#p013

The incessant vibrating of his phone on the coffee table knocked Sam out of the trance he’d been in for the last…three hours, maybe? With the Westworld premiere looming close by, the blond decided a rewatch was in order, and had been completely engrossed in the sci-fi action onscreen.

Reaching forward, he scooped up the phone, lips twitching into a brief smile when the Face Time alert indicated the call was from his father. He’d phoned the elder Evans earlier that morning, the talk with Delila sticking out and motivating him to reach out, but he hadn’t answered, which wasn’t entirely unusual. His father was known for setting the phone down just about anywhere and going about his business, only to return with a bunch of missed calls and missed information.

Sam scrambled from the couch and opted to take the call outside, on the small patio, where the light was great and the view even better. He was sure his dad would appreciate it. “Hey Pop,” he greeted once the older man was in view. Though ‘old’ never seemed like a good way to describe Oliver Evans. It was easy to see where Sam and Harley had gotten their rugged good looks. A smile that mirrored his own greeted him in the other window and Sam added a wave, since for once, his father managed to angle the camera properly, capturing his handsome features in full view.

“Hey boy. You called earlier?”

“Yeah. Just checkin’ in, is all. Everything alright?” It was so easy sometimes, to slip back into his accent, more pronounced than the slightly scaled down version he used around here, depending on who he was talking to. But he chalked that up to seeing a familiar face, a similar face, really. Except the eyes. Those, he’d gotten from his mother.

“S’all good round here. Had to run into town to pick up some supplies. Your Mama’s been wanting some kind of herb garden wall which means my Saturdays are gonna be real busy for the next few weeks.”

Sam gave a quick nod at that but didn’t press further. He knew he should have; it was what his father expected to. He’d given him the open to inquire about his mother, but the little tidbit had told him enough. She was still around, they were still doing well. He could leave it at that.

“Right. Well good luck with that.”

The narrowing eyes on the other end wasn’t lost on Sam, but thankfully his father didn’t inquire further. He simply switched topics, knowing full well it was probably for the best. “Your brother was in town for that knucklehead boy’s wedding.”

‘Knucklehead boy’ could have easily described at least four of Harley’s friends, and Sam cracked a wide smile. He’d caught a few of the highlights from the wedding on social media and through friends back home sharing stories of his brother’s antics and knew they’d eventually have some things to discuss. “Yeah, he mentioned leaving for that.”

“Figured you woulda came with him. Thought you could spend your birthday with family.”

It had crossed his mind. His week had been clear for the most part, with nothing too important lined up that couldn’t be rescheduled. But Sam had to admit he was fine with remaining in California, in spending the day in relative peace. The tiniest bit of guilt pricked at him for that; considering how long it’d been since he last seen his father or Texas, booking the plane should have been instinctive.

But it wasn’t. And he knew why. And judging from the look on his father’s face, the searching glance that leaned more towards a glare, so did he. “I can always come back another time.”

“Yeah? When?”

Broad shoulders lifted in a shrug. “Don’t know. Gotta check my schedule, see what my calendar’s lookin’ like.”

“Well me and your Mama will be here, whenever you can pencil us in.”

It was spoken so casually, Sam almost forgot to feel guilty until his father’s words finally sank in, and he fixed him with a frown. They hadn’t discussed his job. For all his parents knew, he was doing anything from graphic design work to his actual, current occupation and Sam knew that bothered his father, the not knowing.

It annoyed him when he’d gone to school in Atlanta and irritated him when he considered moving to New York, though they were relieved when opted to stay in Fort Worth instead. It was the biggest hurdle in their relationship, Sam’s seemingly persistent lack of focus.

And his stubbornness in avoiding his mother.

But he couldn’t, not forever. It wasn’t in him, shutting out his parents, not for an extended length of time. Pushing a hand through his hair, he gave his father a short nod. “I’ll try for next month.”

That seemed to appease his father, and the elder Evans matched him with an approving nod and a small smile. “I’ll hold you to that. Take care, Sammy. And Happy Birthday..”