Page 16 of Stay for Me
Lord deliver me from boys.
“Can I get you something to drink?” I ask, hoping we can move on from the crappy movie talk.
“No, I’m good, thank you though.”
Melanie comes out of the kitchen, her eyes wide and jaw hanging open. “That’s my daughter, Melanie. She has also seen your movies as Sebastian pretty much demands them anytime it’s his turn to choose, as you can see now.” I jerk my head to the movie that’s playing, and he grins.
“Whoa.” Is all my brilliant daughter says.
“It’s nice to meet you, Melanie.”
She nods a few times, mouth still gaping.
Jacob crouches in front of Sebastian. “I stopped by because I wanted to ask you a question.”
“Really?”
“Yeah, see, part of my job while I’m here is to annoy my brothers, and there’s nothing in the world they hate more than me getting to have fun while they’re working hard. So, I wanted to know if you would like to go fishing in this awesome creek I have on my land on Sunday?”
“Can I?” Sebastian asks. I nod, knowing my voice will crack and I’ll probably cry. “I love fishing.”
This man, who he idolizes, is asking him to just hang out for a few hours. To do something that he and Luke loved to do, no less. Of course, Jacob couldn’t have known that, but my heart swells in gratitude.
“Me too.” He extends his hand for a fist bump, which Sebastian returns quickly. “Awesome. I’ll pick you up around eight in the morning?”
“Sure! I won’t sleep at all so don’t worry if you want to come earlier or even tomorrow!”
It’s completely true. The kid is going to be wired as though he drank four energy drinks.
“All right, well, let’s plan for eight on Sunday. I have to get home, unpack, and do some work tomorrow, but Sunday, I’m all yours. It was nice to meet you, Melanie.”
Melanie is still standing like a statue, still not speaking. “I’ll walk you out,” I say, hoping to save her from further embarrassment.
“Sorry to spring this on you,” Jacob says as we get to the door.
“It’s fine. I appreciate it more than you know. Fishing is . . . something that really matters to Sebastian.”
“Really?”
I nod as I hold the door with both hands. “Yeah, he and Luke used to go a lot. I’m sure he’s really going to enjoy getting to do something he loves with his idol.”
“God,” Jacob says with a huff, “I should be the last person a kid idolizes.”
“Why is that?”
He smiles, and it’s a look I think got him out of a lot of trouble at some point. It makes him even more incredibly handsome, and the charm oozes off him. “Because I’ve made a lot of mistakes, broke hearts, and my moral compass is a bit off.”
“The hearts part I don’t doubt.”
“Oh? Why is that?” He tosses my question back to me.
I lean my head against the edge of the door. “Well, as a psychologist, I tend to see things in a different way.”
“Are you psychoanalyzing me?”
“Would you be scared if I was?”
“Do you always answer a question with another one?”
