Page 58 of Stay for Me
“Sebastian . . .”
“No, I’m serious. She didn’t smile a lot before. She was always sad and never wore makeup or did her hair. She does now. I think she likes you.”
I smile, thinking of how hard this probably is for him. “I like your mom too.”
“You have my permission to ask her out.”
“I appreciate that.”
He extends his hand. “Thanks for the talk.”
I put my hand in his and shake. “I appreciate that we were able to settle this like gentlemen.”
“If you hurt her . . .”
“I’ll hurt myself,” I promise. “Now, Saturday we’re all going to the festival in town, and I’m picking the three of you up. How about we go fishing before it?”
Sebastian beams. “I’d like that.”
“Me too, and thanks for the talk.”
Sounding much too old for his eleven years, Sebastian smiles. “Any time.”
* * *
I’m nervous.
I’m never nervous.
And, yet, here I am, standing outside Brenna’s door, feeling like a sixteen-year-old kid about to pick up the girl who is way too pretty for him. Only I’m not going on a date. I’m not sixteen. And there will be no kiss at the end of tonight.
Not that I wouldn’t give my left nut to have that be untrue.
I thank God for the years of acting classes and the roles where I had to be someone else because tonight will be the show of a lifetime.
Brenna and I will never be, so I have to pretend that what I told her in that classroom was a lie and that I’m completely uninterested in her in that way. It’s just a night at a festival with a lot of freaking people.
I lift my hand to knock, but the door flies open. Melanie is there with a big smile. “Hey, Jacob.”
“Hey, Mel.”
She opens the door wider, waving her hand to come in. “Mom and Sebastian should be down soon. He was on the phone for hours telling all his friends in California that he got the part.”
“He was the right Kenickie.”
And he really was.
“He’s really excited.”
“As am I.”
“So,” Melanie says as she plops down on the couch, “what is this festival like?”
I’m really glad this was the question she asked. God only knows how I would have handled it if it were something about her mother.
“It’s small, there will be a band, food, and rides. At least, that’s what it was like when we were kids. Oh, and of course, they’ll have the tractor pull.”
She purses her lips. “A what?”
