Page 27 of Out on a Limb

Three…two…one

“Dad!”

Hobie stomped back to the living room, inches away from Cameron’s face. “Did you touch my Legos?”

Cameron was on the verge of confessing. The lights were so bright. He wanted his one phone call.

“I’m sorry, Hobie. I don’t know what you’re talking about.” His voice remained chipper. His insides crumbled away. He was lying to a kid.

Hobie pointed a finger inches from Cameron’s nose and turned to his dad. “He hurt my feelings!”

“Hobie! We do notaccusepeople around here.” Walker said accuse slowly so his son could comprehend. “I broke it when I was cleaning the other day.”

Cameron breathed a sigh of relief. Hobie bought it, or at least knew this was a losing battle. He plopped down on the ottoman. Cameron managed a pity smile at the kid, but he wasn’t in Hobie’s good graces yet.

Walker brought Cameron a coffee, which Cameron gulped down. Too bad it wasn’t spiked with something.

“I’m sorry, Hobie.” Walker brought him a chocolate milk with the straw. “It was an accident.”

Hobie looked at the carpet and nodded.

“How about this weekend, you and I work on putting it back together? I’ll even get that new dragon set that you saw in the toy store. Every castle needs a dragon.”

“Ron and Dad got me it for my birthday.”

Quiet descended over the room. Cameron knew Hobie meant his other father. Walker held onto his brave face, though Cameron saw the hurt flicker in his eyes.

“Dragons are so cool!” Cameron said, desperate to break the silence. “They breathe fire.”

“I know,” Hobie said.

The doorbell rang. Hobie jumped up. Now the kid had a smile on his face. He couldn’t open that front door fast enough. Walker noticed, and Cameron wanted to give the poor guy a hug.

“Hey, Doug.”

“Evening, Walker.”

Walker’s ex wore a J-Crew ensemble that had barely creased during the day. He kissed Hobie on the cheek, and then he noticed Cameron on the couch. More awkwardness abounded. Doug’s eyes narrowed at him for a second before warming to a smile.

“I see you have plans.”

Cameron stood up and shook Doug’s hand. “I’m Cameron, a friend of Walker’s.”

“A friend,” Doug repeated. Cameron needed a parka to fight against his chill. “Well, I didn’t mean to interrupt your evening.”

“Oh, you haven’t,” Cameron said with a heartyfuck yougrin slapped on his face. “The night is young.”

“Very, apparently.” Doug maintained a smile that Cameron wanted to scrape off his face.

“Dad, I’m ready to go.” Hobie tugged on Doug’s jacket.

“Hobie, it’s not polite to interrupt.” He knelt down and helped him put on his jacket. “Did you have fun today?”

Hobie shrugged. “Dad broke my Lego castle.”

Doug stood right back up and eyed Walker. It was a good thing he didn’t have a blunt instrument in his hand.

“It was an accident,” Walker said. Cameron avoided eye contact with Doug or else he’d totally be found out as the Lego destroyer.