I pushed the cart around in a daze. This was the first time in a long time that I’d had no clue what the next hours would bring. But I wasn’t ready to get back on a plane to California. My father was gonna have my head for taking time off from work when things were busy. But I just didn’t care.
I took my phone out of my pocket and dialed my dad’s cell.
He picked up after a few rings. “Son, where have you been? They told me you were taking a couple of days off, but no one seems to know where the hell you are.”
I was glad to see Lorena had kept my secret. Not that I’d doubted she would. I didn’t want anyone to know what I was up to. I decided to tell my father a version of the truth.
Leaning into my cart, I moved it along slowly while I talked. “Yeah. I know. I didn’t exactly tell anyone.”
“So, where are you? I need you here.”
“Uh…I’m gonna be gone for probably about a week.”
“A week? Are you in some kind of trouble?”
“No, no, nothing like that. I’m in Utah, actually.”
“Utah? What the hell is in Utah?”
“I’m in St. George visiting a friend.”
“A friend?”
“Yes.”
“Who?”
I hesitated. “Her name is Eden.”
My father blew a breath into the phone. “With the secretive way you’ve been acting, I thought you were going to tell me his name was Ed.”
I couldn’t help but laugh. “No. Still hetero as far as I know—not that there’s anything wrong with the opposite. But I like women…a lot.”
Especially this woman.
“Where did you meet this person that you’re all the way in Utah?”
How exactly do I explain?
“Online,” I said.
Well, that’s technically true.
“I don’t need to tell you to be careful. You’re a smart guy. I’m sure you know there are a lot of opportunistic people out there who would love a piece of—”
“Dad, I know. She didn’t even know what I did for a living when we first met. It’s not about that, okay? When I told her your name once, she had never heard of you. I’m just enjoying her company right now. I’ll let you know when I’m coming back.”
“It better not be more than a week. I need you here.”
I couldn’t commit to anything because I had no clue how I was going to feel one moment to the next. “I’ll keep you posted.”
“Son…just watch yourself.”
“Thanks for your concern. I’ll be back soon,” I said before hanging up.***Flanked by two cactus trees, Eden’s house was one level and small. Inside it was cozy and warm—the total opposite of the huge, over-the-top mansions I was used to in L.A. This was the type of house that made you feel like you were home the moment you stepped into it. Well, maybe it was the people, not the house. I was used to stepping into echoey silence.
When I walked in the door, Ollie was sitting in the kitchen with his sister.
“Ryder’s back,” he said.
I put the paper bag down on the counter. “You smell me again or something?”
“No, it’s your heavy foot. I could hear it. I bet you have giant feet.”
That made me laugh. “Ah…so you sayin’ I’m like Bigfoot?”
“Yeah.” He giggled.
Eden smiled over at us as she unloaded the dishwasher. She looked down. “Come to think of it, Ryder does have big feet. You’re very perceptive, Ollie.” She winked at me, and I definitely felt it below the belt.
Fuck.
“You know what that means,” Ollie said.
Eden and I both froze and turned to him at the same time.
Her brow lifted. “What exactly is that supposed to mean, Ollie?”
“It means he has really big socks, too.”
The two of us collectively sighed.
“So…so far, I have big feet and I smell,” I joked. “Way to keep making a good first impression.”
“My sister told me you were coming back for dinner, so I was sort of expecting you anyway. It wasn’t just your big feet.”
“Ah, okay.” I sat down across from him at the table and took some time to observe him. Ollie kept his eyes mostly closed. I had so many questions, ones that weren’t exactly appropriate to ask. Like, could he see me at all, or was he totally blind?
Eden wiped down a plate. “Ollie, Ryder works in Hollywood with all of the movie stars.”
Damn, that got his attention. The kid whipped his head in my direction. “Do you know Gilbert Gottfried?”
“No, actually, I don’t.”
“He was the voice of the parrot in Aladdin and the duck in the AFLAC commercial.” Ollie mimicked the duck, “Aflac!”
“Sounds to me like he’s pretty good at playing birds, then.”
“He’s so much more than a bird. He’s really funny.”
Eden looked over at me. “Ollie got in trouble for listening to one of his standup acts on the iPad that wasn’t very age appropriate.”