She spared him a tired smile.
“That’s really sweet,” she said. “If you have somewhere else you need to be, though…”
He shook his head firmly. “I have absolutely nowhere else I have to be,” he informed her. “I am here to help unless I’m underfoot, in which case, you can tell me to scram. No hard feelings.”
That earned him a slightly more genuine smile.
“In the meantime,” he said, gesturing to the stove. “I made stuff for tea.”
“Okay, well, now that’sreallysweet,” June said. Her kitchen had a small breakfast nook area, and she dropped into a chair. “I will absolutely accept tea… but only if you join me.”
“The pleasure would be all mine,” he said, feeling the truth deep inside him.
And, indeed, there was something intensely satisfying about watching June drink tea that he had made for her. He hadn’t had someone to take care of in a long, long time. It was nice.
“You know,” he said gently after June had taken a few sips of the calming brew, “I am also a good ear if you need to unload about anything.”
June paused, her mug halfway to her mouth, to give him a rueful smile.
“That obvious, huh?” she asked.
He shook his head. “No, actually. You keep it togetherwaybetter than I would if I were in your circumstance. I mean, look at this place.” He waved around her house, which was homey and well-maintained, even if some of the items showed signs of being loved for some time. “You have a great house, a sweet kid, and when some punk musician came around asking you out, you had enough generosity of spirit to go out with him, instead of kicking that bum out on his behind.”
She kicked lightly at him under the table at his self-deprecation, the gesture playful, not painful.
“Yeah, you’re a real pain to have around,” she said with teasing amusement lighting her eyes.
“That’s why I’m trying to make up for it with tea,” he joked back. “But seriously, June, I hope you pause every now and again to feel proud of yourself. What you’ve done here, thelife you’ve built? It’s amazing.Youare amazing. I’m… seriously impressed.”
June blushed. She looked very fetching when she was blushing.
“That’s… really nice of you to say,” she said. She paused as though considering something, then sighed. “Okay, so you made me tea, and I’m taking that as tacit permission to unload.”
He spread his hand in front of him in invitation.
She let out another sigh.
“I’m glad that it looks like I have things together, but gosh, Levi, it’s sohard. I would do anything for Benjamin. Anything. He is the world to me. But keeping it all together, without having a partner to turn to when the days are hard? I know I’m repeating myself, but it’s just sohard.”
He reached across the table to put his hand on hers, and he felt good about providing something, no matter how small, when she flipped her grip so that they could lace their fingers together.
“I believe it,” he said. “I hate that I don’t have something more helpful to add, but I don’t know what it’s like to be a parent, let alone a single parent who lost their spouse. But gosh, June. I am in total awe of you.”
She looked doubtful. “You’re a famous country music star,” she pointed out.
“Don’t remind me,” he said, just to make her laugh. “But I’m not just puffing you up. My job might have its stressors, but as my presence here shows, my obligations are mostly to myself. So when I do things like flee to a little New England town, the person who I’m risking is myself and my own career. But you live for somebody else, and from what little I’ve seen of him, you’ve done an amazing job with Benjamin, June. I mean, just look at today! He was in a scary situation, but he’s resilient. He trusted that his mom would come and take care of him, and you did. That’s good parenting. That’s something thatyougave him.”
Her eyes drifted closed, as though this onslaught of praise was simply too much to take directly.
“Why are you being so nice to me, Levi?” she asked with a little laugh.
He didn’t care that her eyes were closed; he grinned, hoping she could somehowfeelthe force of his smile.
“Because I like you, June,” he said simply.
She peeked one eye open at him. Adorable.
“Even though I totally wrecked our date?” she asked cautiously.
