Free Tuffer's Christmas Wish by Jean C. Joachim Page A

the fuckin’ crap outta
me.”
    “ Nice talk.”
    “ You do it.”
    “ I’m a guy.”
    “ Chauvinist.”
    That made him laugh. Sometimes, his
mother said or did something that struck him as funny. He figured
it must be their biological connection. He had her blond hair, but
hazel eyes. She had blue. It made the young man crazy that Shayna
never spoke about Tuffer’s real father.
    Every year at Christmas, Tuffer had
wished to meet him. But it had never happened, so by college, he
had given up.
    “ How are Bev and Ralph?” Shayna
asked.
    “ Fine.”
    “ Spending Christmas with
them?”
    “ They’re coming tonight.”
    “ Nice. You got a tree?”
    “ My girlfriend helped decorate
it.”
    “ Girlfriend? You’re getting laid.
That’s good. Big guy like you.”
    “ Shut up, Shayna.”
    “ Sorry, sorry. Yeah, moms don’t talk
like that.”
    “ How would you know?”
    “ When are you going to stop torturing
me for a mistake I made twenty years ago?”
    He cast his glance down to his plate,
where he scooped up a forkful of eggs.
    “ I’m sorry, Tuffer. I don’t know how
many times I have to say it for you to believe me. I’m sorry I left
you. But it would have been terrible for you to come with me. I’m
glad I didn’t have an abortion, like your father wanted. Look at
what a great guy you are. Successful. Nice. With a girlfriend. I’m
proud of you.” Tears clouded her eyes.
    His heart softened. She had given him
life, and she had left him with two people who were the best
parents in the world. He had to give her credit for
that.
    He took her hand. “Don’t cry. You did
the best you could. Let’s not talk about it anymore.”
    “ Fine with me.” She slipped her
fingers from his to wipe her eyes.
    The waitress refilled their coffee
mugs. Shayna finished her food in silence.
    Tuffer pulled an envelope out of his
jacket pocket. “Here. Merry Christmas,” he said. Inside was a check
for a thousand dollars. Once he’d signed with the Kings, he’d had
money to burn.
    Her eyes lit up. She ripped it open
and smiled. “Thanks, hon. Very generous of you. I can use it.
Rent’s overdue.”
    He polished off the last bite and
called for the check.
    “ I’ve got something for you this
year.”
    “ Yeah? What?”
    She glanced out the window then faced
him. While waiting for her answer, he paid for their
meal.
    “ It’s outside,” Shayna
announced.
    “ My present?”
    “ Yep.”
    “ Where?” He looked out and didn’t see
anything except a couple of cars in the parking lot and a man
standing next to a silver Mercedes.
    She pointed to him. “That
guy.”
    “ What about him?”
    “ He’s your father. Rusty Fowler. He
played for the Nebraska Huskers.”
     

Chapter Two
     
     
     
    Tuffer’s heart beat so fast, he thought he
was having a heart attack. “Him?”
    “ Yep. He wanted to see you. I said
‘okay.’ You don’t have to go out there, if you don’t want to. That
was the deal I made with him.”
    “ You’ve kept in touch all these
years?”
    She shook her head. “With that rat? Nope.
But I figured you had some questions needed answers. He was easy
enough to find. He’s coaching at a high school in Lincoln.”
    “ What’s he doing here?”
    “ Dunno. Can’t imagine what lie he came
up with for his wife.”
    “ His wife?”
    “ He was married when I got pregnant.
Hey, I’m not proud of that, but it’s the truth.”
    “ That’s why he didn’t come
forward?”
    Shayna nodded. “And wanted me to get rid of
you. Figured Lurlene wouldn’t understand how you got here. He was
probably right. Expensive, public divorce. Last thing he wanted.
And he sure as hell didn’t want to marry me.”
    “ You didn’t do it,” he muttered, more
to himself than her.
    “ Get rid of you? Hell, no! You’re my
kid. I took the money from him and skipped out. Went home to my
folks.”
    Tuffer barely heard her. This part of the
story he already knew. His head wanted to run outside, but his