Page 16 of The Pilot

“No. We’re just going to talk.”

“Promise?”

“Promise.”

Harper didn’t want to fight with Linc. She simply wanted to understand. Why had he gone to so much trouble to set up their rooms the way he had? She had the sudden feeling everything in their rooms that hadn’t been packed in their five boxes was brand new.

She felt uncomfortable with the amount of money he must’ve spent. She had no way to pay him back and didn’t like feeling indebted to him . . . more than she was already.

She headed for Kash’s door but turned at the last minute. “How was school today?” Kash had admitted recently that things weren’t great at school. The middle school was attached to the high school, and there was a group of upperclassmen who loved to pick on the younger kids. Kash was apparently in their sights.

It wasn’t a huge revelation. He was thinner and shorter than most of his classmates. Add in his red hair and the fact that he loved science, and Harper wasn’t surprised he was a target. Winning the crate race apparently hadn’t helped either. It had just put a spotlight, and target, firmly on his back.

“Fine,” Kash mumbled, as he went over to his bookshelf and pretended to look at the books.

This was karma doing her thing once more. Harper knew it. Because she’d been a mean girl when she was younger, her son was paying the price. “And robotics club? Is that going well?”

“Yeah.”

“You like it?”

“Uh-huh.”

It was like pulling teeth. Harper was torn between staying and trying to get her son to talk to her and confronting Linc. Figuring Kash wasn’t going to open up tonight, she opted for the latter.

“All right. I’ll be back up to check on you in a bit. You showering tonight or in the morning?”

Her son looked at her then. “What time do you work tomorrow? Will you need the bathroom in the morning?”

He was such a good kid. Always looking out for her. “I don’t go in until noon.”

Kash wrinkled his nose. “Which means you work until like eight, right?”

“Unfortunately, yes.”

“All right. I’ll shower in the morning then.”

“Okay.” Impulsively Harper walked over to Kash and leaned down, kissing the top of his head. “Thank you for the wonderful dinner. I love your room, and mine. We’re very lucky Linc extended the offer for us to stay here. We just have to be careful not to wear out our welcome. He’s not used to living with anyone. He probably likes his space.”

Kash shrugged. “He said he liked having me here. That the house got lonely. That he could use my help.”

Harper had no doubt Linc had said those words to her son. But had he meant them? Or was he just being nice? She really needed to have a discussion with the man. To set boundaries. And to request he also set some when it came to Kash. Her son was desperate for positive male attention, and he could easily become a pest.

“Love you, Kash,” Harper said, as she backed toward the door once more.

“Love you too.”

At least her son hadn’t grown up enough to think saying “I love you” was for babies. The time was coming though, all too soon, when he’d not want to openly show his affection. When he’d want to spend all his free time with his friends. Harper dreaded that day, but was all too aware it was part of growing up. Part of Kash finding out who he was and spreading his wings.

And there was every possibility that staying with Linc, flourishing under his influence, would make that time come faster than she wanted.

Harper closed his door almost all the way, leaving it open a crack, then took a deep breath as she headed down the hall. As she glanced into the bathroom on her way, she saw it too looked full of brand-new things. Thick, fluffy towels on the rack, all her toiletries on the counter, bright shower curtain that still smelled like plastic. There were even some deodorant and body spray on Kash’s side of the counter that Harper certainly hadn’t bought for him.

Her resolve firmed as she continued toward the stairs. Linc shouldn’t have bought all the things he had for them. They weren’t charity cases, and she didn’t like feeling as if she owed him.

But a small part of her, deep down, felt a little warm and fuzzy that he’d gone so far out of his way to make them both happy. That he was trying to take care of them.

Was that what he was doing? Or was he manipulating them? Was this all some weird way of getting back at her for all those years ago, when she’d done her best to make his life miserable? Providing things for her son that she couldn’t?