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I laughed at that, but it was true. Rick and I hadn’t discussed if I could have guests. “Let me run it past him in the morning. We go for runs every day. It was supposed to be Chandler and me, but…”
“That kid? Run? I can’t see it.”
“Well, you never have to. He did once with me, then talked his dad into joining us, then begged off.”
“Why would he want to set you and dad up to run?”
“To get me off his back, I think. I’m still feeling it out. I don’t think he wants me here for him. I think he wants me here to distract his dad.”
She purred, “Ooh, I see. And are you?”
“I hate you.”
“Nah, I’m a peach. Okay, check with Mayor Belish. If it’s A-okay, I’ll be by Thursday.”
“Sounds good. See you then, because I’m sure it’s fine.”
The next morning, while we were taking a break on our run, I asked him about guests. He laughed at first. “You’re working to live there. It’s basically your rental house. As long as you don’t have parties and trash the place, I’m not going to censor your off time.”
“Thanks. I wanted to ask first, just in case.”
“I’m no ogre, no matter what my son thinks.”
I laughed. They were at such split purposes working toward the same goals. If I could intervene, I would, but I refused to break either confidence. “He doesn’t think you’re an ogre, Rick. He’s a good kid.”
“I know. I just wish he’d talk to me more.”
“He’s a teenager, stressed out a lot over the future too, but he’s not blaming you.”
“They all blame their parents, Kanan. They can blame a lot of people for what’s going on in the world right now, and they’re not shy about it. I’m proud of him and his generation, but they’re infuriating at the same time.”
“Probably what our parents thought of our generations.”
“Mine did. My father thought my generation was a bunch of disrespectful terrors. Maybe we were.”
He was staring off at the view, but I caught him twice that day with the heated look in his eyes. He cast them on me then, and I felt my body heat through. “Were you a terror?”
“No. I was a good boy. I did what I was told, and I was told who I was. Maybe that’s what’s wrong with me.”
Before I could respond, he ran off and I was left to watch him.
When I caught up, he was smiling. “When you’re sick of my whining, you can say so,” he informed me breathlessly.
“You don’t whine. You worry. There’s a difference.”
“I knew I liked you.”
We had dinner out on the patio that night, with Rick grilling steaks and hotdogs. The hotdogs were for Colby, of course.
I helped Colby to his chair, placing two cushions under him so he could see over the table better. After, Chandler went to peer at the steaks. “Overcook mine, please.”
“Yes, any pink and you might vomit, I remember.”
“You’re lucky I still eat meat. I’m thinking of going vegan.”
“Of course, you are,” Rick sniped, and Chandler gave him a scathing look as I cringed, expecting it.
“What does that mean?”
