Page 71 of What You Wish For

I took his hand and shook it. “Great to meet you, too—” and just as I was trying to decide if I should actually say J-Train, Duncan slapped a hand on J-Train’s shoulder and said, “He also goes by J-Money, J-Town, J-Dog, and J. J. McJayJaykins.”

“Among others,” J-Train concurred, grabbing Duncan by the neck as he did and pulling him into a noogie. “But Jake works, too.”

“Jake. Gotcha,” I said, but the words were lost as Duncan tackled him, and they hit the sand and started wrestling.

“Jake!” Helen called out. “Glasses!”

Both boys held still for one second while Jake pulled off his aviators and handed them to Helen.

“Careful of the left side,” Duncan said to Jake during the pause.

“Careful of the eyes,” Jake said to Duncan.

Then they got back to wrestling.

Helen stepped over closer to me and we watched them for a minute. “They’re basically just human puppies,” Helen said.

“Huh,” I said.

Helen and I turned toward the girls, now a little farther downthe beach, turning cartwheels while Chuck Norris barked at seagulls. Helen pointed. “That’s Virginia. She’s six. And that’s Addie. She’s four.”

We walked a few steps toward them.

“So,” Helen asked then, “how’s Duncan doing?”

“I can hear you!” Duncan called from behind us, where Jake had him in a wrestling hold. “Don’t ask her how I’m doing.”

“The grown-ups are talking,” Helen called back with a dismissive wave. Then, back to me: “Howishe doing?”

“Um…” I wasn’t really sure what to say. “Fine? I guess? I don’t really know him that well.”

Helen glanced back at the boys. “You don’t?”

“I mean… we’re—”

“Helen!” Duncan shouted—Jake now sitting on his back. “We’re just work colleagues.”

Just as I said, “Work colleagues.”

“Oh,” Helen said. “That’s all?”

I shrugged. I could have added “mortal enemies,” I supposed. But it didn’t seem to fit with the wrestling-in-the-sand energy of the moment.

“Huh,” Helen said. “I got a different vibe.”

“Helen!” Duncan shouted, now overtaking Jake. “Shut up!”

Helen turned back and eyed Duncan. “How much does she know about you?”

“Nothing!” Duncan shouted. “And keep it that way!”

“I wouldn’t saynothing,” I said. “But he does keep to himself.” Plus, I didn’t add, I was still trying to get him fired, washable paint or no.

“Yeah,” Helen said. “We’ve been worried about that. Maybe you and I should go get coffee.”

“No! No getting coffee!” Duncan shouted, breaking free from Jake at last and launching himself up into a run toward Helen, looking dead set on tackling her. She held still as he came at her and then, at the last second, she darted away like a matador.

So Duncan wound up tackling me, instead.

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