Page 24 of Every Beat of My Heart

“I’ll have to come for dinner more often if that’s what you’re having,” Jameson joked with Owen.

“We don’t ever have anything fancy. I think it’s because you’re here,” Owen admitted to Jameson.

“Owen,” I chided.

Had he noticed that I’d made an extra effort with the meal and my appearance? I’d have to be more careful.

Jameson winked at me. “You didn’t have to do anything special for me, but I sure appreciate it. I know the basics of cooking. We all learned after my mom died.”

I’d heard of other teachers’ husbands being the sole cook in the house, and it always fascinated me because Eric refused. “I think that’s great. It’s a good skill to learn. I want to teach Owen but—”

“The last time I tried to make a grilled cheese, I started a fire.” Owen’s voice was hesitant.

“Have you cooked since?” Jameson asked.

I shook my head. “He hasn’t.”

“You should try it. There’s no reason why you can’t make grilled cheese. You just have to be careful what you keep near the burner.”

“I don’t know.”

“I come home late some nights, and he needs more than a sandwich for energy,” I said to Jameson, wishing that Owen wasn’t afraid to cook. At the same time, it made me nervous.

I felt guilty that it had happened at all. But I couldn’t be at work and home at the same time. He was old enough to stay home alone. But mom guilt was hard to shake.

I carried the bowl of noodles and shrimp to the table, and Jameson quickly moved to grab the heavy bowl. “I’ll get that for you.”

“Thanks.” I wasn’t used to anyone helping except for Owen. “Why don’t you pour some water for us?” I asked Owen.

He moved quickly to comply, probably because Jameson was here. But I wondered if Jameson was influencing Owen to be more responsible. He’d always taken a shower every night they’d worked out.

Normally, I wouldn’t want anyone interfering with my parenting. But Jameson was a good influence on him.

We sat down to eat, and I asked, “How are your workouts going?”

Jameson took a sip of his water, then said, “We’ve been working on the basics: arms, legs, chest, and back.”

“Jameson’s teaching me what to do on which day. It’s a lot. But he’s written the routine down for me so I can do it on my own.”

“And don’t worry; I’m teaching him good form,” Jameson added.

“Do you think it will be okay for him to work out there by himself?”

“I don’t see why not. It’s a family gym. There are other teenagers there.”

“I appreciate you doing so much to help him. Tryouts are next week.” And I think I was more nervous than Owen was. I knew how important it was for him to have a group of friends and a place to belong. He was new to the school this year, which was tough. All the other kids already knew each other.

“We can do some work after dinner, but I’m confident you’ll be fine.”

Jameson’s confidence in Owen’s ability was everything. I could see Owen straighten and his chest puff out whenever Jameson said something positive. It made me realize that it was rare for Eric to give Owen any encouragement. Especially for sports.

We dug into the food, and Jameson said, “This is amazing.”

“I’m glad you like it.” I flushed with pleasure.

Eric expected dinner on the table, but he never acted like he enjoyed anything in particular. Sometimes I wondered if he did that on purpose. He had some internal rule that said you should never compliment someone else. He was so competitive himself. He didn’t want anyone else to feel good about themselves.

But with Jameson, he was so honest and real. I loved that about him. He might come across as charming, but his actions proved that he was reliable and steady.

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