Chapter 9
- HARRIS -
“Hey, Mason.Is Freya there?”
My coffee on the table in front of me, I settle into my sofa.
“No,” Mason replies, his tone confused.“Want me to have her call you when she gets in?”
I find myself shrinking into the cushions of my sofa at the thought of it.“No.God, no.I just wanted to make sure she wasn’t sitting next to you.”
Mason laughs.“You’re learning.What’s up?”
I pause long enough to take a sip of my morning coffee.“Have you ever dated a mom?”I finally ask.
“A mom?”
“Yeah.”My mind wanders back to those last moments of my date with Ava last night.I thought it was going well, and I was even looking forward to extending the evening a little longer.
So a sudden mention of an oil change was a bit of a disappointment.
“You mean like the one next door to you?”he specifies.
“Well, yeah.”
There’s a long pause.“Damn.You must really like her.”
“I barely know her, man.I’m just—”
“Dude, I’ve known you for years, and you never ask me dating advice.This must be serious.”
I frown.“Are you not hearing my words?Ibarelyknow her.Just trying to kind of figure out the rules of engagement.”
“Okay, LieutenantCommander.”He adds the last part with a stinging tone, always annoyed that I got the promotion before he did.“Rules of engagement.For a mom.”He chuckles.
“Why are you laughing?”
“Because you asked the wrong guy.Date night with my pregnant wife is the closest I’ve come to dating a woman with a kid.”
“Okay, but you’ve got three brothers.You must have picked up something from one of them.I’ve got sisters.I’m clueless over here.”
Mason makes a slight grumbling noise as though this is too much thought for the morning.
“Well… a mom.Okay.”He pauses.“Yeah, I guess I’ve heard a little here and there.And her kid is—what?—seven now?It’s been a while since I’ve seen him.”
“Eight,” I correct, thinking how I made the same assumption that he was younger.I wonder if Nicholas’s heart condition slowed his growth.Concern pinches at the sides of my mouth.“But as smart as a ten-year-old,” I add, unable to quell the defensiveness in my tone.
“Yeah, he was smart.Hell of a salesperson with those tins of overpriced popcorn too,” he agrees off-handedly.“So I think one of the big rules is to not let the kid get attached to you if you don’t intend to stick around.”
I bristle.“Have you forgotten I’m in the Navy?You know Ican’tstick around.”
“Well, yeah, exactly.So be careful with that.I mean, if you’re into her, go for it.But try to see her without her kid until you start thinking that she might follow you on your next move.Where are they sending you in June?”
“Beats the hell out of me.I haven’t gotten orders yet.Could be anywhere, but there’s talk about Riyadh,” I add.
He groans a little.“All the more reason to be careful with the kid until you know where this is going.”
I feel the creases along the sides of my mouth deepen.“So outside of the care and handling of children, what rules are there?”