"I don't have to like it. It just needs to get done," Matt said. "It's like another job and I hope it will pay off."
"I'm sure it will," Bailey told him.
"I want to have a good job, making good money, so I'm not worrying about where I'm living, you know, so I can feel secure or something like that," Matt said.
Bailey could tell his upbringing had left him with too many fears and he hoped he would end up with the kind of life he wanted. It made him wonder what Matt would do once he and Joey were gone. There was at least one thing he could do for Matt, so he told him, "Once Joey and I go home, you can keep staying at the beach house. It probably won't sell right away. I'm in no rush to put it on the market anyway." Bailey was even thinking of keeping it, bringing Joey there every summer.
"Oh, I didn't mean to make you feel sorry for me," Matt said. "You don't need to worry about me. I'll have it all figured out by the time you guys leave."
"The house is going to sit empty. You can be like a caretaker, make sure it stays presentable if any prospective buyers want to look at it or if we want to come down here to stay," Bailey told him. "You'd be doing me a favor if you stayed at the house."
Matt gave him a mildly suspicious look then he smiled. "All right. As long as I can be useful, I'll do it."
The next day, Joey was already at the sea museum day camp, and Bailey was drinking his second cup of coffee on the porch. Matt was there too. He had taken the dining table out there to sand it down and he was going to refinish it. It did need it.
With Joey gone, Matt was making sure he stayed busy. Bailey was glad though he couldn't help coming out to hang out on the porch to watch him work, to see if he wanted a cold drink, that sort of thing.
Seeing that Matt was finished sanding down the legs and he was about to turn the table to sand the top, Bailey was going to go over and help him. Before Bailey could even set down his coffee cup, Matt flipped the table by himself.
"I was going to give you a hand, but I guess I'm not needed here," Bailey said.
"I like the company," Matt told him with a smile.
Bailey smiled back but told himself not to make too much of it. "I thought we might go out to eat when Joey is done at day camp," he said then he noticed that Matt looked kind of uncertain. "You too, I mean, if you want."
"If you want to spend some time with Joey, I can just keep working," Matt offered.
"I think Joey would miss you," Bailey told him and didn't add that he would too.
"I'm surprised you're not sick of me," Matt said.
"It's the opposite. We're going to miss you when we have to go home," Bailey admitted.
"I'll miss you guys even more. I keep reminding myself not to get used to the way things are now. But I'm going to be sad, there's no way around it," Matt said. He sounded resigned and his expression was heartbreaking before he smiled quickly to cover it up.
Was he really going to miss them that much?
Chapter 13
Matt had gone shopping with Joey and they came back to make sandwiches together while Bailey worked. He was always tempted to abandon work and go join them no matter what they were doing. When he heard Joey chattering or Matt's deep laugh, it was so difficult to resist.
Now Bailey was hearing the sound of Joey's little, running feet. "Picnic time, Daddy," Joey announced as he poked his head in his office.
"I didn't know there was a picnic," Bailey said as he got up.
"Matt and I made it," Joey said as he led him outside by the hand.
Matt was on the beach spreading out some beach towels for them and setting down plates with their lunch. He was a vision no matter what he was doing, and then he smiled at them and Bailey didn't know how he stayed on his feet.
Joey told him what was on the menu. "There are sandwiches and peaches."
"Is it OK we're eating out here? It's not bad timing for you, is it?" Matt asked and Bailey laughed. "I guess it's too late to ask now."
"It's fine. This makes for a nice break," Bailey told him.
They had turkey sandwiches and then the peaches. "These are juicy," Bailey said as he bit into his, but he made sure not to watch Matt eating.
"Nothing like a peach on the beach," Matt said giving Joey a smile.
