Page 36 of Love… It's Wild

“Are you saying I should let him mess up, so long as he comes home at the end of the day?”

I boldly meet his gaze. “I’m saying to give him a chance.”

His head drops, as if his defenses are subsiding. “I worry about him. I only have him for two more years before he either goes off to college or moves out and gets a job. He was a sweet kid. Loved Legos and comic books. One day, he started wearing all black and refused to wear anything but sweatpants. Forget about getting an actual jacket on the guy. Then, this attitude took over. He talks back, is moody, hangs out with the dredge of the earth, and his grades have been a disaster. I don’t know how the kid passed sophomore year.”

“He’s just a kid, and kids make mistakes. Isn’t it better if he makes them all while he’s under your wing than you waiting to let him go and he makes even greater ones on his own? I’m not saying to give him total freedom, but a little personal responsibility could possibly do him good. I know you don’t trust anyone, but if you’re gonna start with someone, start with your own son.”

“You don’t know what kind of trouble he can get himself into.”

“I can think of a few things,” I say in a singsong voice in order to get a laugh. He doesn’t react, so I give him a nudge. “Didn’t you have a rebellious year?”

“No. I was the responsible one. I’m the oldest of six. Four boys, two girls. There wasn’t time to act out. I was hauling my younger siblings around and keeping everyone on the straight and narrow. I did a pretty good job. Jack, Lori and Michelle are successful in their chosen professions and married with kids—lots of kids. Will is a hero cop and starting his own family. Cade is the only one who didn’t follow in the Bronson family path. Honestly, I think my parents were so tired from raising the five older ones that they gave up on Cade around the time he was eight, and I was in college, so he practically raised himself.”

“I met him at the wedding. Charming.”

“He hit on you, didn’t he?”

“Who doesn’t?” I kid.

Then, I realize Rob is possibly the one man who hasn’t hit on me, and I haven’t tried to flirt with him either. Rob never gave me a chance to flirt because I know myself, and I most definitely would have given him the time of day. Heck, I would have given him the whole damn clock. But he was so repulsed by the thought of me wanting to flirt with him that he ran away from me. I file the unkind thoughts of myself away and wonder how I let my mind go from Jesse to Cade to my personal feelings toward Rob.

“Anyway, just food for thought. If you say Jesse was a good kid, then he is a good kid. Maybe he just needs a way to show it.”

Rob looks back down at the grill. “Maybe. Who knows?”

I step onto the stairs. “I’ll be inside, setting the table.”

Inside, I call Molly down and show her how to turn the oven on, and we put in the loaf of bread we prepared earlier and let it rise. We make a large dinner salad and set the table. Molly shows me where her dad keeps the place mats, and we even set out some candles, deciding we need to change the aura in the house tonight and a fancy set table will do the trick.

When Rob comes inside with his finished beer and grilled steaks, he glances at the set dining table.

“Doesn’t it look pretty?” Molly shows off the way the silverware is set properly. She pours iced tea into the glasses from the glass pitcher in the center of the table.

“Where did you get flowers?” Rob points to the arrangement of wildflowers in the center of the table.

“We’ve gone for a walk every day this week and gathered flowers. Have you not noticed them?”

Rob’s face morphs from the serious,lost in his headexpression he had when he walked inside into a calm grin. He looks at Molly. “The table looks beautiful. Get your brother. Tell him the steaks are ready.”

Molly runs off to get her brother, and Rob puts the tray of steaks on the counter.

“The kid might hate my guts right now, but he loves steak. It’s a surefire way to get him down here,” Rob comments and then looks at the centerpiece. “Have you really collected flowers each day and I didn’t even notice?”

“You’ve had a lot on your mind.” I give him the excuse, which he doesn’t seem to like.

I bring the salad bowl to the table while Rob slices the steaks and places it on a ceramic dish. I wonder if that’s his usual style or if he’s doing it because Molly and I made the table so nice tonight.

Jesse comes downstairs and takes a seat at the table. As Rob said, the kid loves steak, so he immediately starts plating slices for himself.

The air in the room is quite static, and I regret not putting music on. The four of us eat in silence, which is unusual for Molly and me, yet tonight, we don’t have much to say. Plus, the steak is absolutely delicious. Rob is a great cook.

Rob looks across the table to where Jesse is sitting. “I was thinking … maybe you can take a break from coming to the jobsite with me tomorrow.”

Jesse looks up at him like he’s crazy.

“There’s that driver’s ed class in town. If there’s room, I’ll sign you up online. You can go to that. If that’s okay with you, Tara. You’d have to take him.”

“Of course,” I answer. “As long as you trust me to do the job.”

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