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I look back up to see a frown on his face. That’s another expression from him that I don’t like to see.
“What about your family? Friends? Surely there’s someone you can count on.”
I really don’t want to talk about my family, if you could even call them that, but I don’t want to appear rude and ignore his question. I give him only what I am able to give him.
“I haven’t seen or spoken to my family in years. I prefer to keep it that way. As far as friends, I only have one, Chris.”
Something flickers in his eyes and his brows pull down low. It looks like disappointment, sadness, and, if I’m not mistaken, jealousy all mixed together. It’s the jealousy that confuses me the most.
“Chris?”
“She’s been my best friend since third grade. She’s the only one I can count on. She’s always been there for me when I needed her. I love her fiercely, and I know there’s no way I can pay her back for everything she’s done for me.”
Immediate relief appears in Jaxon’s eyes once I start talking about her, and all at once, I realize why I saw the jealousy. He thought Chris was a guy. The thought brings a smile to my face.
“You thought Chris was a man, didn’t you?” I’m still smiling when I ask him.
He chuckles lightly. “Well, can you blame me? It’s not very often you come across a woman named Chris.”
“No, I guess not.” I laugh with him. “It’s short for Christabelle. It’s a mouthful so she decided to shorten it.”
We lapse into a comfortable silence after that. We’re both looking down at our hands on the table. He still hasn’t stopped moving his fingers over mine. I shift my fingers a little to separate them, and he glides his between them. It tickles a little, but still feels very nice and comforting. I’ve grown accustomed to the sensations it’s causing and I’m disappointed when he removes his hand when Maggie stops at our table with our food.
“Here you go, dears,” she says, as she sets down two plates in front of me and four plates in front of Jaxon. My eyes bug out at the amount of food he has ordered.
“Thanks, Gram. It looks great,” he tells Maggie as he picks up his fork and digs in to his eggs.
She laughs while she watches him shovel food into his mouth. She turns to me and says, “That boy has always known how to put food away. You’d think he was starved as a child, but I know better. Between his mama and me, it’s a wonder he wasn’t a fat kid. Even now, I wonder how he can eat so much and stay so lean.”
Jaxon puts down his fork and wipes his mouth with a napkin. “You know why I was never a fat kid. You and Mama always had me running errands or helping out around here or the house. As for now, I run and lift weights when I can.”
“Well, whatever you’re doing now is definitely working. There’s not an inch of extra on you. You’ve grown into a fine-looking young man. Don’t you agree, Bailey?”
Maggie looks at me for a response, and I blush. I hate being put in the spotlight and this situation is worse than others. Jaxon must know he looks good and doesn’t need me to reassure him of that fact. Maggie knows this, as well. I may not want to say it out loud, but Jaxon is one of the best-looking men I’ve ever encountered. He’s not only good-looking on the outside, but I’m discovering he’s pretty darn fine on the inside, too.
Still blushing profusely, I stutter out my response, “Uh…umm…yes ma’am. Jaxon is a very good-looking man.” I’m looking anywhere but at Jaxon. I know he sees the color on my cheeks, but I can’t bring myself to look at him.
“Leave it, Gram. I know what you’re doing and you need to stop,” Jaxon says in a stern voice.
I finally turn my head to Jaxon and find him giving his Gram a pointed look.
She lifts her hands in mock innocence, and smiles. “What? I’m not doing anything that any grandmother wouldn’t do for her good-looking grandson.”
Jaxon picks his fork back up and points it at her. “Well, don’t. I don’t need any help.” He lowers his fork back down to his food.
She looks between the two of us for a couple of seconds, her smile still in place. She finally nods, like she’s satisfied with what she sees. Bending down to kiss Jaxon on the cheek, she then moves to do the same to mine, shocking me. “Let me know if either of you need anything, you hear?”
“Yeah, Gram, will do,” he says around a mouthful of food.
You can tell that they care deeply for each other. They act like a real family should act. Even though the conversation made me feel uncomfortable, it was still a blessing to watch.
I pick up my fork and cut into my waffle.
“Sorry about that. Gram has been known to meddle where she’s not wanted, especially with Anna, Mia, and me. She likes to think she’s helping, but it only complicates things.”
I put the fork back down. “It’s okay. She only does it because she loves you. I can’t fault her for that. You’re lucky to have her.”
“I know, and I love her, but she needs to know when to stick her nose in and when not to.”
