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I cut into the cake and plated it while Jax distracted Caleb by asking him how to sign his name. I paused as I watched as my nephew curl his little fingers around Jax's larger ones trying to teach him the alphabet. I'd never dated anyone who'd even tried to get to know my sweet nephew. Until now, I knew I was undeniably physically attracted to the man kneeling on the floor. But now I knew I was in danger of falling for him in a whole new way.
"You must be a good speller," Jax praised, tapping Caleb on the nose with his finger.
"I am," he said, his voice clear thanks to months of rigorous speech therapy that Adam insisted upon. Jax laughed. "Little man, you are full of talents!"
Caleb's face lit up at the praise.
"Here," I said, thrusting two plates into Caleb's hands. Jax helped me grab the rest. "Let's take these out."
Dessert was a quieter affair, although my mom, ever the gracious hostess, managed to keep the dialogue going. Faith did her best to smile, but I could see the lines of tension around her eyes and mouth. She refused to look at our father who was casting several glances at her. He looked angry and concerned. Even Angie, who never seemed to be at a loss for words, was quieter than usual. Only Caleb seemed unconcerned as he devoured his dessert.
"Why don't you kids go on? Dad and I will clear the table," Mama said when nothing but crumbs remained on our plates.
My dad immediately stood, smiling softly as he always did when he looked at my mom. No one could ever question his total devotion to her.
I'm sure Jax believed my dad was gruff and hard to get along with, but the truth was, he was a teddy bear on the inside. Most people assumed because he was a pastor he was a people pleaser, always trying to make people feel good about themselves. And to some extent, they were right. But he also didn't hesitate to speak the truth even if the person didn't want to hear it. Above all, he was just a regular guy. They'd be surprised to know he sported tattoos beneath his shirts, liked his bourbon, and smoked cigars. He was fast with a joke, even dirty ones in the right company, and more than once I'd heard him let loose with an F-bomb when he was wrestling with a home improvement project. I always thought of him as a little bit of a badass with a passion for the gospel.
Jax leaned toward me. "Walk with me outside?"
I nodded, and he turned to my mom. "Anne, thank you for dinner. It was delicious, one of the best meals I've had in a long time."
To my amazement, my mom blushed. "You're always welcome here, Jaxson." He allowed himself to be pulled into another hug. My dad's knuckles whitened as he shook hands with him, but Jax didn't flinch and held my dad's intensive stare. Finally, my dad jerked his chin at him and used his free hand to slap Jax on the shoulder. I thought it must be some guy code because Jax nodded back.
My parents had a beautiful backyard with a large deck and several flower beds. A vegetable garden was off to one side and some dog training equipment on the opposite side. But my favorite spot was the gazebo in the back corner.
Jax broke the silence as we walked through the grass. "Was Caleb born with his hearing loss?"
I shook my head, then realized he probably couldn't see me in the dark. "No, he had meningitis when he was three. It was a scary time, but fortunately, he's completely fine now other than the loss of most of his hearing. Unfortunately, his father acts like a child whose toy is broken and refuses to accept it. Faith had to fight to get Adam to allow Caleb to begin learning ASL."
"ASL?"
>
"American Sign Language."
"Why, though? Isn't that Caleb's best chance to communicate?"
I smiled at his understanding. "He thinks it will limit Caleb because he'd always be reliant on an interpreter. So, he allowed Faith to enroll Caleb in sign classes, but he insisted that he also attend intensive speech therapy to still be able to speak with the hearing world. Because he was already speaking before he lost his hearing, it's been easier than for someone born with an impairment. I suppose as harsh as it sounds, it does allow Caleb to function in a hearing world, but he should also be able to function in a hearing-impaired world, and that's what Adam doesn't want."
"He seems like a great kid."
"He is," I said as we took the three steps up to the gazebo floor. "You were brilliant the way you stood up for Caleb without losing your temper. Between Daddy and me, it was getting ready to get real loud at the table."
Jax only grunted, so I continued. "I didn't know you spoke Spanish."
He waited until I was seated on one of the wooden benches and then sat beside me, close enough our thighs were touching. "When I was little, I had a friend who was born in Mexico. I helped him learn English, he taught me Spanish. I know enough to get by, I guess."
"That's neat," I said. It grew quiet between us, and I wondered why Jax brought me outside. Rather than push, I decided I was content to sit here with him and be serenaded by crickets.
I stared back at the house where I could see my mom and dad cleaning up the kitchen through the window. I saw my mom scoop up some bubbles from the dishwater in the sink then blow them into my dad's face. He retaliated by squeezing his fingers into her waist. She bent forward and backward trying to escape, her mouth open in laughter as he continued to tickle her until it ended in a kiss. Their love for each other was evident all these years after their wedding.
I heard Jax chuckle quietly and knew he was watching, too. I was glad he got to see this side to them.
"You should've seen your face with Angie." I giggled at the memory of when I'd walked in on them. I'd heard how Jax had defended me, but the joy I felt was overcome by mortification when I realized what Angie had done.
A soft snort sounded from him. "I was terrified your dad was going to come in and misinterpret what was happening."
I snickered. "You must think my family is completely nuts."
