I shook my head. “Say thank you and goodbye to Zoey, then we’ll get you some food.”
Jasper let out an exasperated sigh as he slowly brought his gaze over to meet Zoey’s. “Thank you and goodbye,” he muttered under his breath.
“You’re welcome.” Zoey gave him a smile before turning her attention to me. “Do you need me to get him from school tomorrow?”
I nodded. “That would be amazing. Thanks.”
She grinned. “Yep. Talk to you tomorrow.”
After saying goodbye to Zoey and watching her walk out of the diner, I turned my attention to Jasper. “Hamburger and fries?” I asked.
He whooped, and I laughed as I ushered him over to the far table he always used while I closed the diner.
Cole was in the kitchen when I made my way back to ask Brody to whip up Jasper’s request. Thankfully, Brody had anticipated the need and was halfway through making his regular. Cole didn’t really pay attention to me while I was back there, which I was thankful for. The less I had to talk to that man, the better.
Once I had all the tables cleared, I grabbed the last full grey tub of dishes and told Jasper I would be in the back if he needed me. Jasper was halfway through devouring his dinner, so all he did was nod in acknowledgement. His cheeks were puffed out from the amount of food he was trying to chew.
“Smaller bites,” I said from behind him, tapping his head so he knew I was talking to him.
He just nodded, his blond curls bouncing.
My gaze swept the dining room once more before I hoisted the tub up onto my hip and pushed through the swinging door. I worked fast, rinsing the dishes and loading them into the dishwasher. I didn’t like leaving Jasper for too long. When he got bored, he got destructive.
After I loaded the last tray into the dishwasher, I cleaned the sink and quickly wiped down all the surfaces before I tossed the rag into the hamper in the back corner. I untied my apron as I made my way over to the back wall, and I hung it on a hook. Then I wiped my damp hands on my jeans as I walked through the kitchen, but stopped in my tracks when I got to the door.
Through the small window, I could see Cole was sitting next to Jasper. I frowned, wondering what the heck was going on. Was he scolding Jasper? My blood began to warm at the thought of Cole trying to parent my son instead of coming to get me.
I blew out my breath slowly and pushed open the door far enough so I could hear what they were saying. I wasn’t going to fly off the handle until I had proof.
“This is a Rodger Dodger,” Cole said. From the movement he made, I could only assume he was holding up one of Jasper’s Hot Wheels. “I had one like this when I was a kid.”
“It’s so cool,” Jasper said, leaning toward him as if he were taking the car from Cole.
“And this is a Bugatti Chiron.” Cole held the next car up high enough so I could see what he was talking about. “This car’s top speed is 304 miles per hour.”
Jasper turned to look at Cole. “Is that fast?” he asked, his eyes wide.
Cole nodded. “Crazy fast.”
Jasper stood up on the booth and moved to climb over Cole. I started to push the door open further, but stopped as Jasper jumped off the booth and landed with both feet on the ground.
“Like this fast?” he asked as he readied his legs and arms in a running stance. Suddenly, he took off and raced around the diner.
Cole was chuckling when Jasper made his way back to him. “Pretty much.”
Jasper’s cheeks were pink and his chest was rising and falling. “That’s fast.”
“Super fast,” Cole echoed.
I took a step back, letting the kitchen door slide closed. My heart ached, watching my son bond with Cole. If Harold was actually a part of Jasper’s life, this wouldn’t hurt so much. I knew my son needed a male figure in his life, and it broke my heart that his own father didn’t feel like he needed to be that for him.
Instead, it was the stranger who was trying to take my diner from me.
My mind cleared in that instant, and suddenly I was pushing through the door. My emotions were a mess, but the last person I wanted Jasper to bond with was a man who’d made it clear he had an expiration date. Jasper had already lost one man in his life; I wasn’t going to let him lose another.
“Jasper,” I said as I approached the table, “let’s not distract Cole.” As soon as I was close enough, I started to scoop all of Jasper’s cars off the table.
“He’s not distracting me,” Cole said, his gaze snapping to me.
