Page 19 of Every Beat of My Heart

Jameson was dangerous because he knew the effect he had on women. The problem was, I wasn’t special or different. He was just a charming man, and I needed to keep my distance if I was going to avoid falling for him.

CHAPTER 5

JAMESON

I’d picked up Owen on Saturday morning and showed him around the gym. Then I secured a trial pass so that he could work out for a few weeks and see how he liked it. We planned a few times in the upcoming week for me to show him how to use the equipment.

After that, he could ride his bike to the gym. I thought it would be good for his independence and confidence. And it would give Claire some much needed time to grade papers or just relax. I had a feeling she didn’t let herself take many breaks.

I planned to keep my interactions with Claire brief when I picked Owen up and dropped him off. There was an attraction there, and I didn’t want it interfering with what I was building with Owen.

If I was attracted to his mother, then Owen wouldn’t trust me. He’d be resentful and wonder if I was just helping him to get with his mom.

I was thankful my dad hadn’t openly dated other women when we were teenagers. We had a hard enough time with our mother dying.

On Sunday, Daphne and Fiona came over early to help Dad cook for our family dinner and meeting. By the time I got there, they were putting the dishes on the dining-room table.

Faith and Izzy were setting the silverware and napkins carefully next to the plates.

“You’re doing a great job with those napkins, Iz.” They were a little lopsided, but she smiled and said, “Thanks.”

Dad clasped my shoulder. “Glad you could join us. You haven’t been around much lately.”

“I’ve been helping a kid prepare for the football season.”

Wes poured water into the glasses on the table. “Is he one of your players?”

“I didn’t ask him which school he attended.” And I purposely didn’t look it up. I wanted to help him, and it wouldn’t be fair if I was the coach he’d be trying out for. If he was, then I’d deal with it then. I didn’t have the heart to tell Claire no when she’d asked for help. I got the impression she hadn’t wanted to but that Owen had pressured her.

“Why would you help out some random kid?” Teddy asked, ever the one to bring up the negative side of things.

“He’s not random. We responded to a fire call at his house a few weeks ago. I went back to teach him and his mother how to use the fire extinguisher. Then we got to throwing the ball around. His parents are recently divorced, and it’s not something his dad is willing to do with him.”

Daphne set the pitcher of water on the table and smiled at me. “That’s really nice of you.”

“I still don’t see what’s in it for you,” Teddy said as we all took our seats and started to pass around the bowls of mashed potatoes, green beans, mac and cheese, and chicken.

“Why does there have to be something in it for me? I enjoy helping kids. It’s as simple as that. He doesn’t have brothers to play with or a dad who can teach him.”

“Where is the dad?” Ryder asked.

“It sounds like he works a lot. Owen said something about his dad refusing to play sports. It’s not his thing.”

Ryder let out a breath. “That’s not cool.”

“Tell me about it,” I said, accepting the salad bowl from him.

Daphne’s lips curled into a knowing smile. “Are you interested in his mother?”

The table fell silent.

“No,” I said, drawing the word out.

“You need to be careful with single moms. You either add something to their lives, or you stay out of them,” Cole said with a pointed glare in my direction.

Irritated, I said, “I didn’t say I was interested in her. I’m just helping her son out. No big deal.”

“It is a big deal to her.” Daphne exchanged a look with Cole.

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