Page 19 of In the Name of the Father

Seth’s features fell as quickly as they’d brightened. At this point, Malcolm thought he might be figuring at least something out about Seth.

“It’s my treat.”

“But you—”

“You’re making me breakfast. It’s only fair.”

“But that’s not fair. Not at all.”

Malcolm scrubbed his face with one hand. He sensed it was going to be a three cups of coffee kind of day.

“Seth, can I ask you to trust me on this? At least until we get all these details worked out. If you feel as if you’re not doing your fair share, we can come up with a plan so that it doesn’t make you feel that way. What do you think?”

“Well…” Seth fiddled with the spoon he’d been stirring the eggs with. “I trust you, so, yeah. I can do that.” He glanced Malcolm’s way. “And I can cook and do laundry and clean and lots of things, too.”

“Excellent. We’re well on our way to finding a solution.” Malcolm clapped his hands together then rubbed his palms. “Now that we’ve covered that, let’s eat. I’m starving.”

Seth gave him a shy smile, then went back to preparing the food. Malcolm drained the rest of his coffee and made a mental list of all the subjects he wouldn’t pester Seth with for the remainder of the day. The poor kid needed to get adjusted to the abrupt change in his circumstances and they still barely knew each other.

What am I getting myself into here?

What scared him more than anything was that he’d already crossed an invisible line without intending to.

He was already attached.

Chapter Five

“I really enjoyed seeing your winery, Malcolm. Thanks for bringing me along.”

Seth clasped his hands together in his lap to keep from fidgeting so much. Sure, he was an inherently nervous person, had a lot of little habits he wished he could change, but he sensed that the nerves from being around Malcolm were of a different kind.

“You’re welcome.” Malcolm smiled, staring ahead with his hands resting on the wheel, his posture relaxed. “I hope you weren’t too bored. I didn’t anticipate taking so long in one of the cellars, but we’ve been having mold issues down there that I haven’t quite been able to figure out. Every time I think I’ve fixed it, I’m wrong.” He chuckled. “But I promise that the next time, I’ll take you on a proper tour.” Malcolm gave Seth a sideways glance before returning his eyes to the road. “If that’s of any interest to you, that is.”

Seth clenched his fingers together so hard, he thought they might snap. “I’d be very interested. And I wasn’t bored. It’s such a beautiful place and it was cool to read about the soil and the variety of grapes you’re using and all that. I had no idea so much went into making wine.” He cleared his throat. “Maybe when we go again, like you said, you could show me which wines to taste.”

Malcolm broke into a grin. “I’d love to. You might find that you prefer wine over beer.”

“Yeah, I didn’t know what kind to pick the other night, so I chose the nicest looking bottle. But whatever it was, it was awful.”

When Malcolm didn’t respond right away, Seth took a peek and noted that his lips were pressed together as if he was holding in laughter. Seth lowered his head.

I must seem like such a loser nobody to him.He’s handsome, smart and rich with an amazing business. Seth let out a sigh before he could stop himself.Then there’s me.

He started at the gentle touch of Malcolm’s hand on his own clasped ones.

“Seth, you can’t blame yourself for how you were raised, what family you born into. But you had the courage to get away from that existence, and now you can start over and live the wayyouchoose from now on. I’m impressed by your bravery.”

Malcolm patted his hands then drew his own away before returning it to the wheel. Seth stared at the spot where they’d been touching. So far, every time he’d experienced Malcolm’s touch, no matter how brief, it had settled him somehow. As if being connected to Malcolm in even the smallest of ways was gradually healing the ache within that gnawed at him night and day.

“Thanks for saying that.” Seth shifted in his seat, wondering whether he should continue.He said we could talk about anything. Isn’t that what I wanted? “I guess I don’t feel all that brave. I was so scared for such a long time, let myself be pushed around.”

“And then you took a chance by forging out on your own even though you had almost nothing—not even a social security card. That takes a lot of courage. I’ve been very fortunate in my life. I’ve never had to face anything like that. Who knows how I would’ve handled myself under the same circumstances? I’m very proud of you.”

The thrill that surged through Seth from Malcolm’s words startled him. Being called brave, having someone he looked up to saying he was proud of him? It didn’t seem real. His eyes burned from the enormity of the rush of emotions.

“You’re so nice.” He was afraid to add anything else. He couldn’t guarantee that his voice wouldn’t crack.

“I’m being honest with you, Seth. I hope you know that.” Malcolm paused for a moment then continued, “Not to diminish my ability to be nice, but honesty, trust and communication are a major part of how I operate. You’ve already figured out I like to be in charge, so there’s also that. But I don’t bully or tear others down. I’m not fond of others who do—which you probably noticed last night at the bar.”

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