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Bo's Journey Home - Chapter 16 The rest of the week moved painfully slow for Bo. He spoke each day to Nora to check on Matthew but did not attempt to see him. Nora had made the arrangements with the day camp and they were expecting Bo on Friday.   Thursday after work, Bo drove his state issued police sedan over to Asa and Renee’s house. He had moved all of his camping and fishing gear to Asa’s when he had moved out of the old barn house he had shared with Nora. His pickup truck was parked there as well. Bo parked the sedan in one of Asa’s side drives and walked over to the storage garage. He spent most of the evening packing his truck with all of the gear he and Matthew might need at the cabin. Earlier, he had called up to the lake and had the marina manager put his motor boat and Jet Ski into the water and moored at the dock by his cabin.   He looked at his watch and saw it was late. He decided to crash at his father’s house and made his way up to his old bedroom through the service entrance, thankfully, without being seen. Oh, he knew Asa and Renee would know he was there. But with his bedroom door closed, and he doing obvious avoidance by not saying hello, he was sure they would give him his space. He smiled to himself. Well, at least Renee would, and she would harness the old man, make him wait until morning. And Bo would be long gone by morning. He stripped down to his boxers, tossing his suit onto the chair by the desk. He climbed into bed, lying there, not really tired. He wanted so much to call Nora, tell her what was really going on, get her approval and just to hear her voice. But he knew he couldn’t. He tossed and turned, going over his plan in his mind. It had to work. His emotional life depended on it, and maybe, Matthew’s as well.   He was up and gone from the house before his father could question him. He stopped by the police station in his jeans and tee shirt, giving last minute instructions to Antonio. He gave Antonio the number to the marina, telling him he could only be reached by contacting them and that Nora was the only other person who knew where he would be. He was not to be contacted unless it was a matter of life and death.   He left the station and stopped by the store to pick up some bottled water and root beer for the ride up. He finally made his way over to the day camp. He drove slowly down the gravel road towards the administration office. He parked the truck close to the building, checked his belt for his “prop,” hoping he wouldn’t need it, and walked into the building. Bo stopped at the front desk. “Afternoon,” he looked at the name plaque, “Donna.”   She smiled at the handsome man in front of her. “Well, good afternoon sir. May I help you?”   He nodded “Bo Buchanan, I’m here to see…”   Donna nodded, interrupting him, recognizing his name. “Commissioner, Miss Carver is expecting you.” She pointed to the door across from her. “Go right in.”   Bo walked across the room to the open door. Miss Carver, the camp administrator was sitting behind her desk but stood and extended her hand as he knocked and entered. She looked up at the clock. “Commissioner, you’re prompt.”   Bo returned her smile and shook her extended hand. “Try to be.”   She continued. “Mrs. Buchanan called and explained everything to me. I’ll have Matthew sent for.”   Bo did not correct her mistake at calling Nora, “Mrs.” He still liked hearing it when it referred to Nora. She picked up her mobile unit and spoke into it. “Steven, can you have one of the councilors in training bring Matthew Rappaport here to the administration office. Make sure he brings all of his belongings.” The man called Steven sent an acknowledgement back though the mobile unit. The administrator looked back up at Bo. “He should be here momentarily.” Bo moved to the back corner of the room and waited. A few moments later, Matthew came through the office door, his backpack in his hand. Because Bo was standing against the same wall as the door, Matthew did not see him when he entered.   “You wanted to see me, Miss Carver?” Matthew asked.   Before she could respond, Bo stepped forward, standing between Matthew and the door. He stood directly behind Matthew, speaking to his back. “She didn’t, I did.” Bo could see Matthew’s shoulders slump as his backpack dropped from his hands onto the floor at his feet. Matthew turned around slowly, glaring at him.   “What are you doing here?” he asked angrily.   Miss Carver opened her mouth to speak and Bo put his hand up to stop her, his gaze never leaving Matthew's. “I came to pick you up today,” Bo answered him.   Matthew’s reply was sarcastic. “Yeah, right, like I’m going anywhere with you.”   Bo kept his voice level. “Well Matthew, as I see it, you have two choices. You can walk out of here, next to me, or I can pick you up and carry you out. Either way, you’re leaving here with me.”   Matthew raised his voice slightly. “You think just because you’re the Commissioner of Police, you get to make all of the rules? That you always get your way?”   Bo nodded confidently, folding his arms across his chest. “Today I do.”   Matthew folded his arms across his own chest in a mimic of Bo’s stance, defiantly sticking his chin out just a bit. “Yeah, well, you can’t make me go with you if I don’t want to. That would be kidnapping.”   Bo stared right into Matthew’s eyes. “Not when the person taking you is your parent.”   Matthew matched Bo’s stare. “You’re not my mother.”   Bo continued to hold Matthew’s stare, but kept his voice level. “Matthew, you can either walk out of here next to me,” he paused, pulling his handcuffs from the back of jeans, “or I can cuff you to me, and I can walk out of here with you tossed over my shoulder. Either way, you are leaving here now, with me.”   Matthew dug in stubbornly, almost daring Bo to do it. “You don’t have the guts to hand cuff a kid.”   “Man, he was stubborn,” Bo thought to himself, “Pigheaded, just like his mother.” Well, Matthew had called his bluff so Bo was prepared to follow through. He flicked the cuffs opened and walked towards Matthew. “Okay, Cowboy, have it your way.”   Matthew stepped back from Bo, surprised, holding both his hands out to stop him. “Okay, okay, I believe you. You’d do it.”   Bo stopped a step from Matthew. “So you’ll leave with me?”   Matthew nodded his head in angry defeat. “Fine. No hand cuffs.”   Bo nodded, tucked the cuffs back into his jeans and bent slightly to pick up Matthew’s backpack. “Good. Let’s go.” Matthew started out the door. Bo turned to Miss Carver who was a bit shocked by Bo’s tactics. “Afternoon, Mam,” he said, following Matthew out the door.   She flicked her hand in a wave and smiled doubtfully. “Good luck, Commissioner.”   Bo and Matthew walked out of the building and towards the parking lot. Bo guided Matthew over to his pickup truck, opening the passenger door, extending his hand to help him in.   Matthew pushed away his hand. “I can do it myself.”   Bo held his hands up, backing away. “Okay.”   He waited until Matthew slammed the truck door closed and then tossed Matthew’s backpack into the back bed of the truck. He climbed into the driver’s seat, pulled on his seat belt, and started the truck. He looked over at Matthew, who was sulking in the seat next to him. Bo tried to make peace. “Look, I know you’re angry about how I just…”   Matthew blurted out suddenly, interrupting him. “Why did you come here, I didn’t ask you to come here.”   “Ahh, Matthew.” Bo began, turning to look at Matthew. Matthew was trying to hold back his tears. “You ruined my whole day.”   Bo responded back with his own emotions, trying to make sense to Matthew. “Don’t you realize by shutting me out, you’re ruining my life?”   Matthew was still holding his tears. “Then we’re even. You ruined Mom’s life.”   Bo did not understand. “What’s that supposed to mean?”   “Like you don’t know,” Matthew said sarcastically, his eyes filling with angry tears. “It’s always about you, isn’t it? You getting what you want, you getting your way. If we don’t go by your rules, you leave. It’s all or nothing with you.”   Bo still did not understand. “My rules? What rules?”   Matthew’s tears started to fall. “Mom didn’t get a say when you left her, I don’t get a say now,” he flung open the truck door and jumped out, not wanting Bo to see him cry. “Just leave us alone!” he yelled, running away from the truck. Bo flung open his door, the seat belt jerking against him. “Damn it!” He fumbled to unsnap it and jumped out, chasing Matthew across the parking lot. Matthew had run between a few parked cars which gave him about a 20 yard lead and it took Bo almost five minutes to chase him down. Bo finally got close enough to Matthew to reach out and with one hand, grab Matthew by the back of the shirt, yanking him to a stop. Bo held him by the back of the shirt, using his other arm to pull Matthew in close to him. Matthew’s back was pressed against Bo’s chest by the force of Bo’s arm across Matthew’s body, and they were both breathing heavily.   Matthew’s small chest was rising and falling with each intake of air that he took. “What do you want from me?” he heaved through his tears and heavy breaths.   Bo wrapped both arms around him, holding him tight against his chest, bringing his face next to Matthew’s and resting his cheek against Matthew’s wet cheek. “I want you to talk to me,” Bo said, heaving hard himself.   Matthew let the tears moving down his face fall. “I hate you.”   Bo nodded slightly, still breathing heavy. “I know that. But you and me, we got to start over. And that’s a place for us to start.” To be continued …