“Should have known you were good at running away. Guess your mom taught you that, huh?” Tanner says before sitting back down. Before Jamie can pull Mason away, he charges to the front of the room and knocks Tanner out of his desk. The room explodes into chaos with yelling and their teacher blowing the “fight” whistle in a matter of seconds. Mr. Samuels bursts into the room just as Jamie tries to pry Mason off Tanner’s body.
Chapter Nine
Dakota
“Fighting? Seriously? At school? Your mom is going to murder you. Matter of fact I’m going to murder you and she’ll help me find a spot in the backyard for your body,” Dakota says an hour later as he, Jamie, and Mason are waiting for the Dean of Students to enter the small office. Jamie sits with his head hung low. Mason is sitting next to him sporting a fat lip. “I had to cancel a meeting for a potential client because your mom couldn’t get out of work. This had better not be one of those lame rebellious teen phases, because I am telling you right now—I’m not for it. At all.”
“It’s not like that at all, Dakota. I wasn’t even fighting. I was trying to break it up,” Jamie says quietly. Dakota looks at him and sighs deeply.
“Okay,” he says. Jamie’s head snaps up.
“Okay?” he says. “After your little Criminal Minds moment there, you’re just saying okay?”
Dakota nods. “If you say you weren’t fighting, then fine.” Dakota straightens his tie. “Sorry for freaking out.”
Mason shakes his head, chuckling.
“Did he deserve it?” Dakota asks.
“Yes,” Jamie and Mason say in unison.
“They always do, don’t they?” Dakota says hypothetically as Mr. Samuels enters the room.
“How is everyone doing?” he says. Dakota stands up to greet him, and his eyes narrow slightly.
“Rick?” Dakota says. Mr. Samuels stops in his tracks.
“Dakota? Dakota Daughtry?” There is a brief pause, and then they both break into roaring laughter. They shake hands and hug. Jamie and Mason look at each other, confused.
“You guys know each other?” Jamie asks.
“Yes, Rick—I mean, Mr. Samuels was my sort of brother for a year.”
“Sort of brother? That’s how you label me?” Rick says, smiling big.
“Well, what else should I say? Dude, you’re a teacher? I didn’t even know you were in Blue Moon. This is your history teacher, Jam? The one you’ve been talking about? I don’t know how I missed that.” Jamie shrugs.
“How would you know? We haven’t seen each other in forever.”
“Hey, um, future delinquents confused over here,” Jamie says. Rick walks around his desk and takes a seat, and Dakota sits down as well.
“In 8th grade I was placed in a foster home. Rick’s parents took me in to fill up the empty space after he went away to school but got rid of me once the state cut their checks.”
“I came home for the summer and Dakota was gone. Never to be heard of again. Jesus, I can’t believe this is happening. I tried to find you for so long, but nobody would give me any information.”
“And I was forbidden to talk to you since I was relocated involuntarily.”
“Is this your son?” Rick asks. He chuckles. “Wait, no, that can’t be possible.” Dakota laughs.
“No, no. I’m a friend of the family,” he says smoothly. Jamie grins. “His mom couldn’t leave work.” Rick nods.
“Oh, okay. Well, it looks like his mom put you on the guardian list, so that’s fine.” Jamie grins again. Rick looks up from the manila folder in front of him. “Since this is your first offense, I’m going to be nice about this. I’ll give you a week’s detention with the understanding that something like this will never happen again. Got it?” Jamie and Mason both nod.
“Yes, sir,” they say in unison.
“Tanner can be a jerk, I know, but you have to just walk away. When you let him get to you like that, Mason, he’s already won, so the punch for him is just icing on the cake. He’s the quarterback—he can take a hit.” Mason nods his head. “Come to me if he keeps giving you grief and I’ll talk to him. That’s what I’m here for.”
“Okay, Mr. Samuels. Thank you.”
“And Jamie, I know you were just trying to help, but sometimes staying away from the situation is the best option in scenarios like this. It’s tough because Mason is your friend and you want to protect him, but honestly, it just gets you into trouble too. If anything like this happens again, get a teacher…don’t try to handle it yourself, okay?” Jamie nods.
“Yes, sir,” he replies.
“All right. That’s all the afterschool special speeches I have for the day. You’re free to go back to class.” Jamie and Mason get up from their seats.
“I’ll see you later, guys,” Dakota says, and they nod and leave the room. Rick comes back around the desk and sits on the end of it in front of Dakota.
“How have you been, man?” Dakota asks.
“Good. Good. I just moved to Blue Moon this summer.”
“I always thought you would stay close to your parents once you were done with school.”
“You know how they used to drive me crazy. I tried it for a little while, but then I thought I needed a change, so I came here. Who would have thought I’d run into my favorite delinquent again?”
Dakota chuckles. “And you’re a teacher and a disciplinarian at that. Who would have thought?”
Rick shrugs. “We have to sit and catch up, man.”
“Yes, for sure.”
“So are you married or anything like that?” Dakota shakes his head.
“Not married. I have a girlfriend, though. Jamie’s mom.” Rick nods his head.
“Ah. Makes sense now. Nice,” he says, grinning.
“What about you?”
“Engaged. Jumping the broom this spring.”
“That’s awesome, man.”
“Thanks. You probably remember her…Jennifer. We went to college together.”
“Oh right, yes, I do remember you bringing her home the Christmas I spent there. Nice. Nice. Good to see you made it.”
“I’m so happy to see you made it, Dakota. Don’t get me wrong, I never doubted you, but I wondered. I did. I didn’t want the system to get you.”
“I’ve always been strong, Rick. I did what I had to do, and then when I turned eighteen, I was done with the whole thing. I’m a photographer.”
“Shut up—really? Oh, I remember you used to drive my dad crazy snapping pictures of everything.” Dakota nods his head, laughing.
“Yes. Yes.” When their laughter dies down, Dakota digs into his pocket and pulls out his cell phone and hands it to him.
“Put your information in there, and I’ll call you next week. We can get some beers or something.”
“Yes, absolutely,” Rick says. He plugs his number into the phone and hands it back to Dakota a minute later.
“There you go.” Dakota nods and takes the phone from him. “This is great, man. I’ll give you a call.” Rick nods, and they hug again.
“Really great to see you.” When they break apart, Dakota waves and then leaves the room smiling.
***
Harper
Jamie comes down the stairs to be greeted with a huge Happy Birthday banner hanging across the room. He walks into the living room and sees streamers hanging from the ceiling. When he enters the dining room, the table is decked out with all their “good” dishes. Harper comes into the room carrying a huge dish of Chicken Parma, his favorite meal. He shakes his head at his mother.
“You look handsome, baby,” Harper says proudly.
“Thanks, Mom. You look great. And this is great,” he says, gesturing toward all of the decorations and the table. “I don’t deserve all of this.”
“Of course you do, honey bun. I love you, and it’s not enough just to say it. Sometimes I have to show it in really obnoxious ways.”
Jamie chuckles. “When I was younger, I used to tell Dakota that I thought I m
essed up your life. I thought you did all this to make yourself feel better. He used to tell me I was wrong, of course, and you wouldn’t have traded me for the world, but I still always wondered,” he confesses as Dakota comes from the kitchen with a big bowl of Caesar salad. He sets the bowl down next to the main course and folds his arms across his chest. Harper looks at Dakota in awe for a few seconds and then walks up to Jamie and puts her hand on his cheek.
“He was right. You are the best thing that has ever happened to me, Jamie. I love you more than life. If I could do it all over again, I would not change a thing. I promise you.” Harper sees his eyes shining and her own eyes pooling
“Thanks, Mom,” he manages to say. Harper wipes a tear she couldn’t hold in after they break apart.
“Okay, so we just need the glasses put out and the jug of lemonade and we’re all set,” Harper announces. She looks at her watch. “Everyone should be showing up soon.”
“I’ll go grab that,” Jamie says and disappears into the kitchen. Harper looks at Dakota. She stares at him for several seconds as he angles a few plates on the table. He looks up at her.
“What?” he asks. Harper is still silent. She walks over to him and kisses him on the mouth. Dakota responds instantly, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her body in to his. When Harper pulls away from him, Dakota’s eyes are still closed.
“What was that for?” he asks, once he catches his breath.
“For being you,” she says. “I could kiss you like that forever and it still wouldn’t be enough for all you do for Jamie.” Dakota opens his eyes and looks at her.
“I’m willing to test the theory,” he says and smirks.
“I love you, Dakota,” she says in one breath.
Dakota’s smirk disappears, and his eyes widen. “What?” he says. Harper hangs her head, blushing, but just as she opens her mouth to repeat herself, Jamie comes into the room with the lemonade and the doorbell rings. She slips out of Dakota’s arms and goes to answer the door. Dakota clears his throat, still in awe of what he thinks he just heard.
“Dakota, you okay?” Jamie asks, walking over to him. Dakota breaks out of his trance and nods his head.
“Yes. Yes, I’m fine, birthday dude. Let’s get this party started,” he says. Harper emerges a few seconds later with an unexpected guest.
“Dad? What are you doing here?”
“I got an invitation in the mail. Thought that meant, you know, you wanted me to show up,” Aiden says, giving him a hug.
“No—yes—of course I wanted you to come. I just…I didn’t think you would be able to make it.” Harper stands next to Dakota and gives him a pleading look. Dakota nods, remembering their agreement. He would try his hardest to get along with the man. He walks up to Aiden with a smile. He holds out his hand.
“Good of you to make it, Aiden,” he says. Aiden stares at his hand. Jamie looks from Dakota to Aiden and then from Aiden to Dakota, biting his lip nervously.
“Thanks. Good to see you, Dakota,” Aiden finally says and shakes his hand. Jamie and Harper exhale at the same time just as the doorbell rings for the next arrival.
“I’ll get the door,” Jamie says.
“I’ll go set another place,” Harper says. Dakota and Aiden both nod their heads. When they are alone, Aiden puts his hands in his pockets and steps closer to Dakota. Dakota steps back a pace, surprised.
“Let’s be clear about something, Dakota. I know you’re dating Harper now and that’s great, but you’re both delusional if you think it’s going to last. Jamie’s not your son. You’re just the babysitter, so don’t get too comfortable, Dakota, because me being here tonight is just the beginning. I’m not going anywhere.” Dakota’s fists are balled up, ready to strike, but before he can retort, Jamie walks in with Casey.
“The party’s here!” she shouts, and Dakota walks to the other side of the room, his blood boiling and his head wondering what Aiden could possibly be up to.
Chapter Ten
Jamie
Jamie couldn’t have asked for a better birthday. Dinner was incredible. The conversation was light and full of laughter as Harper shared embarrassing stories from Jamie’s childhood. Dakota made sure to share some good badass stories to make up for the embarrassing ones—some of them Harper knew and some she didn’t. He figured Jamie would appreciate it for Bianca’s sake. Now they had all retired to the living room to open Jamie’s presents.
“I’ll go first,” Casey suggests as she sits on one of the lounge chairs. Dakota and Harper sit on the long sofa next to each other while Mason and Bianca sit next to them. Aiden stands by Casey. Jamie sits on top of the coffee table facing everyone. Casey hands him a gift bag. Jamie sets it down in front of him and then tears into it, pulling out a framed picture of the two of them.
Jamie starts to laugh, running his fingers over the picture of the two of them at the beach this past summer on the 4th of July. Jamie is standing with his arms folded across his chest in his best 007 impression, and Casey is leaning on his shoulder, kissing him on the cheek. The frame is decorated with seashells and has the words ‘Beach Bums’ at the top of the frame.
“This is so awesome, Casey!” he says.
“Check inside the card, though. There might be a part two.” Jamie takes the card out of the gift bag and opens it up, giving Casey a suspicious look. When he opens the card, four tickets are hidden inside.
“Tickets to see the Cavaliers? Cas, are you kidding? I thought all the season tickets were sold out!” He jumps up from his seat and wraps her up in a bear hug. She giggles, and everyone starts to laugh at their exchange.
“One of the doctors at the hospital did his undergraduate study at U of V and forked over some tickets. All I had to do was go out on a date with him.”
“Aw, you prostituted yourself for me?” Jamie says, hugging her tighter. Everyone laughs.
“Only for you, kid,” she says, laughing. Jamie returns to his seat on the coffee table. “There’s four tickets, so Mason and Bianca, you are more than welcome to come along. I set up an appointment to tour the campus and everything, so we can all make a day of it.” Bianca and Mason nod their heads enthusiastically.
“Thank you, Cas. This is really amazing.”
“You’re welcome, kid,” she says, smiling big. Bianca hands Jamie her bag next. Jamie smirks and pulls out a set of The Walking Dead comic books.
“I know how much you love the show, so I figured it would be cool.”
“This is beyond cool, Bianca. Thanks,” he says and gives her a hug. They both pull away, blushing, and Jamie quickly moves on to Mason’s gift before anyone can make fun of them for it. Jamie unwraps the gift that Mason got him to reveal the latest version of their favorite video game.
“Dude, we were just talking about this!” he says, punching him playfully in the arm. Mason laughs. “Thanks, man.” Mason nods.
“Welcome,” he says, grinning.
“Should I be prepared for some all-nighters?” Harper says, smiling.
“Absolutely, Ms. Montgomery,” Mason says. “And I’d like to request the homemade salsa you made last time.” Everyone laughs. Jamie moves on to Harper and Dakota’s gift.
“So we coordinated our gifts.”
“You two are adorable,” Casey says, taking a sip of her wine and glancing up at Aiden, smirking. Aiden gives her a dirty look, and Casey chuckles into her glass.
“Since you had a blast this summer shadowing me and you said you were seriously considering photography as a career, we thought this would be fitting.”
Jamie digs into their gift bag and pulls out a digital camera, along with a carrying case and computer software. Aiden rolls his eyes.
“Wow, you guys, this is great!” he says. “I can take amazing pictures with this.”
“I can show you how to work it later,” Dakota says. “It’s the camera I used when I was your age. It’s perfect for practicing and goofing off with your friends, but it will train you for the real thing whenever
you are ready.”
“This is the actual camera you used to use back in the day?”
“It wasn’t that long ago, Jam,” Aiden says, taking a sip of his wine. Dakota grins at Aiden, ignoring his snide remark.
“It’s the actual camera I used to use,” Dakota says. Jamie hugs him.
“Thanks, Dakota,” he says seriously, and Dakota returns his hug.
“You’re welcome.” He hugs his mom too and kisses her on the cheek. Everyone looks at Aiden, knowing that he’s the last on the list of gift givers. Aiden sets down his glass of wine.
“Guess it’s my turn.” Aiden goes into the breast pocket of his jacket and pulls out an envelope and hands it to Jamie. Jamie takes it and opens it up. Inside are round-trip tickets to New York City.
“Whoa, Dad, you’re taking me to New York?” he says and gets up to hug him.
“We can go for a weekend and visit some museums, see a show, whatever you want.” Jamie looks at the tickets again and realizes there are three tickets.
“Who is the third ticket for?” Jamie asks, confused.
“For your mom,” Aiden says, picking up his wine glass again. The room gets quiet, and everyone glances at Harper awkwardly.
“For me? Why would you get me a ticket?” she asks.
“I figured you would want to be with Jamie at a moment like this, and you’ve always wanted to go, so I figured it would be nice to do it together.” Dakota’s eyes narrow slightly, but he recovers.
“That would be pretty cool for you to come, actually, Mom,” Jamie says quietly and then looks at Dakota, feeling guilty.
“We’ll talk about it,” Harper says, swallowing the awkward in the room.
“I think that’s really cool,” Dakota says and picks up his glass of lemonade. “Sounds really fun. Something you can all do together.” He takes a sip, his face completely straight.
“Glad you approve, Dakota,” Aiden replies smoothly. There is silence for a few seconds.
Maybe Forever (Missing Pieces Book 1) Page 6
