Page 18 of Already Callin’ You Mine

“We still need something that we can make into a series. Something that highlights Hayes Personal Safety and all the programs you run. Something people can stumble onto and watch over and over. Something they share with their friends, or send to their moms. That’s what I’m really after here,” Bronwyn interjects.

“And basic self-defense isn’t it?” Jace counters.

“Are you coming up with a new and interesting way to be like ‘here’s how you throw a right hook’? Because we can already find that on the Internet.”

I bite down on the inside of my cheek, holding in my laughter at Bronwyn’s sass. I love it—absolutely love it. The fact that she has no problem putting him in his place is like being handed calorie-free chocolate.

However, it also opens up a window for me to come up with a good idea. Of how this should really work. Too bad I don’t have any ideas. Not good ones at least. Personal Safety and Security is not at all my expertise—even after shacking up with a cop for years.

Instead, I’m still trying to ignore the images of Jace carrying my baby around on Saturday. Trying to pretend like the two of them didn’t fit together so perfectly, looking like they belong in a frame up on the mantel. And that they didn’t get on like a house on fire, two peas in the same pod from the word go.

No, I’d much rather pretend like my preschooler didn’t make friends with strangers so easily. Especially strangers I dislike. Adding stranger danger to the list of things to teach him.

Stranger danger.

That’s it.

“What about stranger danger?” I toss out, trying to keep my voice even and light. As if I magically pulled this idea out of thin air, rather than straight out of my irritation with the man to my left.

“Stranger danger?” Jace repeats, scrunching his face like the words taste as sour as a Warhead candy.

“Yeah. Don’t you remember stranger danger as a kid?”

“Yes,” Jace huffs. “But that’s not a better idea than an event to support EmpowHER.”

“It is from a social media series perspective. It’s something we can take in multiple directions. Do one track for parents, one for kids, one for them to watch together. And even the ones geared toward kids, we can break down even further, making it age appropriate. Think something for littles, then school-age kids, all the way through teens, and maybe even young adults going off into the world.”

“Oh my God, yes!” Bronwyn exclaims. “You could even do something for seniors, with all those phishing scams and spam calls. Pops gets them all the time about Medicare stuff, and I swear, there is a special place in hell for people who try and scam seniors.”

I nod, quickly scribbling all these ideas down on my notepad. My brain is moving faster than my hand though, thinking up all the different areas we can cover. There’s so many, with new ones popping up all the time. Scam alerts alone might be worth their own account.

“Scam alerts are huge,” I tack on. “That alone could be a series.”

“How does that help?”

What? How does he not…

My blood starts to simmer in my veins, realizing that he’s against this for no other reason than it was my idea.

“It not only helps your average person be aware of what is going on out there, while urging them to be more cautious,” I explain, doing my best not to let my frustration through. I’ve had plenty of practice with a toddler, so dealing with Jace shouldn’t be much different. “But it also helps build brand trust. Consumers will associate Hayes as a brand that cares and is trustworthy and helpful, keeping them informed of all this. We’re the good guys.”

“Ehhh, I’m not crazy about it. Is anyone really going to pay attention to such a thing? Are parents really turning to social media for stranger danger tips?”

“Yes,” Bronwyn and I answer in unison.

“You’re not a parent,” I point out, once again trying to remind him that he doesn’t get it. “There’s a lot of figure it out as you go, and if someone out there has some sort of tip or trick or life hack, you want to know about it. And you are always worried about who your kids are coming into contact with.”

“You didn’t seem particularly worried on Saturday,” he mutters, loud enough so only I can hear him.

Oh, fuck off…

“Jace, this is a fabulous idea,” Bronwyn says. “I think we should run with it.”

“I’ll think about it.”

“You can’t veto this idea just because it’s mine.”

“I can do whatever I want; I’m the vice president of personal safety and security.”