"I think it runs in the family. No one could put on a decent meal. My father was always yelling about it, but he always burned stuff at the grill," Matt said then he shook his head. "I need to stop bringing up all this negative stuff."
"Talk about whatever is on your mind," Bailey told him. "Sometimes it's better to get things off your chest."
"Maybe. Gwen always told me not to dwell on the bad stuff. Just put it behind you," Matt said.
"That is one way," Bailey said. "Gwen is very protective of you. She even wants to protect you from your own past."
"I appreciate it, believe me," Matt said and Bailey could see the love for his sister written on his face.
"You two are quite a pair," Bailey told him.
"But she's glad I'm out of her hair," Matt said with a grin. "I've lived with her almost since she first got her own place, so it's about time."
"I hope you'll like living here. I want you to make yourself at home, and don't worry about doing everything. The main thing is to look after Joey."
Matt nodded. "That reminds me, Joey said he had to draw on his headboard before it got dark in case there were scary noises again."
"Scary noises? He didn't tell me about that," Bailey asked and got worried.
"Probably just the wind. I noticed the window in the office rattles. I'll check the others too, but especially Joey's," Matt said.
So much for him not trying to do everything. "Thank you."
Bailey planned to talk to Joey about what scared him, but when the little guy came into the kitchen, he started questioning them to make sure they were making the stew right.
"Did you put the sweet potatoes in there? That's how you make it good," he said.
"Someone likes his sweet potatoes," Matt said.
"I like them from the oven too, and when they're fries and when you put a whole potato in and then you peel it and then you eat it," Joey said.
"A whole sweet potato?" Matt said. "Can you handle that?"
"I can," Joey said and stood straight.
"We like to roast the small ones whole," Bailey said. "We need to do that one of these days."
At Joey's bedtime, as Bailey was helping him get ready for bed, he asked him about the scary noises. "I don't know what theyare," Joey said and then tried making the noises but they didn't sound like anything to Bailey.
"You know, any time you're worried about anything or anything scares you, you can tell me," he said and kissed Joey on the top of the head.
"I just forgot," Joey told him.
"OK. Then just remember that I'm right next door and Matt is in the other room. You can always call out if you get scared," Bailey said and he hugged Joey.
After he was in bed and asleep, Bailey told Matt he had a talk with him. "Joey doesn't seem too worried about whatever scared him, but I appreciate you telling me about it. You're already making our lives better."
"Yeah?" Matt smiled kind of shyly at that. "But this doesn't feel like a job yet, you know. I like being with you guys too much," Matt said, and Bailey told himself not to let his chest get tight or to lose his head over it.
Chapter 10
After he struggled a little with the sweet potato stew, Matt got more comfortable making dinner. Bailey wouldn't have minded doing it himself, but Matt usually had things handled so he didn't need to.
That night, Matt made sausage with rice and vegetables on the side. It was basic but good. Then as they were cleaning up in the kitchen, Matt mentioned that he would be going out when he was done with work that evening.
"Good for you. You work hard, you deserve to have fun," Bailey told him, but he was disappointed he wouldn't get to spend time with Matt, especially after Joey went to bed.
So far they had just watched some stuff together, or Matt would play a video game while Bailey was reading. But tonight was a reminder to Bailey that he shouldn't get used to that kind of thing.
