged.

"I'm starving," Mason called. He came into the kitchen with his gym bag and dropped it by the table.

He smelled like sweat and fresh air.

He didn't look at me.

"Hey, Dad."

"Hey, buddy. How was school?"

"Fine."

"Kennedy? How was your first day?"

"Fine," I said.

"Look at that." Dad beamed. "Two kids, same answer. You're getting along great."

Mason made a noise in his throat that could have been a laugh.

We ate.

Dad talked about a man who had returned a lawn mower with the engine missing.

I ate my chili and watched my brother push beans around his bowl.

When Dad stood up to refill the water pitcher, Mason leaned across the table.

Keep reading free with an account. Start Hate to Love You from Chapter 1, then sign up free to read the rest of this chapter.