Boomerangers: A second chance romantic comedy (Cajun Girls Book 1)
Boomerangers: Chapter 20

I pull up to the house just after seven. This shit with Spence is bugging me so much that I’ve been submerging myself in work to keep my mind busy—to avoid going over there and making a complete fool of myself. She’s not ready and maybe she never will be, but I won’t stop trying. I’ll be patient if it kills me. I can just see it now. Cooper Hebert died of blue balls and a broken heart.

As I’m gathering my things to go inside, there is a knock on the passenger side window. It’s already dark out and I have to squint to see the face pressed up against the glass. To my dismay, it isn’t Spencer. I press the button, unlocking the door and Landon climbs inside. Alarms begin to go off immediately. His face is red and splotchy and his breathing erratic. “Hey, bud. What’s wrong?” My pulse is racing. Shit. It has to be bad. Landon doesn’t cry . . .

He opens his mouth to speak and begins to sob instead.

“Hey. It’s okay. Tell me what’s going on. Is someone hurt?”

Landon shakes his head. “I don’t know who else to talk to . . . my-my mom is gonna k-kill me, but she needs you. We need your help.”

A lump lodges in my throat, and I attempt to clear it away before speaking. “What happened?”

After a few deep breaths, he regains some semblance of control. “Umm . . . I just got back from my dad’s house and went upstairs to tell Mom that I was home, but I heard her . . . I heard her on the phone with Aunt Gina . . .”

“Okay. . .”

“I was about to walk in, but it sounded important so I stood there and I-I listened.”

He gets quiet for a moment. He’s angry. His fists clench in his lap and his jaw ticks from side to side. “She said that Kyle’s dad is taking her to court . . . He wants custody, Coop. You can’t let that happen. Please. Please don’t let him take Kyle away from us.”

Landon completely breaks down. I get out of the truck and walk around to his side, opening the door and pulling him to my chest. I rest a hand on the back of his head, smoothing down his unruly, blond curls. “Shhh. It’s okay. It’s gonna be okay, Landon. You did the right thing.” He nods into my chest and I tuck my finger under his chin, lifting his face so he can see the sincerity in my eyes when I tell him, “No one . . . No. One. Is taking that baby away. Do you hear me?”

He nods. “Mom’s gonna be so mad. She told Aunt Gina she didn’t want to tell you because she wasn’t talking to you and you would think she was using you . . . But, I think she’s . . . she’s wrong. She’s wrong, right?” He stares at me, completely vulnerable with so much trust and hope in his eyes. Son of a bitch. I don’t know when it happened, but it isn’t just Spencer I’ve fallen in love with . . . I’ve gone and fallen for the whole damned bunch.

“Yes,” I assure him, feeling a tightening in my chest. “She’s wrong.”