Page 54 of Just a Distraction

I feel my mouth bunching up in concern. “Did I just come across as arrogant or something?”

“Not arrogant.” She teases me with a smile. “Just a name dropper, is all.”

“Oh wow.”

She laughs and swipes at my arm. “I’m kidding. It’s fine. I just feel like this is my job to do, so I should be the one to do it.” She attempts to grab the vacuum from me, then lowers her voice in a whisper. “Besides, do your brothers know you’ve been hanging out with me?”

“No. But I don’t care about that right now. It just looks like I’m simply helping a staff member at the end of a long day.”

She opens her mouth to respond, but nothing comes out, so I capitalize on that by continuing.

“If I help you, we both get to see Callum sooner,” I say. “So really, this is selfish of me.”

“Oh, is that what this is?” She leans in a little closer, waiting for some guests in beachwear to pass us. “You sorta like my little boy, don’t you?”

I grow serious, and Rose’s eyes track mine, searching for the truth. “I do. He’s a great kid. I like his mom, too.” Then I hold up both palms. “I have to tell the truth.”

“Truth from a man? That’s refreshing.” Her mouth drops open in a grin.

I frown. “It shouldn’t be like that.”

“Like what?”

“A novelty. When a guy is honest about stuff? That shouldn’t be refreshing. It should be your reality.”

She blows out a breath. “Yeah, it should. But it’s not. I’ve seen enough men lie to know better.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Me, too.” She lifts a finger. “But one good thing to come of it is I’m determined to show Callum another way. That it’s possible to be decent and strong, mentally and emotionally. It’s possible to treat both women and men with respect.” She shakes her head. “Not sure how I’m supposed to do that, but that’s my big, hairy, audacious goal.”

“You don’t have to do that alone, though.”

She searches my gaze. “I know. Which is one of the many reasons I’m glad we’re . . . hanging out for now.” She sighs, massaging her temple. “I have to go finish some things in the office.” She taps the vacuum. “Thank you. If you don’t have anything going on, maybe you could come over again tonight. If you want. I know with so much of your family around, you’re probably . . .”

“I want. I want.”

She lights up in a grin. “See you at my place at like six? Come hungry, okay? I had so much time on my hands yesterday, I made sourdough bread.”

And by “made sourdough bread” she also meant beef stew and an angel food cake with whipped cream and strawberries on top.

After finishing the meal, I scoot away from her kitchen table. “That was incredible. Your food rivals my Aunt Stella’s.” I grab another slice on the serving plate near me and break off little pieces to place on Callum’s plate. He’s hungrily grabbing bites and shoving them into his mouth with his fist like there’s a swarm of birds ready to steal it all away from him.

“Don’t get too excited. It wasn’t all from scratch. But you have an aunt Stella? Tell me about her.”

“She raised us in the summers when we were growing up. My parents did a lot of traveling for the company, so it was determined that the summers would be a lot easier if we came here. We loved it. She’s an exceptional human.”

She tsks. “I see how it was. You spent your summers in Longdale, playing in the lake, and I spent mine working forty hours a week spread over three different jobs.”

“I admit, that was unfair. What were your jobs?” I’m reminded of our different upbringings, and I know it’s something Rose doesn’t like. It’s another one of the reasons she only wants to date me temporarily. I can understand it, but I can also try to show her that, in the end, it doesn’t really matter.

“You name it, I did it. Movie theaters, car washes, fast food. Lots of fast food.” She shakes her head. “But anyway, tell me about Stella. Does she have kids of her own?”

I nod. “Two. She’s older than my dad, and her kids are older than all of us brothers. Her husband passed away before I was born, so she pretty much raised them all on her own. She’s got a lot of energy. Always in everybody’s business. But you know, my parents weren’t really like that, so in some ways, it was niceto have someone all up in your grill about what you were and weren’t doing.”

“Ah. I get it. My mom had to work a lot and was too tired to be up in our grill about our lives. I pretty much fended for myself.”

“That must have been hard.”

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