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I smirked around a mouthful of food and shook my head. I was fucking working on loosening up! I’d told him plenty. Hell, I’d promised the new producer I would appear more. It was in my contract.
Grandma eyed me in her pensive way, which could unsettle me if I wasn’t so relaxed. She’d always been able to read me better than my own parents.
“The thing about Jake,” she said, facing Roe again, “is to lure him out using his own passions. That’s how you get him excited and eager to talk.”
I was fairly certain that applied to everyone on this planet.
“So what are his passions?” Roe got curious. “In the year and a half I’ve known him, he’s dedicated himself one hundred percent to filming, editing, being a daddy, taking countless photos of Colin, paying the bills as soon as we receive them, and studying technology.”
Hey, I was a good bartender now too.
“Well, they change, you see,” Grandma answered. “When he was little, he would help me in the garden every summer. He loved roses. Then his grandfather gave him a camera, and he started taking pictures of the roses. Which then became photos of trees, animals, and…” She lifted a brow at me. “Do you remember what came next?”
I nodded with a dip of my chin. “Aircraft and ships.” Since I was from Norfolk, the military had always been close by.
“Then he became a Marine,” Roe murmured.
Grandma nodded. “Now I think he’s reverted a fair bit. He loves nature, doesn’t he? You can tell by the way he films.”
They didn’t have to talk as if I weren’t here.
“He hasn’t made a single friend out here,” Roe continued. “But he’ll greet every dog that runs up to him.”
I dipped down and brushed my lips to the top of Colin’s head. “Damn. I thought you were my buddy.”
Roe grinned. “Aside from me.”
Well, I didn’t want a lot of people in my life. I was happy with what I had.
“Jake can be a tough nut to crack,” Grandma noted. “You just have to look for different topics. Eventually, you’ll find somethin’ that’ll break the levees.”
Typical of Roe to see that as a challenge.
All my life, I’d heard that I didn’t talk enough. I was too introspective. Kept to myself a lot. Wasn’t passionate about others. Rarely got excited. Didn’t take much initiative. And I didn’t know. Maybe there was something wrong with me.
Sometimes, it actually felt like that, especially when I dated. I’d never once pursued a woman. They’d pursued me, and I’d been content to go along for the ride for however long it lasted. I’d read about love; I’d seen fellow Marines talk about their wives and family members with longing in their eyes, but I hadn’t been able to relate until the day Colin was born.
My absolute favorite moment with him was every morning we woke up together. He’d stretch out and make that adorable growling sound, then blink sleepily and see me lying next to him, and he’d cuddle close to me.
What the fuck else did I need?
Grandma and Roe changed the topic shortly after. Grandma was curious about our next adventures, and Roe was happy to divulge. He told her about our upcoming travels and about his hope that he and I would start a podcast together. Business-wise, I knew that would be a fantastic move, but who in their right mind would wanna listen to me talk about…what?
Roe and Grandma had topics lined up, it seemed like. They moved on to discuss her stay here, and she was very much looking forward to visiting the Santa Monica Pier, the tar pits, and the Hollywood Walk of Fame. She invited Roe to join us, but he regretfully declined. We’d been working so much, and he’d promised his girlfriend he’d spend some time with her.
“I’m actually supposed to be at her place now,” he chuckled.
“How long have you been together?” Grandma wondered.
“About two months,” Roe replied. “We’ll see how long it lasts. She thinks I work too much. She complains that I spend more time with Jake than with her.”
I grinned against Colin’s soft hair and kept brushing kisses on his head.
“Back in my day, I would never say this, but you’re both young,” Grandma told us. “You have an exciting future ahead of you if you keep working on your show—and other ventures.” That one earned me another cocked brow. “I would like to sell your autographs on eBay before I develop dementia.”
I choked on a chuckle. Jesus Christ, Grandma.
“I love this lady,” Roe laughed. “Did Jake tell you our show has its own Wikipedia page now?”
“He told me the other day.” Grandma patted Roe’s arm. “You best believe I brag about you at the club. That’s my grandson and his friend, I say. Maggie’s always going on and on about her Wall Street grandson—but I sure shut her up.”
