A Second Chance in the Show Me State - Jessie Gussman Page 0,8

walk away, worrying about his safety, wondering when he’d get there...he hated it all.

Out of sight, out of mind was never true. Not for Dallas nor Houston.

Never for Emerson either.

He wasn’t sure there was a day that went by he didn’t think about her.

Each day was tinged with a little regret too.

Maybe that was because he could do something about it, apologize, talk to her. Maybe.

But if she wanted him, she could do the same.

And she hadn’t.

“Hey, Dad, I have to go to the bathroom.” Houston tugged on his arm.

Back home in Cowboy Crossing, it wouldn’t be a question. He’d just tell his son to go. But this was St. Louis, and the airport was crowded today. Things were wild at the ticket booth, with a long line of people at the desk, hoping to pick up an empty seat. Two agents spoke with people at the opening of the building. One discussion looked rather heated. He wouldn’t be surprised if security was called over that one.

The fuel shortage had been hard on everyone, but it had definitely made tempers flare here.

Once again, he hoped Dallas made it okay.

Dallas could handle himself. Even at ten, the kid was resourceful and unafraid.

Still, it wasn’t easy to let your child out of your sight.

Funny that he didn’t want Houston to go use the restroom at the airport by himself, but he just put Dallas on a plane alone. Life was not reasonable sometimes.

Most of the time, he waited until the plane took off. Not because he ever thought his kid would get off the plane, just because he couldn’t bear to walk away when he knew his kid was still sitting there right outside the building.

Glancing once more at the line of people boarding, he sighed. “Okay, bud, I think it’s down this way. We can catch it on our way out.”

Houston put a hand on his stomach. “It might take me a while. I haven’t felt good all day, and I think I just need to sit down and let everything out.”

Reid’s brows lifted. Let everything out? Houston had learned that phrase from his mother. Maybe it was something the Swiss said.

Whatever. “Okay, kid. We’ll get you to the restroom, and you can take as long as you want. I’m not going home without you.”

Houston smiled and straightened and took a few steps alongside him. Then, almost as though he was remembering that his stomach was supposed to hurt, he doubled over again and put his hand on it. Maybe the cramp had just let up for a bit.

“Are you sure you’re okay? You were acting a little strange today,” Reid said, kind of just making casual conversation. Although he wanted to find out if the boys had done anything that he didn’t know about. He let them play together while he’d done some work in the barn, and he hadn’t been with them constantly like he normally was. Typically, they shadowed him while he worked, and then they played. But with both of them there, he let them go off. He didn’t like it, because he felt like he missed out, but he also felt like the boys had developed their own secret language in the three days they’d spent together.

Houston’s eyes widened, and it was almost like a bit of panic flashed across his face before his look slid into one of complete and total innocence. He nodded, his cheeks puffing a little. “Yeah. Of course, yeah. I’m good. I’m fine. Never been better. I mean, I’m...I’m sad that Dallas is leaving.” He shrugged his shoulders and snapped his mouth closed, bending over again and putting his hand on his stomach. “My stomach hurts. That’s probably what’s wrong.” He started walking faster toward the restroom.

Reid stood outside at the benches, across the aisle from the restroom entrance, pulling his phone out and texting Dallas.

Did you make it on the plane okay, son?

Sure did, Dad.

Do you have your seat belt buckled?

I did.

What do you mean “you did?”

I mean, it was buckled. And I’ll buckle it again, in a bit.

Why can’t you buckle it now? Had he gone to the bathroom?

I texted Mom and told her I was on the plane.

People walked by Reid as he held his phone in his hand, staring at it. The sound of them talking about the fuel shortage and the difficulty in getting flights came vaguely to his ear. He supposed he should have been paying better attention. He could almost hear Emerson now, complaining