Page 24 of Hush

Elise smiled. “Friday.”

Chapter 10

Ben

Because he had never been much of a cook, Ben settled on a bottle of wine and a loaf of bread as his contribution. In the bread aisle, he agonized over what type: rosemary focaccia, peasant-style, baguette? Seeing as she was a French language professor, he went with a sourdough baguette and bottle of local Cabernet Sauvignon. The card hanging in front of it promised “black current with a spicy finish, perfect for sipping with appetizers or meat dishes.”

The sidewalks of Elise’s neighborhood were lined with mature trees, their branches bare. In her small front lawn stood a lopsided snowman complete with a plaid wool scarf, rocks for eyes and a smile, and stick arms, one drooping precariously. He parked on the street and gathered his offerings, including a bottle of sparkling apple juice for Jaden, and stepped into the chilly air. Snow had been falling steadily for most of the day, and, despite the round-the-clock plowing, Elise’s street felt hushed, as if the time were much later. His footsteps crunched softly as he approached her front door, passing by her Audi dusted with at least two inches of snow.

Ashley had texted him an hour ago reminding him of their date—as if it could possibly slip his mind. Annoyed, Ben deleted it. Hopefully, he could keep her out of his mind tonight. He knocked on Elise’s door, his chest filling with butterflies that lifted into flight inside him, tickling his ribs and brushing past his heart. When Elise came to the door, the little creatures fluttered all the way into his throat so that when he greeted her, it came out like a croak.

She wore her hair up in a loose twist, and her cheeks glowed pink—probably from whatever she was cooking, which smelled wonderful. He pulled her to him for a soft, sensual kiss, feeling her relax in his arms. Suddenly, the sound of small feet raced toward them, and they both pulled away. Jaden peeked around the corner, one hand holding a toy train engine, the glare from his glasses obscuring his eyes.

“He’s here!” Jaden said to Elise, his face shining up at her.

Ben smiled.

“Let him in, Jaden,” Elise scolded, trying to get him to move back so Ben could enter. He laughed as he maneuvered himself through the doorway. Before Elise could close the door, Jaden had grabbed his hand and pulled.

“Come on,” he urged.

Ben gave Elise an apologetic grin. “Looks like I’m needed,” he said.

“Go ahead,” she told him, her eyes sparkling. “I’ll finish cooking.”

Ben followed Jaden’s insistent tugging to a small bedroom at the end of the hallway, passing the bathroom and another bedroom that must be Elise’s, though he didn’t get a look inside.

Jaden’s room checked all the boxes: blue comforter, rocket-shaped lamp, glow-in-the-dark stars on the ceiling, a bin with toys. The floor was completely dominated by an elaborate electric train set.

“You built all this?” he asked Jaden, marveling at the loops, connections, and bridges.

“Uh-huh,” Jaden said, getting down on his knees and placing the engine on the track. He used the controls to drive the engine around, expertly navigating the course.

“Here,” he said, handing the controls to Ben. He gave it a try. As a kid, he, of course, had trains but never an electric set. After a turn, Jaden dove in with rebuilding a portion of the track. Following his lead, Ben helped, adding a piece of track here or there, but mostly letting Jaden lead. Jaden hummed while he worked, completely absorbed in his task.

“What’s your mom making for dinner?” he asked.

Jaden hummed, grabbing track from a box and swapping it with a piece from the course.

“Well, it smells good,” Ben said, handing him a set of curved tracks from the pile in the center of the floor.

“She always makes Chicken Fricassee when we have guests,” Jaden said, his voice making it clear he wasn’t a fan.

“Do you have company a lot?” Ben asked, then wished he hadn’t. He wasn’t going to mine Jaden for information about Elise’s private life.

“Aunty Caitlin sometimes,” Jaden said.

“I’ll bet that’s fun,” Ben said.

Jaden snapped several tracks together. “They drink a lot of wine,” he replied.

Elise appeared at the doorway, leaning her hip against the frame. “Dinner’s ready, you two,” she said.

Ben rose to his feet, while Jaden continued playing, completely absorbed in his building.

“Come on, Jaden,” Elise said softly.

Finally, Jaden glanced up, his face slack with focus. He blinked, as if breaking out of a dream.

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