Chapter 25
Mitch had been quiet since lunch. Of course he wasn't usually much of a talker, but Rico would swear he saw storm clouds gathering behind the blue of his eyes. Rico was tempted to prod him and find out what was on his mind, but he figured he better show some patience and wait until Mitch was ready to come out with it on his own.
In late afternoon, their workday was done and Rico was thinking about dinner. If it was just him, he would have eaten anything that was ready to be gobbled up. But he wanted to make something for Mitch and Sammy.
Finding him going through the kitchen cupboards, Mitch frowned at him. In a gruff voice he asked, "Are you looking for something?"
"Just checking what I have to work with. Since you made breakfast, I'll make dinner tonight," Rico volunteered.
"Are you going to be around?" Mitch said and it sounded significant, like he was talking about more than plans for this evening.
"I'm staying over again tonight," Rico reminded him.
"You're dying to sleep on that uncomfortable sofa?" Mitch asked.
"I'll sleep better there than if I lie awake worrying about you guys," Rico admitted, but he didn't understand why Mitch had such a bad attitude.
"So this is something you take seriously?" Mitch said.
"Of course I do. Why the hell would you even ask?" Rico wanted to know.
"Because you don't want to be here. I heard you talking to Sam when he brought lunch. You don't want to get involved with a guy with kids. That means you're just playing around with me."
"And what do you want from me?" Rico challenged him. "Are you ready for anything more than just messing around with me?"
Mitch didn't answer right away. "I have to think about Sammy first. I can't take a chance on just anyone."
"Just anyone?" Rico said, offended.
"You don't know what you're about," Mitch claimed and Rico couldn't believe his ears.
"Me? Are you kidding me?"
"Keep your voice down," Mitch told him.
"You pick a fight with me and now you want me to keep my voice down," Rico said to him, but he did keep the volume on low.
"Is that too much to ask? I wouldn't want to burden you with too much responsibility," Mitch said meanly.
While keeping his voice down to a harsh whisper, Rico told him, "You're being a dick."
"If you don't like how you're being treated, you don't need to stay here. We wouldn't want to get in the way of you living it up," Mitch said.
"I'm staying," Rico told him through gritted teeth, but he didn't trust himself to say more. He was fuming. His jaw was so tight he thought his teeth would snap.
Rico was glaring at Mitch silently, forgetting all about dinner, when Sammy bounced into the kitchen.
"Hey, missy, want to make dinner with me?" Rico asked her so she wouldn't notice anything was wrong between him and her dad.
"Yes!" she said enthusiastically.
"What would you like to make?" Rico asked her.
She thought for a minute, then she said, "Noodles!"
Rico lifted her up and she grabbed a box from the top cabinets. As he set her back down, Rico looked over to see if Mitch would be helping out too, but he already had his back turned.
Watching him walk out of the kitchen, Rico felt his heart grow heavy. If it wasn't for his big mouth, things wouldn't be like this.
