“I had a late lunch with a client, so I’m not hungry, but I will take a glass of wine.”
The room went silent as Jasper poured Ryan a glass and I began eating.
After a few minutes, Jasper was the first to break the awkward silence. “I’m going to head out. All of your meals for the weekend are in the fridge.”
“Thank you.” I wiped my mouth with my napkin. “I’ll see you on Monday if I get home before you finish up.”
A look of what appeared to be relief washed over his face. “Sounds good.”
As soon as the door closed behind him, I shifted my focus to Ryan. “Why did he look relieved just now?”
“He thought you were going to fire him.”
“Now I feel bad.” I took a sip of my wine. “The thought never even crossed my mind, and I would have said something sooner if I’d known he was stressed about losing his job.”
“So, you’re not upset?”
“I didn’t say that. You have your own place to do that kind of stuff. And you need to be careful if you’re going to start something up with someone I’ve hired.”
Ryan choked on the wine he just swallowed. “I’m not starting anything with him.”
He was acting as though I hadn’t just caught them in a compromising position. “What do you mean? I know what I walked in on.”
“Just because we were messing around doesn’t mean we’re together or dating.”
“Does Jasper know that?”
“Of course. I may not be interested in a relationship, but I’m not an asshole. I’m not going to hook up with someone without being upfront and honest with them.”
“Have you ever been interested in someone long-term?”
The two of us had never talked about his relationships, or lack thereof before, but I needed to know for my own peace of mind.
He shrugged. “It’s not like I’m against it or anything. I’ve just never met anyone who made me want to be a one-person sort of guy.”
His words confirmed everything Declan had said when he explained what had happened between them, and that was a relief. I no longer had to worry that Ryan had wanted a relationship with the man I was developing feelings for.
“Are we done now with the uncomfortable father-son talk about my casual hook ups?”
I laughed. “Yeah. We’re done.”
While I’d been tempted to tell him about Declan, Ryan obviously didn’t want to talk about his sex life any more than I did. Besides, Declan and I hadn’t discussed our relationship, so telling my kids about him felt a little premature.
“So, did you just stop by to see Jasper, or was there another reason for your unexpected visit?” I flashed him a grin so he would know I was giving him a hard time.
“Actually, I’m meeting some friends nearby for happy hour, and then I’m going to hit up the clubs. I figured I could park in one of the guest spots here instead of trying to find parking in a public parking garage.” He got up and put his glass in the dishwasher. “And since I’m here, I wanted to see if I could borrow Mom’s Escalade?”
I swallowed the last bite of salmon and washed it down with my remaining wine. “Usually that wouldn’t be a problem, but a friend of mine is borrowing it while his car is in the shop.”
Ryan’s brow furrowed. “Don’t service centers usually have loaner cars for things like that?”
I lifted a shoulder. “He took it to a mechanic, actually,” I explained, hoping he wouldn’t ask any further questions.
“Well, do you think you’ll get it back by Thanksgiving? I want to go skiing that weekend and was hoping to drive it up to the mountains.”
When I told Declan he could borrow my SUV, I hadn’t given him a timeframe for when I needed it back. And I wouldn’t leave him without a vehicle just because Ryan wanted to go skiing.
“I’ll ask him the next time I talk to him.”
