From Boys To Men…and Dads…
I saw this meme on Facebook today and it inspired me to share with you a little excerpt from my WIP, Playing For Fun. This is Ford and Holly’s story, and while Ford never knew his biological father, Rob Komeke is his dad – in every way that matters.
This is only a rough draft excerpt, but I hope you like it.
Rob leaned against the workbench that ran the length of the workshop, took a sip of the long black that Ford had brought back with him. Smacked his lips and struggled to keep a straight face.
“Those mean girls picking on your again? Want me to go tell them to lay off?” His dad drained the last of his coffee.
After spending the last twenty-four years growing up in Oban, it shouldn’t surprise him how fast news travelled.
“Which one?”
“Del texted first. Shaye blabbed the moment she hit the kitchen.” Rob tossed his disposable cup in the trash. “Followed by West. Expect there’ll be another from Ben once Kez gets hold of him after school.”
“Shit.” Ford rubbed the back of his wrist across his forehead. “I’m a bloody laughing stock.”
“You’re a public service. Giving people something to focus on other than their own boring little lives.”
“Speak for yourself.”
“My life’s not boring, son. Not while I’ve got your mother keeping me entertained every night.”
“Not touching that. So not touching that.”
His dad chuckled, and some of the tension oozed out of Ford’s tense muscles. His parent’s rock-solid marriage gave him hope. Their strength both separately and together had forged him through the fire of his childhood into the man he was today.
His dad circled around the car and plonked a stool beside the back door. Sat on it and leaned forward to rest his elbows on his knees, his grease-smeared fingers laced together. Something on Ford’s face must’ve clued him in to the dark current eddying under the surface. Rob Komeke had a bullshit detector that was finally tuned to his two adopted sons.
“Isn’t Graham coming in for the Honda at two?” Ford jerked his chin behind him to the ute his dad was refitting new brake pads on
“Yep. And it can wait. Time for a little man to man korero.”
“Since when have one of your man to man talks ever been little?” Ford muttered and shook his head so that his dreads covered the smile itching in the corner of his mouth.
His dad’s koreros were known to go on a while, especially if he or Harley had been caught pulling some dumb shit they couldn’t weasel out of. Less of that now he and his brother were more mature…and that Harley only came home once or twice a year. But still. When Rob Komeke wanted to talk, all joking aside, there was only one acceptable response.
Shut up and listen.
Copyright © Tracey Alvarez 2015
