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“Are you sure? I could’ve sworn I heard Santa out here.”
Tears peppered my eyes and I quickly wiped them away. It’d been days of Taylor sending a text here or there saying that he’d come see Jesse but then never showing up. Then there was Jack, someone with no obligation to help me or Jesse, and he was doing more in just a few seconds than Taylor had since we’d arrived on campus.
“Can I come to your house?”
I nearly choked I tried to spit out my words so fast. “Jesse, you can’t invite yourself over like that, honey. I told you, you’re going here tonight. Mommy has class and you have play time. It’ll be fun.”
“I don’t want to go here! I want to go with Jack!”
Jack stood up and ruffled Jesse’s hair. He smiled at my son and twin dimples appeared on either side of his mouth. “Let me chat with your mom. You stand right there and try not to give your mom such a hard time.”
Jesse stood ramrod straight and even saluted Jack. “Yes, sir!”
Jack moved closer to me and when he leaned in, I saw that his eyes were a pretty hazel. They looked brighter set against his short black hair and beard. “It’s completely up to you, but I could take him home with me. Andrew and Caleb are both there already. I’m picking up pizza and heading that way. It wouldn’t be a problem.”
I squeezed my eyes shut and bit my lip hard to stop myself from crying. After inhaling and exhaling through my nose a few times, I opened my eyes and found Jack looking at me with concern marring his handsome face.
“I grew up with a single mom, Olive. Shit’s hard. Let me help tonight.”
I looked over at Jesse and felt a wave of anger at Taylor. Jesse’s father should’ve been helping. His father should’ve been the one spending time with his son, bonding with him. I glanced back at Jack and nodded. “Okay. I… Thank you. This isn’t your responsibility, Jack. I don’t want-”
He smiled and gripped the back of my neck. “Take the help. Accept that I want to help. And then go to class before you fail out of college and set a terrible example for the kid.”
I laughed and found myself nodding up at him. “Yes, sir.”
Jack’s gaze turned hungry for a moment before he shook his head and stepped away from me. “Give me your phone.”
I found it at the bottom of my purse and handed it over to him, just to see him frowning at me. “What?”
“That took you too long. Keep it in one of the side parts or in your pocket. If something ever happened and you needed to call for help, having to dig it out of your purse wouldn’t be ideal.” He tapped away at my phone and then his own pocket rang. “You have my number now. Message me when you’re done with class and I’ll pick you up.”
I blinked up at him, floored by his words. I’d been lectured my entire life about a myriad of things, but never about being safe. I’d heard everything from keeping my knees closed to never being alone with the opposite sex to god doesn’t like fast little girls, but never a lecture about being safe.
He held my phone out to me and raised his eyebrows when I didn’t move to take it. “What is it, Olive?”
I rolled my lips into my mouth to keep myself from blurting out all my thoughts. Shaking my head, I took the phone. “Thank you.”
Jesse jumped between us, his patience done. “Can I go with Jack, Mom? Can I? Please?”
I bent down and cupped his face. “You can. Listen to me, though. You’d better be good. If Jack tells me that you weren’t respectful for them, I won’t let you go back. Okay?”
He nodded at lightning speed. “Yes, ma’am! I’ll be so good, Mom. I love you! Bye!”
Sighing, I stood back up and met Jack’s gaze again. “I’m chopped liver around y’all.”
“The kid’s blind. That’s all I can say.” He winked and then scooped Jesse up in his arms. “We’ve got a mission, kid. Are you ready for the mission, Agent Jesse?”
I waved goodbye to them and only slightly melted at watching Jack part the crowd as he jogged away with my cackling son. Jesse was so much better off with a man who played with him and took time out for him. I just wished his own father would give him the time of day.
10
***Jack***
Ikickedmywayinto the house with Jesse in one arm and four boxes of pizza in the other. Jesse laughed at the top of his lungs and I joined in when I heard Caleb swear from somewhere deeper in the house.
“That better not be a certain booger flinging kid I know!” Caleb stalked out of the living room and put his hands on his hips. “We sent you for pizza, dude. Not pizza and child.”
Jesse wiggled out of my arms and ran over to Caleb. Much to Caleb’s shock and maybe horror, Jesse threw his arms around Caleb’s legs and hugged him. “Mom said I have to be good so I won’t put any boogs on you tonight.”
