Page 46 of Everlasting Promises

“Would you like a juice or something?” I ask.

He looks across at where the pop-up stores are set up, then back to me. “Yeah, sure,” he answers, but his voice lacks his usual enthusiasm.

We wander over and line up at the juice bar. The cheerleaders are still performing to the music playing over the speakers. Once we have our drinks, we find an empty table and take a seat. I pull out the caramel slice I bought and offer one to Evan. He takes a piece but remains quiet, wearing an expression of concentration.

“Everything okay?” I ask gently.

He looks up at me and takes his time to finish chewing the food in his mouth. “I thought you weremyfriend.”

His words catch me off guard, and I’m momentarily stunned. “Yeah, I am,” I say, slowly and clearly.

“But you like my mom,” he states bluntly.

“Well, yeah.” I swallow.Why do I feel like I’m walking into a trap?

“Do you likehermore thanme?” he asks, narrowing his eyes.

I shift in my seat and lean against the back of the plastic chair, stretching my legs beneath the table to hide mydiscomfort. “I like you both for different reasons.” I won’t lie to him. I respect him too much for that.

He turns away, directing his focus to the cheerleaders, and I drink my juice, giving him time to gather his thoughts. He’s an intelligent kid, and I’m sure he has more to say.

“Would you still like me and spend time with me if my dad were here?”

My heart pounds, and my eyebrows rise at his question, but I lean forward and look him in the eye without delay. “Yes, I would. Though, to be honest, I think if your dad were still here, you wouldn’t have gotten mixed up with those kids and found yourself in trouble at the gas station. We might’ve never met.”

“Maybe,” he mumbles.

We both fall quiet, and I can see the questions and doubts forming behind his eyes. I could try to soothe him, but I think I’d do more harm than good. I need to be patient and let him work through his thoughts.

He straightens in his chair and takes a drink, then swallows. “Do you wanna date my mom?” he whispers softly, not looking at me.

I trace my eyes over him, noting the freckles scattered across his nose, just like his mom’s. His soulful brown eyes that must be his dad’s and the boyish shape of his face that will begin to change soon as he grows into a man. “Would it be a problem if I did?”

“She still loves my dad.”

I nod slowly. “I know.”

His eyes widen slightly. “You don’t mind?”

“Why would I?” He shrugs. “We can love lots of people at the same time. You love your momandyour dad. I assume you also love your grandparents, aunts, and uncles. You probably love Shane too, right?” He nods. “Each time you love someonenew, do you have to stop loving someone else to make room for them?”

He shakes his head. “No.”

I lick my lips. “Because our heart is elastic. It stretches to accommodate the new people that come into our lives.” I grin slowly. “I don’t expect your mom to stop loving your dad. I would never expect that. He will always have her love, and that’s okay with me because I know that if I were lucky enough to have your mom’s love, she’d have enough for me, too.”

His eyes widen. “So you love her?”

I chuckle. “Not yet. I like her a lot and would really like to spend some time getting to know her better. Love comes in time.”

“So you wanna date my mom?”

Man, this is worse than meeting the girlfriend’s parents for the first time, but Evan’s approval is far more important. I wipe my sweaty palms on my jeans beneath the table. “I would, but I need to work out the right time and the right way to ask her.” I pause for a moment. “Would you be okay with it if we dated? Not saying your mom’s even interested, but if she were and I asked her, would that be okay with you?” I clench my fists on my thighs to keep them from shaking as I wait for his answer.

He watches me for a moment as he considers his answer. He’s only eleven, but he’s the most important person to Hope, and his opinion means a lot to me. “Yeah, I think that’d be okay.”

My grin is instant as relief whooshes through my body. He smiles too, and the heaviness that fell between us disappears.

“Should we grab a coffee for your mom and head back?”

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